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Media DayTuesday October 23 rd dawned clear and had the look of a beautiful day. 
We began the day with setting up the tents provided by 3M for our use that day. Then it was rounding up the tables and chairs, also, provided by 3M. We began to assemble the displays and Florence Bird was unloading the various statues for display. We assembled the display table and each went off to our various activities scheduled for the day Our Media Day was held to kick-off our challenge from Pat and Janet Leamy that if we could fund one statue by 6-1-2008, they would fund a full statue themselves. We selected to challenge the confluence communities (Prairie du Chien, Marquette & McGregor Iowa) as well as the surrounding area, to support the John Lawler statue. Click here for the John Lawler Story. Also, we have decided to raise funds for a second statue – Emma Big Bear. Click here for the Emma Big Bear Story. Florence conducted a sculpture class at Bluff View Middle School in Prairie du Chien. She had her budding sculptors use some of the same methods she uses in the beginning of her work on any of the small maquette statues.
Shown below is a short article by the Courier Press (Prairie du Chien Newspaper) on students at Bluff View Middle School creating sculptures.  We invited the 4 th grade class from Prairie Catholic to come to the Mississippi River Sculpture Park and do rubbings from around the fire circle. Shown below are those students involved in creating ‘rubbing artwork” from the firecircle. 
Left is a short note from the Courier Press on Prairie Catholic 4th graders doing rubbings 
The LaCrosse Tribune also covered our Media Day and their article on the Mississippi River Sculpture Park can be heard through this wave file. A luncheon was provided to any quest who attended the program. We had our two challenge statues displayed, along with all the others that would be in the park.  Dave Skemp our our MRSP Board did research and created a draft model of the Pontoon Bridge (John Lawler was the inventor of the Pontoon Bridge – linking Prairie du Chien, Wi. And Marquette, Iowa.)  A program was held that introduced the challenge sculpture: John Lawler. Mike Douglass, curator of the Villa Louis Historic Site (adjacent to the Mississippi River Sculpture Park), gave an impassioned look at what made John Lawler so important to the area. Note the statue of Chief Blackhawk in the background of the picture (our first statue in the park). 
Rogeta Halvorsen, another member of the MRSP Board introduced our other statue we are supporting in our current fund drive – Emma Big Bear. Emma’s importance is a strong proponent of a native American way of life, who bridges the gap between our recent history into the 20th century. 
We were also fortunate to have our event covered by Channel 19 Television out of LaCrosse Wisconsin.
About | Sculptures | Fire Circle | Donations |
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