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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Altrusa Sculpture Approved for Four Corners Park

This is the design selected by Altrusa for the northwest section of Four Corners Park from the Yonkers sculpture studio of Randolph Rose Collection.

Altrusa will erect a sculpture in the northeast quadrant of Four Corners Park without the controversy that faced plans for another sculpture in the southeast quadrant last fall.

The Coldwater City Council approved the installation on March 25 of the classic Randolph Rose Collection bronze sculpture "Reading Buddies."

According to past president Carrie Stout, the 47 current local members of Coldwater Altrusa International raised $19,000 for the art piece featuring a boy and a girl reading at each end of a bench with space in between for people to sit.

Stout said, "Bronze is an incredibly durable material that withstands all sorts of weather conditions, and it assures us the sculpture will be around for generations."

Altrusa presented the sculpture to the city to encourage literacy. The group gave the sculpture, "As a symbol of our commitment to the community and to its improvement, both through continued beautification of our Four Corners Park."

The group adopted that corner of Four Corners Park in 1984 and maintains flowers there.

The corner is also home to the Farmer's Market for 13 weeks during the summer.

Another sculpture proposed for the park's southeast quadrant did not receive a similar enthusiastic welcome last November.

Councilman John Petzko and his two daughters provided seed money for the fountain to honor his late wife and their mother, councilwoman Maureen Petzko.

The family suggested, with City Manager Keith Baker, a stylistic modern 15-foot sculpture by Fritz Olsen from the 2023 Grand Rapids Art Walk.

This is the design selected by Altrusa for the northwest section of Four Corners...

Honoring The Late Ward D Councilman Michael Yun

Michael Yun Custom Bench Statue

Jersey City is inviting the public to attend the unveiling ceremony of a bronze statue in celebration and in memory of late Ward D Councilman Michael Yun.

The statue, known as “Achieving the American Dream,” will be erected at 366 Central Avenue in the Heights on Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m., four years to the day since his passing. At its most recent meeting in March, the Jersey City Municipal Council adopted a resolution accepting the statue as a donation from the family and friends of Yun. According to the resolution, the bronze statue is meant to beautify the Central Avenue streetscape while simultaneously celebrating the American Dream and Yun’s memory.

The statue was created by the Randolph Rose Collection, who has been committed to creating the finest work of bronze art for homes, gardens, and public spaces since 1972.

The bronze statue sits on a bench approximately 6 feet wide, to be unveiled on the sidewalk on Bowers Street next to 366 Central Avenue at the request of the family and friends of Yun. The resolution states that he chose to begin his American Dream in Jersey City, while sitting on a bench on the corner of Central Avenue and Bowers Street, thus the sentimental statue placement.

In the Heights, Yun embodied that dream, being a small business owner and community leader for over three decades. He eventually became a public servant, elected as the Ward D Councilman and serving from 2013 until his death in 2020. Yun was unfortunately one of the many lives lost in Jersey to COVID-19 amid the viral pandemic.

The resolution states that Yun’s memory and journey to achieve the American Dream is an inspiration to the next generation of Jersey City residents seeking to start their own dream in the City. At the March 20 meeting, Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh said the council worked to make this happen ahead of the four-year anniversary of his passing on April 6.

“It is our solemn duty, and I know for my council colleagues who worked alongside Councilman Michael Yun, it’s an honor for us to be able to push this forward,” Saleh said. “This bronze statue… it’s going to be a welcome and beautiful presence in the Heights. Public service is very hard… his family sacrificed a lot. Michael Yun sacrificed so much for this City, and this is a beautiful way to remember him. He is the shining example of the American Dream and may he be an example for everyone else in Jersey City and inspire… anyone else to not just start a business but get into public service and serve their community.”

Jersey City is inviting the public to attend the unveiling ceremony of a...