Moving lovers statue stands out to the crowd

Moving Lovers sculpture attracts large crowds.

Nothing hurts like a thousand daggers to the heart as a tale of love that fails to meet its happy end. This one here is a real-life representation of two fictional lovers, who get separated at the hands of fate, at the end of a popular 1937 novel Ali and Nino: A Love Story.

Kurban Said, who penned the novel, writes how Ali, a Muslim boy, and Nino, a Georgian princess, fall in love but never unite due to the invasion of the Soviet Union. Beautifully translated into two 26-foot-tall steel statues by Georgian sculptor Tamara Kvesitadze, a tragic saga of love finds immortality in the rarest of rare forms.

Every day, at 7 PM, the statues of Ali and Nino move towards each other...

Instagram/olyagrebelnaya

...to unite in a short embrace before getting separated. 

Instagram/estodipesto

Even though there are no beating hearts, one can't help but feel the immense pain of separation and longing that follows after the statues move away...

Instagram/kadirozgunduz

It takes all of 10 minutes for this cycle to reach its inevitable end. An end that acts as a reminder for us mortal beings of the depth of true love, and the burning desire to hold on...

Instagram/el_questeto

Till the very end.

We are the largest designers, manufacturers and wholesalers of large and monumental bronze sculptures and fountains in the country.  Specializing in many fields such as Bronze Sculptures, Fountains, School and Company Mascots in heavy cast bronze, Hand-Carved Cigar Store Indians, Fiberglass Statuary, Full Color LED Advertising Signs and Commercial grade playground equipment, we can help you with your outdoor needs. See our websites for more:

www.allclassics.com
www.bigbronze.com
www.bronze-mascot.com
www.buyrentsign.com
www.playgroundarchitect.com

Bronze sculpture of Kīngi Tāwhiao unveiled

A bronze bust of the second Māori king's head has finally been unveiled today at Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato..

The unveiling of the statue of Kīngi Tāwhiao Matutaera Potatau Te Wherowhero saw the Hamilton City Council work closely with Kingi Tūheitia to coincide the public reveal with Hamilton’s 150th anniversary.

It’s been a long time coming. NZ artist Gary Schofield created the statue in the 1980s and was eventually proposed for it to be donated to King Tūheitia, who in turn would donate it to the Waikato city.

Before that, it spent nearly three decades on display in Mr Schofield’s Hamilton home.
Mr Schofield, who went to Southwell School with King Tūheitia back in the days, now resides in the US, but will be attending the unveiling ceremony today.

We are the largest designers, manufactures and wholesalers of medium size to monumental size, heavy cast bronze sculptures, fountains, garden art, wood Cigar Store Indians, Full Color LED Signs, and commercial grade playground equipment.   See more at www.allclassics.com, www.bigbronze.com, www.buyrentsign.com, www.playgroundarchitect.com 

1.8 Million Dollar Triceratops Skull goes from Montana to Hong Kong

We have several styles of desktop to monumental bronze dinosaur skulls available, www.bigbronze.com 

How a $1.8 million dinosaur skull went from Montana to Hong Kong

This 65 million-year-old male Triceratops skull is on sale for $1.8 million.

As a young man growing up in Montana, Ray Novakovich made a hobby of hunting for fossils and unusual rocks on his family's plot of land.

But it wasn't until 1992, when he was about 70 years old, that Novakovich spotted the rock formation that would be his greatest discovery.

"It dawned on him what was sticking up out of the ground -- it was the tip of two [dinosaur] horns," said Cliff Linster, an amateur dinosaur hunter who excavated the fossil.
Due to a lack of resources, the fossil wasn't unearthed and cleaned until 2003, after Novakovich had sold the property. The new owner posted an Internet ad for the dinosaur, and Linster bought the rights.
That fossil -- a 65 million-year-old male Triceratops skull found in Glendive, Montana -- has since changed hands a number of times and is now on sale in Hong Kong with a minimum asking bid of $1.8 million.
Digging for dinosaur fragments in Montana is a big business -- local buffs routinely search for bones and dinosaur expeditions are a top tourist attraction. Rare fossils are prized by private collectors and museums, and top specimens can yield huge sums. "Sue," the largest T-Rex fossil ever found, sold for a record $8.5 million in 1997, and is on display at the Field Museum in Chicago.
The Triceratops skull, dubbed "Dragon King," is unique because of its size, Linster said. The fossilized skull is 95% complete bone, over 9 feet long, 5.2 feet high and 4.6 feet wide.
But is it really worth nearly $2 million? "Well, there's no blue book on dinosaurs -- it's not like buying a car," he said. Buyers should look at "the condition of it, how much is original bone, how much of it was prepared, if it had to be restored, the type of dinosaur and how rare it is -- all those factors enter into it."
Fossils are usually embedded in rock, though parts can be exposed as a result of weathering. With "Dragon King," the sand grains around the skull had fused together to form a hard coating over the bone. It took Linster, his wife and two of his kids -- dinosaur hunting is a family pastime -- a week just to dig it out of the ground.
When it finally came out, the entire thing weighed three tons -- plenty of rock still had to be chiseled off. It typically takes around 20,000 labor hours to clean a large fossil, a process that can include using small tools, like dental picks, and restoration work. While the skull was fairly complete, the horns and frill around the back still needed work.
"That was the part that was exposed for who knows how many thousands of years ... so some of that was gone," Linster said.
Final cleaning of the skull was done by Barry James, another dinosaur expert. Linster sold the fossil for $35,000, and it was shipped to Asia a few years later, he recalled.
The private sale of the 1,300-pound dinosaur skull is being managed by Brian Lerner and Anna Leong of Evolved Ltd.; the pair started accepting bids earlier this week. Lerner and Leong moved their business from New York to Asia in 1993, swinging between Hong Kong and Singapore.
Related: Discount private island sells for $38 million
But Hong Kong "is where we like to be -- it's where we think the future is," Lerner said. "All the auction houses are booming here; Art Basel is here -- the whole scene has gotten quite sizable."
Dinosaur fossils can be a lucrative investment for private collectors -- the T-Rex fossil that sold in 1997 is now worth $12.5 million, Lerner said, representing a 50% increase on the purchase price.
Novakovich has passed away, and calls to relatives weren't returned. Barry James couldn't be reached for comment.

We are the largest designers, manufacturers and suppliers of medium size to monumental heavy cast, bronze sculptures in the world.  Custom designs available as well as school/university/business mascots in bronze and fiberglass/resin.  www.allclassics.com, www.bigbronze.com, www.buyrentsign.com, playgroundarchitect.com

Fans Demand Removal of Lucille Ball Statue

One thing you will never have with us is a problem with sculptures that don't look correct.  This statue shocked me when it was unveiled as I feel the client was blind sided.  Check out our website at www.bronze-mascot.com or www.bigbronze.com as we can custom make any design, any size as we are the largest designers, manufacturers and suppliers of medium size to monumental size, bronze sculptures in the world.  Our work is hands down the best and you will not be disappointed as we always include the customer in the design phase so there are no surprises when the piece arrives.

JAMESTOWN, NY -There is not much “love” coming from Lucille Ball fans in Celeron, N.Y. over a statute of the late comedienne.

According to a “We Love Lucy! Get Ride of this Statue,” a Facebook advocating for the statue's removal, residents are petitioning to remove the creepy bronze fixture.

“Lucille Ball was born in Jamestown NY. She was raised and grew up in a town about a mile from Jamestown named Celoron. The people of Celoron have erected this horrible statue of Lucy in her hometown. It is a nightmare. We want them to replace it,” the group writes.

The mayor of Jamestown, which is home to the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy, told the Jamestown Post-Journal that it would cost the city between $8,000 and $10,000 to re-cast the statue, and the city refuses to use tax dollars to do so.

Lucille Ball died at age 77 in 1989. She made a huge mark in the entertainment industry starring in sitcoms “I Love Lucy,” “The Lucy Show,” and “Life with Lucy”.

Residents outragged by Bull Sign in Utah

Residents outraged by offensive restaurant sign

 

HURRICANE, UT -- Residents in Utah are appalled by a sign standing outside of a local restaurant.
Barista's restaurant in Hurricane, Utah introduced a new logo of a bull. The logo, however, exaggerates the size of the bull's male genitalia.
Some people have been calling the sign “R-rated” and many are offended by it.
The owner of Barista's, Stephen Ward, says that the sign is just merely an art form.
"That 130,000 dollar amazing piece of art is going to draw more travelers and more tourists in here and that spells more money for Stephen Ward and they hate that and they hate me. And that's what it's about,” he said.
According to various reports from the media, residents are circulation petitions asking for the council “to refuse Barista's license renewal.”

We can custom make any design from medium size to giant monumental size in heavy cast bronze.  Being the largest designers, manufacturers and wholesalers of bronze sculptures, fountains, school & corporate mascots, we have no "ego" in our pricing which saves you money.  Contact us today for a quote, (302) 738-2190 or go to www.bronze-mascot.com, www.bigbronze.com or www.allclassics.com

Gandhi Statue to be unveiled in London

We can custom make any design in any size.  Contact us today and enjoy the article (302) 738-2190 www.bigbronze.com.

Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan (left), British Prime Minister David Cameron (second left) and Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi (third right) watch as Indian Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley (third left) unveils a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square, Central London, Britain on March 14, 2015. Others are not identified. The 9ft (2.7m) bronze statue which was designed by Briton Philip Jackson is based on a photograph of Gandhi standing outside Downing Street in 1931. -- PHOTO: EPA

LONDON (AFP) - A statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi is to be unveiled on Saturday at the heart of the British establishment which once loathed him for his campaign against imperial rule.
Gandhi will join figures including Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill, who described him as a half-naked "fakir", in London's Parliament Square, opposite Big Ben and the House of Commons.
The giant bronze statue will be unveiled by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Gandhi's grandson, Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Despite such pomp, Gandhi was historically resented by many in Westminster as the leader of the non-violent campaign for Indian independence from Britain, which was granted in 1947.
"This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square, we are giving him an eternal home in our country," Cameron said in a statement released before the event.
"This statue celebrates the incredibly special friendship between the world's oldest democracy and its largest, as well as the universal power of Gandhi's message."
The unveiling marks the latest step in Britain's efforts to recast both its past and present in India, once known as the "jewel in the crown" of the British empire.
In 2013, Cameron became the first British premier to visit the site of a notorious massacre in Amritsar in 1919 where troops under British control gunned down hundreds of unarmed protestors.
He described the killings as "shameful" but stopped short of a public apology.
Cameron has also made boosting economic ties between India and Britain - home to some 1.5 million members of the Indian diaspora - a priority.
When he came to power in 2010, he said he wanted to double trade with India by this year.
Jaitley said the two countries now had a "partnership of equals".
"This lasting friendship is just one of many legacies left by Gandhi, which I am keen that we work hard to strengthen further," he added in a statement released ahead of the ceremony.
- 'Should be trampled by elephant' -
The statue marks 100 years since Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, where he was repeatedly jailed for pressing the rights of Indians, and started his non-violent campaign of civil disobedience.
Other statues in Parliament Square include anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and Jan Smuts, a South African prime minister in the first half of the 20th century who favoured racial segregation.
Churchill, whose likeness is a stone's throw from Gandhi's, took an extremely dim view of the Indian barrister's actions.
"It is alarming and nauseating to see Mr Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer now posing as a fakir (ascetic) of a type well known in the east, striding half-naked up the steps of the vice-regal palace," he said in 1931.
Churchill even suggested that Gandhi should be "trampled on by an enormous elephant" because of his campaign against British rule, according to biographers.
The Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust has raised one million pounds (S$2.05 million) of donations in six months for the project, including 100,000 pounds from billionaire Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/europe/story/gandhi-statue-be-unveiled-london-20150314#sthash.hIHCBabT.dpuf

LONDON (AFP) - A statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi is to be unveiled on Saturday at the heart of the British establishment which once loathed him for his campaign against imperial rule.

Gandhi will join figures including Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill, who described him as a half-naked "fakir", in London's Parliament Square, opposite Big Ben and the House of Commons.

The giant bronze statue will be unveiled by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Gandhi's grandson, Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

Despite such pomp, Gandhi was historically resented by many in Westminster as the leader of the non-violent campaign for Indian independence from Britain, which was granted in 1947.

"This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square, we are giving him an eternal home in our country," Cameron said in a statement released before the event.

"This statue celebrates the incredibly special friendship between the world's oldest democracy and its largest, as well as the universal power of Gandhi's message."

The unveiling marks the latest step in Britain's efforts to recast both its past and present in India, once known as the "jewel in the crown" of the British empire.
In 2013, Cameron became the first British premier to visit the site of a notorious massacre in Amritsar in 1919 where troops under British control gunned down hundreds of unarmed protestors.
 He described the killings as "shameful" but stopped short of a public apology.

Cameron has also made boosting economic ties between India and Britain - home to some 1.5 million members of the Indian diaspora - a priority.

When he came to power in 2010, he said he wanted to double trade with India by this year.
Jaitley said the two countries now had a "partnership of equals".

"This lasting friendship is just one of many legacies left by Gandhi, which I am keen that we work hard to strengthen further," he added in a statement released ahead of the ceremony.
- 'Should be trampled by elephant' -

The statue marks 100 years since Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, where he was repeatedly jailed for pressing the rights of Indians, and started his non-violent campaign of civil disobedience.

Other statues in Parliament Square include anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and Jan Smuts, a South African prime minister in the first half of the 20th century who favoured racial segregation.
Churchill, whose likeness is a stone's throw from Gandhi's, took an extremely dim view of the Indian barrister's actions.

"It is alarming and nauseating to see Mr Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer now posing as a fakir (ascetic) of a type well known in the east, striding half-naked up the steps of the vice-regal palace," he said in 1931.

Churchill even suggested that Gandhi should be "trampled on by an enormous elephant" because of his campaign against British rule, according to biographers.

The Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust has raised one million pounds (S$2.05 million) of donations in six months for the project, including 100,000 pounds from billionaire Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

We are the largest designers, manufacturers and suppliers of medium size to monumental size bronze sculptures in the world.  Our custom designs are priced with no ego included which saves you a lot of money.  Contact us today for a quote to have your design created in bronze.  www.allclassics.com, www.bigbronze.com, www.bronze-mascot.com

LONDON (AFP) - A statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi is to be unveiled on Saturday at the heart of the British establishment which once loathed him for his campaign against imperial rule.
Gandhi will join figures including Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill, who described him as a half-naked "fakir", in London's Parliament Square, opposite Big Ben and the House of Commons.
The giant bronze statue will be unveiled by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Gandhi's grandson, Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Despite such pomp, Gandhi was historically resented by many in Westminster as the leader of the non-violent campaign for Indian independence from Britain, which was granted in 1947.
"This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square, we are giving him an eternal home in our country," Cameron said in a statement released before the event.
"This statue celebrates the incredibly special friendship between the world's oldest democracy and its largest, as well as the universal power of Gandhi's message."
The unveiling marks the latest step in Britain's efforts to recast both its past and present in India, once known as the "jewel in the crown" of the British empire.
In 2013, Cameron became the first British premier to visit the site of a notorious massacre in Amritsar in 1919 where troops under British control gunned down hundreds of unarmed protestors.
He described the killings as "shameful" but stopped short of a public apology.
Cameron has also made boosting economic ties between India and Britain - home to some 1.5 million members of the Indian diaspora - a priority.
When he came to power in 2010, he said he wanted to double trade with India by this year.
Jaitley said the two countries now had a "partnership of equals".
"This lasting friendship is just one of many legacies left by Gandhi, which I am keen that we work hard to strengthen further," he added in a statement released ahead of the ceremony.
- 'Should be trampled by elephant' -
The statue marks 100 years since Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, where he was repeatedly jailed for pressing the rights of Indians, and started his non-violent campaign of civil disobedience.
Other statues in Parliament Square include anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and Jan Smuts, a South African prime minister in the first half of the 20th century who favoured racial segregation.
Churchill, whose likeness is a stone's throw from Gandhi's, took an extremely dim view of the Indian barrister's actions.
"It is alarming and nauseating to see Mr Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer now posing as a fakir (ascetic) of a type well known in the east, striding half-naked up the steps of the vice-regal palace," he said in 1931.
Churchill even suggested that Gandhi should be "trampled on by an enormous elephant" because of his campaign against British rule, according to biographers.
The Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust has raised one million pounds (S$2.05 million) of donations in six months for the project, including 100,000 pounds from billionaire Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.
- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/europe/story/gandhi-statue-be-unveiled-london-20150314#sthash.hIHCBabT.dpuf

Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan (left), British Prime Minister David Cameron (second left) and Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi (third right) watch as Indian Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley (third left) unveils a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square, Central London, Britain on March 14, 2015. Others are not identified. The 9ft (2.7m) bronze statue which was designed by Briton Philip Jackson is based on a photograph of Gandhi standing outside Downing Street in 1931. -- PHOTO: EPA

LONDON (AFP) - A statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi is to be unveiled on Saturday at the heart of the British establishment which once loathed him for his campaign against imperial rule.
Gandhi will join figures including Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill, who described him as a half-naked "fakir", in London's Parliament Square, opposite Big Ben and the House of Commons.
The giant bronze statue will be unveiled by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Gandhi's grandson, Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Despite such pomp, Gandhi was historically resented by many in Westminster as the leader of the non-violent campaign for Indian independence from Britain, which was granted in 1947.
"This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square, we are giving him an eternal home in our country," Cameron said in a statement released before the event.
"This statue celebrates the incredibly special friendship between the world's oldest democracy and its largest, as well as the universal power of Gandhi's message."
The unveiling marks the latest step in Britain's efforts to recast both its past and present in India, once known as the "jewel in the crown" of the British empire.
In 2013, Cameron became the first British premier to visit the site of a notorious massacre in Amritsar in 1919 where troops under British control gunned down hundreds of unarmed protestors.
He described the killings as "shameful" but stopped short of a public apology.
Cameron has also made boosting economic ties between India and Britain - home to some 1.5 million members of the Indian diaspora - a priority.
When he came to power in 2010, he said he wanted to double trade with India by this year.
Jaitley said the two countries now had a "partnership of equals".
"This lasting friendship is just one of many legacies left by Gandhi, which I am keen that we work hard to strengthen further," he added in a statement released ahead of the ceremony.
- 'Should be trampled by elephant' -
The statue marks 100 years since Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, where he was repeatedly jailed for pressing the rights of Indians, and started his non-violent campaign of civil disobedience.
Other statues in Parliament Square include anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and Jan Smuts, a South African prime minister in the first half of the 20th century who favoured racial segregation.
Churchill, whose likeness is a stone's throw from Gandhi's, took an extremely dim view of the Indian barrister's actions.
"It is alarming and nauseating to see Mr Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer now posing as a fakir (ascetic) of a type well known in the east, striding half-naked up the steps of the vice-regal palace," he said in 1931.
Churchill even suggested that Gandhi should be "trampled on by an enormous elephant" because of his campaign against British rule, according to biographers.
The Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust has raised one million pounds (S$2.05 million) of donations in six months for the project, including 100,000 pounds from billionaire Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/europe/story/gandhi-statue-be-unveiled-london-20150314#sthash.hIHCBabT.dpuf

Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan (left), British Prime Minister David Cameron (second left) and Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi (third right) watch as Indian Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley (third left) unveils a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square, Central London, Britain on March 14, 2015. Others are not identified. The 9ft (2.7m) bronze statue which was designed by Briton Philip Jackson is based on a photograph of Gandhi standing outside Downing Street in 1931. -- PHOTO: EPA

LONDON (AFP) - A statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi is to be unveiled on Saturday at the heart of the British establishment which once loathed him for his campaign against imperial rule.
Gandhi will join figures including Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill, who described him as a half-naked "fakir", in London's Parliament Square, opposite Big Ben and the House of Commons.
The giant bronze statue will be unveiled by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Gandhi's grandson, Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Despite such pomp, Gandhi was historically resented by many in Westminster as the leader of the non-violent campaign for Indian independence from Britain, which was granted in 1947.
"This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square, we are giving him an eternal home in our country," Cameron said in a statement released before the event.
"This statue celebrates the incredibly special friendship between the world's oldest democracy and its largest, as well as the universal power of Gandhi's message."
The unveiling marks the latest step in Britain's efforts to recast both its past and present in India, once known as the "jewel in the crown" of the British empire.
In 2013, Cameron became the first British premier to visit the site of a notorious massacre in Amritsar in 1919 where troops under British control gunned down hundreds of unarmed protestors.
He described the killings as "shameful" but stopped short of a public apology.
Cameron has also made boosting economic ties between India and Britain - home to some 1.5 million members of the Indian diaspora - a priority.
When he came to power in 2010, he said he wanted to double trade with India by this year.
Jaitley said the two countries now had a "partnership of equals".
"This lasting friendship is just one of many legacies left by Gandhi, which I am keen that we work hard to strengthen further," he added in a statement released ahead of the ceremony.
- 'Should be trampled by elephant' -
The statue marks 100 years since Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, where he was repeatedly jailed for pressing the rights of Indians, and started his non-violent campaign of civil disobedience.
Other statues in Parliament Square include anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and Jan Smuts, a South African prime minister in the first half of the 20th century who favoured racial segregation.
Churchill, whose likeness is a stone's throw from Gandhi's, took an extremely dim view of the Indian barrister's actions.
"It is alarming and nauseating to see Mr Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer now posing as a fakir (ascetic) of a type well known in the east, striding half-naked up the steps of the vice-regal palace," he said in 1931.
Churchill even suggested that Gandhi should be "trampled on by an enormous elephant" because of his campaign against British rule, according to biographers.
The Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust has raised one million pounds (S$2.05 million) of donations in six months for the project, including 100,000 pounds from billionaire Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/europe/story/gandhi-statue-be-unveiled-london-20150314#sthash.hIHCBabT.dpuf

Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan (left), British Prime Minister David Cameron (second left) and Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi (third right) watch as Indian Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley (third left) unveils a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square, Central London, Britain on March 14, 2015. Others are not identified. The 9ft (2.7m) bronze statue which was designed by Briton Philip Jackson is based on a photograph of Gandhi standing outside Downing Street in 1931. -- PHOTO: EPA

LONDON (AFP) - A statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi is to be unveiled on Saturday at the heart of the British establishment which once loathed him for his campaign against imperial rule.
Gandhi will join figures including Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill, who described him as a half-naked "fakir", in London's Parliament Square, opposite Big Ben and the House of Commons.
The giant bronze statue will be unveiled by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Gandhi's grandson, Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Despite such pomp, Gandhi was historically resented by many in Westminster as the leader of the non-violent campaign for Indian independence from Britain, which was granted in 1947.
"This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square, we are giving him an eternal home in our country," Cameron said in a statement released before the event.
"This statue celebrates the incredibly special friendship between the world's oldest democracy and its largest, as well as the universal power of Gandhi's message."
The unveiling marks the latest step in Britain's efforts to recast both its past and present in India, once known as the "jewel in the crown" of the British empire.
In 2013, Cameron became the first British premier to visit the site of a notorious massacre in Amritsar in 1919 where troops under British control gunned down hundreds of unarmed protestors.
He described the killings as "shameful" but stopped short of a public apology.
Cameron has also made boosting economic ties between India and Britain - home to some 1.5 million members of the Indian diaspora - a priority.
When he came to power in 2010, he said he wanted to double trade with India by this year.
Jaitley said the two countries now had a "partnership of equals".
"This lasting friendship is just one of many legacies left by Gandhi, which I am keen that we work hard to strengthen further," he added in a statement released ahead of the ceremony.
- 'Should be trampled by elephant' -
The statue marks 100 years since Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, where he was repeatedly jailed for pressing the rights of Indians, and started his non-violent campaign of civil disobedience.
Other statues in Parliament Square include anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and Jan Smuts, a South African prime minister in the first half of the 20th century who favoured racial segregation.
Churchill, whose likeness is a stone's throw from Gandhi's, took an extremely dim view of the Indian barrister's actions.
"It is alarming and nauseating to see Mr Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer now posing as a fakir (ascetic) of a type well known in the east, striding half-naked up the steps of the vice-regal palace," he said in 1931.
Churchill even suggested that Gandhi should be "trampled on by an enormous elephant" because of his campaign against British rule, according to biographers.
The Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust has raised one million pounds (S$2.05 million) of donations in six months for the project, including 100,000 pounds from billionaire Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/europe/story/gandhi-statue-be-unveiled-london-20150314#sthash.hIHCBabT.dpuf

LA Kings Great Luc Robitaille Immortalized in Bronze outside of the Staples Center

We can custom make any design for any player in bronze, contact us today for a quote.

Finally there's a way to see Luc Robitaille when he's not in motion, rare for a man who always seems to be conducting a business meeting, embracing fans or rooting for the team that chose him in the ninth round of the 1984 draft despite warnings his lack of speed might outweigh his undeniable scoring touch.

For Kings coach, hello is easier than goodbye at trade deadline

On Saturday the Kings and parent company AEG paid tribute to the highest-scoring left wing in NHL history by unveiling a statue of Robitaille in Star Plaza, outside Staples Center. Robitaille, now the Kings' president of business operations, has played a huge role in the club's history: He's their all-time goal leader (557), ranks second to Dave Taylor in games played with 1,077, second to Marcel Dionne in points with 1,154, and their leader in game-winning goals (73) and power-play goals (210). Now, he truly looms large in the form of a bronze statue that measures 19 feet tall and weighs 2,500 pounds, including its inscribed granite base.

"It's very, very humbling," Robitaille said after a speech in which he thanked his family, fans and those whose statues already stood in Star Plaza, including speakers Wayne Gretzky and Jerry West.
Robitaille was the seventh person honored with a statue outside of Staples Center and first in more than two years. He joined former teammate Gretzky (2002), Lakers great Magic Johnson (2004), boxer Oscar De La Hoya (2008), the late Lakers announcer Chick Hearn (2010), West (2011) and Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2012).

"I know what Magic has meant to this city. Jerry West is the logo of the NBA and Kareem, I watched these guys," said Robitaille, who was inducted into the Hockey hall of Fame in 2009. "For me personally, what Wayne Gretzky means to me and meant to the world of hockey, to be amongst these guys is absolutely incredible."

The Kings and parent company AEG paid tribute to the highest-scoring left wing in NHL history by unveiling a statue of Luc Robitaille in Star Plaza, outside Staples Center, on Saturday night. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The statue was commissioned by Staples Center and AEG and was created by artists Julie Rotblatt Amrany, Omri Amrany and Itamar Amrany. Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany created the statues of Abdul-Jabbar, West, Johnson and Hearn. Robitaille said he didn't pose for the sculptors and saw the statue for the first time when it was unveiled in its silver-black-and-white glory, with his stick upraised and smile wide in a post-goal celebration. "I know my wife had a say in it," he said. "She made sure the chin was right. It's pretty awesome. It's pretty special."
Lee Zeidman, the president of Staples Center, said Saturday he had scouted several potential locations and the sculptors came back with mockups suitable for the spot. "We don't want to block ingress or egress or signage," Zeidman said.

There's no definitive process for choosing who's immortalized in bronze, according to Dan Beckerman, president and chief executive officer of AEG. There's also no timetable.

 

There are no set criteria, either, though most of the selections are obvious because of the impact the honorees had on the Kings and Lakers even before Staples Center existed. The debatable choice is De La Hoya, who fought at Staples Center only once, in 2000. His presence can be explained by a former business relationship: AEG in 2008 purchased a minority stake in De La Hoya's company, Golden Boy Promotions, though it sold that stake last year.

"We have a process that we go through with a Staples Center and AEG collaboration, where we look at potential candidates and evaluate them periodically," Beckerman said in a phone interview. "There's not a formal submission process. We talk with the teams and sort of come up with it informally with the management of Staples Center and AEG."
Robitaille was an easy choice.

"It's very, very humbling," Robitaille said of the statue in his likeness that was unveiled at Staples Center on Saturday night. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

"I think we've all known that at some point Luc was going to get a statue," Beckerman said. "He clearly blows by any criteria we would ever set up in terms of his on-ice accomplishments, his off-ice accomplishments and how he really transcends the game for what he's done for hockey in Los Angeles. And really for the ambassador he's become and the leadership that he provides today. It wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when."

Staples Center and AEG pay for the statues and Staples Center maintains them. Robitaille joked that his mother, Madeleine, who died of cancer last May, "is going to make sure there's no pigeons on this thing."

Beckerman's office overlooks the plaza and based on what he has seen, the statues of Hearn and Johnson seem to be the most popular. He also said the statues have remained free of graffiti or other vandalism. "People are very respectful," Beckerman said. "I love seeing people coming by, getting off tour buses and posing with the statues."

Who's next? Marcel Dionne? Kobe Bryant, after he retires? Shaquille O'Neal? And is there a cap on how many statues will stand there? Neither Beckerman nor Robitaille would be specific, but both said they expect to honor others in the same way.

"There are no limits, just the physical constraints of Star Plaza," Beckerman said. "There's so many worthy candidates, and we continue to get more and more worthy candidates with every passing year."

The Kings' current success could lead to more hockey statues.
"I don't know yet. But I do believe that there's room for a few more people and the Kings have been so relevant," Robitaille said. "Staples Center wouldn't be here if it weren't for the Kings and there's a lot of people in the Kings organization that made a difference and certainly there's more room for Kings people, Kings players."

We are the largest designers, manufacturers and suppliers of monumental bronze sculptures in the world.  Contact us today for a quote to have your players created in bronze.  (302) 738-2190 Monday thru Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm EST www.bigbronze.com, www.allclassics.com, www.bronze-mascot.com