Only $15,000 more is needed to fully fund a sculpture by Atlanta artist David Landis that will be given to Atlanta’s Sister City in Toulouse, France, during a 30th anniversary celebration of the Sister City affiliation, said John Lyons, chairman of the Phoenix Project.
The sculpture, called “A Phoenix for Toulouse,” is intended as a gesture of compassion and solidarity with Atlanta’s Sister City, which is still rebuilding following a devastating explosion on Sept. 21, 2001, that killed 30 and injured thousands.
The explosion in Toulouse, which occurred only 10 days after the United States’ 9/11 tragedy, created a groundswell of support among Atlantans for their Sister City, said Mr. Lyons. The Atlanta Sister City Commission unanimously passed a resolution to present Toulouse with the legacy gift, which is costing $100,000 to produce.
The phoenix, which appears in Atlanta’s city emblem, is a cultural icon here, symbolizing the city’s recovery from the Civil War.
Calling for donations to complete the necessary funding, Mr. Lyons said during a Georgia World Trade Association meeting last week, “This is a public relations opportunity to show other countries our concern when something catastrophic happens in another country.”
France extended a similar kindness to Atlanta in 1968 when it gave the city a sculpture by Auguste Rodin entitled “The Shade” as a memorial to those who perished in the June 3, 1962, plane crash at Orly Airport outside of Paris, killing 106 patrons of Atlanta’s art community.
United Parcel Service Inc. has agreed to ship the sculpture to Toulouse at no cost, Mr. Lyons said.
A delegation of some 60 Atlantans will travel in May to Toulouse for the unveiling of the sculpture, Mr. Lyons told GlobalAtlanta.
For more information, contact Mr. Lyons at jlyons@lyonsmediainc.com or go to apft2005@yahoo.com