George Rickey (1907–2002) “Two Lines” 1988 Stainless steel sculpture Given by Richard J. and Nancy Peters Ryan in 1993
Location: Morris Arboretum & Gardens
Sitting at the top of Morris Arboretum & Gardens, “Two Lines” is situated in an open area, welcoming visitors to the space. It is tall, silver-colored, and narrow, a kinetic sculpture moving according to the law of gravity and the vagaries of the wind.
The piece sits where the Morris Mansion used to be, on a hillside overlooking the rose garden, says Bryan Thompson-Nowak, director of education. The Mansion was demolished in 1968, but the site is historic and significant to the place, he says.
The piece was acquired in 1993. The artist, George Rickey, was fascinated by engineering and mechanics, designing kinetic sculptures that were featured in collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and Guggenheim.
“It’s a dynamic sculpture; people are drawn to it,” Thompson-Nowak says. “It’s been there for 30 years, but it feels timeless.”
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Centering joy in AI development and implementation
PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton—of Annenberg and SP2—and collaborators introduce a joy-informed framework designed to initiate conversations among engineers, designers, and researchers.
Winter Storm Fern brought icy and snowy conditions to the Northeast and other parts of the country over the weekend. Penn Today asks physicist Robert Carpick about the unique properties of ice, the science of curling, and how close we are to ‘nonslip’ ice.
Organizations like Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships foster collaborations between Penn and public schools in the West Philadelphia community.
Penn receives national distinction for community engagement
The recognition by the American Council on Education and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching acknowledges Penn’s long-standing commitment to community-engaged scholarship and partnerships in West Philadelphia and beyond.
