Spirit of Detroit

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The Spirit of Detroit is a city monument with a large bronze statue created by Marshall Fredericks and located at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit, Michigan. It was commissioned in 1955 for a cost of $58,000, and dedicated in 1958. In its left hand, the large seated figure holds a gilt bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God. In its right hand is a family group symbolizing all human relationships. The 26-foot (7.9 m) sculpture was the largest cast bronze statue since the Renaissance when it was first installed.

The statue underwent a restoration in 2006, funded by foundations and other private donations.

[edit] Name

The sculpture was not actually named. Nevertheless, it bears an inscription from 2 Corinthians (3:17) on the wall behind it: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." It also includes the seals of the city and the county. A plaque in front of the sculpture bears the inscription, "Through the spirit of man is manifested in the family, the noblest human relationship."

[edit] Trivia

• The statue is dressed in sports jerseys when the local professional teams are in the playoffs. It was also once dressed in a tuxedo during a visit by the Three Tenors. For the first time since 1997, the statue did not wear a Detroit Red Wings sweater during their Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2008 due to the ongoing restoration of the statue.
• In the past, a local wit had painted green (the color of the statue) footprints heading out from the statue and leading to Giacomo Manzu's naked Passo di Danza (Step of the Dance) bronze sculpture nearby ^[1].
• As one of Detroit's most easily identifiable landmarks, a sketch of the statue appears as the central element of most of the logos for City of Detroit departments and services.

[edit] References

1. ^ Spirit Of Detroit in Detroit, MI - AOL City Guide. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.

• Baulch, Vivian M.. "Marshall Fredericks - the Spirit of Detroit", The Detroit News, August 4, 1998. Retrieved on 2007-11-23. 
• Zacharias, Pat. "The Monuments of Detroit", The Detroit News, September 5, 1999. Retrieved on 2007-02-24. 

Coordinates: 42°19′45.47″N, 83°2′40.66″W

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