WILLISTON, VT.- Vermont sculptor Richard Erdman has donated three works of art to the University of Vermont. The first, “Arete Blu,” was installed at the Dudley H. Davis Center in early September. A reception recognizing the donation and the artist will take place on Wednesday, October 4, from 4-5 p.m. at the sculpture site on the rooftop terrace of the Davis Center.

Members of the academic and artistic community will attend the reception, and Erdman will join UVM president Tom Sullivan and Fleming Museum Director Janie Cohen in speaking. Erdman graduated from UVM in 1975, and was recognized with an honorary doctor of letters in 2016. In light of that recognition and his experience as a student, the artist resolved to give back to the university where he started his artistic career and the students still crafting their own creative paths. Hence, his donation of “Arete Blu,” “Belladonna,” and “Confluence.”

“Arete Blu” is a 92- by 50- by 32-inch sculpture crafted from Brazilian Blue granite, or Azul Bahia. The sculpture will join another Erdman piece, “Primavera,” which was purchased in 2010 by the university and installed in the vicinity of the Davis Center. “Arete Blu” is unique in that it is one of only four sculptures Erdman has carved from blue granite, which exhibits a beautiful cerulean pattern. It has a $300,000 value.

“Belladonna” and “Confluence” will be installed on the UVM campus at a yet-to-be-determined date. “Belladonna” is a 92- by 24- by 21-inch bronze sculpture, edition 2 of 4, created in 2004. It is valued at $95,000. “Confluence” is similarly a bronze sculpture, edition 1 of 8, and comes in at 23- by 20- by 17inches. It is valued at $24,000.

Erdman is an internationally recognized sculptor whose works in bronze and marble appear in collections around the world. He has crafted over 120 commissioned works for both public and corporate collections, and museums including the Museum of Fine Art Boston and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, among others. Additionally, the artist is recognized for having carved the largest sculpture in the world, “Passage,” from a 450-ton block of travertine. “Passage” currently resides in the Donald M. Kendall sculpture garden at PepsiCo, which is considered to be one of the finest collections of 20th century outdoor sculpture.