Situated in a lovely spot outside the 2nd grade classroom window, you’ll see a new piece of artwork adorning campus.

Balancing Act, a bronze and aluminum sculpture by Josie Campbell Dellenbaugh, has been thoughtfully gifted to GUS by a very generous, anonymous donor.

“Balancing Act is a standing bronze figure of a man holding a log over his head while balancing on a ball. Upon the logperch a hawk and a squirrel. All things in our natural world must be kept in ecological balance. Man has a large impact on this, and it is always a bit precarious. This is a modern take on Atlas holding up the earth.”

The gift was facilitated by alumni parent and former trustee, Judy Klein P ’95 ’00 ’04, the creator of the Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School. Balancing Act, along with several other significant works, was presented on the Pingree campus this past fall and caught the eye of a civic-minded patron. Honoring the donor(s) wish to remain anonymous, the only information shared was how the donor(s) expressed a keen sense for how the piece would be well-suited for GUS given our community’s positive focus on the environment and our ongoing commitment to sustainability. Everyone at GUS agrees with our mystery donor(s) sentiment and everyone appreciates the kind and generous gesture!

Special thanks to Louis Somma ’88 P ’23, Jake Bartlett ’87 P’27, Josh Taylor ’88, and Howard Stern P’25’27 for volunteering to manage all aspects of transporting and installing the sculpture. We couldn’t have done it without them! Their efforts did not go unnoticed by students who were curious about this new arrival.

Given the chance to express their thoughts and ideas about sculpture sitting outside their window, 2nd grade class recently shared the following observations in answer to the following:

What do you think this piece of artwork represents?

• “Balance between animals in the world and balancing between everything.”

• “Balance between nature - keeping balance between predators and prey - with a squirrel on one side and a hawk on the other.”

• “Saving the world and nature.”

• “Balancing act because we don’t want a world in chaos.”

• “Keeping nature safe and healthy.”

• “Humans have to keep smart, strong, and brave to keep nature balanced.”

what kind of person might donate something like this?

• “It would be someone who is kind and peaceful.”

• “It would be someone we should feel grateful about.”

• “It would be someone who wants to share happiness and balance.”

• “It would be a person who wants to be the opposite of selfish.”

About the artist: Josie Campbell Dellenbaugh

Josie Campbell Dellenbaugh’s work has been part of many solo and juried exhibitions in New England, the mid-Atlantic region, and the upper Midwest. Internationally, her work has been included in exhibits in Canada and Russia. Over the past forty-plus years, her work has been chosen for the Nor’easter Exhibit at the New Britain Museum of American Art and CT Artists at the Slater Museum in Norwich, and she has won numerous awards in various venues.

Currently, Josie works in her home studios in Glastonbury, CT and in Center Harbor, NH and at the Carving Studio/ Sculpture Center in Rutland, VT.