The first statue commemorating landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted will make its public debut in time for Earth Day at The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville next Friday, April 22. One would assume that Olmsted already has statues of himself in public parks across the U.S., considering that he is regarded as “the Father of American Landscape Architecture” and is the co-architect of New York City's fiercely loved Central Park, which he and Calvert Vaux were selected to design after winning a competition in 1858.
Finally achieving their long-time vision of building a statue of Olmsted, the Arboretum commissioned Philadelphia-based figurative sculptor Zenos Frudakis to design the 8-foot-tall bronze statue of Olmsted, who is portrayed holding an abstract topographic map. Frudakis spent the last two years working diligently to create a sculpture that embodies Olmsted's lasting significance in American landscape design.
Oil painting of Frederick Law Olmsted by John Singer Sargent, 1895, Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina.
Olmsted, who was a Renaissance Man of his time, was a journalist for The New York Times, as well as a social critic and public administrator. From 1865 to 1895, Olmsted and his firm completed more than 500 projects across the U.S., including designs for 40 academic institutions, public parks and parkways, and landscapes at monumental sites like Yosemite and Niagara Falls.
After the statue unveiling, the Arboretum will host additional public programming and celebrate Olmsted's 194th birthday on April 26.
4 Comments
That's pretty cool.
my wife's friend lives in this area in NJ, when visiting the first time I was blown away, how beautiful it was in NJ...and then someone explained - same guy Central Park
If You're Thinking of Living In/Boonton; Community With Deep Roots in the Past
and the Park, where the streets wind around the 14-acre Grace Lord Park, which was laid out in the late 19th century by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, designers of Central Park in New York City. Grace Lord Park includes the Rockaway River, which plunges 25 feet at Boonton Falls.
Go FLO!!! How about commissioning one for all those confederate statues that are in the process of being removed in New Orleans. He was a genius.
Although not a full statue, there is a bust of F. L. Olmsted on the grounds of The Institute for Living in Hartford, CT, where FLO did the grounds at the time called the Hartford Retreat. My GG Grandparents were his Aunt and Uncle Linda Hull and David Brooks.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.