CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Queens benefactor Irwin “Ike” Belk recently donated a sculpture to Queens University of Charlotte to commemorate the addition of swimming programs.

The sculpture is by artist Jon Hair who also created “Rex,” the largest standing lion sculpture in the world which stands at the Queens Sports Complex on Tyvola Road.

“As a former athlete I'm so pleased to see Queens add swimming to its athletics programs and look forward to watching those teams develop,” said Belk, who is a former member of the
U.S. Olympic Committee.

The sculpture is now showcased in the office of Queens President Pamela L. Davies who said she's inspired by the graceful form of the female swimmer bending into a back dive.

The gift enhanced the campus-wide celebration about the new programs, said David Marsh, Queens' executive in residence for athletics and high performance.

Sculptor Hair lives at Lake Norman and has earned worldwide acclaim for his massive bronze sculptures at Queens and several other universities, at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Olympic Training Center, in front of Merrill Lynch in Manhattan, and other notable locations.