Lester Sculpture

Knotts family gives approval of the Morgantown tribute to Knotts

2007-02-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

Sculpture design by Jamie LesterGarden design by Kerry Rapp

The Don Knotts Memorial Garden Design has been approved by Francey Yarborough Knotts and the Knotts estate. The design includes a statue of Don Knotts that celebrates the man he really was- a talented comedic actor and entertainer. He loved to laugh and make people laugh, and that is what this garden is intended to celebrate.

The sculpture will be set in a beautiful garden with a rich variety of textures and surfaces to compliment the sculpture. Landscape designer, Kerry Rapp, created an intimate space in which viewers will confront the sculpture. When entering the Garden one will encounter a wall with a series of plaques that describe Knotts' career.

On the wall above the plaques a series of hats will be cast chronologically illustrating Knotts life from a WVU freshman beanie, to Barney Fife's deputy hat, to the golf cap that was characteristic of his later years.

Upon entry into the heart of the garden a lush planting of trees and plants will obscure the sculpture from view. Instead, attention will be focused on a central raised bed where a dedication plaque will be mounted.

Beyond the central bed, the sculpture of Don Knotts will be dramatically revealed. This life size sculpture will be set upon a curved stage. The stage serves as a metaphor for the stage that Knotts was always on in life.

Behind the statue will be a screen of water, falling continuously into a channel into the stage. Jets of water will produce a smooth screen serving as a symbol for a film screen which his career depended upon. The water feature provides a beautiful backdrop that will double as a projectible film screen for all to see.

The water from the waterfall will be lit at night for special effects and film will be projected onto the sprays of water for an impressive combination of sculpture and imagery. (Click on the design below for an example of the special effects.)

The sculpture depicts Mr. Knotts in a seated position holding a script and a badge.

The sculpture concept is a snapshot in time- depicting a pivotal moment in Don Knotts career. He is saying goodbye to The Andy Griffith Show and looking forward to a career in film.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was the first major motion picture that Knotts worked on and had a major role in after his role on The Andy Griffith Show.
The script in his left hand is from The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, symbolizing his future in film. In his right hand, Knotts cradles Barney Fife's badge from The Andy Griffith Show. The badge emphasizes his past and the creation of his most famous character.

Francey Yarborough Knotts imparted that the most important thing to Don was laughter- his own and the love of making others laugh, too.

The overall design catches Don in the act-laughing it up- a snap shot in time.

The life-size sculpture will be cast in bronze and finished in a classic deep brown tone with highlights buffed out to a bright bronze, emphasizing the details of the piece.

Brought to exactly life size, the sculpture will enable the viewer to interact with Mr. Knotts, either by sitting down on the stage with him to have their picture taken, reading a bit of the script, or just having the opportunity to think about what Don Knotts means to them.

See more by clicking on the photos below

Jerry West Statue Dedicated Feb. 17th

2007-02-08T19:24:00.000-08:00

Jerry West was on hand Saturday for ceremonies that officially unveiled a 61/2-foot statue of the West Virginia University basketball legend in front of the Coliseum.

West made a rare appearance in Morgantown for Saturday’s ceremonies and then stayed for West Virginia’s 81-71 win over Seton Hall afterward.

Several hundred fans braved snow and frigid temperatures to hear West speak briefly and to also receive the distinguished West Virginian award from Gov. Joe Manchin.

As I have said so many times, the people of West Virginia are very, very special to me,’’ West said. “There’s a special place in my heart for this state.’’

Click Photos below for a Gallery of the Sculpture

Jerry West Statue Erected-Feb.14, 2007

2007-02-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

The Jerry West Statue was installed on February 14th, 2007 at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia. I've listed some notes below on the production of the sculpture. You may find them interesting to read...

I have been blessed in many ways- chief among them; a beautiful wife, three healthy children, and a job that I would do even if I wasn't paid for it. Jerry consumed much of our lives last year, and my family must have begun to get a little tired of the presence of Mr. West. Bless them for being so gracious, which they were- they never complained...

I enjoyed creating the Jerry West Statue immensely.The project spanned the entirety of 2006, and what a span it was! There were many times when I had to get down on my knees and pray for guidance. The guidance always came, and the sculpture became something I am very proud of, something that I hope gives Jerry West his due.

This statue is a testament to Jerry West and the remarkable West Virginian that he is. It is an embodiment of his dogged determination to achieve, to excel, to win. It challenges us to hold our standard high, to be the best we can be. And for those of us West Virginians- born or adopted- we can be proud to say that he is one of our own...

See the MSN Sports Net video of Lester's interview at the site!

JERRY WEST STATUE- PRODUCTION NOTES

The Jerry West Statue project began on May 5^th 2006 and finished on January 20^th 2007
The statue was cast in the “lost wax” method of bronze casting.
The clay sculpture began with a welded steel armature on a reinforced wooden base.
Clay was formed around the steel armature, and refined to the likeness of Jerry West.
Hundreds of different photographs from the WVU Athletic Dept. Photo Archives were used as sources for the Jerry West Statue.
Jamie rented an exclusive studio in Morgantown that was so secluded and secret, it was affectionately known as “The Bat Cave”.
Jamie’s children were very involved in the making of the Jerry West Statue. Jamie and Michelle Lester have 3 children -Hannah, age 9, Everett age 6 and Sophia, age 2. The children were around the studio at different points during the clay sculpture.
Jamie’s wife, Michelle Lester, is a RN in Neurologyand at Ruby Memorial Hospital.
The name “Jerry West” became a very familiar name around the Lester house. Our 2 year old Sophia was scared of the larger than life Jerry at first, but as it began to look more realistic, came to feel very comfortable with the sculpture.
Overall, it took more than 4000 hours to create the Jerry West Statue.
The Jerry West Statue is made of Everdur Bronze which is composed of 95% copper, 4% silicon, and 1% manganese.
Coopermill Bronze Works of Zanesville, OH was the foundry contracted to cast the sculpture of Jerry West.
If the sculpture of Jerry West were to stand straight up, he would be 8 ft tall. In his running stance, the sculpture is 6’ 6” high.
The statue design is based on the famous photo of Jerry West used for his All American tribute. It also graces the front of the Jerry West Room.
The clay sculpture weighed more than 600 lbs before moldmaking.
The approved clay sculpture was molded using polyurethane rubber.
The molds were then delivered to the foundry to be used in the production of the metal casting.
The finished bronze sculpture weighs more than 800 lbs.
The base for the Jerry West Sculpture is solid granite, measuring 7 feet in diameter and three feet high, bringing the total height to 9 and a half feet.
When modeling Jerry’s Chuck Taylors, I used a pair of Marion Ohlinger’s from Solera that he lent to me for the project.
Jamie Lester sculpted the Jerry West Statue and supervised the project from beginning to installation. Edmond Yue and Jeff Ryan assisted in the project.
The Jerry West Statue is 1 1/3 times life size.
Jamie Lester was inspired by the autobiography “Mr. Clutch: The Jerry West Story”.
Lester was also inspired by Blaire Buswell’s sculpture of Oscar Robertson.
Jamie sculpted the Jerry West statue with a variety of handmade wooden tools, steel scraping tools, brushes, and his bare hands.
The “lost wax” method of bronze casting is thousands of years old. It involves casting a wax copy of the original clay statue, dipping it in a liquid ceramic until a “shell” builds up around the wax. When the ceramic is heated the wax melts out of the ceramic shell, resuting in the name- “lost wax”. Molten bronze is then poured into the ceramic shell. This process is performed by a foundry.
Lester’s sculpture depicts Jerry West as a Mountaineer in his Junior or Senior years- at approximately 21- 22 years of age.
Photos from Jerry West’s career as a LA Laker were also used as references for musculature and likeness.

Fundraising begins for Don Knotts statue

2007-01-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

by The Associated Press, posted at The Charleston Daily Mail

MORGANTOWN, WV -- Hometown fans have launched a Web site and begun collecting money for a bronze statue of the late Don Knotts that will honor the actor, rather than Barney Fife or the other characters he played.

The Greater Morgantown Community Trust needs about $50,000 for the statue, which Monongalia County Commissioner John Pyles said Thursday will show a middle-aged Knotts in plain clothes, seated and reading a script.

Morgantown sculptor Jamie Lester, who designed the back of the West Virginia quarter, has already created an 18-inch clay model for the life-size statue. Lester also created a bronze star that was installed in a city sidewalk to honor Knotts last month.

Knotts, best known as the bumbling deputy on "The Andy Griffith Show'' and would-be swinger Ralph Furley on "Three's Company," died Feb. 24, 2006. He was 81.

He had won five Emmy awards for the Fife role and appeared in more than 25 films and seven TV series. Knotts' last on-screen role was that of a television repairman whose supercharged remote control sends teenage siblings into a TV sitcom past in the 1998 film "Pleasantville."

In 2005, he provided the voice of Turkey Mayor in the animated Disney film "Chicken Little."

Knotts began performing while a student at Morgantown High School and had appeared at The Metropolitan Theatre before leaving for New York.

Pyles is a lifelong admirer. He attended the same grade school as the actor but was eight years behind. He remembers Knotts visiting with a ventriloquist's dummy to entertain the children.

Pyles said county and city officials also hope to collaborate on a small park along the Monongahela River, which runs parallel to a street that was renamed Don Knotts Boulevard.

That could cost another $75,000 to $100,000, he said, and would include a display of Knotts' hats -- from the freshman beanie he wore at West Virginia University to his cap on "Three's Company'' and his deputy's hat.

Last year, a North Carolina man who tried to honor Knotts with a statue of Barney Fife lost his $9,000 deposit on the project. Paramount/CBS, which owns the rights to "The Andy Griffith Show'' withdrew its approval, saying it didn't have the authority to grant permission for a likeness of Knotts. Griffith and Knotts' widow, Francey, said they supported a statue, but that it should be of Knotts, not Fife. It was not immediately known if they approve of the Morgantown project.

The model of the statue intended for Mount Airy, N.C., was eventually destroyed.