Teddy Roosevelt statue mounted in Oyster Bay

 Oyster Bay's Theodore Roosevelt bronze statue is finally where its supporters always wanted it.

After five years in a temporary, less visible location, the life size bronze statue of Roosevelt atop a horse was placed early Thursday in a newly created mini-park on Route 106 at the gateway to the hamlet.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to have the custom statue placed where it belongs," said Michael Rich, a member of the committee that commissioned the bronze artwork.

The committee always wanted the likeness of the area's most famous resident in his Rough Riders uniform at the triangle-shaped site, but the land had not been available. So it was placed across the street in front of the Boys & Girls Club of Oyster Bay-East Norwich, at Route 106 and Berry Hill Road, in 2005.

The 2 1/2-ton large bronze sculpture - a copy of one in Portland, Ore. - was removed from the temporary site several weeks ago to be cleaned and covered with a protective wax. Thursday, after 8 a.m. a crane and crew from Skylift of Orient lifted the life size statue from a flatbed trailer and placed it on its new concrete base.

The Oyster Bay Town Board spent $473,000 in 2008 to buy the triangle from developer and Islanders owner Charles Wang. It spent another $581,000 to prepare the property. The nonprofit statue committee paid $2,500 to remove the temporary concrete pedestal, while more than $7,000 in moving and waxing work was donated.

In addition to the custom bronze statue, the triangle features five trees, each representing an Oyster Bay resident killed during World War I, including Quentin Roosevelt, a son of the former president.

"After 90 years, to see this come to completion is just fantastic," town historian and committee member John Hammond said, referring to how long the bronze statue has been envisioned for the site. "A couple of hundred years from now, people will be enjoying this. It makes an absolutely fabulous entrance to our community."

Chuck Berry statue unveiled in St. Louis

Rock 'n' roll icon Chuck Berry told the crowd on hand for the unveiling of a larger than life size bronze statue in his honor in St. Louis it was "an honor just to have you walk by."
One of the most impressive 8-feet-tall bronze statues, Berry's custom bronze statue currently sits in the city's Delmar Loop. It was sculpted by Harry Weber and will be permanently located in a landscaped, tree-lined plaza in the Delmar Loop, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
"All of you wonderful people, it's an honor to just have you walk by in this hot sun," Berry said to the hundreds of spectators who gathered around him during the statue dedication.
The large bronze statue resulted from the efforts of Joe Edwards, Blueberry Hill owner and founder of the St. Louis Walk of Fame, and Charlie Brennan of KMOX-AM, who headed the campaign to raise money for the $100,000 project.
Shortly before the bronze dedication, Great Rivers Greenway held a ribbon cutting ceremony to introduce the Centennial Greenway, which will be a $1.8 million, 20-mile bike and pedestrian pathway, part of which opened Friday and includes the plaza that features the large statue.
Other entertainment at the custom statue unveiling included performances by the Blues Plus band, the Galilee Missionary Baptist Church Choir and Show-Me Sound Drumline.
"Chuck Berry created a new music expression that inspired generations of young people to find their voice," Weber said. "The bronze statue and Blueberry Hill are bookends to Chuck's 50 years of rock and roll greatness. Thanks, Chuck, for providing the sound track to my youth."

KU football players hope to find some luck with newly installed bronze Jayhawk

A new heroic size bronze statue of the Jayhawk  found its perch Thursday just outside the Anderson Family Football Complex facing the south side of Memorial Stadium.

Athletics officials hope the Jayhawk will create new traditions — football players will rub it for luck before each home football game, similar to other large bronze sculptures in places like the University of Maryland.

The large bronze statue stands about 4 feet high and 4 feet wide, said D.W. Acker, a graphic designer for Kansas Athletics, who helped design the custom bronze statue in two dimensions before collaborating with bronze sculptor John Free, of Pawhuska, Okla., on the final product.

“We wanted it to look exactly like the Sandy Jayhawk,” said Chris Howard, a KU associate athletics director, referring to Hal Sandy’s famous Jayhawk logo design.

That was not as easy as it might seem, Acker said, standing nearby as crews installed the larger than life statue, which cost $48,000 to construct, paid for by Kansas Athletics Inc.

“That was a real challenge, to take a flat image and make a 3-D image out of it,” he said.

Free said he made several trips to Lawrence from Oklahoma to consult with athletics officials. Free, an Oklahoma State alumnus, wasn’t intimately familiar with the Jayhawk logo, so he worked closely with Acker to modify the design throughout the process.

Even though the logo is flipped occasionally, there’s a back side of the Jayhawk that’s never visible, Acker said. A wing, for example, is always covering part of the boot that’s on the ground, he said. Acker said he enjoyed getting to use his imagination to envision what that might look like. Every feather, he said, has a reason for being placed where it is.

“Everybody in the world has seen the Jayhawk from this angle,” he said, looking at one of his favorite custom bronze statues in profile. “You’ve never seen the other side of that Jayhawk.”

Acker said he hoped that fans, players and all manner of Jayhawks would be able to enjoy the bronze statue, which is situated so it’s easy to grab a photo with the Campanile or Fraser Hall in the background.

“I’m always glad to be a part of something that people are going to see and enjoy,” Free said.

To Win Your Own Bronze Statue of Your School's Mascot, Submit Your 3 Minute Video to Big Statues at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Statues-Mascot-Contest/179094265491574?sk=wall&filter=2 Submissions Due October 1st, 2011!

Big Statues is now on Tumblr

Big Statues has launched a new and exciting blog on tumblr. Be sure to follow our latest photo updates on http://bigstatues.tumblr.com/ for all the latest news about our custom bronze statues industry and how you can get your very own life-size memorial without spending a dime, by fund-raising with us!

Missing bronze statue found safe with police

A popular bronze statue at Fifth Third Field was reported stolen Sunday night. Turns out the culprits were the Toledo police. Kind of.

The bronze sculpture, called "Who's Up?," situated behind the Mud Hens scoreboard and incorp- orated into the fence surrounding the stadium on St. Clair Street, features four life-size statues of children peeking through a knothole in a fence.

Mud Hens staff noticed Sunday evening that one of those children -- a cute little girl in pigtails and overalls -- had vanished.

They assumed the worst.

Mud Hens employee Ken Westenkirchner called the police and filed a theft report. The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, which manages the city's public art, prepared for a media blitz to publicize the heist and bring the perpetrators to justice. Dan Hernandez, art in public places coordinator for the arts commission, feared thieves might be planning to sell it for scrap.

"When they told me, I was a little bit crushed," he said. "This is probably one of the most popular bronze art pieces in the city's collection."

What Mud Hens officials and the arts commission did not know, however, was that the little girl in pigtails was safely stowed in a police property room. In the early morning hours of Saturday, two Toledo police officers discovered the large bronze statue about 20 yards from its original location and booked the custom bronze statue into a property room for safekeeping.

However no one told the Mud Hens or the art commission until later. Jason Griffin, director of public relations for the Mud Hens, said he believed the ball club found out police had the custom bronze sculpture at about lunchtime Monday. The art commission was notified by the Mud Hens shortly after that, Mr. Hernandez said.
He was relieved.

"To have it re-sculpted would have been a nightmare," he said. "We're excited to have it back."

The large bronze sculpture, informally known as "The Knothole Gang," was created by local bronze statues artist Emanuel Enriquez and was installed in 2002. It cost $89,000, Mr. Hernandez said. About $50,000 of that was donated by George Chapman, who is chairman, chief executive officer, and president of Health Care REIT. The rest was from the city of Toledo's One Percent for Art program.

What remains unresolved is how the heavy bronze statue got moved 20 yards down the sidewalk. Toledo Police Detective Tonya Rider said the bolts that anchored the life size bronze statue to the sidewalk had been damaged. "I don't know if it was a prank, if it got too heavy to carry," she said. "I don't know what the circumstances were. Maybe it was a case of buyer's remorse."

Mr. Hernandez called the whole incident hilarious and bizarre. "They probably thought they could carry it away, but that's a big piece of bronze," he said. "It's pretty heavy. That's got to be what happened."

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.

Big Statues Announces New Mascot Contest for Schools!

Looking for a great senior class gift for 2012? Want to leave your school with something they'll never forget? Submit a video to Big Statues and we'll create a one-of-a-kind bronze statue of your mascot!  Enter into this year's Mascot Contest for a chance to win a custom bronze statue of your mascot for your school!

Submit a video of 3 minutes or less to info@bigstatues.com, showing your best school spirit and explain why you think your school deserves to win their very own bronze statue of their mighty mascot.

Big Statues will pick the top videos and send the winners an original sketch of what your mascot will look like for free!
Call (801) 358-9739 for any questions and post your video today!  Like us on Facebook and follow updates on the Mascot Contest at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Statues-Mascot-Contest/179094265491574?sk=wall&filter=2 and share this link with your friends!

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.