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Custom Bronze Sculpting Foundry Honors Top Athletes of Brigham Young University with a Bronze Plaque

Bronze Sculptor, Matt Glenn, of Big Statues in Provo, Utah, unveils 4 x 9 foot wooden and bronze plaque to honor track and field athletes of BYU from the past ten years. The Curtis Pugsley Athlete of the Year Award will recognize top athletes annually.

Big Statues, a custom bronze sculpting company, unveiled The Curtis Pugsley Athlete of the Year Award on Friday, October 7, 2011, at the dedication ceremony of the Brigham Young University Track and Field Athletic Department.

The Curtis Pugsley Athlete of the Year Award, named after an exceptional track and field athlete of Brigham Young University, Curtis Pugsley, will annually recognize the most talented male and female track and field athletes of the university.

Curtis Pugsley was a multiple All-American and decathlon champion from 2000 to 2004, during his studies at BYU. Since that time, Curtis has suffered various health complications, including a malignant tumor that has caused him to amputate his leg. During his opening speech before the unveiling of the plaque, Curtis said that it was the perseverance and attitude of his time in track and field that made him stronger for every other challenge that has come in his life.

The 4 foot by 9 foot display was composed of a polished wooden base, adorned with bronze bordering, name plates, title plaques, and a central hand-sculpted medallion. This 3-D relief bronze medallion, measuring 23 inches tall by 33 inches wide, and featuring the BYU logo, 6 miniature figurines of athletes, the Olympic leaves, and a banner, was hand sculpted by artist Matt Glenn of Big Statues.

When Matt Glenn was first approached by the Head Track and Field Men’s Coach, Mark Robison, in January of 2011 about an idea for a bronze plaque that would honor the track and field athletes of BYU, he was delighted to learn of Robison’s close proximity.
After initial design meetings in person, where Matt Glenn and Big Statues’ graphic designer were able to meet with the donors and athletic administrative staff for the project, the parties concluded on an impressive nine foot long display that incorporated the total layout of each athlete’s name with a place for the featured biographies of the most recent award winners.

The finished design resulted in thirty name placards on the left and right sides of the BYU track and field medallion. On the night of the unveiling, at least twenty-one of those places were filled with the engraved placards of male and female athletes of the year from 1991 to 2011.
In the years to come, the remaining placards will be filled with each new athlete’s name until the time comes for the placards to begin cycling out. In this way, the plaque will become a timeless piece, honoring past and present in the many years to come.

Inside the indoor track at the Smithfield House of the BYU Provo Campus, hundreds of visitors, alumni, family, and friends from the past 50 years came to congratulate each athlete and to witness the unveiling of the display that would bring them all together.

Surrounded by rows upon rows of tables and easels displaying past team photos, newspaper articles, student artwork, and other related memorabilia, the atmosphere of the crowd before the unveiling event was that of momentous pride, nostalgia, and cheer. Young children and toddlers of athletes from the 1990’s, now grown and established in the community with families and careers of their own, ran around tables and stored track equipment, as their parents reminisced together.

After an opening speech by Curtis Pugsley, who shared moments of personal trial and how athletic dedication extends beyond the track to every other part of life, the award was finally revealed. Triumphant music accompanied the sweeping gestures of the blue cloths as Marc Robison removed the sheets to reveal a stunning bronze display under the lights of the auditorium.

One onlooker expressed his awe, stating “Look at this, this is magic! When the kids of athletes come here and see their fathers’ and mothers’ names up on that plaque. It’s about time they get the recognition they deserve…They’re really memorialized. This is going to create a legacy that will go on for years…”

This theme of legacy, memory, family, and honor was indeed carried throughout the entire night. After an original video was screened, compiling footage and photographs of each athlete in their respective events, each athlete was announced with their accomplishments, handed a framed action shot, and photographed in front of the plaque.

One athlete of the year and his son travelled all the way from Africa to be recognized and share in the night’s celebration. Another, Leonard Myles-Mills, reversed places for a moment to be honored with his peers, as he has since become assistant track coach. It was a truly touching moment when one award recipient’s young daughter jumped out of her seat and cheered for her father before his name was even finished being read aloud.

The ceremony closed with a touching photograph of all of the athletes of the year, holding framed portraits of their most celebrated events, standing together in front of the Curtis Pugsley Athlete of the Year award display.
For more information about Matt Glenn, Big Statues, and the custom bronze statue foundry, visit http://www.bigstatues.com.

Track & Field Instates New Track Athlete of the Year Award with Bronze Plaque Display by Big Statues

Miles Batty, Leif Arrhenius and Lacey Cramer Bleazard were named the 2011 Track Athletes of the Year last Friday night, as the BYU Track and Field teams held a ceremony to honor the recipients of the newly instated Curtis Pugsley Track Athlete of the Year award in a bronze plaque display.

Along with the 2011 recipients, the award winners were also determined for the last 21 years and they were honored at the ceremony, as well. “It’s been a long process that we’ve spent nine months trying to put together,” men’s head track coach Mark Robison said.

“It’s been a long process and a lot of work, but a wonderful thing and I’m really pleased with the way it turned out.”

An outstanding legecy of track and field athletes, dating back to 1991, gathered in the West Annex of the Smith Fieldhouse to watch a video presentation about the athletes who were honored, and Curtis Pugsley was also in attendance and helped inaugurate the award.

“I want this award to represent all of us,” Pugsley said. “And as we go through life and we have to face a lot of struggles and trials and problems, it’s about using that same drive that we had in competition to get through life and help those around us.”

Pugsley participated in track and field at BYU from 2000-2004 and was a multiple All-American and conference champion in the decathlon.

The yearly recipient is determined by a scoring system that combines points scored at indoor and outdoor conference, points awarded for All-American and national champion status, school records and spot on the top ten leader board.

“It was a wonderful idea and it really brought together a lot of people that understood what the tradition here at BYU is in track and field,” women’s head track coach Patrick Shane said. “It’s a great tradition that we’ve started and I’m looking forward to keeping it alive every year with a new presentation.”

The custom bronze sculptures of the award display were sculpted by bronze artist, Matt Glenn, of Big Statues.

Big Statues Puts on a Great Show at the 2011 Fraternal Order of Police Expo in Salt Lake City

Protect and Serve! Big Statues may not lay their life on the line every time we go into the shop… (that is, not unless we’re really not careful)… but this weekend, we got to meet some of the bravest men and women that sure do! On August 14-16^th, Big Statues had the pleasure of exhibiting at the 2011, 60th Biennial National Conference and Expo for the National Fraternal Order of the Police, where members Matt Glenn and Erin Callister were able to meet and exchange with some of the most fascinating public servants from around the country. Coming from departments and lodges from California to Maine, all sorts of law enforcement personnel came to meet at the Salt Palace Convention Center for a week of information, networking, and fun.  Here members were able to visit a fantastic exhibition of booths presenting all ranges of products and services from the latest technology in non-lethal weapons, to security cameras, motorcycles, and bullet-proof vests. Countless non-profit organizations that help wounded or disabled police officers meet and participate in enriching outdoor activities were there to help foster and grow the national family of policemen and women. Great universities and online programs that offer quick and easy paths to further officer’s educations and careers were there to show how even retired officers could gain their next degrees. There were flashing lights, zapping blasts from taser demonstrations, flying bullets from nerf gun shooting competitions, and yes, even sinful doughnuts, but some of the most amazing displays were the bronze statuary and memorials that artists created for these selfless officers. 

Big Statues offers the finest museum-quality artwork in bronze sculptures and life-size bronze monuments and was able to help representatives from police departments, new and old, discover how they could have a completely one-of-a-kind police memorial of their very own. Here, we presented bronze plaques, bronze busts, life-size statues, quarter-life statues, scale models, and bronze figurines of police-chiefs, fallen officers, and K-9 champions to men and women searching for a way to honor their greatest heroes.

Just picture it now.

Grand monuments of larger than life size bronze statues of police officers, standing nine feet tall, surrounded by bronze plaques engraved forever with the names of policemen and women who have given their lives to protect your families and friends. Walls of etched marble and stone pavers at your feet, showing all the names of donors and associations that helped make the monument possible. 3-D relief bronze seals at the center of the pavers, and bronze plaques of police department badges on every wall. Benches and flagpoles with special names engraved. Banners and flags of America, your state, and your city, waving in the gentle breeze above it all. And at the heart of everything, a heroic size custom bronze statue of an officer with such kind eyes, a noble smile, and an outstretched hand to all those that call that city home.

Big Statues has made so many dreams come true with monuments for police departments just like this all over the country. It was the greatest honor to spread the word to everyone that came to be a part of such a memorable experience can have a bronze memorial too.