Robinson statue to be unveiled at Dodger Stadium in 2016
LOS ANGELES -- California-based sculptor Branly Cadet has been selected to create the Jackie Robinson statue that will be unveiled at Dodger Stadium in 2016.
Cadet, who lived in Brooklyn before settling on the West Coast in Oakland, is creating the Robinson piece around the theme "Leveling the Playing Field." The Robinson statue will be approximately nine to 10 feet tall. Still to be determined is its exact site at Dodger Stadium.
"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."
Cadet, a graduate of Cornell University, 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. He won the prestigious James Wilbur Johnston National Figure Sculpture Competition and has completed several private and public commissions.
"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."
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.
"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."