Statue of Orville Redenbacher planned for Valparaiso park
By James D. Wolf Jr. Sun-Times Media February 13, 2012 4:20PM
Artist's rendition of proposed Orville Redenbacher statue in Valparaiso.
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Updated: February 13, 2012 4:20PM
A downtown park in Valparaiso, Ind., will soon be home to a bronze statue honoring famed native son Orville Redenbacher.
City officials hope to have one of three depictions of the popcorn king in place in Central Park Plaza by the annual Popcorn Fest in September.
Last week, the city’s public art committee chose Highwood, Ill.-based artist Lou Cella from 13 artists to create the bronze Redenbacher statue.
Cella has been involved with the creation of the Ernie Banks and Harry Carey statues at Wrigley Field, the Carlton Fisk statue at U.S. Cellular Field, the Father Theodore Hesburgh/Father Edmund Joyce memorial at University of Notre Dame and the Community Veteran’s Memorial in Munster, Ind.
The city’s public art committee and Orville’s daughter, Gail Tuminello, will choose from among three poses Cella submitted.
“It’ll be great just to meet Orville in ‘person,’” City Council and Redevelopment Commission member Jan Dick said. “Everybody knows Orville and still loves Orville.”
The statue will cost $62,000, and the city’s Redevelopment Commission will front the money for it. The commission and art committee will seek private donors to recoup the funding, Campbell said.
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