This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Chuck Berry Statue Should Be in The Loop By April

Installation of the Chuck Berry statue in the Loop has been delayed due to the severe winter weather.

A 1,000-pound bronze sculpture depicting a young Chuck Berry is finished, with an expected installation date of March or April. 

The statue will stand in a small park next to on the north side of Delmar. Installation of the statue hinges on the completion of  a bike trail that's under construction by Great Rivers Greenway. This winter's severe weather has delayed construction of the bike path, according to Blueberry Hill's owner, Joe Edwards, who spearheaded the commemorative statue project. 

In the meantime, the 9-foot statue is housed at VMD Sculpting on Gravois.  The statue was assembled by Vlad Zhitomirsky, a sculptor who assists Harry Weber in welding and finishing of large-scale bronzes.  (Click here to see a video interview with Vlad.

Find out what's happening in University Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A dark patina was chosen to highlight the detail of the depiction of a young Berry, wearing a tuxedo, guitar in hand. "Chuck wanted a younger version of himself depicted, when he had hair," sculptor Harry Weber said. "It's kind of intriguing because of the spontaneity and visceral sense of movement you get, even with the formalized attire of the late 1950s."  Weber said the project took eight months to complete, from initial sketches to expected installation. 

A total of $100,000 was raised in private funds to pay for the statue and site.  Charlie Brennan of KMOX Radio led the fundraising effort with Edwards. On installation day, a crane will lower the bronze into place and it will be bolted to the site.  "Harry Weber did a phenomenal job," Joe Edwards said.  "You can almost hear the guitar sounds." 

Find out what's happening in University Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from University City