Statue of George Washington (Seattle)

{{Short description|Statue of George Washington in Seattle, Washington, U.S.}}

{{Infobox artwork

| title = Statue of George Washington

| italic title = no

| image = University of Washington, February 2014 -7.JPG

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| caption = View from the southwest in 2015

| artist = Lorado Taft

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| year = {{start date|1909}}

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| type = Sculpture

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| subject = George Washington

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| city = Seattle, Washington, United States

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| coordinates = {{Coord|47.656072|-122.311131|type:landmark_region:US-WA|display=inline,title}}

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| mapframe-zoom = 13

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George Washington, also known as the President George Washington Monument,{{cite web|title=George Washington, (sculpture).|url=http://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=all&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!335849~!0#focus|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|accessdate=January 13, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110151/http://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=all&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!335849~!0#focus|url-status=live}} is a bronze sculpture of George Washington by Lorado Taft, installed at the University of Washington campus in Seattle's University District, in the U.S. state of Washington.

History

= Construction and dedication =

The statue was dedicated on Flag Day, June 14, 1909, during the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition.{{cite web|title=George Washington Statue|url=https://content.lib.washington.edu/exhibits/aype/statue.html|publisher=University of Washington|accessdate=January 2, 2015|archive-date=September 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908155039/http://content.lib.washington.edu/exhibits/aype/statue.html|url-status=live}} Its permanent {{convert|24|ft|adj=on}} pedestal was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and installed in August 1938.{{cite news |date=August 10, 1938 |title=Statue Takes Foot Off Coin |page=10 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}} The pedestal had been designed by Taft in 1908 but was not funded in time for the exposition.{{cite news |date=March 20, 1938 |title=Washington to Climb Heights on U. Campus |page=8 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}

Located a short distance west of Red Square, the statue faces west, toward The Brothers of the Olympic Mountains.

= 21st century =

During the George Floyd protests, A number of student led organizations at the University of Washington called for the statue's removal due to George Washington’s ownership of slaves. Most notably, the Black Student Union and the Black Lives Matter coalition (UW BLM) publicly spoke out against the statue. UW BLM staged a month-long protest of the statue in August 2020, vandalizing the statue every day, by spray-painting it, to induce a response from the administration.{{Cite web |first=Jasmyne |last=Keimig |date=August 14, 2020 |title=UW Protesters Embark on Month-Long Art Installation at George Washington Statue |url=https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/08/14/44267722/uw-protesters-embark-on-month-long-art-installation-at-george-washington-statue |access-date=2020-10-16 |website=The Stranger |language=en |archive-date=2020-10-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001023757/https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/08/14/44267722/uw-protesters-embark-on-month-long-art-installation-at-george-washington-statue |url-status=live }}

The university's student newspaper The Daily also called for the removal of the statue in an op-ed, noting that a petition to remove the statue has reached over 3,000 signatures. This petition asked for the George Washington statue to be replaced with a Black Power fist and to rename the nearby George Cafe to the Juneteenth Cafe.{{Cite web|first=Hannah|last=Krieg|date=July 14, 2020|title=The petition to remove the George Washington statue and the larger conversation of a white-centric campus|url=http://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_fbefd4c6-c5a8-11ea-830a-03395e0a2b2d.html|access-date=2020-10-16|website=The Daily of the University of Washington|language=en|archive-date=2020-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020060035/http://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_fbefd4c6-c5a8-11ea-830a-03395e0a2b2d.html|url-status=live}} According to a 2021 poll conducted by KING 5 News that surveyed 650 Washingtonians, 59% wanted the statue to remain, 29% wanted the statue removed, and 11% were unsure.{{Cite web|last=Swaby|first=Natalie|url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/community/facing-race/uws-bsu-pushing-for-changes-on-campus-including-removal-of-the-george-washington-statue/281-69444f15-8d36-4a73-9a42-beb6d5603ec7|title=UW Black Student Union pushes for removal of George Washington statue |date=16 February 2021 |work=king5.com}}

References

External links

{{Commons category|George Washington statue, University of Washington}}

[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2W45_George_Washington_Statue_University_of_Washington_Seattle_WA George Washington Statue, University of Washington – Seattle, WA] at Waymarking

Category:1909 establishments in Washington (state)

Category:1909 sculptures

Category:Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition

Category:Bronze sculptures in Washington (state)

Category:Monuments and memorials in Seattle

Category:Monuments and memorials to George Washington in the United States

Category:Outdoor sculptures in Seattle

Category:Sculptures by Lorado Taft

Category:Sculptures of men in Washington (state)

Category:Statues in Seattle

Category:Statues of George Washington

Category:University of Washington campus