Have you ever walked around FSU’s campus, glanced at the statues or the stained glass glowing in the sunlight, and suddenly thought, wait… who actually made all of this?
The Art of FSU
FSU is made up of all the small details that give it its personality. Some pieces that we pass every day without even thinking twice include the Integration Statue, Dodd Hall’s Werkmeister Reading Room, the Unconquered Statue, the giant spears in the stadium, the wooden owls in Ruby Diamond, and every sign in every building, inside and out. All of these details shape our experience on campus, and we don’t even think about it.
I don’t know why, but I’ve always been curious about where these things come from. Who designed them? How were they crafted? How did they even get here? These pieces feel so permanent, so woven into FSU’s identity, that it’s easy to assume they’ve always been part of campus.
The Unconquered Statue and Dodd Hall’s Werkmeister Reading Room are so FSU, but the truth is, someone had to imagine them first. Someone had to build them, create them, and place them here for the rest of us to walk past every day.
That’s why I was so surprised when one day in class, my art professor announced that we’d be taking a field trip to the FSU Master Craftsman Studio. My immediate thought was, what is that? Now, after seeing the hard work, precision, and creativity that happens there, I can’t believe I didn’t know about it sooner, and I almost feel oblivious for not knowing.
Since taking the tour, I’ve found myself talking about the studio to everyone I know, and I can’t stop noticing the art around campus, from the signs in my classroom buildings to the installations I’ve passed a hundred times without a second thought.
Located just behind the roundabout in College Town, on the corner of Gaines Street, humbly sits an unassuming building I’d never noticed before. Like most students, I’d driven past it countless times without realizing that some of FSU and Tallahassee’s most iconic pieces of public art were born inside.
What is The FSU Master Craftsman Studio?
I quickly learned that the FSU Master Craftsman Studio has a unique relationship with FSU, serving as an auxiliary unit within FSU Facilities to create one-of-a-kind custom art pieces for both the university and private clients. Their work ranges from bronze sculptures and stained glass to furniture construction, art restoration, and public installation pieces designed not just to decorate a space, but to tell a story and leave a lasting legacy.
What makes the studio even more special is its dedication to teaching, collaboration, and education. The Master Craftsman Studio partners with university students, offering internship opportunities in an artistic and professional environment. Students work alongside experts, gaining hands-on experience with studio equipment and materials, and witnessing the behind-the-scenes process of large-scale artistic creation.
During our visit, we had the chance to speak with the studio’s director, John Raulerson. He shared how the studio developed into its unique relationship with FSU, and how much of his own career has been shaped by sculpture, teaching, and the creative process.
Listening to him describe the work that happens inside the studio made it clear that these campus landmarks aren’t just objects; they’re stories, crafted with intention, care, and pride, and we saw not only the people behind making them come to life but their skill and passion come through as well.
Walking out of the studio, I couldn’t help but look at campus differently. The art around FSU suddenly felt more alive, knowing it was created right there, by artists working quietly behind the scenes to shape the university’s identity and bring its stories to life.
So next time you pass one of FSU’s iconic statues or installations, take a second to wonder about the hands that made it, because chances are, it started in that humble building just beyond the start of College Town.
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