Paul DiPasquale is a well-known contemporary sculptor who lives in Richmond, Virginia. Born in New Jersey in 1955, he received his undergraduate degree in sociology and art from the University of Virgina. His MA in sculpture was from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has been an instructor, resident artist, and visiting artist at Northern Virginia Community College, Maryland Institute College of Art, College of William and Mary, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
“Connecticut” (2010)
“Connecticut” (1983) (13’ x 25’ x 9’) (fiberglass and resin) (2,400 pounds) is a large sculpture of an American Indian that was created for the roof of a liquor store in Washington DC. The Native American word is quinnehtukgut, and means “beside the long tidal basin.” “Connecticut” looked over the tidal basin of the Potomac River. A dispute among the owners of the store caused DiPasquale to look for a new home for the sculpture. CBS, ABC, NBC, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press took up story. The New York Times wrote “Connecticut” was “the only Native American statue in the Capital of America.”
“Connecticut” is a striking image. His strong hands grasp the roof top as he pulls himself forward with his muscular shoulders and arms to look over the land below. He is not frightening, rather he is curious to see what his land has become. He is a remarkable presence. His journey was just beginning.
The Best Products Company, owned by the Lewis’s who actively supported and collected up-and-coming artists’ work, leased “Connecticut” in 1983 and placed the sculpture on top of the Bethesda showroom on September 1983. It brought lots of publicity, was very popular, and remained there for only eight months. Montgomery Country refused any further permits.
“Connecticut” found a new home in 1985 atop a concession stand at The Diamond stadium of the Richmond Braves. It was a Richmond landmark for 25 years until the Braves moved to Georgia in 2009. Before the move in 2009, “Connecticut” had been declared a historic landmark by the American Institute of Architects.
“Connecticut” (2010), the image in this article, found another new home in Richmond on the roof of the Power Plant at the Lucky Strike building overlooking the James River, where it remained a feature of the Richmond city skyline. As of 2019, “Connecticut” has been in storage needing repair after decades of deterioration. Calls to have the sculpture returned continue.
”Headman ” (1993)
Di Pasquale won the original “Headman” sculpture commission in 1988. The commission was to create a statue as a memorial to the African American bateaumen, important to the economic development and prosperity of Richmond in the 18th and 19th Centuries. The commission was not large, but DiPasquale, a new resident of Richmond, stated, “The Headman project really peels back a part of history of Richmond that people still aren’t aware of. Many of the boatmen – called headmen – who steered and poled and oared the barges and boats through Richmond’s canal system were freed blacks, along with indentured workers from Ireland and England. That was what got me interested in the commission…to honor the black contribution to the success of the canal system.” The original “Headman” (1988) (fiberglass) disappeared in May 1989. The legs of the statue were sawed off, and the work was missing until October when the vandalized statue was found in Hanover County shot with over 400 bullet holes. The case has not been solved. Infuriated citizens of Richmond raised $25,000. to have DiPasquale recast the memorial in bronze.
“Headman” (1993) (14’ high with a 23’ sweep of the oar) was installed in the same location on Brown’s Island near to Haxall Canal, but with a protective fence. The African American headman stands with his hands on the oar, looking over his shoulder, his legs, back, and arms row the boat over the canal. The boat is real and made of cypress and oak, the back removed. DiPasquale carved the oar. The work inspired the Richmond flag committee to place the headman at the center of their new city flag in 1991. Nine stars surrounding the headman represent the nine states that were originally Virginia lands.
”Arthur Ashe” (1992)
DiPasquale met Richmond native, tennis champion, and civil rights supporter Arthur Ashe (1943-1993) in 1992. He made nine pencil and crayon sketches of Ashe in preparation for a statue. Approving the sketches Arthur’s wife, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, suggested a non-profit organization, Virginia Heroes, as a possible source of funding. Virginia Heroes raised the necessary $400,000.
”Arthur Ashe Memorial” (1996)
“Arthur Ashe Monument” (1996) (12-foot-tall bronze figure) (21-foot-tall granite pedestal) (87,000 pounds) depicts Ashe in a warmup suit, surrounded by children. He holds a tennis racket in one hand and a group of books in the others. The books are placed higher than the tennis racket at Ashe’s request to emphasize the importance of education over sports. The sculpture was designated a National Historic Landmark as a representative of the Old and the New South (December 1997).
‘Arthur Ashe Memorial” (detail)
DiPasquale was familiar with disagreements concerning his work. The Ashe family and others in Richmond felt the memorial should be placed on Monument Avenue where several statues of Confederate generals including Robert E. Lee, Jeb Stuart, and Jefferson Davis were placed between 1890 and 1929. The controversy over the placement of the statue was intense and was covered by the national press. DiPasquale was criticized by a local gallery owner who stated his work was “of very limited artists merit” and was forced on the city without review by art experts. The city council voted 7-0 in favor of Monument Avenue. Di Pasquale was named the 1996 Richmonder of the Year for his sculpture of the Ashe Memorial. The George Floyd protests in Richmond in 2020 resulted in most of the Confederate statues being removed from Monument Ave. The Arthur Ashe Memorial remains.
DiPasquale held a visiting artists position at the American Academy in Rome in 1996 and 1998.
”Dr. Martin Lurther King, Jr Monument” (2004)
DiPasquale’s sculptures have not always been controversial. The Martin Luther King Foundation of Hopewell, Virginia, commissioned a portrait bust to celebrate Dr. King’s visit to the Hopewell Courthouse on March 29, 1962. “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr” (2004) (8’ tall) (bronze with granite base) DiPasquale chose to depict King with folded arms and a pen in his right hand. The inscription reads “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Martin Luther King III described the work as “of the very many, one of the very few which actually look like my father. I am very pleased with his presence in this likeness.”
”Neptune” (2005)
After an international search the commission for “Neptune” (2003-2005) (bronze) (34’ tall) (12 tons) was awarded to DiPasquale. Commissioned by the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, formerly the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia Beach, “Neptune” is placed at the entrance to Neptune Park on the Virginia Beach boardwalk. Local businesses raised the funds for the project through private donations in just 120 days. The sculpture was a gift from the community to the Virginia Beach City Council. The City has held an annual Neptune Festival since 1974 to celebrate its maritime legacy. Neptune is the Roman god of the sea and freshwater, and of earthquakes and horses.
Rising from a rock base, 12’ tall, with an octopus, 8’ across, and two dolphins, 17’ and 15’ long, Neptune, 10’ tall, holds the shell of a loggerhead turtle, 11’ in diameter. He looks out to sea. The trident is the symbol of his power.
The scale of the sculpture required that it be cast in three sections. DiPasquale and his partner and friend James Xu worked in a Chinese foundry where the ancient lost-wax technique was used. The three pieces were then shipped to Richmond and welded together in place. DiPasquale intended the image to remind viewers of the damage done to the environment and the sea by human pollution. The ancient Romans held the festival of Neptune in July. The 51st Neptune Festival on the Virginia Beach boardwalk will be held this year from September 26 until September 28.
In 2005 the NAACP awarded DiPasquale the Spingham medal, the highest honor awarded by the organization. DiPasquale continues to exhibit his work in America and in Europe. Among his recent works is the “Memorial to Fallen Officers” (2013) (bronze and granite) (20’ tall), commissioned by the Virginia Beach Police Association as a tribute to 14 officers who died while performing their duties. A sculpture (2014) (7’ tall) of Jimmy Dean, the singer and breakfast meat king, was commissioned for the Jimmy Dean Museum in Plainview, Texas. Another recent work is a portrait bust (2020) of Richmond lawyer Oliver W. Hill, an African American, who prosecuted the case against segregation in Brown v. Board of Education. Other work is in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the Baltimore Aquarium.
“I think we need more public art, and Richmond has a good reputation as an art-friendly city. One of the things I love most about our town is that we have many monuments and statues honoring our great Richmonders.”
Writer’s Note: Paul DiPasquale and I were colleagues at Northern Virginia Community where I taught art history. I remember “Connecticut.” BHS
Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years. Since retiring to Chestertown with her husband Kurt in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and the Institute of Adult Learning, Centreville. An artist, she sometimes exhibits work at River Arts. She also paints sets for the Garfield Theater in Chestertown.
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