New Sculpture in Pius XII Library Invites Reflection on "Land, Labor, Legacy"
04/29/2025
Before stepping down as Saint Louis University’s president this summer, Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., and First Lady Fran Pestello, Ph.D., offered a gift to the SLU community.
During a reception Monday afternoon in the Pius XII Memorial Library, the Pestellos helped unveil a new sculpture they are donating to the University. The sculpture, titled “Land, Labor, Legacy,” was created by Ohio artists Kyle and Kelly Phelps.
Fran Pestello, Ph.D., right, Edward Ibur, executive director of the St. Louis Literary Award, left, and Cathleen Fleck, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, center, discuss the sculpture “Land, Labor, Legacy” by Kyle and Kelly Phelps with on Monday, April 28, 2025. The sculpture in Pius XII Memorial Library is a gift to the SLU from the Pestellos. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
“The work they created is absolutely beautiful,” Fran Pestello said.
The sculpture, about 20 inches tall, features four adult figures, one of which is holding a child. Each figure is looking up at one of the cardinal directions. The figures represent enslaved persons of African descent and members of the Osage Nation, one of the Native American communities that once called this land home.
“This sculpture is more than bronze and form,” said Rochelle Smith, vice president of the Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement. “It represents stories — those of the Osage Nation and those of the enslaved peoples who toiled on this land. These are histories that have too often been silenced, forgotten, or pushed to the margins.”
“We know the importance of art to inspire, to provoke, to deepen understanding,” Fred P. Pestello said. “This work will do that and more. Art is powerful. This work speaks to us, and it speaks to the mission of this institution.”
“Land, Labor, Legacy” is on display on the second floor of the Pius XII Memorial Library.
A temporary archival exhibit accompanies the newly installed sculpture. The Illuminating Histories exhibit seeks to bring light to hidden stories of Saint Louis University. The goal is to illuminate the stories that are often untold or unacknowledged.
Smith said that the sculpture is intended to signify the Pestellos’ enduring commitment to the courageous pursuit of truth, which is the heart of SLU’s Jesuit mission.
“This sculpture is one meaningful contribution toward that effort,” Smith said. “It invites us to see, to learn, and to reflect. It reminds us of the hard truths of SLU’s own history, its connection to slavery, and its presence on Native land. In naming those truths, it opens the door to healing and transparency.”
“It’s about history and it’s about American history and being true to that, “ Kelly Phelps said of the sculpture. “To tell a full story, not just parts of it, is important.”
Kyle and Kelly Phelps are twin brothers whose work frequently honors individuals whose contributions to the American story have gone unacknowledged. Inspired by their own blue-collar upbringing in New Castle, Indiana, the Phelps brothers’ artwork depicts the dignity, toil, triumph and heartbreak experienced by those who labor in difficult — and often unjust — contexts.
Kyle and Kelly Phelps, artists of the sculpture “Land, Labor, Legacy.” The sculpture is a gift to the university from the Pestellos. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
The Phelps brothers are long-time friends of the Pestellos. The Pestellos and the Phelps brothers met more than two decades ago, when Dr. Fred Pestello hired the twins, together, to teach at the University of Dayton.
“When we saw their portfolio, we saw that these two men do extraordinary work that reflected the mission of that institution,” Fred P. Pestello said.
Fran Pestello said the brothers are “uniquely talented artists” and were a delight to work with on the project. Creative work on “Land, Labor, Legacy” began in 2021.
Work by the Phelps Brothers has been exhibited in over 200 juried, solo, invitational, regional, national and international exhibitions. It is in the collections of the Racine, Asheville, Canton and San Angelo museums of art, as well as the NAACP National Headquarters.
Kyle Phelps is a professor of art at the University of Dayton. Kelly Phelps is a professor of art at Xavier University in Cincinnati.
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