Art and American History Highlight Barr Systems Reception in Celebration of National Quality Month

Gainesville,Fla.–Barr Systems, Inc. celebrated National Quality Month in October by unveiling two commissioned art works during an evening reception at its campus in Gainesville. The works include a bronze sculpture by artist George W. Lundeen of Loveland, Colorado, and an interior mural painting by Harimandir Khalsa of Melrose, Florida. Following the reception, there was a talk by invited speaker Dr. Seymour S. Block, Professor Emeritus in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Florida.

The mural, measuring 12' x 18', expresses Barr System's longstanding commitment to quality. The work covers an entire wall and frames a view of the central courtyard and fountain as seen from the main lobby. Khalsa, who painted the work in acrylic over a period of several weeks, used a technique called "trompe-lceil," or "fool the eye," to give the mural an appearance of depth.

The bronze sculpture, erected in the central courtyard, is a life-size re-creation of Benjamin Franklin sitting on a park bench. Lundeen modeled the piece on a smaller, pewter rendition of Franklin. The artist takes both fictional and historical figures for his characters.

Accompanying the unveiling of the sculpture, Dr. Block discussed Benjamin Franklin's importance in American history and culture at large. Block, who has cultivated a lifelong interest in Franklin, recently participated in a meeting of the Franklin Institute that was held in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Tony Barr, President and CEO of Barr Systems, said "National Quality Month is a time to reflect on our values and practices at work and elsewhere. Barr Systems is pleased to support the art community in our company's pursuit of quality and value for our customers and employees. These fine works of art reflect our company's values and help to make our campus a beautiful and productive work environment."

About Barr Systems

Barr Systems, a provider of software and hardware enterprise connectivity and print management products, this year received ISO 9001 certification from the North American division of British Standards Institution (BSI), the world's leading registrar of quality management systems. ISO 9001 certification is the highest level of quality assurance in the International Organization for Standardization's internationally-recognized product manufacturing and design quality standard.

About The Artists

The murals of Harimandir Khalsa may be found throughout Florida. She was commissioned by the Nature Conservancy to paint site-specific illustrations for the Disney Wilderness Preserve. Additional murals were created for the Ft. Pierce Utilities Authority Customer Service lobby, a Keystone Beach retaining wall, and the MandS Bank in Hawthorne. Khalsa studied privately under Lenny Kesl.

George W. Lundeen has created both portraiture and interpretative sculptures for numerous universities, municipalities, foundations and corporations. He studied at the Academia de Belle Arte in Florence, Italy, under a Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship. He received a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor of Arts from Hastings College in Nebraska. Lundeen is a member of the National Academy of Design and the National Sculpture Society.

About The Speaker

Dr. Block, who obtained his doctorate in chemical engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1942, is widely known for his work with disinfectants and antiseptics. He is currently writing his second book on Benjamin Franklin.