Phoenix Rising, a spectacular bronze sculpture donated to Elon by Charlotte businessman and philanthropist Irwin Belk, was placed on a pedestal at the entrance to the athletics complex Friday, Aug. 1. Details and photos...
The 11-foot-tall artwork by Cornelius, N.C., sculptor Jon Hair embodies Elon University’s athletics identity, the Phoenix. The bird is depicted rising from flames which engulf a globe-shaped egg. The wings of the Phoenix are stretched dramatically upward in two massive arcs. At the pinnacle of the sculpture between the wings is another flame, symbolizing the cycle of fire and rebirth.
Elon adopted the Phoenix as its athletics identity in 2000, including a stylized logo and mascot character. A timeless symbol of light and knowledge, the Phoenix is a mythological bird that is said to die in fire and rise again from the ashes. The Phoenix represents Elon’s triumphant recovery from the 1923 fire that destroyed the main campus building. The University motto, Numen Lumen, signifying intellectual and spiritual light, embraces the Phoenix spirit. The Phoenix also reflects Elon’s founding by the Christian Church (United Church of Christ). Throughout Christian history, the Phoenix has served as a symbol of resurrection.
Irwin Belk has had a lifelong interest in athletics, and has attended all the Games of the Olympiad since 1960. He served on the United States Olympic Committee for more than 30 years. Belk has funded numerous major sculpture projects at colleges and universities as well as the bronze sculpture garden at the U.S. Olympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the Olympic Truce Sculpture at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Hair, below right, was commissioned by Belk to produce Phoenix Rising in 2001. He has won numerous awards for his design and artwork and was commissioned to produce a 30-foot monument for the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado. Other major sculpture commissions include pieces for the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and the Husqvarna Forest & Garden. He created logos for the City of Charlotte, N.C., and the international art exhibition “Ramesses The Great” and has produced design projects for IBM, General Electric, Siemens and Cendant Corporation.
Dedication ceremonies for Phoenix Rising and Belk Track, another gift of Irwin Belk, will be scheduled this fall.