Dan Smith sent photos of the work in progress as the memorial was constructed. I've selected a few that represent the steps toward completion of the memorial.
May 6: This photo shows the concrete being poured to make a base for the engraved bricks that surround the statue. A landscape architect designed the compass-in-brick that is a main feature of the plaza. Dan Smith is ramrodded the project. The location is in Portland's Thompson Field which is between Dan's house and the river.
Acknowledgements: Goose Creek Foundations; photos by Dan Smith and Steve Willard.
We are going to update the blog with a series of posts to tell the story of the final days of the Verlen Kruger Memorial project. The project climaxed with a dedication ceremony in Portland on Saturday, June 26, 2010, in the presence of Jenny Kruger, Verlen's widow, and her family, along with hundreds of Verlen's friends and admirers. At the ceremony the artist-sculpter unveiled a full-sized bronze statue of Verlen leaning on his paddle and gazing down the Grand.
