Soaring Legacy
The First Women of Notre Dame
Their courage took flight here, shaping every generation that followed
A monumental bronze and glass sculpture for the First Women of Notre Dame
Butterfly Garden, University of Notre Dame
Concept Overview
“Soaring Legacy” is an ascending composition of five butterflies—each marking a decade since the first women arrived at Notre Dame and embodying the themes of transformation, unity, progress, generational legacy, and enduring impact. They spiral upward in graceful motion, their wings filled with molten glass inlays of golden amber, deep red, and Notre Dame blue.
Form & Structure
Scale: Overall height ~ 7 feet including base.
Base 36” Sculpture 48” Each butterfly ranges from 12” to 18” across the wingspan, arranged in a vertical spiral.
Base: Granite pedestal—charcoal or warm gray—about 18” square and 36” tall.
The granite anchors the upward motion; the metal emerges organically from it.
Spiraling Support Form: The sculpture rises from a rooted, shared foundation, its form growing upward like a young tree reaching for light. As it lifts and opens, the structure becomes lighter and more graceful, creating natural places for each butterfly to emerge at its own height. Together, the grounded base and ascending form symbolize the strength, growth, and collective uplift that carried the first women of the Class of 1976 into their new era of flight.
Butterflies & Materials
Medium: Cast bronze, with patina variations and sections filled with molten (fused) glass rather than stained glass inserts.
Glass Detailing: The wings are open in structure, allowing fused glass to fill the spaces and create translucent cells that catch and glow with sunlight. The glass palette moves from warm golden amber and deep red to cool blue and violet tones.
Finish: Bronze bodies and wing veins patinaed in warm dark umber, highlighted with select gold leaf accents along the edges and ribs to catch sunlight and echo the Golden Dome.
Lighting: Subtle in-ground LED up-lighting at dusk to illuminate the glass in the wings, creating an inner glow effect.
Symbolism & Composition
Five butterflies featured rising from a grounded, tree-like base—each one marking a decade since the first women enrolled at Notre Dame and representing the core themes of their journey: transformation, unity, progress, generational legacy, and enduring impact.
- Transformation — personal and collective change sparked by opening the doors to women.
- Unity — the strength and support formed within the first co-educational class.
- Flight / Progress — the forward momentum and courage of the women who stepped onto campus in ’72 and graduated in ’76.
- Legacy Across Generations — five butterflies echo five generations of women whose paths were made possible by the pioneers of 1976.
- Enduring Impact — the continued influence, leadership, and inspiration the first women contributed to Notre Dame and beyond.
Spiraling form suggests upward momentum, growth, and unity—each butterfly’s flight shaping the path for the next.
Colored glass in the wings reference transparency and light—echoing faith, spirit, and the reflection of the Dome in the nearby lake.
The bronze structure roots the piece in tradition, while the glass symbolizes transformation and openness.
Early Support & Next Steps
We’re hopeful that Soaring Legacy will eventually become a full-scale installation in the Butterfly Garden, but there are key steps and approvals ahead. Right now, the priority is creating the first full prototype.
To begin, we’re offering a pre-order of 20 Artist Proofs — smaller bronze versions of the monumental piece. These early commitments directly fund the design, sculpting, engineering, and fabrication of the prototype. Additional limited-edition bronzes will follow, but these first 20 are what get the project moving.
If you’d like to learn more or explore being part of the early group, feel free to reach out.
Our Lady's Butterfly Garden
A Gift to the Notre Dame Family from the Class of 1976
About Kamish Studios
Kamish Studios, led by sculptor Paul Kamish, creates legacy-driven bronze and mixed-media works for collectors, institutions, and public spaces. While Notre Dame has been a major part of our story — including the Our Mother sculpture at the Morris Inn and Development Offices, the Four Horsemen at the Eck Visitors Center, and the recent Rockne Exhibit — our studio produces artwork across a wide variety of themes, subjects, and styles.
For more information, visit KamishStudios.com & PaulKamish.com