Forward (statue) facts for kids
Forward is a famous bronze statue from 1893. It was created by an American artist named Jean Pond Miner Coburn. The statue shows a woman who represents Wisconsin's state motto, "Forward."
A newer copy of the statue was placed at the Wisconsin State Capitol building. This was at the top of State Street in Madison. Sadly, this copy was damaged in 2020. Many people sometimes confuse Forward with another statue called Wisconsin, which sits on top of the Capitol dome.
History of the Forward Statue
In 1893, there was a big event called the World's Columbian Exposition. It was a huge world's fair. Jean Pond Miner and another artist, Helen Farnsworth Mears, were chosen to be special artists at the Wisconsin Building. Miner was asked to create a piece of art that would represent the state of Wisconsin.
She created Forward. The word "Forward" is the official motto of Wisconsin. A small book from the Exposition described the statue. It said the statue showed "a female figure standing upon the front of a boat." The front of the boat had a special carving of 'Old Abe', a famous war eagle.
The book also said the boat was moving quickly through water. The woman stood gracefully on the front. She stretched out her right hand. Her left hand held the American flag close to her heart. Miner wanted to make the statue from copper. But she ran out of money. So, the statue stayed in its bronze form.
Later, groups that supported women's right to vote bought the statue. They gave it to the state of Wisconsin. This was a gift from the women's suffrage movement.
The Forward statue was kept inside the Wisconsin State Capitol building. It stayed there from 1893 to 1904. In 1905, the sculpture was moved outside. It was placed on the Capitol grounds. The bronze statue stood there for 100 years. Over time, it slowly started to wear down.
In 1996, several women's groups helped. They raised money to make a new copy of the statue. This new copy was also made of bronze. It was placed on the Capitol grounds. The original statue was then moved. It is now in the lobby of the Wisconsin Historical Society building. This building is on the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Forward Statue Damaged in 2020
On June 23, 2020, the replica of Forward was damaged. Another statue, the Hans Christian Heg statue, was also pulled down. This happened during protests. Both statues were later found by officials. The Heg statue lost its head and a leg.
On July 20, 2020, a meeting was held. The Wisconsin Capitol and Executive Residence Board met. They all agreed to fix both the Heg statue and Forward. They also voted to put them back in their original spots.
In October, the state of Wisconsin received a grant. It was for $30,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities. This money helped pay for the repairs of both statues. The statues were taken to Detroit. A company called Venus Bronze Works Inc. will fix them. The plan was to put them back on the Capitol grounds by July 2021.
