Alice, Restored

For generations of Chatham Hall students, Alice has stood quietly at the heart of campus in Curtis’ Garden, graceful, familiar, and constant. She is more than a statue. She is a meeting place, a landmark, and a symbol of continuity woven into the fabric of our campus. Now, Alice is entering a new chapter. 

This spring, Chatham Hall began the careful process of recasting the beloved fountain statue to ensure her preservation for years to come. Led by the Board of Trustees’ Gardens and Grounds Committee and made possible through the generosity of an alumna donor, the project represents more than restoration. It is a lesson in stewardship, philanthropy, and caring for the traditions that define Chatham Hall. And of course, our students had to be a part of it. 

From the beginning, the vision was clear: this would not be a behind-the-scenes facilities project. It would be a living, learning experience. Through Dr. Melissa Mitchem’s Global Entrepreneurship I course, and in partnership with the Art Department, students explored the history of Alice, the artistic process of recasting a sculpture, and the role of philanthropy in preserving campus traditions. The class began by meeting with Dr. William Black, Archivist, to learn more about Alice and the garden where she stands. Art Department Chair Elsabé Dixon introduced students to the foundry process, discussing how a foundry is selected and the artistic and technical considerations involved in preserving a work of art while honoring its original integrity. 

“Working with a local foundry gives us the opportunity to involve our students and faculty in the process,” Dixon explained. “The Waller Foushee Studios was chosen because it was willing to share the process of casting with us and give us tours of their studio.” 

As students learned about Alice’s future, they also began uncovering her past. Research led them back to the Class of 1968, which gifted the sculpture to the School upon graduation. Through conversations with alumnae, archival research, and a virtual gathering connecting current students with members of the Classes of 1968 and 2014, who gifted the scalloped dish that Alice stands in and that makes the fountain flow, students pieced together the story behind one of Chatham Hall’s most recognizable landmarks. 

The sculpture was purchased by the class of 1968 with significant support from Philip Schaff, father of Gladding Schaff Markunas ’68, and created by artist Elisabeth Peabody Miller of Winnetka, Illinois. Over the years, stories surrounding Alice became part of campus lore, but the research process allowed students and alumnae to separate myth from history while preserving the spirit of both. 

Central to the story is Alice Bruning, daughter of longtime Chatham Hall English teacher Theodore “Ted” Bruning and his wife, Marty. Ted taught English at Chatham Hall and served as sponsor for the Class of 1968. According to alumnae recollections, the class chose to name the sculpture after young Alice, forever linking the Bruning family to a tradition that continues today. 

Just before Spring Break, Alice was carefully removed from Curtis’ Garden and transported to Waller Foushee Studios in North Carolina, where molds were created to preserve the original sculpture and prepare for a new casting. The restored original returned briefly to campus while work continued on the renewed version that will ultimately take her place. 

Students remained involved throughout the process. Portfolio art students studied the sculpture firsthand, observing the application of faux patina techniques before creating their own ceramic works. Future plans include presentations to the School community, oral history projects, digital archives, and the possibility of creating small-scale Alice replicas through the Makerspace.