Spirit of Detroit

The Spirit of Detroit is a city 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, USA. It was commissioned in 1955 for a cost of $58,000, and dedicated in 1958. In its left hand, the large seated figure holds a gilt bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God. In its right hand, is a family group symbolizing all human relationships. The 26-foot (7.9 m) sculpture was the largest cast bronze statue since the Renaissance when it was first installed.

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

Name

The sculpture was not actually named. Nevertheless, it bears an inscription from 2 Corinthians (3:17) on the wall behind it: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." It also includes the seals of the city and the county. A plaque in front of the sculpture bears the inscription, "Through the spirit of man is manifested in the family, the noblest human relationship."

Trivia

*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.
*In the past, a local wit 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 [cite web
url=http://search.cityguide.aol.com/detroit/entertainment/spirit-of-detroit/v-94584
accessdate=2008-04-08
title=Spirit Of Detroit in Detroit, MI - AOL City Guide] .
*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.

References

*cite news
first= Vivian M.
last= Baulch
title= Marshall Fredericks - the Spirit of Detroit
date = August 4, 1998
url= http://info.detnews.com/redesign/history/story/historytemplate.cfm?id=159
publisher=The Detroit News
accessdate=2007-11-23
*cite news
first= Pat
last= Zacharias
title= The Monuments of Detroit
date=September 5, 1999
url= http://info.detnews.com/redesign/history/story/historytemplate.cfm?id=165
publisher=The Detroit News
accessdate=2007-02-24