Griffis Sculpture Park Prevues New Sculpture
Griffis Sculpture Park Prevues New Sculpture
ELLICOTTVILLE - One of Griffis Sculpture Park’s newest sculptures is calling Ellicottville home for the summer. A lifelike 10-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas is currently located in front of the Village Gazebo for all to enjoy. The public is invited to attend a welcoming event in front of the sculpture on Friday, July 1st at 5:00pm. Live music and refreshments will be served.
“Continuing with our theme from 2021, and with the majority of Ellicottville’s business owners or co-owners being women, this sculpture is a fitting tribute to the accomplishments of women,” said Brian McFadden, Executive Director of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce.
In 2021, Griffis Sculpture Park received four bronze statues of inspirational women created by Australian collaborative artists Gillie and Marc Schattner. The 10-foot-tall bronze sculptures of Gabby Douglas (Olympic gymnast), Tracy Dyson (astronaut), Janet Mock (actress/producer) and Cheryl Strayed (author) were donated to the Ashford Hollow Foundation/Griffis Sculpture Park by the artists. The Cheryl Strayed sculpture was selected to appear in Ellicottville last summer.
Gillie and Marc have been called “the most successful and prolific creators of public art in New York’s History” by the New York Times. Creating some of the world’s most innovative public sculptures, Gillie and Marc have redefined what public art should be, spreading messages of love, equality, and conservation around the world. Their highly coveted sculptures and paintings can be seen in art galleries and public sites in over 250 cities.
Gabby Douglas is the first African American to become the Olympic individual all-around champion, and the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics. Now retired from the sport, Gabby claimed the 2012 Olympic all-around championship and was the 2015 World all-around silver medalist. She was a member of the gold-winning teams at both the 2012 and the 2016 Summer Olympics, dubbed the “Fierce Five” and the “Final Five” by the media, respectively. She was also a member of the gold-winning American teams at the 2011 and 2015 World Championships.
As a public figure, Douglas' gymnastics successes have led to her life story adaptation in the 2014 Lifetime biopic film, The Gabby Douglas Story, as well as the acquisition of her own reality television series, Douglas Family Gold. Douglas has also written a book about her life and what it takes to be an Olympic gold medalist by determination and perseverance.
A perfect fit for Ellicottville, and as we say … “Doesn’t This Place Feel GREAT!”