CINCINNATI — It’s a historic day for Cincinnati as the first named woman statue in the city was unveiled.
The sculpture of Marian Spencer, the city’s first African-American woman elected to city council and the person responsible for desegregating Coney Island, is now out in the public for all to see.
What You Need To Know
- The sculpture of Marian Spencer is the first-named woman sculpture in Cincinnati
- Spencer was known for desegregating Coney Island and being the first African-American woman on the city council
- The sculpture was supposed to be installed last summer but was delayed due to the pandemic
- Tom Tsuchiya, the sculptor, said he’s looking forward to the community interacting with his artwork
For Tom Tsuchiya, the sculptor of this project, the installation is the final piece.
“All the work is done and usually it works out really well,” Tsuchiya said.
Tsuchiya said the sculpture of Marian Spencer is extra special, not only because of the work she did to desegregate Cincinnati.
But also because of the several years he’s been working on the project.
The sculpture, placed in Smale Park in downtown Cincinnati, is the first of its kind in the city.
“Marian Spencer basically transformed the city that was very much segregated and then really opened it up and got everybody much more united,” he said.
“This is Cincinnati’s first named woman statue,” Tsuchiya said. “So this is something that has very special significance for the whole city and all of the members of our community and the whole Greater Cincinnati area.”
And while it was dropped into its final destination with a perfect fit, Tsuchiya is excited for the community to finally interact with his artwork.
“They can hold hands with the sculpture, so it’s just something that can bring a smile to people,” he said. “And at the same time, know and pay the respects to the achievements of what Marian’s done for us.”
