The pavilion Parable is the centerpiece of University Village campus, at the University of Nebraska, Kearney. The Village consists of university offices, housing, retail, and amenities surrounding a central park-like quadrangle. Parable is a sculpture/pavilion for the center of the 1.7-acre, green space quadrangle. The sculpture is the visual cornerstone of quad, encouraging the full build out of University Village which began in 2020. The quadrangle with the sculpture at its center accommodates pedestrian connections to the larger campus, performances, and University events. The University of Nebraska, Kearney (UNK) has an increasing international student population. Parable refers to the stories that students from diverse cultures bring to the UNK campus. Parable, serves as a social center for the community in the large quadrangle, as well as a stage for performance and social interaction. Comprised of three groups of soaring stainless-steel parabolic arches, the 40-foot-tall gateway sculpture is the first thing people see when they drive towards University Village from the main campus entry. Its glowing parabolic arches define a central intersection for pedestrian travel through University Village. The arches create a transparent volume that is illuminated by the changing angles of the sun during the day and changing colors of LED light at night. Moving around the quad offers different compositional arrangements of the parabolic arches that create four entries corresponding to the four sides of the quadrangle. When illuminated with the artist curated light shows at night its transparent forms shift and recombine to offer a spectacular layering and interaction of color defined by the overlapping parabolic forms. The programming corresponds to university events and seasonal changes. Since its opening in 2024 it has become a positive symbol for the Universities reach into the surrounding community.
