Honoring an Icon
Honoring an Icon
Statue of Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson Coming to Ellicottville this Summer
Ellicottville, NY, recently named as one of the top 10 best Main Streets in the United States, is adding to its charm. Coming this June, the Chamber of Commerce will introduce a new statue to be displayed at the Village Gazebo.
A summer launch you won’t want to miss, so mark your calendars for the official unveiling of Ellicottville’s newest art installation. Honoring the strong women in our community and local businesses, the Chamber of Commerce is happy to announce the addition of a 10-foot-tall bronze sculpture commemorating American Astronaut, Dr. Tracy Caldwell Dyson.
On the evening of Thursday, June 27th at 6:00pm, locals and visitors alike can attend the kickoff to the Village Gazebo series, with special guests from Griffis Sculpture Park, to reveal and discuss the newly appointed statue and the art park. While the Gazebo series will continue on Friday nights until August 8th, this special Thursday event is to celebrate the art around us. Live music will fill the night, along with light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, so be sure to raise a glass and share a toast to all that Ellicottville continues to offer.
Now the statue itself is on loan from Griffis Sculpture Park and will stay as a fixture to the Ellicottville community from early June to October of this year. Back in 2021, Griffis Sculpture Park received four statues sculpted by a pair of renown Australian artists, Gillie and Marc Schattner. Each of the four pieces reflect women that inspire the world through various talents and intelligence. The collaborative artists used their expertise to portray a life-like sculpture for each woman and are set in bronze, standing at 10 feet tall. In recent years, with the exception of 2023, Ellicottville has been fortunate enough to partner with Griffis Sculpture Park to share these public works of art.
Starting in 2021, the Chamber of Commerce began with the first chosen piece, Cheryl Strayed, an American author who has written four books, one turned film, Wild, and another adapted into the 2023 Hulu series Tiny Beautiful Things. In 2022, Gabby Douglas was the featured piece, a world class Olympic gymnast who took home the gold medal for the United States at the young age of 16. A piece that has yet to be displayed is of Janet Mock, writer, director, and activist. Now in 2024, we welcome the addition of the Tracy Caldwell Dyson sculpture to add a bit of her history into our own community.
So, let’s talk about the honoree in which the new public art piece will center around. Dr. Tracy Caldwell Dyson, who received her PhD in chemistry, is a gravitational force to be reckoned with. She has completed two space flights, and on March 23rd of this year, was launched to the international space station where she will spend six months aboard. This will be Dr. Dyson’s second longest space mission, having already logged in more than 188 days in space with over 22 hours of spacewalk time since starting her career in 1998. She was selected by NASA for her groundbreaking research into molecular level surface reactivity and began her initial training in August of 1998. A California native and fluent in ASL and Russian, she has hosted the NASA TV series StationLIFE and hopes to inspire girls around the world to shoot for the stars! With an endless array of awards and experience, Dr. Tracy Caldwell Dyson has proven herself to be one of the most influential women in space science and has no plans on slowing down.
The Chamber of Commerce wanted to reflect and honor high achieving woman shown in art and history to celebrate our areas predominate women-owned businesses and community members. Sharing the love for equality, and historic conservation, the creators of these statues, Gillie and Marc Schattner, hope to inspire all who are able to admire their work. Quoted by the New York Times, the Schattners have been said to be “the most successful and prolific creators of public art in New York’s History.” Having been featured in over 250 cities through their sculptures and paintings, Ellicottville is happy to share one of our four corners with such coveted creators.
So while you’re out enjoying the summer weather to come, make sure you take the time to stop by the featured art installation of Dr. Tracy Caldwell Dyson at the Village Gazebo. The Chamber of Commerce hopes for a positive and inspiring encounter for all who pass by. For further information on the events, festivals, and presentations the Chamber of Commerce proudly present, you can check out their official website at www.ellicottvilleny.com. You can also find more information on the honoree of this year’s statue, Dr. Tracy Caldwell Dyson, on the official NASA website at www.nasa.gov. And again, be sure to attend the grand unveiling of the sculpture on Thursday, June 27th on the opening evening for the Gazebo Series!