The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has commissioned renowned Jamaican sculptor Basil Watson to design and create statues of four of the country’s outstanding sports stars – Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Veronica Campbell Brown and Asafa Powell.
At the contract signing ceremony, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, said she was confident that Watson would “do justice to these great Jamaicans” with the images that he will produce.
Minister Grange said:
“We’re looking forward to seeing them. We’re looking forward to unveiling the maquettes, and then to unveiling the statues.”
The bronze statues — each to the scale of one and quarter life size (or between 7 and 8 foot high) — are to be delivered over two years. The first, the statue of Usain Bolt, is due by the third quarter of this year.
“We’re hoping to unveil Usain Bolt’s statue around August, or later in the year, and for Shelly Ann’s to be ready for the end of this year,” said Minister Grange.
Watson, who sculpted the statue of Herb McKenley in Independence Park, said he was excited by his new assignment.
Mr Watson said:
“I thank the Minister and Government and people of Jamaica for entrusting me with a monumental task of producing these sculptures for the nation. And I look forward to the challenge. I’m excited at the challenge. And having met Shelly Ann this morning, I know that this will be a very fun and exciting project.”
The sculptures will be mounted on Statue Road in Independence Park.
