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The Spirit of Detroit Statue To Celebrate His 50th Anniversary

9/19/2008

He’s made of bronze and stands larger than life.  And, his Spirit is contagious. The Spirit of Detroit statue will celebrate his 50th anniversary on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at a ceremony in front of his “home” – the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, located at 2 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.  

• Open to the public, 
• a festive ceremony is planned to honor the statue and commemorate 
• its place in the hearts and minds of Metro Detroiters.

  The recently renovated statue was originally dedicated on Sept. 23, 1958 with sculptor Marshall Fredericks on hand to show off his prized artwork.  According to Fredericks, “The statue represents the Spirit of Man … and the Spirit of Man is manifested in the family, the noblest relationship.”  

The renovation was needed because age and weather had caused damage to the statue’s green patina exterior and to its marble base.  The general contractor for the work was Chezcore, Inc. of Detroit.  Venus Bronze Works, Inc. in Detroit worked on the statue restoration and CASO-IMPEX in Birmingham, Mich., handled the restoration of the Vermont marble backdrop and base. The statue stands 16 feet high, has an arm span of 22 feet and weighs 9 tons.