The city of New Bedford is looking to select an artists to create a life size statue of Herman Melville.
In January 1841, Melville boarded the whaleship Acushnet from New Bedford on the voyage that inspired the book “Moby Dick.” The project to create the statue of Melville was announced in January. The call from the city for artists received 41 applications from artists from around the country. An advisory committee, comprised of representatives from the arts and culture scene in the city and local historians has met several times to review the qualifications of the applications and will announce the finalists in the coming months.
Phil Oliveira, president of the New Bedford Port Society, and Mayor Jon Mitchell have agreed to place the statue at the Seamen’s Bethel chapel which has a deep connection to Melville and to the rich whaling and maritime history of the city. The statue will be on the site of Seaman’s bethel outside on Johnny Cake Hill in the historic district of New Bedford.
Such sites often turn to banner printing to inform residents of such projects and their importance for a city.
Mayor Mitchell said this is the ideal location for the statue and expressed his gratitude to the Port Society for collaborating on this project. The Port Society has also agreed to contribute to 20 percent of the cost of the statue up to $50,000.
