Zenos Frudakis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zenos Frudakis
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Zenos Frudakis working on his sculpture of Frederick Law Olmsted.
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| Born | July 7, 1951 |
| Education | Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; University of Pennsylvania |
| Known for | Sculpture |
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Notable work
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Freedom, United States Air Force Memorial Honor Guard, Knowledge is Power, Payne Stewart at Pinehurst Golf Course |
Zenos Frudakis (born July 7, 1951) is a famous American sculptor. He creates amazing artworks, including large monuments, memorials, and statues of real people and animals. His sculptures are found in public and private collections all over the world.
Frudakis lives and works near Philadelphia. He is most famous for his sculpture called Freedom. This artwork shows figures breaking out of a wall. You can see it in downtown Philadelphia. Other well-known works are at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and the Imperial War Museum in England.
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About Zenos Frudakis
Zenos Frudakis was born on July 7, 1951, in San Francisco, California. He was the oldest of five children. His parents were Greek-American. He grew up mostly in Indiana, but also spent some years in Wheeling, West Virginia.
When he was a little boy, Zenos started sculpting with bread dough. His mom gave it to him while she was baking! Growing up, he loved to draw and read. He studied art every day. He found inspiration from ancient Greek artists. He also looked up to famous sculptors like Michelangelo, Bernini, and Rodin. Zenos has always loved reading, and his wide interests help him create his art.
His Education and Training
Zenos started college close to home in Indiana. He worked in steel mills during the summers. In 1972, he moved to Philadelphia to study at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
He also learned sculpture privately from his older brother, Evangelos Frudakis. Evangelos was a Prix de Rome winner, which is a very special art award. Zenos also studied painting with another award-winning artist, James Hanes. From 1977 to 1983, Zenos went to the University of Pennsylvania. There, he earned degrees in Fine Arts.
Zenos's Art Career
Early Sculptures
In 1976, Zenos Frudakis married Rosalie Gluchoff. They opened an art gallery and ran Frudakis Studio in Philadelphia. His first big art job was a portrait sculpture of Samuel L. Evans. Samuel Evans started an important group called the American Foundation for Negro Affairs.
After that, Zenos sculpted portraits of other important people. These included Wilson Goode, a former mayor of Philadelphia. He also sculpted K. Leroy Irvis, the first African American to lead a state legislature. Another was Joseph E. Coleman, a former City Council President in Philadelphia.
Sculpting People and Portraits
Frudakis kept making sculptures that focused on people and their faces. He created many large artworks, individual statues, and busts (sculptures of just the head and shoulders). He also made bas-reliefs, which are sculptures that stick out slightly from a flat surface.
He made sculptures of people who were alive and famous historical figures. He tried to show their true character and energy. Some of his notable portrait statues include:
- Businessman John D. MacArthur in Florida.
- Dame Lois Browne-Evans, the first female judge in Bermuda.
- Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in North Carolina.
- Lawyer Clarence Darrow in Tennessee.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sculpture
Some of Frudakis's sculptures have caused a lot of discussion. One example is his life-size bronze bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. He made it for the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. At that time, South Africa had a system called apartheid, which separated people by race.
The U.S. government told Frudakis he could be arrested for bringing the sculpture into South Africa. So, in 1989, the bust was brought into the country secretly, using a special diplomatic bag. The sculpture was placed just inside the embassy's fence. This way, people could see it, but the South African government couldn't touch it. It showed that the U.S. was against apartheid.
The Clarence Darrow Statue
Frudakis's statue of lawyer Clarence Darrow also caused some debate. It was placed outside the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, in 2017. This courthouse was where the famous 1925 Scopes "monkey trial" happened. In that trial, John T. Scopes was accused of teaching about human evolution, which was against the law. Darrow was his lawyer.
Since 2005, a sculpture of William Jennings Bryan, who argued against Scopes, had been on the courthouse lawn. The Darrow sculpture was placed there to balance it out. Some local people who don't believe in teaching evolution in schools were not happy about the Darrow statue.
Sports Sculptures
Frudakis has created many bronze sculptures of famous sports figures. These include golf, baseball, hockey, and boxing stars.
Payne Stewart at Pinehurst
Golfer Payne Stewart is known for a famous pose: one leg in the air and a fist raised to the sky. Frudakis captured this moment in a bronze statue at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Stewart made this gesture when he won the U.S. Open in 1999.
The sculpture was shown to the public in 2001. In 2014, when Pinehurst hosted the U.S. Open again, many people posed next to the statue. They copied Stewart's famous pose! Thousands of people saw these pictures online and on TV. Payne's daughter, Chelsea, was even photographed with her father's sculpture.
Other Golfers
Zenos has sculpted other famous golfers too. These include:
- Arnold Palmer at the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and the Arnold Palmer Airport.
- Jack Nicklaus at the USGA Museum.
- Dinah Shore at the Wall of Champions in California.
- Bob Jones at the East Lake Golf Club.
- Robert H. Dedman, Sr. and Richard Tufts at Pinehurst Resort.
Golf Digest magazine asked Frudakis to create a bronze trophy called The Arnie. This award honors golfers who do a lot of charity work.
Baseball Hall of Famers
Frudakis has made larger-than-life sculptures of Baseball Hall of Famers. These include:
- Mike Schmidt
- Steve Carlton
- Richie Ashburn
- Robin Roberts
All of these are on display at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. He also made a sculpture of Coach Staffieri at the University of Pennsylvania. At the DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Florida, there's a sculpture of Joe DiMaggio kneeling to talk to a young boy. It has a special message: "We never stand so tall as when we stoop to help a child."
Boxer James J. Braddock
World champion boxer James J. Braddock, also known as "the Cinderella Man," has a 10-foot, 1,500-pound bronze statue. It's in James J. Braddock North Hudson Park in New Jersey, near where he lived. The sculpture was unveiled in 2018. Many people attended, including Braddock's family and other famous boxers.
Braddock's grandson, Jimmy Braddock, said the statue reminds people that the human spirit can overcome challenges with determination.
Hockey All-Star Brian Phillip Propp
A portrait bust of National Hockey League All-Star Brian Phillip Propp is displayed at the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame.
Major Works
Frudakis has created many different types of sculptures using bronze, stainless steel, and clay. His works include monuments, memorials, portrait busts, statues, and figures of military heroes, sports stars, animals, and historical people. Some of his most famous works are Freedom, the United States Air Force Memorial Honor Guard, Payne Stewart, John D. McArthur, Clarence Darrow, Frederick Law Olmsted, James Braddock, and Nina Simone.
John D. McArthur
This 8-foot bronze statue honors John D. MacArthur, who founded the city of Palm Beach Gardens. It stands on a 3-foot granite base. The sculpture was unveiled in 2010 as part of the city's 50th anniversary. You can see it at the city hall entrance.
Frederick Law Olmsted
The North Carolina Arboretum asked Frudakis to create the first larger-than-life sculpture of Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted is known as the "father of American landscape architecture." The sculpture was unveiled in 2016 at the Arboretum in North Carolina.
The Olmsted sculpture sits on a large natural stone. It looks out over the Pisgah National Forest. Frudakis said he wanted to show Olmsted as a "visionary of monumental proportions." In the sculpture, Olmsted holds a map that represents his ideas for shaping the land.
Nina Simone Memorial
The memorial sculpture of Nina Simone shows the "High Priestess of Soul" sitting and playing a floating keyboard. The keyboard looks like a wave, showing her grace and musical rhythm. Simone's daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, helped Frudakis by posing for the sculpture.
This 8-foot bronze statue of the famous singer and human rights activist has a special secret. Nina Simone's ashes are placed inside a sculpted heart within the figure's chest. The memorial was dedicated in 2017, on what would have been Simone's 77th birthday. It is in Nina Simone Plaza in her hometown of Tryon, North Carolina.
Molly Maguires Memorial
The larger-than-life Molly Maguires Memorial shows a sad moment in history. It depicts "The Day of the Rope" (June 21, 1877), when ten people from the Molly era were hanged. The sculpture shows a single hooded figure on a scaffold, just before being hanged. This powerful artwork makes people think about history in a new way. A copy of this sculpture is in the State Museum of Pennsylvania.
Public Monuments
Frudakis's first public monument was The Water Hole. It's a life-size sculpture of an elephant playfully spraying water on a boy. It was made for a mall in New Jersey.
Other public monuments include:
- Path to Manhood in Dallas.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monument in Chester, Pennsylvania.
- Knowledge is Power at Rowan University.
- The United States Air Force National Memorial Honor Guard in Arlington, Virginia.
- Freedom in Philadelphia.
Knowledge is Power
This monument was inspired by the quote, "Knowledge is Power." Frudakis created it to encourage learning. The sculpture looks like an open book, 8 feet high and 12 feet wide. From its pages, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein appear. These two figures represent big changes in how we understand the world and science.
The sculpture also has faces and quotes from 31 other important figures in history, science, math, and art. They show different ideas and struggles from many generations. On the left page, Darwin is surrounded by early thinkers. On the right, Einstein is surrounded by more modern figures. The sculpture invites viewers to explore different ideas and find what resonates with them. It was installed in 2014 at Rowan University in New Jersey.
United States Air Force Memorial Honor Guard
The United States Air Force Memorial Honor Guard is a 16-foot-high monument. It features four 8-foot bronze figures standing side by side. They are colored blue-gray and stand on a bronze base. The two figures in the middle carry the United States and Air Force flags. Two rifle guards stand on either side.
The Honor Guard soldiers in the sculpture represent different backgrounds: a Caucasian man, an African American man, a Latino man, and a Caucasian woman. The sculpture stands in front of a granite wall with the names of U.S. Air Force Medal of Honor recipients. Another wall has Air Force core values: "Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do." The monument is near The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
The sculpture was made with great detail, following strict rules for uniforms and equipment. The Air Force Memorial was dedicated in 2006. About 30,000 people attended the ceremony.
Freedom Sculpture
Freedom is Frudakis's most famous public sculpture. It is in downtown Philadelphia. This large monument is 20 feet long, 8 feet high, and weighs 7,000 pounds! It shows a transformation as a figure breaks free from a wall in four different stages.
Frudakis was inspired by Rodin's Gates of Hell. He included many smaller sculptures and personal touches within the wall of Freedom. You can see the sculptor's hand and tools cast into the bronze. There are also partially sculpted figures and portraits, showing the process of creation.
The back of the sculpture's wall, which is not usually seen, has more elements. Frudakis calls this the "Other Side of Freedom." It includes mummy-like shapes in a tomb-like structure.
Awards and Exhibitions
Selected Awards
Zenos Frudakis has received many important awards for his sculptures, including:
- National Endowment for the Arts grant (1985)
- Arts America grant for sculpture and lecturing in Africa (1989)
- Hakone Award, Rodin Grand Prize, Japan (1990)
- Edwin and Theresa Richards Award for Portraiture, National Sculpture Society
- Silver Medal of Honor, National Sculpture Society
- Honorary Doctorate from Accademico Internationale, Rome, Italy (1993)
Selected Exhibitions
His work has been shown in many art exhibitions, such as:
- Southern Alleghenies Museum of the Arts, Pennsylvania (2013)
- Tampa Museum of Art, Florida (2013)
- Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina (2013)
- Atwater Kent Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2005)
- Hakone Open-Air Museum, Japan (1990)
- National Academy of Design, New York, New York (1991, 1993)
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1981-1983)
Sculptures Around the World
International Sculptures
- Reaching. Two bronze figures in the Utsukushi-ga-hara Open Air Museum, Japan (1990).
- Honor Guard. A memorial in the Imperial War Museum, England (2018).
- Martin Luther King and Freedom. A public sculpture in the Peace Garden, University of New South Wales, Australia (2018).
- Hon. Dame Lois Browne-Evans. A life-size statue in Hamilton, Bermuda (2011).
- Arnold Palmer. An over-life-size statue at Tralee Golf Club, Ireland (2007).
- Dr. Constantine Papadakis. A portrait bust in Meskla, Greece (2010).
- Lamby (Abigail), Irish Wolfhound. A large statue in Kent, England.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., South Africa. A portrait bust at the U.S. Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa (1989).
American Sculptures
Over more than forty years, Frudakis has created many large sculptures in the United States. These include the United States Air Force Memorial Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery and Freedom in Philadelphia.
Monumental Sculptures
- Freedom. A large bronze monument in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2000).
- U.S. Air Force Memorial Honor Guard. A bronze memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia (2006).
- Knowledge is Power. A bronze monument with over 30 portraits at Rowan University, New Jersey (2014).
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. A bronze portrait bust in Chester, Pennsylvania (2010).
- The Path to Manhood. An over-life-size bronze monument in Dallas, Texas.
Memorials
- U.S. Air Force Memorial Honor Guard. A bronze memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia (2006).
- Molly Maguires Memorial. A larger-than-life bronze memorial in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania (2002).
- The Workers' Memorial. A bronze figure in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (1991).
- Anthracite Miners' Memorial. A bronze relief in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania (1996).
- Nina Simone. A bronze and stone memorial in Tryon, North Carolina (2010).
- Henry L. Bowden. A bronze bas-relief memorial in Atlanta, Georgia (1991).
- Mr. and Mrs Hillenbrand. A bronze bas-relief memorial in Batesville, Indiana (1988).
- Veterans Memorial. An over-life-size bronze memorial in Collegeville, Pennsylvania (1991).
Statues
- Clarence Darrow. A 7-foot bronze statue in Dayton, Tennessee (2017).
- Ellis Arnall. An over-life-size bronze statue in Atlanta, Georgia (1997).
- Frederick Law Olmsted. An 8-foot bronze statue in Asheville, North Carolina (2015).
- Michael Kahn. A life-size bronze statue in Washington, D.C. (2012).
- John D. MacArthur. An 8-foot bronze statue in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (2010).
- Frank L. Rizzo Monument. An over-life-size bronze statue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1999). This statue was later removed in 2020.
Sports Sculptures
Boxing
- James J. Braddock, the Cinderella Man. A 10-foot bronze statue in North Bergen, New Jersey (2018).
Golf
- Payne Stewart. An over-life-size bronze statue at Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina (2001).
- Payne Stewart. A life-size bronze statue in Fullerton, California.
- Payne Stewart. A life-size bronze portrait bust.
- Arnold Palmer. An over-life-size bronze statue in Augusta, Georgia (1996).
- Arnold Palmer. An over-life-size bronze statue at Arnold Palmer Airport, Pennsylvania, and in Tralee, Ireland.
- Jack Nicklaus. A bronze statue at the USGA Museum, New Jersey (2015).
- Jack Nicklaus. A life-size bronze portrait bust.
- Jack Nicklaus and Dwight Gahm. A life-size bronze statue in Louisville, Kentucky (2016).
- Dinah Shore Wall of Champions. A life-size bronze relief in Rancho Mirage, California (1995).
- Robert H. Dedman Sr.. A 7-foot bronze statue at Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina.
- Richard Tufts. An over-life-size bronze statue at Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina.
- Bob Jones. A life-size bronze portrait bust in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Bob Jones. An over-life-size bronze statue in Augusta, Georgia.
Baseball
- Mike Schmidt. A life-size bronze portrait bust.
- Mike Schmidt. A 10-foot bronze statue at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2004).
- Steve Carlton. A 10-foot bronze statue at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2004).
- Richie Ashburn. A 10-foot bronze statue at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2004).
- Robin Roberts. A 10-foot bronze statue at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2004).
- Joe DiMaggio and Young Boy. An over-life-size bronze statue at DiMaggio Children's Hospital, Florida (2002).
- Danny Murtaugh. A bronze relief sculpture in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania (2011).
Hockey
- Brian Propp. A life-size bronze portrait bust at the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame.
Coaches
- Coach Fritz Brennan. An 8-foot bronze statue in Ardmore, Pennsylvania (1990).
- Coach Ron Fraser. A 7-foot bronze statue at the University of Miami, Florida (2015).
- Coach "Lake" Staffieri. A life-size bronze relief at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (2010).
Award Sculptures
Frudakis has also created sculptures that are given as awards:
- General MacArthur Award. A bronze award given to top junior military officers.
- The Arnie Award. A bronze award for charity work in golf.
- The Bob Jones Award. A bronze award from the US Golf Association for character and respect in golf.
- Forward Award. A bronze award for protecting the separation of church and state.
- Darrow Award. A bronze award for promoting science and free thought.
Images for kids
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Freedom sculpture in Philadelphia, PA with sculptor Zenos.
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Knowledge is Power with Zenos Frudakis
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Gateway to Growth (in progress)
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Chef Pepin, portrait sculpture and Zenos
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General Yarborough, Airborne & Special Ops Museum, Fayetteville, NC
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Jack Nicklaus, Dwight Gahm Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, KY
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Mark Twain, The Lotos Club, New York, NY
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Pennsylvania Anthracite Miners Memorial in Shenandoah, PA by Zenos Frudakis.
See also
- Brookgreen Gardens
- Hakone Open-Air Museum
- Arnold Palmer
- Laurel Valley Golf Club
- Valhalla Golf Club
- Citizens Bank Park
- Statue of Ellis Arnall
- List of public art in Philadelphia
- List of public art in Indianapolis
- Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania
