The Spirit of Detroit

The Spirit of Detroit is a monument with a large bronze statue created by Marshall Fredericks and located at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan.

The Spirit of Detroit
ArtistMarshall Fredericks
Year1958
TypeBronze
Dimensions790 cm (312 in)
LocationDetroit, Michigan, U.S.
Coordinates
OwnerColeman A. Young Municipal Center

Etymology

The name emerged from an inscription from 2 Corinthians (3:17) on the marble wall behind it:

"NOW THE LORD IS THAT SPIRIT
AND WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE
LORD IS, THERE IS LIBERTY."
               II CORINTHIANS 3:17[1]

It includes the seals of the city and the county in which the statue is located. A plaque in front of the sculpture bears the following inscription: "The artist expresses the concept that God, through the spirit of man, is manifested in the family, the noblest human relationship."

History
The Spirit of Detroit prior to its 2006 restoration, showing visible signs of verdigris.
Detail

1950s

It was commissioned in 1955 for a cost of $58,000 (equivalent to $415,000 in 2018)[2] and dedicated on September 23, 1958.[3] In its left hand, the large seated figure holds a gilt bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God. The people in the figure's right hand are a family group symbolizing all human relationships.[4] The 26-foot (7.9 m) sculpture was the largest cast bronze statue since the Renaissance when it was first installed. It was cast in Oslo, Norway.[5][1]

1980s

In 1984, the marble panels behind the statue were replaced.[6][7] During the 1980s and 1990s, a facsimile of the statue was featured on the Detroit Police Department's insignia and on decals affixed to the sides of its police cars.[8]

2000s

The statue underwent a restoration in 2006, funded by foundations and other private donations.

2010s

In 2013 art dealer and art historian Eric Ian Hornak Spoutz was quoted in The Detroit News stating that the value of the statue is in excess of $1 million.[9][10][11]

Uses as a community symbol
The statue wearing a Detroit Red Wings sweater during the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
Spirit of Detroit, illuminated at night
  • The statue is frequently dressed in sports jerseys when local professional teams are in the playoffs. It was also once dressed in a tuxedo during a visit by the Three Tenors. For the first time since 1997, the statue did not wear a Detroit Red Wings sweater during their Stanley Cup Finals victory in 2008 due to the ongoing restoration. Instead, a large statue of a Tiger at Comerica Park was dressed with a jersey.
  • In the past, a local prankster had painted green (the color of the statue) footprints heading out from the statue and leading to Giacomo Manzù's naked Passo di Danza (Step of the Dance) bronze sculpture nearby.[12]
  • As one of Detroit's most easily identifiable landmarks, a sketch of the statue appears as the central element of most of the logos of Detroit's city departments and services.
  • An image of the statue appears on the "Spirit of Detroit Award" certificate,[13] which is issued by the Detroit City Council to a person, event, or organization deemed to have performed an outstanding achievement or service to the citizens of Detroit.
  • The Spirit of Detroit is the main image on Detroit Community Scrip.[14]
  • The Spirit of Detroit is featured in the 2011 Chrysler 200 Super Bowl commercial, "Born of Fire", which featured Eminem along with widely known landmarks of Detroit.
  • The Spirit of Detroit is used as Detroit City Football Club's crest. Detroit City FC is a soccer team formed in 2012 that plays in the National Independent Soccer Association.
  • The statue is also featured in the 2018 video game Detroit: Become Human.
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See also

References
  1. Smithsonian American Art Museum (1993). "The Spirit of Detroit (Sculpture)". Art Inventories Catalog. Smithsonian Institution. Control Number 87840002. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  2. Thomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2019). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved April 6, 2019. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
  3. "The Spirit of Detroit". Wayne County, Michigan: Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority. 1959. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  4. "Spirit of Detroit". Historic Detroit. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  5. Baulch, Vivian M. (August 4, 1998). "Marshall Fredericks: The Spirit of Detroit". Michigan History. The Detroit News. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  6. Zacharias, Pat (September 5, 1999). "The Monuments of Detroit". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2007.
  7. Detroit Today Detroit News
  8. "Michigan Detroit - Pictures". www.mission.net.
  9. Hodges, Michael (October 24, 2013). "Could Cash-Strapped Detroit's Other Assets Be Sold?". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  10. Johnson, Alex (February 13, 2016). "Art Dealer Eric Spoutz Charged with Selling Dozens of Fakes of American Masters". NBC News. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  11. Cascone, Sarah (February 8, 2016). "Art and Law: Did Art Dealer Eric Spoutz Give Forgeries to the Smithsonian?". ArtNet.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017. Spoutz allegedly conducted fraudulent transactions on dozens of artworks.
  12. "Spirit of Detroit in Detroit, MI". AOL City Guide. Archived from the original on June 23, 2007. Retrieved April 8, 2008.
  13. "Wayback Machine". 15 June 2006.
  14. https://web.archive.org/web/20090510110418/http://www.detroitscrip.org/Contact.htm
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