JASPER GATES STATUE

PUBLIC ART COMMISSION FOR MOUNT VERNON ARTS COMMISSSION

This will be a life size granite sculpture of Jasper Gates, Father of Mount Vernon, Washington, and his grandson John Knox. The image, as represented in this picture of my scale model, is taken from the newspaper photo just below it. The picture dates from the early 1900s, and shows Jasper and John carrying buckets of vegetables from their garden.

The garden location was near the current corner of Gates and First Streets in downtown Mount Vernon, and that is where the statue will be placed. This project is the brainchild of Skagit County Historian Dick Fallis, with whom I have collaborated in the past, on the Maiden of Deception Pass and Log Jam Memorial projects.

We are soliciting money from the citizens and businesses of Mount Vernon and Skagit County to fund this statue. The Mount Vernon City Council has endorsed the project, and pledged to fund a portion of it, while seeking grants to make up the difference.

So far, we have raised enough to buy the stone, about 9 tons of granite delivered to my yard in early August, and to get me started roughing out the image. The granite was purchased from NW Decorative Stone in Burlington. Of the original bid of $23,000, donations from the Mount Vernon Arts Commission and many generous individuals have reduced the balance dramatically, but at the end of 2004, we still need about $15,000.

As donations accumulate, I will continue to carve, finish, and deliver the statue to its home in downtown Mount Vernon. If you wish to help out, please send your tax-deductible donations to “Jasper Gates Statue Fund”, at

Mount Vernon Parks Foundation
PO Box 1572
Mount Vernon, WA 98273

We will post more pictures here as the work progresses. Many thanks to all who are involved in this community project.

Tracy Powell

 

GRANDPA AND ME
Scale model for Jasper Gates and
John Knox Statue
Limestone
15”x10”x6”
With copper buckets

Hageman Family Collection

Granite from Hardy Island, BC, awaits the hammer and chisel. The  large block weighs about 7 tons, the small one about 2 tons.

The carver wonders
“Now what have I got myself into?”

The following pictures cover work from September 20th to Oct 26, 2004.
Stay tuned for more as the project progresses.

OSB cutouts show full size profiles.

Removing big corners, step one:
drilling a row of holes.

Wedges and shims inserted in holes.
These are struck with a hammer to split the stone.

After splitting off the corners.

Now the long slow process of fretting:
parallel saw cuts with diamond blades.

Breaking off the frets with hammer and chisel.
This process is repeated many times, fretting and breaking,
peeling off layers to get closer to desired dimensions.

The pile of chips grows,
as the granite mass is diminished.

The above pictures cover work to date, Oct 26, 2004.

Works resumes

Mount Vernon Arts Commissioners visit the worksite Nov. 9, to see the progress...
(pictured, from left to right: Linda Banazak-Skjei, Linda Brookings, Diane McLeod, Larry Otis, Janet Stein, Dick Fallis, Rita Sullivan, Julie Blazek, and Tracy Powell.)  

(pictured, from left to right: Julie Blazek, Tracy Powell, Rita Sullivan,
Dick Fallis, Diane McLeod, and Janet Stein.)

Status of roughing out phase as of November 9, 2004. 
The bottom of the block has been flattened, and about 1 and 1/2 tons have been removed.  Mount Vernon Arts Commission has approved work to date, and is applying to 
City Council for financial assistance.   

As the process is repeated, we peel away layers of stone, until within
 about an inch of desired shape, when the smaller grinder is
used to more carefully develop the form.

Now the air hammer is employed to refine the previous work and define a surface. 
The tool operates by forcing the carbide tipped chisel to repeatedly
smash against the stone, crushing just the surface layer
and smoothing it out. A different kind of dust and a
different kind of noise.

And finally a face appears. Although it still requires some adjusting, this will
serve as a landmark, around which the entire sculpture
will be developed.  Now the fun begins.

First week of February, 2005.

By the end of March, the Gates boys are rough-carved,
except for the legs, feet, and base.

John Knox waits patiently with his grandpa.

Jasper Gates

 Nearing completion

We made it!
 

With the finishing touches complete, most importantly the beautiful copper buckets custom crafted by master metalsmith Paul Thorne, the statue was installed at its new home, First and Gates Streets, downtown Mount Vernon, Oct 1, 2005.  Titled “Grandpa and Me”, it was dedicated the next day in a festive ceremony, attended by many friends and contributors, including about 40 members of the extended Gates family still residing in Skagit County.

My sincere thanks go to Mount Vernon Parks Foundation, Mount Vernon Arts Commission, Dave Quall, Hans Dunshee, Rita Sullivan, Paul Thorne, Dan Arneson, Northwest Decorative Stone, Birch Equipment Rental, Mayor Bud Norris, my old friend Dick Fallis and most especially Bernice Fallis.  It has been a distinct honor to work with you all.  I hope you enjoy the statue.

Tracy Powell, November 7,  2005.