The hope is the vandalized horse will be returned to its spot on I-490 in September as good as new
ROCHESTER — The work to restore a vandalized 9/11 memorial along I-490 is just about done.
Pittsford artists Madelyn and Robert Whiteside are putting the final coats of paint on the fiberglass horse known as “Freedom.”
The sculpture and 9/11 memorial sat in the median between the Winton Road and Culver Road exits for 19 years before it was recently vandalized with red paint.
"That annoys me that people would take that away from so many," Robert Whiteside said.
In a special ceremony that came complete with a small motorcade, Rochester police removed the horse from its post on Aug 4. before it was dropped off at the couple’s home to be refurbished.
For the Whitesides, it was a reunion of sorts, as they were the horse's original designers 19 years ago.
Freedom was an addition to the 2001 public arts campaign known as “Horses on Parade,” which was founded by Dixon Schwabl CEO Lauren Dixon.
The couple commissioned a similar horse called “America,” which is on display at the Greater Rochester International Airport.
“Little did we know that it would be such an event," Madelyn Whiteside said.
Coming in, the couple said the horse had problems beyond the paint, as it is 19 years old and was starting to show its age. So, for the last three weeks, they have spent hours and hours breaking it down to its original base, then built it back up — including, of course, adding a fresh coat of red, white and blue paint.
"We are proud to be able to bring it back, better than I believe than its original state," Robert said.
Madelyn said you can look at what happened as a glass half empty or glass half full situation, and she’s taking the optimistic approach.
“We want to keep it full," Madelyn said.
This includes moving forward from the vandalism. A culprit has not been caught or named.
The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce owns the horse.
The duo said restoring and returning the horse could inspire hope and represent a sign of strength and stability at a time where things are anything but stable.
From their home garage, the horse will go to another location, where it will receive its finishing touches and lastly, it will return back to where it stood for the last 19 years.
According to Dixon Schwabl, Freedom will be put back some time in early to mid-September. It's part of a collaborative effort between the city of Rochester, Rochester Lt. Richard Waldo (who spotted the vandalism and is assisting with restoration efforts), and AP Enterprises.
“Our community is making it right together by fixing ‘Freedom’ the horse so we can get it back in place on 490 very soon. It shows the goodness in Rochester and community coming together to fix the ‘Freedom’ monument. It’s not hard to find these stories in our region if we keep our eyes open to them. We will focus on kindness, not destruction," Lauren Dixon said in a statement.
"I liken this to one of our kids,” Madelyn said. “You know if something happens to your child, you do whatever you can to repair it, and that's what we have done."
"freedom" - Google News
August 24, 2020 at 11:29PM
https://ift.tt/2Ex3cBj
Rehab work for Freedom nears end - MPNnow.com
"freedom" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2VUAlgg
https://ift.tt/2VYSiKW
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Rehab work for Freedom nears end - MPNnow.com"
Post a Comment