Amway Corp. Co-Founder Jay Van Andel Honored in Bronze

Amway Corp. co-founder Jay Van Andel cast a large figure across West Michigan's landscape.

He founded an inter-national medical research institute, provided major funding for the city's public museum and with his partner, Rich DeVos, helped revive downtown with their redevelopment of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

A 7-foot bronze statue honoring his legacy was unveiled today on the plaza in front of Van Andel Arena, the 16-year-old sports and entertainment complex that also bears his name.

“The number of people who will see it there was a big part of it,” said Peter Secchia, whose family is funding and has endowed the series of bronze statues honoring the city's historical figures. Also, persons attending events at the arena are likely to be in an upbeat mood, he said.

“Jay Van Andel is of particular interest because he and Betty, his wife, provide the lead gift to the building of the arena, which is such an important attraction and gathering place for residents and city visitors,” said Steve Heacock, chairman of the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority.

Van Andel, who died in 2004 at age 80, also served as the chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1979-1980 and chaired the 1982 U.S.-Netherlands Bicentennial Commission. He also served as the founding chair of the Right Place economic development program.

The large bronze statue was sculpted by J. Brett Grill, the West Michigan artist who recently completed a bronze sculpture of former President Gerald R. Ford that is featured in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. A duplicate of the custom bronze sculpture was installed at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum last week.

Joe Becherer, chairman of the Community Legends project, said the Grill was a good choice for the Van Andel tribute.

“He has a gift for dealing with contemporary or near-contemporary figures,” said Becherer, curator of sculpture at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. “I think people are going to be extremely pleased with what they see on Wednesday. It's a really, really fine work.”

The bronze monument is the third in a series of downtown sculptures that will eventually honor 25 historic figures.

In 2008, the project unveiled a statue of Lucius Lyon, one of the city's earliest settlers. The 5-foot 6-inch statue at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Lyon Street is the only life-sized statue rendering. The remaining large statues will be 7-foot-tall and mounted on 3-foot bases.

In 2010, the project unveiled a custom bronze statue of Noahquageshik, or Chief Noonday, the Native American tribal chief who was instrumental in the settlement of Michigan. The 7-foot statue was placed on the campus of Grand Valley State University.
Future subjects will include the Most Rev. Frederick Baraga, an early Catholic missionary to Grand Rapids; Stanley Ketchel, a Polish-born boxer who grew up in Grand Rapids and began world middle-weight champion, Helen Claytor, a civil rights leader and first African-American to become national president of the YWCA and Lyman S. Parks, the first African-American mayor of Grand Rapids.

Ivan Eyre Donates Monumental Bronze Sculptures to the McMichael Gallery

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is pleased to announce a significant gift to the gallery’s permanent collection from renowned Canadian artist, Ivan Eyre.

The bronze statues artist has generously donated nine monumental (twice-life-size) bronze sculptures encapsulating his creative lifework, to be installed this spring, inaugurating the gallery’s new outdoor Sculpture Garden, officially opening on Canada Day, July 1st. The McMichael is both pleased and proud to display such magnificent works of art.  These large bronze statues convey a deep appreciation of how line, mass, and form combine to create dynamic sculptural objects.

This tremendous donation to the McMichael is a generous gift of works by an artist at the peak of his career; but more importantly these special life size sculptures provide our visitors with a deep appreciation of the creative relationship between art and nature, embodied in this installation in our newly landscaped grounds.  

“The spectacular bronze sculptures by Ivan Eyre showcased in our new outdoor Sculpture Garden reflect the intrinsic relationship between art and nature,” said Dr. Victoria Dickenson, McMichael Executive Director and CEO. “How we view and think about landscape and our environment is at the core of the gallery’s mission.” Artist Ivan Eyre has also stated, “Each of the custom bronze sculptures constitutes a meeting between thoughts of the distant past and an anticipation of the future. The monumental size of the bronzes enhances that idea.”

 The McMichael Canadian Art Foundation has been instrumental in facilitating Ivan Eyre’s gift; it has raised funds for the installation of the custom bronze statues and created a fund within the Foundation to provide ongoing financial support for the upkeep of the Sculpture Garden for generations to come. Installation of the Ivan Eyre large bronze sculptures is generously funded by McMichael Canadian Art Foundation, Richardson Foundation, and Friends of R.T.E. Gillespie.

Custom Bronze Statues of Filipino Leaders to be placed at Cebu City Hall

Bronze statues of Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. and Vicente Rama will soon be erected in front of the old Cebu City Hall building.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said he already received a proposal for the nine-foot bronze statues which will be placed at the Plaza Sugbo grounds.

Custom bronze statues sculptor Juan Sajid Imao will handle the project. Each of the large bronze statues will cost P1.5 million each including the molding, sculpting, design and transportation from Manila to Cebu.

If Mayor Rama approves of the proposed design, it will be forwarded to the city engineering office for technical description and program of works and estimates and to the Philippine Tourism Authority for final approval.
Vicente Rama, who is called the Father of the City of Cebu, authored Act No. 58 creating the Cebu City Charter in 1937. He gained a reputation of being a formidable politician in 1916 when he was elected councilor and was then appointed by President Manuel Quezon as mayor of Cebu City in 1938. In November 1940, Rama won as Senator of the Republic of the Philippines up to 1949. His legacy lives as he is remembered in the annual celebration of the City’s Charter Day Anniversary every February 24.
Osmeña, known as the “Grand Old Man” of Cebu, began his 42-long career in public service in 1904. Don Sergio served as Cebu’s youngest governor at 25, and four years later became the speaker of the First Philippine Assembly. He assumed the presidency in August 1, 1944 when Quezon died. He was the fourth president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.