Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Jackie Robinson Statue To Be Unveiled in 2016

The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced that a statue of Jackie Robinson will be erected and unveiled outside Dodgers Stadium, they have announced via press release Tuesday morning.


ICYMI: Dodgers Fans’ Ultimate Test: Patience




This, taken directly from said release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers have selected California-based sculptor Branly Cadet to create the Jackie Robinson statue, which will be unveiled during the 2016 season at Dodger Stadium.

A graduate of Cornell University, Cadet studied figurative sculpture at the New York Academy of Art, Arts Student League, and the Vaugel Sculpture Studio and L’Ecole Albert Defois in France. Cadet won the prestigious James Wilbur Johnston National Figure Sculpture Competition and has completed several private and public commissions.

“The Dodgers have a rich history of breaking barriers and it all began with Jackie Robinson in 1947,” said Dodgers’ President and CEO Stan Kasten. “Therefore, it is altogether fitting that our first statue at Dodger Stadium be of Jackie. The class that Jackie exhibited while still performing at the highest level made everything that has happened since not only in baseball, but in many respects throughout American society, possible. It is with great humility and joy that the Dodgers launch this project in concert with Rachel Robinson and the Jackie Robinson Foundation. We know Branly Cadet’s artistry will result in a tribute to Jackie that will resonate with Dodger fans for decades to come.” 

“We’re thrilled that the Dodgers will honor Jack with the inaugural statue at Dodger Stadium,” said Rachel Robinson, wife of Jackie Robinson and founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.  “Branly Cadet’s excitement for the project is heartening, and I look forward to the unveiling with great enthusiasm.”   

Jackie Robinson 2

“I am so honored to have the opportunity to design a sculpture memorial to Jackie Robinson for the Los Angeles Dodgers,” said Cadet.  “He is an icon of American history being celebrated by a legendary team in a grand city.   I’m excited to create a design that is both befitting of this context and pays homage to his legacy as a sports hero and civic leader.” 

Cadet, who lived in Brooklyn before settling on the west coast in Oakland, CA, is creating the Robinson piece around the theme, “Leveling the Playing Field.”  Cadet’s previous works include the William Shakespeare medallion at the former Booth Theatre site in New York City, and the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Memorial in front of the New York State Office Building in New York City.  He is also currently working on a privately funded large-scale monument for the City of Philadelphia.

The Robinson statue will be approximately nine to ten feet tall and, once completed, will be unveiled at Dodger Stadium at a location to be determined.

Robinson’s indelible impact on baseball as well as sports on the whole is incredible, so here’s hoping this statue somehow does him justice. Cadet has his work cut out for him.

NEXT: Dodgers Early Schedule Heightens Need To Solidify Rotation

Staff Writer

Staff Writer features content written by our site editors along with our staff of contributing writers. Thank you for your readership.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button