This weekend the village of Celoron, located just outside of Jamestown, will host the formal unveiling of a new statue paying tribute to its most famous native, actress and comedienne Lucille Ball. Fans of the late star have been eagerly awaiting this statue, which replaces a Lucy hardly anyone loved upon its introduction.
Carolyn Palmer was awarded the task of creating a new Lucille Ball statue last year. Her portfolio includes sculptures of notable figures including Thomas Jefferson, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and more recently Pope Francis. Palmer explained that she had just finished up her sculpture of the pope, a work that was to be delivered to the pontiff's residence, when she submitted a bid to create a new Lucille Ball statue.
She readily admits she's been nervous about the response her statue will get, knowing the backlash against the statue that her work will replace.
"Yes, major fear," Palmer said with a laugh during her interview with WBFO. "I would love, for the most part, that people would love the statue. She was She was so loved by them and I hope her family likes the statue."
The original statue unveiled in Lucille Ball Memorial Park, created in 2009, portrays Ball performing in the "Vitameatavegamin" episode of her I Love Lucy television series. The public immediately panned it as "scary" looking.
Palmer says her statue will not focus on Ball's television character but will, instead, reveal her energetic, confident side.
"I wanted to show her off in the best possible face that I could," Palmer said. "I looked at all of her glamor shots online. She portrayed herself very glamorous."
Following the introduction of the "Scary Lucy" statue, a campaign raised funds to commission its replacement.
