Explore the exhibit on your own with this self-guided walking tour.
FOSP Suspension Self Guided Walking Tour (pdf)
Art in the Park
Schiller Monument
The park received its first installation of public art when residents commissioned a bronze sculpture of Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller. The nearly eleven-foot-high statue was cast at the Ferdinand von Miller Foundry in Munich, Germany. The details of Schiller’s life and the work of art are posted on the fence surrounding the monument.
Umbrella Girl Fountain
Situated just south of the Grace Highfield Garden is the Umbrella Girl Fountain, sculpted and generously contributed by Columbus artist Joan Wobst in 1996. The piece replaced an 1872 statue, which disappeared sometime between World War II and the 1950s (depending on the version one is told). Today’s Umbrella Girl is modeled after the artist’s daughter Andrea and sports a dirndl, the typical dress of a young German girl.
Jerzy Kędziora Sculptures
In 2019, a temporary exhibit featuring 18 sculptures by Jerzy Kędziora was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the community. As a result, the Friends of Schiller Park raised the funds needed to commission “forever” sculptures by the artist for the park. Thanks to the generosity of the community the Friends were able to purchase five works of art.
Donors
Over 300 donors contributed to this effort, with the following individuals providing the lead gifts.
Extraordinary Friends of Schiller Park with dedication privileges:
- Anonymous
- Nancy Morbitzer Gross
- Jim Nichols
- The Friends of Schiller Park
Significant Friends of Schiller Park who provided the seed money:
- Lisa and Christopher Barton
- In tribute to Bernice Katz Jones
- Leslie and Kurt Malkoff
- Giancarlo Miranda and Tim Morbitzer
- Janay Oakland and Nelson Heinrichs III
- Susan Rector
- Kristen Ryan
- Lisa Stein and Craig Colvin
- Peggy and Bob Walter
- Kathy and Alec Wightman
About the Artist
Jerzy Kędziora (born 1947) is a sculptor, painter, designer, and teacher from Poland. He created the five sculptures that form the Schiller Park “Suspended” collection.
By honing the technical aspect of his craft, as well as focusing on the implicit meaning behind the work, Kędziora has achieved international success with his public art. From Abu Dhabi and Switzerland to Krakow, and now Columbus, he has strung his works which are a brilliant blend of classical sculpture and kinetic art.
Kędziora says “Art must get out of museums and reach the people.”
A Loving Legacy
We will forever remember Andrea Esselstein’s joyful response to the sculptures. She was a life-long Friend of Schiller Park from childhood sports participation and playground super-user to adult tour guide. Oh, how we miss her generous heart.
