19 December 2008

Sculpture Designed By A Student To Be Included In Memorial

Delaware News - Delaware, OH, USA

The Veterans Project Committee will make a recommendation to City Council about which project to include in the memorial.

By KATHLEEN L. RADCLIFF
Published: Friday, December 19, 2008 12:54 PM EST

It wouldn't be a Dublin special project unless organizers get children involved.

Twenty-nine young artists submitted their vision of a Veterans Project sculpture honoring those who are prisoners of war, missing in action or killed in action in a contest facilitated by Wyandot Elementary School art teacher Sharon Buda, and spearheaded by project committee members Gene Bostic and Mack Parkhill.

"I'm just tickled to death," Bostic said, regarding the submissions. "They did a great job."

Veterans Project Committee members reviewed what they and city staff selected as the three designs that would work best with the Grounds of Remembrance project during their regular meeting Friday, Dec. 12, in LaChatelaine French Bakery and Bistro, 65 W. Bridge St.

The designs created by Dublin Scioto High School students Darron McGlone, Joseph Yamakawa and Wonnie Cho were selected.

McGlone's and Cho's designs will move forward for review this week by PLANT Architect, Inc. designers and architects, and to Columbus Art Memorial for a price quote, Bostic said.

"We didn't give them specific parameters to work within," Parkhill said, regarding price, "but, we suggested $5,000 would look a lot better than $50,000."

McGlone's design was a wreath attached to a large granite block.

The wreath would be made of bronze with brass on the inside, as well as the logos for the POW/MIA organization and one honoring those killed in action."

This will show respect to all of those who risked or gave their life for our country," McGlone, a junior, said in his artist's statement.

"I believe this is a classy way to show our gratitude to all of the veterans of the USA," he said.

Cho, a senior at Dublin Scioto, said her design is a circular plaque that mourns for those who fought and risked their lives for the sake of freedom, with the center plate honoring MIAs, POWs and those killed in action, with the eagle of freedom looking down in sympathy, holding an olive branch in its mouth, wishing for peace.

Cho selected Andes black granite for her material. "The color best expresses the sorrow and mourn for these brave soldiers who fought for the freedom of all," she said in her artist's statement.

"The rest of the design will be carved in to forever preserve the memories of the men and women who fight in the name of liberty," she said.

Yamakawa, a sophomore, selected a telescope made of black marble as his design's focal point, along with a quote in white lettering by Henry Ward Beecher, "Tears are the telescope by which men see heaven."

"I think the telescope is a good idea for the sculpture, because it allows for greater emotion in the simplicity, and also allows visitors to interact with the sculpture," Yamakawa said in his artist's statement."I think it is also a good idea to cover the telescope with marble because it will be long-lasting, original and a lot harder to mess up or steal," he said.

"My sculpture's meaning is there is always a connection with those who have served in the military," he said.

"I think these kids did a great job," said Committee Co-Chairman John Reiner, a Dublin city councilman.

"It's a neat project that gets them involved, and that is really what it is all about," Reiner said.

"I'm really impressed and, for me, this has been a lot of fun," Bostic said.

"They got it," Parkhill said, regarding what committee members were looking for in design.

"To me, that says a lot about the art teacher involved," he said, regarding Buda, who took on the contest as a special project, Wyandot Principal John Pfeiffer said.

The next step for the artist's designs will be for Dublin City Council to review the designs and approve the committee's recommendation.

Construction is anticipated to be complete by Memorial Day, 2009, Parkhill said.

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