Document 1 of 1 Duke Ellington monument unveiled in Central Park Tatum, Elinor. New York Amsterdam News [New York, N.Y] 05 July 1997: 14:3. Abstract A monument to jazz legend Duke Ellington was unveiled at Duke Ellington Circle on the northeast corner of Central Park on Jul 1, 1997. The jet black, 25-ft-high memorial was sculpted by Robert Graham and depicts Ellington, standing by his piano. The statue is a gift from the Duke Ellington Memorial Fund, founded by Bobby Short. Full Text Duke Ellington monument unveiled in Central Park The four corners of Central Park are places of honor. On the southwest gateway to the park are monuments and a statue of Christopher Columbus. On the southeast corner is a statue of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Now, on the northeast corner of the park, one of the greatest jazz legends of all time and a Harlem hero, the great Duke Ellington, stands firmly with his piano and his nine muses to guard the entrance to the park and to Harlem from now until eternity. The monument to Duke Ellington was over 18 years in the making, and finally, the dream of Bobby Short, the founder of the Duke Ellington Memorial Fund, came to its fruition with the unveiling ceremony at Duke Ellington Circle on 110th Street and Fifth Avenue on Tuesday. Hundreds of fans, family, friends and dignitaries came out to celebrate the life of Duke Ellington as he took his place of honor at the corner of Central Park. The jet black, 25-foot-high memorial sculpted by Robert Graham stands high in the sky, with Ellington standing by his piano, supported by three pillars of three muses each. The muses represent Ellington's inspiration. Present at the unveiling were the three mayors of New York who helped bring the memorial to fruition: Edward I. Koch, David N. Dinkins and Rudolph Giuliani. In attendance were Mercedes Ellington, granddaughter of the Duke, Wynton Marsalis and Bobby Short, among others. In his opening remarks Short reminisced about his first meeting with Ellington at the tender age of 12. Koch talked about the fact that there were nine muses with the statue and joked that feminists, not the good feminists, but the radical feminists, were outraged at the monument. He countered that by saying, "Duke Ellington loved women and women loved Duke Ellington." The muses were his inspiration. The memorial is a gift to New York City from the foundation and Duke Ellington was a gift to the world. His music and this monument will forever live in the hearts and minds of all those who hear the sounds and see the strength in the monument that stands atop the park. Photo (Duke Ellington Sculpture) Indexing (details) Subjects: Art, Jazz, Music, Sculpture, Memorials & monuments, Sculpture Locations: New York, NY, Central Park-New York City NY People: Ellington, Duke, Ellington, Duke (Edward Kennedy Ellington) (1899-1974), Graham, Robert, Short, Bobby Ethnicity: African American/Caribbean/African Title: Duke Ellington monument unveiled in Central Park Authors: Tatum, Elinor Publication title: New York Amsterdam News Pages: 14:3 Number of pages: 0 Publication year: 1997 Publication Date: Jul 5, 1997 Year: 1997 Publisher: New York Amsterdam News Place of Publication: New York, N.Y. Country of publication: United States Journal Subjects: African American/Caribbean/African ISSN: 00287121 Source type: Newspapers Language of Publication: English Document Type: News Document Features: Photo Accession Number: SFLNSNYAN0997ANLS099000020, 04707975 ProQuest Document ID: 390441761 Document URL: http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/ docview/390441761?accountid=10226 Copyright: Copyright New York Amsterdam News Jul 5, 1997 Last Updated: 2010-06-25 Database: 3 databases - ProQuest Central - Black Newspapers - Ethnic NewsWatch << Link to document in ProQuest Contact ProQuest © 2010 ProQuest LLC.All rights reserved. - Terms and Conditions.