Joe Mooney, a 1978 Penn State alumnus, celebrates life through his creation of steel sculptures.

Mooney said that he explores myths and personal experiences through his artwork. He uses his sculptures to create balance, gesture and dance. Students and faculty can see his stainless steel sculpture on display outside the HUB Gallery through the end of May.

"For this sculpture, I wanted to show a balance of duality between Western culture, things like blacks and whites, males and females," Mooney said. For the sculpture, he contrasted the square, rigid foundation of the sculpture with the free flowing and circular part on top of the pedestal.

He used cardboard pieces as a model to figure out different ways to get a dynamic balance.

"Cardboard models are a quick way to work through a lot of ideas," Mooney added.

The Philadelphia native's work has been displayed in corporate collections as well as in exhibitions throughout the East Coast. He said his work is a celebration of the positive and hopes that people will take away a sense of optimism after seeing his sculptures.

"We all have our dark moments -- times of grief and sadness, but life is more about sunshine in the morning than fears in the dark night," Mooney said. "Hopefully, when people stand in front of my work, for that moment they will stand a little straighter."

Richard Morgan, proprietor of Rhoneymeade Arboretum, Sculpture Garden and Laby-rinth near Centre Hall, said Mooney helped him start his sculpture garden in 1991.

Morgan first noticed Mooney's work at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of Arts in 1980. He was instantly attracted to Mooney's style and asked if he would do a piece for the sculpture garden. Like Mooney's sculpture in his arboretum, Morgan said Mooney's work appeals to many people in many different ways. Kim Morris, spokeswoman for the HUB-Robeson Galleries, said Mooney's work is well-recognized and enjoyed by many people. "He is a modern, contemporary artist who has an appeal to students," Morris said.