So What Is The Story Behind The Stone Gryphon Throne?
CSW's resident historian answers the age-old question, What Is The Story Behind The Stone Gryphon Throne?
By Sherrill Bounnell P’19, Executive Assistant to the Head of School
I’m in my 20th year at CSW and not a year has gone by that I’ve haven’t asked myself, “I wonder what’s the story behind the gryphon throne? How long has it been here? Who made it?” The sculpture is such an iconic feature of the campus, regally perched on the northwestern side of the quad walkway, and surely thousands of students have taken a seat on it or peeked through its tiny eyehole, so it’s been frustrating to have the answers to these questions elude me for so long. But, as luck would have it, that all changed this past summer!
I’m in my 20th year at CSW and not a year has gone by that I’ve haven’t asked myself, “I wonder what’s the story behind the gryphon throne? How long has it been here? Who made it?” The sculpture is such an iconic feature of the campus, regally perched on the northwestern side of the quad walkway, and surely thousands of students have taken a seat on it or peeked through its tiny eyehole, so it’s been frustrating to have the answers to these questions elude me for so long. But, as luck would have it, that all changed this past summer!
In July, I was introduced to B. Amore (Bernadette D’Amore) thanks to visual arts teacher Todd Bartel, who was exhibiting in a show with B. As they got to know each, Todd learned that B. has a CSW connection: she was a CSW parent (Larisa Lawrence ‘84) and she was the person responsible for the creation of several stone sculptures on campus, including the iconic gryphon throne and the reclining figure that is nestled in the landscaping along the quad walkway in front of the Cheek Dining Hall Building. I met with B. and Larisa in August and they regaled me with the story behind these sculptures and shared with me a 140 image slide show from the spring of 1984 (B. has generously given the slides to the school’s archives). What a gift to finally learn the origin story behind these two pieces!
B., a welding and stone sculpture artist who lived and worked in a studio in Waltham, had noticed several abandoned stone blocks at a Waltham building site (she believes they were left over from a renovation of the former Boston Post Office Square Federal Reserve Bank building, now The Langham Hotel; perhaps the same developer was working in both locations and had transferred them from Boston to Waltham). Inspired to put the stones to good use, B. proposed teaching a stone carving course at CSW and that’s what happened in the spring of 1984. CSW paid for the crane to relocate the blocks from the Waltham site to campus, where they were deposited in the area adjacent to the Cheek building (in front of where the Mugar Center is now sited).
B. recalls she worked with then Visual Arts Chair Joan Gitlow to structure a course that allowed students to discuss ideas for designs, make drawings, and ultimately do the carving (B. assisted with some of the more advanced techniques). B. lead the students in carving tables and benches (their ultimate placement is unknown; there’s no known evidence of them on campus now) and 2 sculptures (the gryphon throne and the reclining figure).
B. recalls she worked with then Visual Arts Chair Joan Gitlow to structure a course that allowed students to discuss ideas for designs, make drawings, and ultimately do the carving (B. assisted with some of the more advanced techniques). B. lead the students in carving tables and benches (their ultimate placement is unknown; there’s no known evidence of them on campus now) and 2 sculptures (the gryphon throne and the reclining figure).
“It was a great adventure,” B. remembers with pride, noting that the caliber of the students’ work was quite high. “We made space for everyone who wanted to be involved.”
The images included above (1984 photos’ credit: B. Amore) capture the students’ experience working on this unique and exciting project. NOTE: We are still working on accurately identifying everyone; if you see yourself or someone you know, please let us know!
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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.