GALESBURG, Ill. (AP) — A bronze statue of poet Carl Sandburg has been dedicated to his hometown of Galesburg.
The (Galesburg) Register-Mail reports that a dedication ceremony and a ribbon cutting were held Saturday to mark the statue’s official handing over to the city by the Galesburg Public Art Commission.
The commission planned to raise $250,000 to pay for the statue, pedestal, granite panels, concrete work, plaques, a flag pole and benches. All of the funds for the project were raised privately through fundraisers and donations.
Local artist Lonnie Stewart was commissioned to create the statue featuring a 9-foot-tall Sandburg and his goat, Nellie, in 2012.
The statue arrived in Galesburg in late April 2014 and was stored until it was installed the public square in August 2015.