Edward Norton Hamilton, Jr. (born February 14, 1947) is an American

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

living in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, who specializes in public art. His most famous work is ''The Spirit of Freedom'', a memorial to black

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

veterans, that stands in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

, in the Shaw neighborhood near

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

. Hamilton has also created monuments dedicated to

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

Joe Louis Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He rei ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

( William Clark's manservant on the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

), and the slaves who revolted on ''

La Amistad ''La Amistad'' (; Spanish for ''Friendship'') was a 19th-century two- masted schooner, owned by a Spaniard colonizing Cuba. It became renowned in July 1839 for a slave revolt by Mende captives, who had been captured and sold to European slave ...

''.''The Encyclopedia of Louisville'' (John E. Kleber) Page 794

Biography

Ed Hamilton was born in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

and raised in Louisville by Amy Jane (Camp) and Edward Norton Hamilton, Sr. He graduated from

Shawnee High School (Kentucky) The Academy @ Shawnee (formerly, Shawnee High School Magnet Career Academy CA, is a magnet middle school and high school (grades 6-12) in the Jefferson County Public School District in Louisville, Kentucky. It is one of five West Louisville sch ...

in 1965, then received a scholarship to Louisville's Art Center, where he studied sculpture and painting. He graduated from the Louisville School of Art in 1969 and also studied at

Spalding University Spalding University is a private Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. History Spalding University traces its origins to Nazareth Academy, one of the oldest educational instituti ...

and started his teaching career in 1973 at

Iroquois High School Iroquois High School is a high school located in southwestern Louisville, Kentucky, United States near Iroquois Park, in the Beechmont neighborhood (nestled between two portions of the Iroquois neighborhood). It is part of the Jefferson County ...

. Hamilton, originally a painter, had a chance meeting with

Barney Bright Jeptha Barnard Bright Jr (July 8, 1927 – July 23, 1997), better known as Barney Bright, born in Shelby County, Kentucky and was a sculptor from Louisville, Kentucky, is best known for his work on the Louisville Clock. Biography Bright was born ...

– the sculptor responsible for the Derby Clock and the ''River Horse'' statue – that changed Hamilton's life. Bright made Hamilton his

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

, giving him a place to work and the opportunity to learn sculpting. Since learning under Barney Bright, Hamilton has taught sculpture at Jefferson Community College and is a member of the

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...

Fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...

. On December 16, 2004, Hamilton received a Doctor of Arts honorary Degree from the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

. Two days later, December 18, 2004, Hamilton received an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtow ...

. In 2006, Hamilton self-published an autobiography, ''The Birth of An Artist: a journey of discovery'', in which he talked about his work and the creative process. The book was a popular feature of the Kentucky Book Fair in 2007. While working on the book, Hamilton, at age 57, discovered that he was adopted. In June 2009, Hamilton completed work on the memorial statue of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

which is located near the base of the

Big Four Bridge The Big Four Bridge is a six-span former railroad truss bridge that crosses the Ohio River, connecting Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana. It was completed in 1895, updated in 1929, taken out of rail service in 1968, and converte ...

at the Waterfront Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

Selected works

* ''Booker T. Washington'' (1983–84),

Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...

, Hampton, Virginia. * ''Joe Louis'' (1984–87),

Cobo Center Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall, Cobo Center, and briefly as TCF Center) is a convention center in Downtown Detroit, owned by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) and operated by ASM Global. Located at 1 Was ...

, Detroit, Michigan. * '' La Amistad Memorial'' (1990–92), City Hall, New Haven, Connecticut. * ''The Spirit of Freedom'' (1992–98),

African American Civil War Memorial The African American Civil War Memorial Museum, in the U Street district of Washington, D.C., recognizes the contributions of the 209,145 members of the United States Colored Troops (USCT). The eponymous memorial, dedicated in July 1998 by the A ...

, 10th & U Streets NW, Washington, DC.The Spirit of Freedom
from Flickr. * ''York'' (2003),

Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere is a public area on the Ohio River in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Although proposed as early as 1930, the project did not get off the ground until $13.5 million in funding was secured in 1969 to revitalize the downtow ...

, Louisville, Kentucky. * ''

'' (2009), Waterfront Park, Louisville, Kentucky. File:EdHamilton2009-2.jpg, Hamilton, standing by his Lincoln statue (2009), Louisville, Kentucky.

External links

Hamilton's Official sitePhotos of The Spirit of Freedom, by Ed Hamilton
at DC Photo Guide.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Ed 1947 births Living people Spalding University alumni Sculptors from Kentucky Artists from Louisville, Kentucky University of Louisville alumni

Biography

Selected works

See also

External links

References