Photo by Howard Pitkow

Prior to the construction of the new high schools, the LM and Harriton Alumni Association asked both high schools if they would accept an artistic donation. Both LM and Harriton accepted the offer and the Alumni Association searched for an artist. Eventually they chose Leo Sewell, a well-known local sculptor, to create two sculptures. Growing up near a dump, Sewell has been playing with junk for over 50 years. On his website Sewell says, “His sculptures are composed of recognizable objects [and his] outdoor sculptures are constructed of stainless steel, brass, or aluminum found objects which are welded together.” Principal Sean Hughes and Sewell both affectionately refer to the materials in the sculptures as “junk.” LM students may be familiar with his sculpture of The Statue of Liberty’s arm holding a torch at the Please Touch Museum. Last year, the Alumni Association donated a large red apple to Harriton. The apple represents education. This year, the Alumni Association has decided to donate a statue of a bulldog to LM, which will be unveiled in a small ceremony later this school year.

On the subject of where to place this large sculpture, Hughes said, “We decided the best place to put this outdoor sculpture would be the courtyard.” Hughes is excited to have a local artist work on this project. “For us, here at Lower Merion, one of my big things has been really tying to get artists and artwork involved in the school that have some type of connection to the school or to the area,” commented Hughes. Sewell was equally excited about this project, as it allowed him to return to a format from earlier in his career. Sewell commented, “The bulldog is a form that I made mostly in the 1980s, but I was happy to return to this form. It is so dramatic with its wide chest and narrow waist. This piece is constructed with mostly aluminum objects with many of the pieces being anodized to get those great colors. The YALE plate struck me after it was applied—how appropriate it was. Go Bulldogs!”