Custom Bronze Statue for Train Depot & Museum

Celebrating 150 years: New public art to pay homage to railroad past

A bronze statue of a train conductor, "All Aboard" from Randolph Rose Collection - Yonkers, NY. See the statue here.

As a part of its 150th birthday, Denison is turning to its past for a new piece of public art. The city is planning to install a new sculpture outside the Katy Depot building that will pay homage to the city's past as a railroad hub in the last 19th and early 20th centuries.

The proposed sculpture was quietly approved for placement by the Denison Historic Preservation Board earlier this week, setting the stage for the purchase and installation of the piece this winter outside of the Katy Depot.

"We thought it would be a good tribute to the city on its 150th anniversary and sesquicentennial and it really honors the heritage of the railroad that we are going for," Denison Mayor Pro Tem Brian Hander said.

The new three-piece bronze sculpture, entitled "All Aboard," was created by the Randolph Rose Collection and depicts a train conductor calling out to riders preparing to board a train. Nearby, a woman and a small child run to catch the train before it departs the station.

This would mark the second Randolph Rose sculpture in Denison following another piece located at Waples Memorial United Methodist Church.

"We do have a basis here for their work," Hander said. "They are a really great company to work with, and I think people are going to be really happy with this.

Hander said he started looking at ways to celebrate the city's 150th anniversary in late 2020 when he found the sculptor and the piece. Currently, only three copies of All Aboard exist, he said.

The depot was built in the early 1910s and the sculpture depicts people dressed in 1920s fashions, which Hander felt would pay honor to the heyday of Denison's rail history.

The city has dedicated $14,000 to the project — roughly half the cost of the sculpture, Hander said, adding that his family has dedicated an additional $2,000 for the project. Organizers have also approached the Denison Arts Council regarding funding, but the project needed approval by Historic Preservation before they could consider it.

The sculpture will come at the culmination of several projects within the city, including the restoration of the depot and the nearby Hotel Denison. Hander hopes that the sculpture will also serve as a landmark for the city's visitor's center, which is located inside the depot.

Plans are still being made for the anniversary, but Hander said he hopes to include all of these parts of the city's past in its festivities.

See All Aboard Train Set >

As seen in Herald Democrat - Michael Hutchins

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Indian Rocks Beach Adds More Public Art

This bronze manatee sculpture is just one of the wildlife-themed installations in Indian Rocks Beach.

St. Petersburg is known for its towering public sculptures and colorful murals, and Indian Rocks Beach is ready to be put on the map as an arts destination as well.

Over the last several years, Indian Rocks Beach has added bronze public sculptures to the area’s parks, including a manatee rendering at the 5th Avenue Pocket Park and a sea turtle at the Indian Rocks Beach Nature Preserve. Sometime this fall, the city will install another art piece near the Pinellas County Beach Access Park.

What will the bronze be?

“That’s a surprise,” said Indian Rocks Beach office administrator Lorin Kornijtschuk, “We want to be a city full of art.”

The sculpture, like the others, is funded by the Indian Rocks Beach Homeowners Association. This particular piece is being custom made by New York-based sculptor Randolph Rose Collection.

Indian Rocks Beach is also asking community members and business owners to contribute their own art to the city-wide art project.

“The city would like to encourage owners of commercial properties in Indian Rocks Beach to invest in public art on their own property. This will bring additional attention to the business and become a part of the public art effort,” City Manager Brently Gregg Mims wrote in a press release. “The City of Indian Rocks Beach looks forward to seeing and recognizing the creative art efforts of our businesses. Working together, we can continue this city initiated public art effort.”

This bronze manatee sculpture is just one of the wildlife-themed installations in Indian Rocks...

Mayor Honored with Bronze Sculpture

Mayor Honored with Bronze Sculpture

Grand Blanc Mayor Susan Soderstrom realized another one of her dreams for the city in August when the DPW installed a large bronze sculpture in Physicians Park. “I had seen this sculpture a while ago and I just loved it,” Soderstrom said of the piece entitled Arbor Children. “I just loved the floral jump rope and the kids playing. I thought it was perfect for the park. I’m thrilled about it.” The sculpture depicts a boy and a girl playing with a floral garland. The Randolph Rose Collection of Yonkers, New York, produced the sculpture. The Soderstrom family purchased it and gifted it to the city.

A plaque that accompanies the sculpture indicates the family’s intention was to honor Soderstrom’s years of service as a member of the City Council from 1999 to 2011, and as mayor since 2011. Soderstrom said the installation is part of the overall beautification of the city, and she hopes it inspires others to do the same. “I hope it brings a lot of smiles to the families who utilize the park,” she said. The sculpture is located near the playground and splash pad.

Grand Blanc Mayor Susan Soderstrom realized another one of her dreams for the city...

Clarkstown to Unveil D-Day Statue at New City Community Center

Battlefield Cross Bronze Memorial Statue

Clarkstown to Unveil D-Day Statue at New City Community Center

The memorial titled Fallen Soldier Memorial -Battle Field Cross will be dedicate on Thursday, June 6, 2019, at Clarkstown's Street Community Center in New City.

The Fallen Soldier Memorial - Battlefield Cross - at Clarkstown's Street Community Center

NEW CITY — A sculpture honoring those who served during the D-Day invasion will be unveiled Thursday at Clarkstown's Street Community Center.

The statue made from a bronze cast by the Randolph Rose Collection of Yonkers is called "The Fallen Soldier Memorial-Battlefield Cross."

The sculpture is of a combat helmet that rests on a rifle stuck in the ground next to a pair of combat boots. A set of dog tags hang from the rifle. It is a depiction of grave markers left for soldiers buried in the field.

The statue, which cost the town $3,950, stands about 4 feet high and weighs 150 pounds.

George Hoehmann, the Clarkstown supervisor, has invited several veterans of D-Day — the day 75 years ago when the Allied forces landed on Normandy Beach in France during World War II — to be part of Thursday's unveiling ceremonies.

Hoehmann called the new memorial "a lasting tribute to all who have fallen in battle from Clarkstown and a reminder of all that the Greatest Generation sacrificed to ensure liberty and freedom for the world."

"The Fallen Soldier Memorial-Battlefield Cross" that stands outside the Street Community Center in New City, June 5, 2019

The tribute, which stands beside a plaque that honors all of the town's veterans, is part of the final phase of the community center's $4 million renovation.

Street Community Center, where three Clarkstown senior citizens clubs meet, also houses the town's Hall of Heroes. The hallway recently added murals depicting soldiers in armed conflicts stretching from the American Revolution through the War on Terror, and a large image of the American flag.

The Fallen Soldier Memorial - Battlefield Cross - at Clarkstown's Street Community Center NEW...