Barbara Jordan Memorial Statue Project DescriptionIn 1997 the Austin City Council voted to name the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's terminal after Barbara Jordan. At the same time they instructed the Aviation Department to facilitate the creation of a significant sculpture in her honor that could be displayed prominently at the Barbara Jordan Terminal. It is decided a project of such an important public figure as Barbara Jordan requires a national call for artists. Barbara Jordan's family is contacted and an advisory group of civic leaders is formed to oversee the Barbara Jordan Memorial Statue Project. (See Advisory Groups.) In 1999 the Aviation Department allocates $250,000 for the statue. In addition to the costs of the statue, it also includes site preparation, statue freight costs, and installation. An additional, one time cost of $50,000 is allocated to facilitate the project. The Aviation Department and the Barbara Jordan Steering Committee defines the scope of work for the statue: “The City of Austin Aviation Department and the Barbara Jordan Memorial Statue Steering Committee seeks to ensure that an artist experienced in representational work is chosen to create a life-size bronze memorial statue that captures both the physical likeness and an authenticity of character that is recognizably Barbara Jordan; American patriot and hero.” Following The University of Texas at Austin's recent, very successful Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Statue Project, a two-step process to select the Barbara Jordan Memorial Statue Project winning artist is defined. From a request for qualifications from sculptors around the country a short list of five artists is chosen based on their ability to portray the essence of a prominent recognizable public figure and their capacity of conceiving and executing large scale sculpture. The artists create maquettes (small sculpture models) of their proposed sculpture. The winning artist is chosen from these maquettes and other information. (See Project Timeline.) The future Barbara Jordan Memorial Statue will find a home on the Concourse Level, Central Terminal, approximately twenty feet to the left of the Live Music Stage. The site was chosen based on its prominent location and suitable place of honor in the Barbara Jordan Terminal. On February 21, 2000, the anniversary of Barbara Jordan's birth, the BARBARA JORDAN MEMORIAL STATUE PROJECT “Call for Artists” is released to the public. The goal of the “Call for Artists” is a request for qualifications to identify up to 5 artists who display the capability to create a large-scale memorial bronze statue of a prominent recognizable public figure. Barbara Jordan Memorial Statue | Biography of Barbara Jordan | Ceremony Photo Gallery
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Source: City of Austin