“Off White Whale” Sculpture Finds New Home in Cascade Hall
If you’ve walked though Cascade Hall recently, you may have noticed the magnificent woven sculpture hanging from the ceiling near the south entrance lobby. Titled “Off White Whale,” this 10-foot-long art piece was recently donated to South Seattle College by Dr. Virginia Hoffman, retired Professor Emeritus at California State University-Los Angeles, as a gift to former South President Gary Oertli. The sculpture will remain a permanent fixture on campus.
Combining woven, non-woven, hard and soft pieces, Off White Whale has been exhibited in New York, London and throughout California. The piece explores the idea of fluidity, using materials which are “pliable, changeable and even self-disposing.” A plaque near the art piece describes it in detail.
Dr. Hoffman, now 93 years old and a resident of Palm Springs, CA, no longer works in art. She lives alone with her beloved golden retriever, enjoys bicycle rides (3 wheeler!) and walking the dog, tries to swim a few times a week and, when she can talk someone into going camping with her, loves to get in her RV and roam.
A special thank you goes to South’s President Emeritus Gary Oertli, Seattle Colleges’ former Government Relations Director LaVerne Lamoureux and Wendy Nagasawa, Executive Assistant to the President, who were instrumental in bringing the sculpture to Cascade Hall.