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Ohio Statuary Hall Commission announces semi-finalists for Edison statue

Field of 30 applicants narrowed to six

CINCINNATI – Today the Ohio Statuary Hall Commission (OSHC) announced six artists have been selected as semi-finalists for the commission of a sculpture of Thomas Edison to be placed in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Edison, inventor of the phonograph, kinetoscope and first practical incandescent light bulb, received over one thousand patents in his lifetime. His statue will replace that of former Ohio Governor William Allen.
The Commission’s Request for Qualifications in early April resulted in responses from 30 artists from across the nation. Semi-finalist selections were based upon artistic excellence, conceptual approach to the project and their prior experience. Consideration was also given to each artist’s projected budget and timeline.
“It’s fascinating to see the various takes on Thomas Edison and his contributions,” says Douglass W. McDonald, president of the Ohio Statuary Hall Commission and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “We were thrilled to be inundated with proposals from so many qualified artists that were of excellent quality and merit.”
Given the quality of the proposals submitted, the OHSC has selected six applicants for closer consideration before narrowing the field.
“The Commission has additional questions for six applicants who submitted proposals,” says Mark Wagoner, OSHC board member. “We wanted to hear from them in greater detail before we selected the finalists.”
The six applicants to be considered in a semi-finalist round of review are:
o Alan Cottrill, Zanesville, Ohio

o David L. Deming, Cleveland Heights, Ohio

o Emanuel H. Enriquez, Bowling Green, Ohio

o Jarrett K. Hawkins, Deer Park, Ohio

o Thomas Lingeman, Perrysburg, Ohio

o Tom Tsuchiya, Cincinnati, Ohio

The OHSC will narrow the field to up to five finalists who will then be asked to submit a small model of their proposed design. Once the Commission has made its final selection, that artist’s proposal must be approved by the State of Ohio, the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress.
“Just reviewing the proposals from these incredible artists has generated a lot of excitement amongst Commission members,” said Wagoner. “It means we’re one step closer to erecting a statue of such an inspiring and industrious person who will serve as a representation of the spirit inside every Ohioan.”
The entire project is funded solely by private donations. The final statue is tentatively scheduled to be unveiled on October 21, 2015 at the U.S. Capitol. For more information visit www.ohiostatuaryhall.org