Two Installations set for Capitol Avenue Bronze Project on Jan 28

A pair of new bronzes will be installed this week as part of the Capitol Avenue Bronze Project. The two installations will take place Friday, January 28^th on the northwest corner of Capitol Ave. and 22^nd St. as well as 22^nd St. between Capitol Ave. and Central Ave. This is the third series of bronzes to be installed since the project’s announcement in the fall of 2021. The Capitol Avenue Bronze Project aims to place a bronze statue on every corner of Capitol Avenue from the remodeled Union Pacific Train Depot on Lincolnway up to the Wyoming Capitol building — 28 statues in total. The bronzes are in honor of the history and heritage of the people of Cheyenne and Wyoming and depict images of the American West, its people, and wildlife. All bronzes are generously donated by private individuals and families as their gift to the city and the state.

The bronzes to be installed on Friday consist of:

“Garden Angel” by Julie Jones Denkers

Placement: 22^nd St. between Capitol Ave. and Central Ave.

Dedication: Donated by John Lee, Amanda Lee, and Chris Lee in memory of their wife and mother, Jacqueline Lee.

“As a family, we wanted to offer a meaningful tribute to our devoted and loving wife and mother, Jackie Lee. This statue, Garden Angel, will not only honor her but add beauty to the city in the heart of historic downtown Cheyenne. We wanted to provide a smile on someone’s face, a lasting piece of history, and a fitting remembrance.”

“Aviator” by George Lundeen

Placement: Northwest corner of Capitol Ave. and 22^nd St.

Dedication: “Aviator,” a piece created by famed sculptor George Lundeen, is a gift of Ed and Caren Murray in honor of the airmail pilots of Wyoming. Ed and Caren are both multigenerational natives of Cheyenne and longtime supporters of the city’s development. The statute is particularly meaningful to the family because Ed’s grandfather and great uncle were airmail pilots who flew the venerable “Iron Compass”. During the early years of aviation, pilots used the railway tracks (aka the Iron Compass) to navigate their destinations.

For more information on the project or how to donate a bronze, please contact Harvey Deselms at deselmsart@aol.com or Nathaniel Trelease at nathanieltrelease@gmail.com or visit  www.CapitolAvenueBronze.org. The Capitol Avenue Bronze Project was publically announced at an October 4^th, 2021 press conference by Mayor Patrick Collins, Nathaniel Trelease, and Harvey Deselms.