Statue of George Washington (Seattle)
| George Washington | |
|---|---|
 The statue in 2015 | |
 | |
| Artist | Lorado Taft |
| Year | 1909 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Subject | George Washington |
| Location | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| 47°39′22″N 122°18′40″W / 47.656072°N 122.311131°WCoordinates: 47°39′22″N 122°18′40″W / 47.656072°N 122.311131°W | |
George Washington, also known as the President George Washington Monument,[1] is a bronze sculpture of George Washington by Lorado Taft, installed at the University of Washington campus in Seattle's University District, in the U.S. state of Washington.
History[]
The statue was dedicated on Flag Day, June 14, 1909, during the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition.[2] Its permanent pedestal, measuring 24 feet (7.3 m) tall, was built by the Works Progress Administration and installed in August 1938.[3] The pedestal had been designed by Taft in 1908 but was not funded in time for the exposition.[4]
Calls for removal[]
A number of student led organizations at the University of Washington have called for the statue's removal. Most notably, the Black Student Union and the Black Lives Matter coalition (UW BLM) have publicly spoken out against the statue. UW BLM staged a month-long protest of the statue in August 2020, spray-painting the statue every day to induce a response from the administration. As of October 16, 2020 there has been no response from university officials regarding the removal of the statue.[5]
The university's student newspaper has also called for the removal of the statue in an op-ed, noting that a petition to remove the statue has reached over 3,000 signatures. This petition is asking for the George Washington statue to be replaced with a Black Power fist and to rename the cafe near the statue from the By George Cafe to the Juneteenth Cafe.[6]
See also[]
- 1909 in art
- Campus of the University of Washington
- Cultural depictions of George Washington
- List of monuments dedicated to George Washington
- List of the tallest statues in the United States
References[]
- ^ "George Washington, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ "George Washington Statue". University of Washington. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ "Statue Takes Foot Off Coin". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. August 10, 1938. p. 10.
- ^ "Washington to Climb Heights on U. Campus". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. March 20, 1938. p. 8.
- ^ Keimig, Jasmyne. "UW Protesters Embark on Month-Long Art Installation at George Washington Statue". The Stranger. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
- ^ Daily, Hannah Krieg The. "The petition to remove the George Washington statue and the larger conversation of a white-centric campus". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Washington statue, University of Washington. |
- 1909 establishments in Washington (state)
- 1909 sculptures
- Bronze sculptures in Washington (state)
- Monuments and memorials in Seattle
- Monuments and memorials to George Washington in the United States
- Outdoor sculptures in Seattle
- Sculptures by Lorado Taft
- Sculptures of men in Washington (state)
- Statues in Seattle
- Statues of George Washington
- University of Washington campus
- Vandalized works of art in Washington (state)
- Washington (state) sculpture stubs