To Honor the Immigrants

The artwork depicts an immigrant couple; the man carries a trunk and the woman holds an infant. It measures approximately 7 feet (2.1 m) x 4 feet (1.2 m), 5.75 inches (14.6 cm) x 3 feet (0.91 m), 6.5 inches (17 cm), and rests on a stone base measuring approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) x 64 inches (160 cm) x 4 feet (1.2 m), 4 inches (10 cm).^[1] Inscriptions on the base include the artist's name, "To Honor the Immigrants / The Strength of Our Nation / A Gift to the City of Columbus / From / United Italian Americans / For 1992", and a list of names associated with the Columbus Italian Club.

The sculpture was modeled in 1991 and dedicated on May 29, 1992. It was conceived by Mary Lou Casanta, who founded the United Italian Americans (UIA) more than three years before the statue's dedication.^[1] 21 organizations affiliated with UIA contributed $70,000 to the project. Ground broke in December 1991, and the work's dedication coincided with the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' landing. It was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in 1992.^[1]

• 1992 in art