Suacit
“Valdez Rising – Suacit (People of the Place That Rises Into View)”
This past September, our sculpture team at Classic Foundry in Seattle installed and then attended the unveiling of three of our works in Valdez, Alaska. These monuments resulted from the collaborative efforts of Classic Foundry-Seattle Art & Industrial, the Port Valdez Company Inc., the Chugachigmiut and Ahnah People (the regional Indigenous Alaskan Tribes) and the City of Valdez.
Responding to a CODAWRX call for proposals in 2021, our team competed with 80 international sculptors for the $250,000 award, and our sculpture design was selected by a community arts committee and Port Valdez Inc.
The three 6’x4’ bronze sculptures, placed at the entrance of Valdez’s new Naruluku Park at Meals Hill , memorialize the contributions of the town’s founders, the native peoples of the region, and the community of Valdez.
I began this project in 2021 and had the pleasure of working closely with Port Valdez Company’s president, John H. Clark. Together, over the next three years, in several site visits and teleconferences, we interacted repeatedly with Chugash Tribal Elders, the City Council of Valdez, Mr. Bill Harris of Harris Construction, and City Manager, Nathanial Duval who directed the engineering of the park and installation site.
In preparation for the competition I found valuable details of the founders’ adventures as well as the eventful Valdez history in three fascinating books, Hazelet’s Journal, by George Cheever Hazelet, Icebound Empire, by Elizabeth A. Tower , and Valdez Rises by Tabitha Gregory.
George Cheever Hazelet
Andrew Jackson Meals
This map shows the “Copper River Country” in SW Alaska, with Valdez, nestled at the foot of a massive (now disappearing) glacier that prospecting adventurers like Hazelet and Meals had to cross to reach pay dirt.
The Copper River Country
After conceptualizing the proposal, I assigned one of our team members, Armenian artist, Tsovinar Muradyan, to create the initial proposal graphics which I presented to the awards committee .
Concept Graphics of Entry way Monuments to Meals Hill Park, drawn by Tsovinar Muradyan
PANEL ONE, sculpted by another of our team members, Ukranian artist, Grigoriy Reva, depicts the indigenous Alaskans who inhabited the region, dressed in their traditional garb, and interaction with the early Russian Orthodox missionaries who established churches in the area.
Chugach Man, Chugach Dwelling, Russian Orthodox Church, Valdez
PANEL ONE, Valdez Monument, Bronze 6’x4′, Sculpted by Grigoriy Reva
PANEL TWO, sculpted by another team member, Armenian artist, Gegham Abrahamyan, depicts the busts of the three people who are permanently embedded in the Valdez history: Andrew Jackson Meals and George Cheevers Hazelet, the two gold prospectors who founded Valdez in 1900, and their native Alaskan guide Tl’ Adet (a.k.a. “Indian Charlie). To the right of their busts is a representation of their arduous, dangerous ascent up the Valdez glacier as they began their search for the gold fields. You will note that we changed the maquette rendition of Tl’ Adet from a Plains native physiognomy to that of the Inuit in the final work.
Concept Drawing, Ascent of the Glacier, Gegham Abrahamyan
Initial Clay Maquette, Panel Two, Valdez Monument, Gegham Abrahamyan
PANEL TWO, Valdez Monument, (Initial Full Scale Clay Rendition),Gegham Abrahamyan
PANEL THREE, also sculpted by Ukranian artist, Grigoriy Reva, depicts the spectacular natural environmental features of Valdez and its dramatic history over the past 125 years, including initial Anchorage-Valdez bi-plane flights by “The Spirit of Valdez”, Valdez’s dramatic recovery from disasters like the 1964 earthquake-tsunami that destroyed the town and the devastating oil spill of the Exxon Valdez in 1989.
The Spirit of Valdez, and the Chugach Tribal Star
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, 1989
Panel Three, Valdez Monument, (Full Scale Initial Clay Rendition) by Grigoriy Reva
Classic Foundry Director, Romanian artist, Ion Onutan supervised the process start to finish, and American artist, John Kusma completed the patination before we shipped the sculptures and mounting posts from Seattle to Valdez.
Although we completed the fabrication of the monuments ahead of schedule in 2024, because the winter weather in Valdez, (with snow drifts as deep as 8 feet !!!!!), precluded any winter on-site work, we had to wait for the new park entrance area to be regraded and prepped for our installation until this September. I am pleased to say that despite torrential rain, we mounted the monuments just in time for the community’s official dedication.
On behalf of Classic Foundry – Seattle Art & Industrial, I invite you to visit our monument in Valdez and experience the gorgeous region with all its natural beauty. The fishing and hiking is wonderful and I promise you that you will never taste salmon or halibut like what’s available up there.
Gar LaSalle
This is a comment that has almost nothing to do with this posting. Cool. Thanks, Gar. When I was flying my little airplane around Alaska, in I think it was 1978, in Cordova, about 45 miles southeast of Valdez, someone in the bar near the airport asked me if my airplane was the one with the single landing wheel up front. My airplane was the only non-taildragger there!
Gar LaSalle ignores the aging process that favors the contraction of horizons. He continues to expand his outlook in all directions. One has to admire that kind of energy.
I am forever amazed at the plethora of talents possessed by Gar. He is an example to all that growth and knowledge should not be limited by age.
Phenomenally brilliant concepts and sculptures, as always. Gar is amazing !
These sculptures are so incredibly detailed and honor those depicted.
This is a compelling piece of art for current and future residents and visitors to Valdez. I was intrigued to learn of the large number of artists and artisans whose talents brought this to fruition. Gar has amazed me for almost 30 years and shows no signs of failing to continue to do so. Congratulations, all for winning this competition and for completing this beautiful work.
Gar–Thank you for sending this information to me. It is always good to hear from you even if it is not you personally who is communicating with me.
I was also pleased that you have made a place in Alaska one of your targets for creative expression. I have never been to Valdez though I have lived in Alaska for the last 55 years continuously. Thanks for thinking of us!
Your creativity, vision, and sustained passion are evident in your work. Your oeuvre is deeply inspiring.
Your creativity, vision, and sustained passion are evident, and your oeuvre is deeply inspiring.
Great job Gar and Ion, you should be very proud of your accomplishments, to past and future generations.
These 3 panels depict the exciting & courageous history of Valdez, Alaska. The research, planning, & execution are outstanding. My family has strong connections with Alaska. Congratulations to Gar & the entire team. Continuing to be productive & positive makes life worthwhile. T.Y Gar for sharing this achievement.
I cannot comment on the details of the project or say anything much about Gar’s development as a person and an artist. However, I will say that as an Alaskan of many years now, I find this work to be very interesting and like very much the detailed “maps” that are Panels One, Two and Three. I have lived in Alaska for a long time now and know that there are many fascinating places there–most of which I have not even visited. Thank you, Gar, for exploring Valdez for me!
Why am I not surprised! Congratulations Gar to you and your team. Absolutely brilliant and amazing, truly inspiring. The class of 65 keeps on glowing with talent and innovation.