A gift for the ages

By Ryan Weber
Reprinted with permission of the Journal-News

A 10-second countdown in the shadow of One Renaissance Center on Wednesday revealed a new work of art, and what leaders call a new beginning for the city of Hamilton.   A crowd of about 400 showed up at One Renaissance Plaza for the building's official dedication ceremony, with Ohio Gov. Bob Taft stopping in as featured speaker.   Taft congratulated city and county officials for working together to revive the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and High Street, where the Government Services Center and One Renaissance now offer residents a single site for government access.

He described the moniker "Renaissance" as appropriate for Hamilton.   "I have never seen the city so bustling and thriving," Taft said. "You clearly are leading the way. Hamilton is the renaissance city in the state of Ohio."

Referring to "The Hamilton Gateway" sculpture about to be unveiled, Taft described the piece as "a symbol of the fact that the city is forward-looking and progressive."   "This is a beautiful and lasting gift that will be cherished for years to come," he said, presenting to Mayor Adolf Olivas a state proclamation officially declaring Hamilton the "City of Sculpture."

At 2:50 p.m., a white tarp fell from the 66-foot "The Hamilton Gateway," described by its creators as a three-dimensional statement about community hopes and dreams for the future. Limestone, steel, glass and granite combine to convey a vision of Hamilton as an industrial river town transforming.

The sculpture concept was chosen from 104 entries, submitted to the city from 15 different states and six different countries.

Questions have arisen about the body of the piece -- two massive, parallel plates of rusting steel. Sculptors Stanton Sears and Andrea Myklebust, of Minnesota, told the crowd the piece was designed that way.

"It will turn a more even, reddish-brown color," Sears said. "It won't be painted, but you'll come to love it over time."

John Moser, former Butler County Common Pleas Court judge, funded the sculpture as a gift to the city. After a standing ovation, Moser noted projects around town that have improved the city's image over the past few years, such as the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, Michael A. Fox Highway, Downtown Streetscape and The Hamiltonian Hotel.   "Things are happening in Hamilton, aren't they?" he asked.

Olivas presented Moser a gold coin commemorating the day's events and the sculpture.   Tours of One Renaissance Center and a lecture and reception at the Fitton Center followed the unveiling, part of a daylong dedication ceremony.