One of his largest, most significant works to date, Ted Schaal’s Open Window is set to the backdrop of MacDonald-Kelce Library and represents the characteristic of spirituality on the McNichols Sculpture Trail. The sculpture echoes the saying, “God does not close a door without opening a window.” Although the work is cast bronze, the corrugated surface emulates the appearance of naturally weathered stone, calling to mind the work of 20th century artists like Isamu Noguchi, who believed that each stone contained a spirit, or life force. Simultaneously, it suggests carved artifacts of an ancient culture. The door has been cleaved in half diagonally, perhaps by lightning or a powerful earthquake, leaving two distinct pieces that are improbably suspended by a shiny, flawless orb. Although there is no specific religious iconography depicted, the artist has lined the center in precious gold leaf, which is historically seen to represent the divine. Schaal speaks to the larger, more universal spiritual truths part of the human condition, striving to be better despite the barriers we face. The meaning of Open Window is therefore open-ended and filled with possibility – it merges aspects of traditional religion with ancient mysticism to create a metaphorical work that encapsulates the concept of spirituality.