The Art of Connection

Commissioned in honor of Darla Moore by the USC Business Partnership Foundation, this work brings together the literature, art and education that have shaped her life and legacy.

At its center is James Joyce’s Ulysses, one of Moore’s favorite works of literature. Set during a single day in Dublin, the novel follows its characters through the city while exploring themes of identity, belonging, curiosity and discovery. Those ideas became the foundation for this commission.

The Business Partnership Foundation transformed a podium to display a treasured edition of Ulysses and commissioned Moore School alumna Amelia Bischoff of Amelia Louise Art to create an original visual interpretation of the novel.

Bischoff’s contemporary composition traces significant locations and journeys throughout Dublin. The podium features Sandymount Strand, where Stephen Dedalus walks along Dublin Bay; a portrait of James Joyce; and locations central to the novel.

The work also carries the idea of journey into the present through Ben Whyte, a Dublin native and USC Juris Doctor and International Master of Business Administration dual-degree student. His path from Dublin to the Moore School represents the many individual journeys that bring students from South Carolina and around the world to USC. In a fitting connection across generations, Whyte attended Belvedere College in Dublin—the same school once attended by James Joyce.

Together, these elements connect literature, place and personal experience across time. From the streets of Dublin to the classrooms of the Moore School, the work celebrates the power of curiosity to inspire learning, art to preserve stories and generosity to create opportunity.

Above all, it is a tribute to Darla Moore and the lasting impact one person’s vision can have on generations to come.

Artist’s Perspective: “This podium is inspired by the journeys of the protagonists in James Joyce’s Ulysses. Using expressive color, layered texture and symbolic imagery, I wanted to explore the relationships among literature, place and personal experience while inviting viewers to discover their own connections within the story.” — Amelia Bischoff, Amelia Louise Art

Student’s Perspective: “Being part of this project was an enormous honor. Just as Ulysses traces a journey through Dublin, the journey depicted here is also generational—beginning with a family pushing through the social barriers of its time and building a legacy that allowed future generations to find opportunity and success wherever their paths have taken them.” — Ben Whyte, USC Juris Doctor and InternationalMaster of Business Administration dual-degree student