Unveiling of New Bronze Lions at
Connecticut Avenue Gate
November 15, 2002
Media Contacts
Mike Morgan / 202-673-0209
Sharon Wright
Smithsonian’s National Zoo Launches Zoo Renewal Plan with Bronze Lions and a Refurbished Entrance on Connecticut Avenue
Note to Editors
On Tuesday Nov. 19 at 10 a.m. the press is invited to
the National Zoo pedestrian entrance, 3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W., to
celebrate the unveiling of two larger-than-life bronze, sculptures of
lions. National Zoo Director Lucy Spelman and sculptor Reinaldo López-Carrizo
will be on hand for the unveiling, interviews to follow.
The Connecticut Avenue pedestrian entrance at the Smithsonian’s
National Zoo has been refurbished, and a pair of 5,000 lb. bronze lions
now watches over the arrival of zoo visitors. The new entrance is the first
step in the 10-year Zoo Renewal Plan developed by Zoo director Lucy Spelman.
The reclining, full-maned lion figures, 12-ft.-long and nearly 10-ft.-high,
face Connecticut Avenue and are the highlight of the improved entrance.
The bronze lions, the new gates and the addition of decorative pavement
were all privately funded.
Spelman said, “The lions are a spectacular way to announce the Zoo’s
location on Connecticut Avenue, and they will welcome our visitors for
years to come. Lions are symbolic of strength and courage; we hope they
will inspire zoo-goers to help protect the diversity of animals and their
habitats.”
The muscular lions -- one with its mouth open, the other with its mouth closed
-- were originally created in 1906 by sculptor Roland Perry. They were cast
in concrete, and one set of the sculptures was placed at each end of the Taft
Bridge located just south of the Zoo on Connecticut Avenue. Ninety years of
weather and vibration from traffic took their toll on the sculptures, prompting
Washington officials to call on artist Reinaldo López-Carrizo of Professional
Restoration Inc. to save the popular Taft Bridge landmarks.
Reinaldo re-sculpted
the two figures, re-cast them in high-strength concrete and the lions were
returned to the Taft Bridge in August, 2000. At that
time Zoo director Lucy Spelman met the artist and together they found a
way for Reinaldo’s art to be used again to cast the lions in bronze
for the National Zoo.
Mounted on 30-inch-high textured concrete bases, the bronze lions now stand
more than 12 feet above the sidewalk and have a commanding presence on
Connecticut Avenue. In addition to the sculptures, the refurbished entrance
includes a new gate and new landscaping. To make the entrance more inviting
to foot traffic, the red-toned paving of the Zoo’s Olmsted Walk has
been extended past the lions to meet the city’s sidewalk.
The Connecticut Avenue pedestrian entrance is used by the Zoo’s neighbors
to the west, by zoo-goers arriving via Metro’s Red Line and by visitors
staying at the nearby hotels.
The Zoo Renewal Plan includes the goal of bringing sculpture to the park’s
Harvard Street entrance, five blocks from Metro’s new Green Line at Columbia
Heights.
The National Zoo operates with a three-part mission: to study, celebrate and
protect animals. Improving public spaces, animal exhibits and Zoo programs
are priorities in National Zoo Director Lucy Spelman’s10-year Renewal
Plan. The renovation of the Zoo’s Mane Restaurant is nearing completion
with the modernized facility scheduled to open in the spring. The renovation
of the Connecticut Avenue entrance will soon be followed with the construction
of the all-new Kid’s Farm exhibit. And, a major part of the Zoo Renewal
Plan, Asia Trail, featuring sloth bears, Asian elephants and other animals,
has been designed and construction is slated to begin during 2003.
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