''George Washington'', also known as the ''President George Washington Monument'',
is a
bronze sculpture of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
by
Lorado Taft, installed at the
University of Washington campus in
Seattle's
University District University District can refer to a location in the United States:
*University District, Detroit, Michigan
* University District, Columbus, Ohio
*University District, San Bernardino, California
*University District, Seattle
The 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. Its permanent pedestal, measuring tall, was built by the
Works Progress Administration and installed in August 1938. The pedestal had been designed by Taft in 1908 but was not funded in time for the exposition.
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.
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. According to a 2021 poll, conducted by King5 News, that surveyed 650 Washingtonians, only 29% wanted the statue removed, 59% wanted the statue to remain, and 11% weren't sure.
See also
*
1909 in art
Events from the year 1909 in art.
Events
* February 20 – Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Futurist Manifesto is first published, in the French newspaper ''Le Figaro''.
* May–June – Claude Monet's ''Water Lilies'' series of paintings are f ...
*
Campus of the University of Washington
*
Cultural depictions of George Washington
*
List of monuments dedicated to George Washington
This is a list of memorials to George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and first president of the United States.
Federal holiday
Washington's Birthday has been a federal holiday in ...
*
List of sculptures of presidents of the United States
*
List of statues of George Washington
*
List of the tallest statues in the United States
References
External links
George Washington Statue, University of Washington – Seattle, WAat Waymarking
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)
Works Progress Administration in Washington (state)
World's fair sculptures
Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition
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