The Spirit of Detroit

Last updated

The Spirit of Detroit
The (old) Detroit City-County Building (Not sure what it's called now) - panoramio.jpg
The Spirit of Detroit
Artist Marshall Fredericks
Year1958
TypeBronze
Dimensions790 cm(312 in)
Weight9 tons
Location Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Coordinates 42°19′45.47″N83°2′40.66″W / 42.3292972°N 83.0446278°W / 42.3292972; -83.0446278
OwnerDetroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority (DWJBA)

The Spirit of Detroit is a monument with a large bronze statue created by Marshall Fredericks and located at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan.

Contents

Description

The Spirit of Detroit is a monument with a large bronze statue created by Marshall Fredericks and located at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Cast in Oslo, Norway, the 26-foot (7.9 m), 9-ton sculpture sits on a 60-ton marble base; it was the largest cast bronze statue since the Renaissance. [1] [2] [3] [4]

In its left hand, the large seated figure holds a gilt bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God. [2] The people in the figure's right hand are a family group symbolizing all human relationships. [2]

Fredericks did not originally name the sculpture and the name came from the citizens of Detroit [3] based on an inscription from 2 Corinthians (3:17) on the marble wall behind it, underneath the seals of Wayne County and the City of Detroit: [2]

"NOW THE LORD IS THAT SPIRIT
AND WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE
LORD IS, THERE IS LIBERTY."
               II CORINTHIANS 3:17

The 36 x 45 foot semicircular wall includes the seals of the City of Detroit and Wayne County. [5] [6] The Wayne County seal was created by Fredericks specifically for The Spirit of Detroit, as it was a part of the work and the county had no seal at the time. [7] [8] The seal is still used today and is also featured on the county's flag. A plaque in front of the sculpture bears the following inscription: "The artist expresses the concept that God, through the spirit of man, is manifested in the family, the noblest human relationship." [9]

History

Crystal Project video camera.png
The Spirit of Detroit (1959) (13:24)
A 1959 documentary about the statue from its inception in 1955 to its inauguration in 1958

The sculpture was commissioned on August 2, 1955 for a cost of $58,000 (equivalent to $415,000 in 2023). [10] Fredericks considered the statue to be part of his civic responsibility and waived the commissioning cost. [3] As part of the design of the divine elements of the sculpture, Fredericks met with several religious groups. [9] Fredericks shipped a scale model from the United States to Oslo, Norway for casting. [10] After casting, the sculpture underwent acidic treatments for several weeks to oxidize the bronze and to create the warm, aged green color. [11] [12] the thickness of the bronze is 3/8 inches up to 1.5 inches. [13] Steel framework was constructed to protect the sculpture during transport. [10] Additional protection for the sculpture was provided using wooden beams, wooden platforms, and burlap covering, for a total shipping weight of 12 tons. [10] For shipping, the sculpture was placed facedown onto a wooden platform. [10] The sculpture was transported by the Fjell Line, who chartered the German freighter Thomas Schulte. [10] After the 4,800 mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the freighter arrived at the Port of Detroit on September 20, 1958. [10] [11] The Thomas Schulte was the only freighter with sufficient below deck storage space to accommodate the sculpture while still being able to navigate the Saint Lawrence Seaway. [10]

As part of the shipment, four miniature scale models of the sculpture were included to aid with customs clearance. [10] The sculpture was delivered to the Detroit City-County Building (now the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center) and installed onto the marble base for the September 23, 1958 dedication ceremony. [10] [11]

The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum has the original plaster head for The Spirit of Detroit, as well as a quarter-scale plaster model. [14] [15] [16] [17]

The sculpture has regular maintenance, as well as restorations. Once a year, the sculpture is cleaned with non-ionic, biogradable detergents and customized petroleum-based waxes are used for protection. [13] The annual maintenance also includes applying heat to the bronze surface and cupric nitrate in order to preserve the green color and patina. [13] In 1984, the sculpture was covered in plastic while the marble panels behind the statue were replaced. [5] The statue underwent a restoration in 2006, funded by foundations and other private donations. [6]

For the sculpture's 50th anniversary, funds from operational savings and energy conservation totalling $170,000 were used for restoration improvements. [6] In 2018, the sculpture had routine maintenance completed which involved touching up the green patina, as well as the gold figures and sphere. [18] On September 21, 2018, the City of Detroit had a ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the sculpture. [19]

In 2017, Spirit Plaza was initially constructed and subsequent upgrades completed in 2019 and paid for by $800,000 in bond funds have yielded a 20,000 square-foot plaza with a playground, stationary musical instruments, tables, chairs, vehicle charging stations, and drinking fountains. [20]

In 2013 art dealer and art historian Eric Ian Hornak Spoutz was quoted in The Detroit News stating that the value of the statue is in excess of $1 million. [21] In 2017, the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority said that based on the most recent appraisal of the sculpture, it would cost $6 million to repair significant damage. [22]

Uses as a community symbol

Patch of the Detroit Police Department (c. 1989).png
Seal of the Detroit Police Department (c. 1975).png
Logo of Detroit, Michigan.png
The Spirit of Detroit is featured on official city insignia, such as Detroit Police Department's insignia from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Spirit of detroit bid d (276978191).jpg
The statue wearing a Detroit Tigers uniform during the 2006 Major League Baseball postseason
Spirit of Detroit with jersey.jpg
The statue wearing a Detroit Red Wings sweater during the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
G7I2540 (53485658260) (2).jpg
The statue wearing a Detroit Lions jersey during the 2023 teams' postseason run

As one of Detroit's most easily identifiable landmarks, a sketch or depiction of the statue appears as the central element of most of the logos of Detroit's city departments and services. [6] During the late 20th century, a facsimile of the statue was featured on the Detroit Police Department's insignia and on the sides of its police cars. [23] An image of the statue appears on the "Spirit of Detroit Award" certificate, which is issued by the Detroit City Council to a person, event, or organization deemed to have performed an outstanding achievement or service to the citizens of Detroit. [24] [25] The sculpture is the main image on Detroit Community Scrip. [26]

The Spirit of Detroit represents local sports teams, such as when it is dressed in sports jerseys to celebrate local professional teams competing in the playoffs. [9] As the number of sports and non-sports requests for the sculpture to wear jerseys increased, there began to be concerns about damage to the sculpture and starting in 2017, the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority began new rules for having a jersey displayed on the statue, including winning a championship and paying $25,000. [22] The payment was intended to cover the restoration costs after a jersey is removed, including cleaning, reapplying the patina, and reapplying the wax. [22] Another example of local sports team representation is the use of an image of the sculpture as part of the crest of the Detroit City Football Club. [27]

The sculpture has also been involved with arts events, such as being dressed in a tuxedo in 1999 during a visit by the Three Tenors. [28] [29] The ceremonial naming of the section of the John C. Lodge Freeway running from Livernois to I-94 in honor of Aretha Franklin was held in front of the sculpture in 2019. [30] [31] Spirit Plaza was the site of a floral tribute, which included 3,000 roses, that commemorated Big Sean's Detroit 2 album release on September 4, 2020. [32]

The Spirit of Detroit represents Detroit in media and video games, such as the 2011 Chrysler 200 Super Bowl commercial, "Born of Fire", which featured rapper Eminem along with Detroit landmarks, and the 2018 video game Detroit: Become Human . [33] [34]

In 2020, The Spirit of Detroit wore a blue-green shirt and a white ribbon to commemorate medical and "essential" workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. [35] Two people installed the 420 square foot polyester poplin shirt and three foot ribbon. [35] [36]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronze sculpture</span> Sculpture cast in bronze

Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply "a bronze". It can be used for statues, singly or in groups, reliefs, and small statuettes and figurines, as well as bronze elements to be fitted to other objects such as furniture. It is often gilded to give gilt-bronze or ormolu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Bitter</span> American sculptor (1867–1915)

Karl Theodore Francis Bitter was an Austrian-born American sculptor best known for his architectural sculpture, memorials and residential work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Milles</span> Swedish sculptor (1875–1955)

Carl Milles was a Swedish sculptor. He was married to artist Olga Milles and brother to Ruth Milles and half-brother to the architect Evert Milles. Carl Milles sculpted the Gustaf Vasa statue at the Stockholm Nordic Museum, the Poseidon statue in Gothenburg, the Orpheus group outside the Stockholm Concert Hall, and the Fountain of Faith in Falls Church, Virginia. His home near Stockholm, Millesgården, became his resting place and is now a museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</span> Non-profit organization in the USA

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is a museum of African-American history and culture, located in Detroit, Michigan. Located in the city's Midtown Cultural Center, The Wright is one of the world's oldest and largest independent African-American museums, holding the world's largest permanent collection of African-American culture. With a collection of more than 35,000 artifacts, The Wright's current 125,000-square-foot museum opened as the largest museum in the world dedicated to African-American history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randolph Rogers</span> American sculptor

Randolph Rogers was an American Neoclassical sculptor. An expatriate who lived most of his life in Italy, his works ranged from popular subjects to major commissions, including the Columbus Doors at the U.S. Capitol and American Civil War monuments. He died in Rome Italy on January 15 1892 at age 66.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Fredericks</span> American sculptor

Marshall Maynard Fredericks was an American sculptor known for such works as Fountain of Eternal Life, The Spirit of Detroit, Man and the Expanding Universe Fountain, and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Shrady</span> American sculptor

Henry Merwin Shrady was an American sculptor, best known for the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial on the west front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

<i>Appeal to the Great Spirit</i> Equestrian statue by Cyrus Dallin in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Appeal to the Great Spirit is a 1908 equestrian statue by Cyrus Dallin, located in front of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It portrays a Native American on horseback facing skyward, his arms spread wide in a spiritual request to the Great Spirit. It was the last of Dallin's four prominent sculptures of Indigenous people known as The Epic of the Indian, which also include A Signal of Peace (1890), The Medicine Man (1899), and Protest of the Sioux (1904).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Woodward Avenue</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

One Woodward Avenue is a 28-story office skyscraper in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Located in the city's Financial District, it overlooks Hart Plaza and the International Riverfront. It was designed by Minoru Yamasaki in the International style, and completed in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coleman A. Young Municipal Center</span> City hall, Courthouse in Detroit, Michigan

The Coleman A. Young Municipal Center (CAYMC) is a government office building and courthouse in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Originally called the City-County Building, it was renamed for the former Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young, shortly after his death in 1997. It houses the headquarters of the government of the City of Detroit, as well as offices of the Wayne County government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen George Newman</span> American sculptor

Allen George Newman III was an American sculptor, best known for his statue "The Hiker".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of metropolitan Detroit</span>

The architecture of metropolitan Detroit continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The post-modern neogothic spires of One Detroit Center refer to designs of the city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers. Together with the Renaissance Center, they form the city's distinctive skyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Massey Rhind</span> Scottish-American sculptor

John Massey Rhind was a Scottish-American sculptor. Among Rhind's better known works is the marble statue of Dr. Crawford W. Long located in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington D.C. (1926).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit International Riverfront</span> Area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River

The Detroit International Riverfront is a tourist attraction and landmark of Detroit, Michigan, extending from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, for a total of 5.5 miles along the Detroit River. The International Riverfront encompasses a cruise ship passenger terminal and dock, a marina, a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail shops, skyscrapers, and high rise residential areas along with Huntington Place. The Marriott at the Renaissance Center and the Robert's Riverwalk Hotel are also situated along the International Riverfront.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural Center Historic District (Detroit)</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Cultural Center Historic District is a historic district located in Detroit, Michigan, which includes the Art Center : the Detroit Public Library Main Branch, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Horace H. Rackham Education Memorial Building were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The district contains several cultural attractions.

Replicas of Michelangelos <i>David</i>

Michelangelo's David have been made replicas for numerous times, in plaster, imitation marble, fibreglass, snow, and other materials. There are many full-sized replicas of the statue around the world, perhaps the most prominent being the one in the original's position in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy, placed there in 1910. The original sculpture was moved indoors in 1873 to the Accademia Gallery in Florence, where it attracts many visitors. Others were made for study at art academies in the late nineteenth century and later, while the statue has also been replicated for various commercial reasons or as artistic statements in their own right. Smaller replicas are often considered kitsch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Ford Centennial Library</span>

The Henry Ford Centennial Library is the main branch of the Dearborn Public Libraries in Dearborn, Michigan in Metro Detroit. It is located at 16301 Michigan Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodore Roy Golubic</span> American artist

Theodore Golubic was an American sculptor and painter. He studied sculpture at the Syracuse University under Ivan Meštrović and eventually became his assistant at Syracuse and Assistant Fellowship to Meštrović at Notre Dame University. He was a guest teacher at Notre Dame and PBS "Art School of the Air." After receiving his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame. Later in his career he created three-dimensional sculpture to four-dimensional art that involved shadow and light. He is referenced in Who's Who in American Art, exhibited and commissioned both regionally and nationally. As a creative artist, he combined both science and art, and received five US technology patents in semiconductors, one for a three-dimensional packaging design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bust of Abraham Lincoln (Borglum)</span>

A colossal bust of Abraham Lincoln was made by Gutzon Borglum and completed in 1908. The original marble sculpture is installed in the United States Capitol crypt, in Washington, D.C. Reproductions cast in bronze are installed in several other locations, including the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois.

References

  1. ↑ Baulch, Vivian (August 4, 1998). "Marshall Fredericks -- the Spirit of Detroit". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Smithsonian American Art Museum (1993). "The Spirit of Detroit (Sculpture)". Art Inventories Catalog. Smithsonian Institution. Control Number 87840002. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Spirit of Detroit". Historic Detroit. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  4. ↑ Ament, Lucy (April 22, 2008). "Venus Bronze Works Restores Detroit, One Sculpture at a Time". Model D. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Zacharias, Pat (September 5, 1999). "The Monuments of Detroit". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Spirit of Detroit 60th Anniversary Overview". caymc.com. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum | Wayne County Seal, Relief, [Plaster]". June 9, 2019. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ "Spirit of Detroit sculptor Marshall Fredericks". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 "Spirit of Detroit, The | Detroit Historical Society". detroithistorical.org. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "The Spirit of Detroit". 1959.
  11. 1 2 3 Hunter, Branden (September 23, 2018). "Spirit of Detroit statue celebrates 60 years". The Michigan Chronicle . Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  12. ↑ Pedraja, Sierra (February 6, 2017). "History of Detroit's iconic 'Spirit of Detroit' statue". WDIV. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 "History of the "Spirit of Detroit" Statue - YouTube". www.youtube.com. September 21, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2020– via YouTube.
  14. ↑ "'Spirit of Detroit' sculptor to be celebrated at fundraiser". Crain's Detroit Business . April 1, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  15. ↑ The Spirit of Detroit, February 15, 2007, retrieved December 24, 2020
  16. ↑ "Detroit, Marshall Fredericks museum to toast Spirit of Detroit sculpture". Midland Daily News . April 5, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Spirit of Detroit, Plaster quarter-scale - Marshall M. Fredericks". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  18. ↑ Dickson, James David. "Spirit of Detroit undergoes routine maintenance". The Detroit News . Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Region celebrates 60th anniversary of the Spirit of Detroit". www.candgnews.com. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  20. ↑ Guillen, Joe (August 28, 2019). "Spirit Plaza in Detroit about to get a major update: What's coming". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  21. ↑ Hodges, Michael (October 24, 2013). "Could Cash-Strapped Detroit's Other Assets Be Sold?". The Detroit News . Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  22. 1 2 3 Ikonomova, Violet. "Under new rules, the Spirit of Detroit will be showing a lot less team spirit". Detroit Metro Times . Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  23. ↑ Detroit MI Police - 1980's Dodge Diplomat (1), February 22, 2020, retrieved December 21, 2020
  24. ↑ "Spirit of Detroit Award". June 15, 2006. Archived from the original on June 15, 2006.
  25. ↑ "Council Awards and Resolutions". City of Detroit. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Detroit Community Scrip". May 11, 2009. Archived from the original on May 11, 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  27. ↑ "History". Detroit City FC. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  28. ↑ "History". Michigan Opera Theatre . Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  29. ↑ Fournier, Holly (December 21, 2015). "'Spirit of Detroit' catches Spartan fever, gets jersey". The Detroit New . Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  30. ↑ Ramirez, Charles E. (July 22, 2019). "Ceremony memorializes Aretha Franklin with Lodge Freeway designation". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Portion of the Lodge Freeway now named 'Aretha Franklin Memorial Highway' | Digital Daily". The Michigan Chronicle. July 22, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  32. ↑ "A floral tribute to 'Detroit 2' at Spirit Plaza". www.freep.com. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  33. ↑ Chrysler Top Super Bowl Commercial, Imported From Detroit Featuring Eminem , retrieved December 20, 2020
  34. ↑ "PS4's 'Detroit' doesn't take place in the Motor City I know". Engadget. June 2, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  35. 1 2 "The Spirit of Detroit wears white ribbon to support health care, essential workers". mlive. May 5, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  36. ↑ "White Ribbon Meets Downtown Detroit Icon". www.henryford.com. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.