1,200-Pound Obama Bronze Greets Visitors at Presidential Center as Opening Nears in 2 Weeks
Updated
Updated · Chicago Sun-Times · Jun 3
1,200-Pound Obama Bronze Greets Visitors at Presidential Center as Opening Nears in 2 Weeks
3 articles · Updated · Chicago Sun-Times · Jun 3
Summary
A 1,200-pound bronze sculpture of Barack and Michelle Obama now anchors the Obama Presidential Center’s entry plaza ahead of the site’s official opening in two weeks.
StudioEIS based the work on the couple’s 2009 Inauguration Day walk down Pennsylvania Avenue, using hundreds of photos from the Obama Foundation to recreate them holding hands and waving.
The figures were scaled about 6 inches taller than life—roughly 6-foot-7 for Barack Obama and 6-foot-5 for Michelle Obama—so the piece would stand out beside the 225-foot Museum Tower.
Soft-opening visitors have already turned the sculpture into a selfie stop, high-fiving, shaking hands and hugging it; the sculptor said that wear is expected and can be restored later.
The plaza installation is positioned as a signature public attraction at the center, letting visitors engage with one of its most visible exhibits before entering any building.