Churchill sculpture receives award

A bas-relief sculpture of Winston Churchill, titled "Iron Curtain", rests outside of the National Churchill Museum. The piece was recognized by the Kansas City chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America on May 24.
A bas-relief sculpture of Winston Churchill, titled "Iron Curtain", rests outside of the National Churchill Museum. The piece was recognized by the Kansas City chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America on May 24.

In May of 2011, a sculpture of Winston Churchill making his famed "Iron Curtain" speech was unveiled and dedicated in front of the National Winston Churchill Memorial and Library Sculpture Plaza on the campus of Westminster College. One year later, the commemorative piece, titled "Iron Curtain", is being honored.

The sculptor, landscaping crew and all parties involved were recently honored as the Project of the Year by a General Contractor for under $1 million by the Kansas City Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America on May 24.

"There's a lot of pride," Andy Bonderer said of the award. "You go through those planning stages with how to make it happen and I just have a lot of pride in the project."

Bonderer, vice president of Professional Contractors & Engineers out of Columbia, was the project manager. They assisted in the building of the monument, with the actual sculpture being designed and Don Wiegand, a sculptor from St. Louis.

Wiegand was approached about the project by Richard Mahoney, a Churchill Museum Fellow and Board of Governor, and worked closely with PCE. The HOK Planning Group designed and landscaped the surrounding area where "Iron Curtain" ultimately would be displayed.

Wiegand was asked to do the project with the caveat being that the final product be of Churchill with his hand raised. His design, first, had to be given a blessing by Churchill's granddaughter Edwina Sandys.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.