The sculpture, called a maquette, is a one-third-size replica of the life-size statue of Ford that was installed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda last May. It was unveiled by Ford’s daughter, Susan Ford Bales, and Albion College President Donna Randall on Wednesday at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids.

“It’s a lasting remembrance of the life and values of one we deeply admire,” Ford Bales said in a press release from Albion College. “May it remind us of a leader for whom truth was the guiding beacon and of a man whose respect for Albion College was and will forever be boundless.”

Ford’s relationship with Albion College dates back to 1963 when, as a U.S. Congressman, he began serving a five-year term on its board of trustees. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1965. The establishment of the Ford Institute was announced by President Ford on Albion’s campus in October 1977.

The nation’s first educational program to be named for Ford, the institute allows undergraduate students to fully explore policy issues and prepare for leadership positions in public service.

In its nearly 35 years, the institute has graduated 700 students who have gone on to careers in all levels of public service, as well as in law, journalism, social services and education.

Also attending the ceremony were Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Executive Director Joseph Calvaruso and first-year Albion student and Ford Institute member Johanna Schulte.

-2. The World War II Memorial is a more recent addition to the National Parks and Memorial System. The legislation for this memorial was enacted by President Clinton in 1993. More than 400,000 died during the war and these bronze plaques commemorate their lives. The Memorial was finished in 2004 after three years of building. A much larger scale effort than the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the WWII Memorial walls received $16 million from the government as well as $197 million in contributions.

-3. The World Trade Center Memorial Exhibition, used memorial walls to remember all of those who died on September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks. Three thousand photos of those who died are located on the exhibition. The museum is one of the most personal spaces for remembrance. Interactivity will allow visitors to understand more about the lives of the victims than traditional bronze plaques.

For nearly 150 years, remembering those who died in battle or as Americans in an altogether different cause has been tradition. Memorial Day began after the Civil War ended, when family members decorated the graves of their lost loved ones. Decoration Day became an official holiday in the North by 1890. After WWII the focus of the holiday shifted to the American necessity to uphold and preserve freedom around the world. In 1967, Federal Law renamed it Memorial Day and the Uniform Holidays Bill moved Washington’s Birthday, Veterans Day and Memorial Day to specified Mondays to allow for three day weekends of remembrance. Today most businesses recognize this day as the unofficial start of summer and are closed in observance.

There are many other memorial walls scattered throughout our country, along with National Cemeteries, statues, bronze plaques, museums, monuments and other forms of remembrance. These three are likely to be the largest and most enduring.

The memorial consists of six bronze figures representing the branches of service in which South Dakotans served during WWII. They are portrayed as warriors fresh from battle; the memories burnt into them of the horrors and atrocities of war as well as, the acts of selflessness, bravery and valor. They are not intended to be spit and polish soldiers on parade, rather warriors in the field of honor. They are to be a reminder for all of us what would the world be like today if the United States of America and the Allied countries had not prevailed in World War II.  They are set on a peninsula that was constructed into Capitol Lake. The bronze warriors will face the current Korean and Viet Nam Memorials and flaming fountain. The figures are from 6 feet to 6 feet 7 inches in height. They weigh close to two tons. A native Dakota granite stone is in front of the bronzes and is inscribed with “South Dakota WWII Warriors: Why they fought—For Flag—For Country—For All of Us.”

Tourists are used to staring at unusual attractions, but visitors in Chicago, Illinois, will soon have one staring right back at them in a big way.

EYE, a three-story tall “incredibly lifelike” bronze sculpture of an eyeball, will go on display in July in the city’s Pritzker Park as part of a celebration of public art in the Loop, Chicago’s business district.

The three-dimensional installation, complete with a blue iris, was created by contemporary artist Tony Tasset.

“More than anything, I would like people to think it’s cool,” Tasset said. “My first job is always to make the space more interesting and I wanted to make something with a big impact.”

The bronze sculptures have been carefully placed around the grounds between the Emirates Towers and DIFC, Dubai International Financial Center.  Sources say the bronze sculptures represent a larger-than-life message in a larger-than-life way.

“These ants have a social message, they work together to build a strong community just like people are doing here in Dubai,” says Al Shroogi, a Dubai art supporter set to open a new gallery in May at DIFC. “This is so appropriate.”

The two bronze busts, depict a firefighter and a police officer, and pay respect to those men and women that have fallen while in the line of duty.

The unveil of these bronze sculpture busts will take place late next month in the small communities of the two local hero’s being respected.

Big Statues, located in Provo, Utah has had the opportunity to create memorial sculptures, both big and small, for communities across the country. We are honored to take part in the creation and release of these memorial pieces.

Big Statues creates each bronze sculpture by hand, being meticulous to capture the true spirit of the individual or object being created. A bronze sculpture is a beautiful way to pay tribute in a way that can be appreciated by all for generations to come.

For over ten years Big Statues has been working with communities across the country to create memorial statues, plaques, and reliefs. For more information about Big Statues, and the custom bronze sculpture of matt Glenn, Visit http://www.Bigstatues.com 

He’s had to explain the art before, so for those of you who just don’t get it, he’ll try to explain it again:

The artist uses the following characteristic of human perception, the omission or even distortion of one of the elements of imagery stereotype, which does not suppress the capability of its automatic recognition. This allows Kosolapov to develop an original type of doubling object, simultaneously referring to two externally similar, but baring no relation to one another whatsoever, stereotypes of American and Russian mass-culture.

For Kosolapov the role of the imported element (of social origin) is in the destruction of that setting in which he is placed (the setting, consisting of adopted cultural stereotypes). Lenin and Mickey Mouse become mutually interchangeable, as products of mass culture. Creating this radical collage, the artist implies that in spite of the conflicting relations between the two systems, the distinguishing characteristics of which are the symbols used by him, they aim to convince the population of the authenticity and sincerity of their products without a doubt match one another.

The desire to have a lasting tribute to the man and his work was realized when a 7,000-pound, 11-foot bronze statue of Fred Rogers called “Tribute to Children” was placed on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

Cordelia May was a friend of the Rogers family and commissioned the sculptor Robert Berks to make the statue.  Berks watched several episodes of Mister Rogers Neighborhood before starting.

He decided that the pose of Fred Rogers sitting down and tying his sneakers would be most appropriate.  Berks felt it was the pose most people would associate with the children’s television icon as that was how he started all of his shows.

Mrs. May founded the Colcom Foundation which has permanently endowed maintenance costs for the site where the statue is located. The to Fred Rogers is a gift from the Colcom Foundation to Family Communications, Inc. who in turn has given  bronze tribute it to the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.