How do we move away from being a civilization that produces art that causes comments like, “my five year old could make this,” back to being one that creates beauty and inspires deep questions? We must reject modernity and embrace tradition. To embrace tradition, we must first learn about it..
Let’s study art history together.
The Spirit of Detroit
Artist
Marshall Fredericks
Year
1958
Type
Bronze
Dimensions
790 cm (312 in)
Weight
9 tons
Location
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
42°19′45.47″N 83°2′40.66″W
Owner
Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority (DWJBA)
One of the most famous pieces of Midwestern American art is a giant cast bronze statue in Detroit, Michigan. At the time it was made, it was believed to be the largest cast bronze statue since the start of the Renaissance.
The acclaimed sculptor, Marshall Fredericks was commissioned to create the work but he turned down his fee, viewing the effort as a civic duty. The statue reflects the religious sentiments of Michiganders from the time and concerns man’s relationship with God.
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.
Fredericks did not originally name the sculpture and the name came from the citizens of Detroit based on an inscription from 2 Corinthians (3:17) on the marble wall behind it, underneath the seals of Wayne County and the City of Detroit:
“NOW THE LORD IS THAT SPIRIT AND WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS, THERE IS LIBERTY.” II CORINTHIANS 3:17
The 36 x 45 foot semicircular wall includes the seals of the City of Detroit and Wayne County. The Wayne County seal was created by Fredericks specifically for The Spirit of Detroit, as it was a part of the work and the county had no seal at the time. The seal is still used today and is also featured on the county’s flag. 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 sculpture was commissioned on August 2, 1955 for a cost of $58,000 (equivalent to $415,000 in 2023). Fredericks considered the statue to be part of his civic responsibility and waived the commissioning cost. As part of the design of the divine elements of the sculpture, Fredericks met with several religious groups. Fredericks shipped a scale model from the United States to Oslo, Norway for casting. After casting, the sculpture underwent acidic treatments for several weeks to oxidize the bronze and to create the warm, aged green color. the thickness of the bronze is 3/8 inches up to 1.5 inches. Steel framework was constructed to protect the sculpture during transport. Additional protection for the sculpture was provided using wooden beams, wooden platforms, and burlap covering, for a total shipping weight of 12 tons. For shipping, the sculpture was placed facedown onto a wooden platform. The sculpture was transported by the Fjell Line, who chartered the German freighter Thomas Schulte. After the 4,800 mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the freighter arrived at the Port of Detroit on September 20, 1958. The Thomas Schulte was the only freighter with sufficient below deck storage space to accommodate the sculpture while still being able to navigate the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
As part of the shipment, four miniature scale models of the sculpture were included to aid with customs clearance. The sculpture was delivered to the Detroit City-County Building (now the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center) and installed onto the marble base for the September 23, 1958 dedication ceremony.
The sculpture has regular maintenance, as well as restorations. Once a year, the sculpture is cleaned with non-ionic, biogradable detergents and customized petroleum-based waxes are used for protection. The annual maintenance also includes applying heat to the bronze surface and cupric nitrate in order to preserve the green color and patina. In 1984, the sculpture was covered in plastic while the marble panels behind the statue were replaced. The statue underwent a restoration in 2006, funded by foundations and other private donations.
For the sculpture’s 50th anniversary, funds from operational savings and energy conservation totalling $170,000 were used for restoration improvements. In 2018, the sculpture had routine maintenance completed which involved touching up the green patina, as well as the gold figures and sphere. On September 21, 2018, the City of Detroit had a ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the sculpture.
In 2017, Spirit Plaza was initially constructed and subsequent upgrades completed in 2019 and paid for by $800,000 in bond funds have yielded a 20,000 square-foot plaza with a playground, stationary musical instruments, tables, chairs, vehicle charging stations, and drinking fountains.
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. In 2017, the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority said that based on the most recent appraisal of the sculpture, it would cost $6 million to repair significant damage.
Uses as a community symbol
The Spirit of Detroit is featured on official city insignia, such as Detroit Police Department’s insignia from the 1970s to the 1990s.
The statue wearing a Detroit Lions jersey during the 2023 teams’ postseason run
As one of Detroit’s most easily identifiable landmarks, a sketch or depiction of the statue appears as the central element of most of the logos of Detroit’s city departments and services. During the late 20th century, a facsimile of the statue was featured on the Detroit Police Department‘s insignia and on the sides of its police cars. An image of the statue appears on the “Spirit of Detroit Award” certificate, 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 sculpture is the main image on Detroit Community Scrip.
The sculpture was used in the logo of DTE Energy, seen here at the music venue renamed Pine Knob.
A stylized version of The Spirit of Detroit was used as the logo for the utility company Detroit Edison which was later renamed DTE Energy.
The Spirit of Detroit represents local sports teams, such as when it is dressed in sports jerseys to celebrate local professional teams competing in the playoffs. As the number of sports and non-sports requests for the sculpture to wear jerseys increased, there began to be concerns about damage to the sculpture and starting in 2017, the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority began new rules for having a jersey displayed on the statue, including winning a championship and paying $25,000. The payment was intended to cover the restoration costs after a jersey is removed, including cleaning, reapplying the patina, and reapplying the wax. Another example of local sports team representation is the use of an image of the sculpture as part of the crest of the Detroit City Football Club.
The sculpture has also been involved with arts events, such as being dressed in a tuxedo in 1999 during a visit by the Three Tenors. The ceremonial naming of the section of the John C. Lodge Freeway running from Livernois to I-94 in honor of Aretha Franklin was held in front of the sculpture in 2019. Spirit Plaza was the site of a floral tribute, which included 3,000 roses, that commemorated Big Sean’sDetroit 2 album release on September 4, 2020.
In 2020, The Spirit of Detroit wore a blue-green shirt and a white ribbon to commemorate medical and “essential” workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two people installed the 420 square foot polyester poplin shirt and three foot ribbon.
I’ll share a couple of cool videos featuring the statue and some additional background. A lot of U.S. cities have large areas that feel and look post-Apocalyptic with vacant buildings, overt and obvious abject poverty from its residents, public drug use, rampant vandalism, etc. Detroit has probably suffered as much, per capita, as any U.S. city over the last 60 years. In the 1950s, it was wealthy and on the rise, a hub for innovation and the automotive capital of the world. U.S. trade policy gutted the city of its wealth and status. Now Detroit is known as much for its crime and empty buildings, with the reputation of what it used to be increasingly forgotten.
In the middle of that, though, stood this statue. It represents hope for the future. Every city should be so fortunate as to have a rallying symbol like this one.
42°19′45.47″N 83°2′40.66″W.png)
.png)
.jpg)
_(2).jpg)
