(PCM) While it is a beautiful thing that there is a tribute to actress Lucille Ball set up in her hometown of Celoron, New York, the fact that it happens to be an incredibly frightening looking statue is quite another. In fact, residents in Celoron find the statue so horrendous that they are petitioning, as well as, raising funds to have the statue either fixed or removed completely.
Many find that the statue is incredibly unflattering to the late actress and feel that she deserves a much more befitting tribute. The residents feel that she was an absolutely amazing comedienne and a beautiful woman and this particular statue showcases none of those attributes. They feel that their beloved “Lucy” deserves much better.
There has even been a Facebook page dedicated to the removal of the statue titled “We Love Lucy! Get Rid Of This Statue”. Many feel that the statue is too far beyond repair and that it would be best if it were just removed completely and they can start again.
That statue was unveiled back in 2009 and was crafted by artist Dave Poulin. Many people feel he just failed to capture Lucy’s essence in the correct way and the statue is just plain ugly. The mayor of the town says it would cost around $10,000 to create another statue and does not want taxpayers to be responsible for footing the bill, instead there has been a fund set up to accept donations towards the statues removal. For now it remains, but only time will tell. Do you think the statue is horrendous or are the residents being overly critical?
Update:
Dave Poulin, the sculptor responsible for creating the horrendous Lucy statue has now offered to fix the 400lb bronze statue free of charge. In a statement he calls the Lucy statue “by far my most unsettling sculpture” Poulin goes on to say “I take full responsibility for ‘Scary Lucy,’ though by no means was that my intent or did I wish to disparage in any way the memories of the iconic Lucy image. From the day of its installation, I have shared my disappointment in the final outcome and have always believed it to be by far my most unsettling sculpture, not befitting of Lucy’s beauty or my ability as a sculptor. Yes, in retrospect, it should have never been cast in bronze and made public, and I take complete ownership of that poor decision.”
He adds, “I … am heartsick at the feelings that have been evoked as a result of the Celoron Lucy.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Poulin plans to go back to the village of Celoron to “offer to remove the current statue with the promise of creating a new beautiful and charming ‘Lucy’ in its place.”
Despite Poulin’s offer to fix it for free, Celoron Mayor Scott Schrecengost has reportedly said he doesn’t want Poulin to retouch the statue; he wants a new artist to repair it.