The Beanfield

You may have noticed some tall natural poles outside the Wexner Center's western edge along College Road and the Oval. Called The Beanfield, it's a two-year public art project created by Ohio State art professor Michael Mercil as part of the Living Culture Initiative in OSU's Department of Art in partnership with the Wexner Center and the Social Responsibility Initiative in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Mercil and his students planted four varieties of beans in the spot (the day lilies that were there were transferred to West Campus), which will grow up the poles over the coming months. It's a nod to the university's agricultural heritage, its commitment to provocative public and social art, and to Henry David's Thoreau's own "Bean-field" that he planted and wrote about in the mid-19th century. More updates to follow as the stalks start to grow...