By: Matthew Montoya
The University of the Incarnate Word displays several pieces of art and monuments around campus, including the clock tower and a bench on which former Incarnate Word President Iván Duque Márquez sits.
An eight-year-old statue called “The Heart of UIW” stands around 10 feet tall adjacent to the AT&T Science Center, depicting a heart made from a water wave with a very rocky and rough surface on the left side of the heart, and the other half is a hand heart with a contrasted smooth feel on the right side.
It’s a campus sculpture at UIW that represents the university’s mission, values and community identity that includes the following message: “Dedicated to past, present, and future University of the Incarnate Word students. May we take this precious education and use it to give back to our community with endless love and care.”
Installed in the summer of 2018, the sculpture was created by sculptor Doug Roper, based on an original concept by UIW alumna Athena Martinez. The project was initiated and gifted to the university by the Student Government Association (SGA) as a lasting tribute for future generations.
The sculpture reflects UIW’s Catholic and service-oriented mission. Previous reporting done by UIW magazine, The Word, states that the hand represents the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and the importance of serving others.
“I believe the intent for the class that put that statue together, that designed it, was for people to understand that part of UIW is love, and appreciation for you with dignity,” Bishop Trevor Alexander said.
Alexander is a Protestant Chaplain at UIW and a San Antonio Black Worship Hall of Fame member.
Associate Dean of Campus Engagement Dr. Paul Ayala says the statue symbolizes “the fact that Jesus gives us life.”
Vice President of Mission & Ministry Sr. Walter Maher CCVI believes the water wave doesn’t only represent the ocean, but also “the wave of students, the wave of life in a number of ways.”
