Jesus the Teacher, an 18’ tall bronze statue by the artist Ben Fortunado Marcune, was commissioned by DeSales University in honor of its 50^th anniversary.  The statue features the figure of Jesus with outreaching arms and open hands along with wind-swept hair and robes which symbolize the Holy Spirit. The inscription “Learn from Me for I am gentle and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29) was chosen to embody the artwork.  Located at the head of the central campus green, the statue has a commanding presence by virtue of its scale and the geography of the site. The orientation of the statue beckons to the university and community at large. A 3,000 square foot plaza rises out of the surrounding grade to anchor the installation. Students and staff ascend a series of granite stairs to access the plaza from the green. This same granite rises out of the surrounding site to create a series of low containment walls which double as resting places for reflection.  The change in grade along the length of the plaza allows the composition to wed itself to the landscape at its terminus. The flow of the surrounding lawn and the introduction of landscaping accentuates the anchoring of the plaza into the campus as a whole.

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