FY23 Veterans Memorial Grant

Funds provided by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund will contribute to the cost of the sculpture depicting a 173rd airborne brigade soldier kneeling with a 120-pound pack with rifle in Afghanistan. The statue will be the focal point of Rice Lake Memorial Park?located near the intersection of Rice Lake Road and Martin Road in the City of Rice Lake within St. Louis County. The monument will remind the public of the intense burden put onto our soldiers who are defending our nation?s interests and keeping wars off of American soil. Rice Lake Memorial Park will have benches, meticulous landscaping, and granite stones of the wars the United States has been involved in?from the Civil War to Afghanistan. Interpretive text will accompany the bronze statue to explain the meaning of the memorial. The six United States military branches will be represented, along with illuminated flags. Businesses and donators of $5,000 or more will have their names or businesses placed on a bronze plaque.

The funding requested from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund will help pay for the sculpture?a larger-than-life depiction of a soldier, burdened by a heavy load of gear, in a moment of contemplation. The soldier?s obvious physical burden is accompanied by a complex, emotional weight. Gravity, resolve, and hope will all be depicted in his expression. People driving by the monument will be captured by the singular presence of the soldier in his moment of reflection. Details evident in a passing glance will draw viewers closer. Those who approach will see the soldier?s complex and multitudinous gear accurately rendered in bronze. Up close, the soldier seems indifferent to the exceptional weight of his gear. His expression reveals an extraordinary reflection on a moment in time?though it is timeless. The viewer will carry this with them.

Below is the timeline for the project.
Q3 of CY2022:
-Continued fundraising efforts by local community members
-Work with architect to develop rendering of Rice Lake Memorial Park
-Finalize plan and placement of statue
-Continuation of site prep work (to ensure soil is settled and stable)
-Design brochures
-Post information on social media
-Outreach to mainstream media
-Solidify interpretive text
-Finalize agreements for in-kind donations and ongoing maintenance/support

Q1 of CY2023:
-Grant notification
-Rendering of Rice Lake Memorial Park completed
-Sculpting work begins [partially funded by this grant]
-Continued fundraising efforts

Q2 of CY2023:
-Site work
-Begin installation

Q3/Q4 of CY2023:
-Project completion