Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy News

Contact:  Laura Cook,
Marketing Communications Coordinator
412-682-7275, ext 220
lcook@pittsburghparks.org

Mary E. Schenley Memorial Fountain Dedication Scheduled for October 16

(OAKLAND – October 10, 2008) – The half million dollar restoration effort is complete on the Mary E. Schenley Memorial Fountain located in Schenley Plaza, and an opening and dedication ceremony is scheduled for October 16.  Created to acknowledge Mary Schenley’s gift and later sale of land to create Schenley Park, the fountain sculpture, by Victor Brenner, is entitled A Song to Nature.  The figures above the fountain are an allegorical depiction of culture taming nature.

The entire memorial has been cleaned, and the granite basin repointed and caulked.  Plumbing work has restored the flow of water through the turtles’ mouths into the fountain basin, and decorative bronze elements have been removed for cleaning and to provide molds for recasting missing ones.  The surrounding paving has been rebuilt, new benches acquired, and for the first time, lights will illuminate the fountain at night. Sidewalks are being narrowed (less pavement will improve absorption of storm water) and realigned for more direct pedestrian access to crosswalks. 

A generous gift from The Benter Foundation has funded lighting of the fountain which will commence on October 16.  To celebrate the light-up and restoration, a dedication will be held at 6:30 PM surrounding the fountain.  The fountain lighting coincides with the Pittsburgh 250 Oakland Festival of Lights that will light many Oakland destinations, including the Cathedral of Learning. 

In addition to The Benter Foundation, funds for the restoration project have been donated by: the City of Pittsburgh through its Allegheny Regional Asset District funds; The Howard E. and Nell E. Miller Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; The H. Glenn Sample Jr. MD Memorial Fund through the PNC Charitable Trust Grant Review Committee; and the Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation.  Significant in-kind donations have also been made by the City of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh. 

Perhaps best known as the designer of the Lincoln Penny, Victor David Brenner’s art was distinct and fresh because he combined his artistic talents with a tradesman’s knowledge of cutting and working the design in the metal itself.  A Song to Nature is a significant Brenner piece because it was his first large-scale public project. Harold van Buren Magonigle was the fountain’s architect.  It was originally dedicated on September 2, 1918.

“The fountain is an important part of the entrance of Schenley Park, as well as the history of Pittsburgh.  We are so pleased that this project’s completion coincided with Pittsburgh’s 250^th celebration.  It is a great time to get out and enjoy the lights in Oakland,” said Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy President and CEO Meg Cheever.

About the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is a non-profit organization which works to improve quality of life for the people of Pittsburgh by restoring the park system to excellence in partnership with the City.  Park restoration efforts are conducted with environmental sensitivity, respect for historic landscape design, and consideration of today’s recreational needs. For more information about the Parks Conservancy, visit www.pittsburghparks.org.  To learn more about Schenley Plaza and its programs, visit www.schenleyplaza.org.

For more information, please contact the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy at (412) 682-7275.         

Quick Facts about Mary Schenley Fountain

• The design of the Mary E. Schenley Memorial Fountain was awarded to sculptor Victor David Brenner after a much-publicized design competition that began in 1913. Brenner, a successful medallionist, designed the Lincoln Penny, which at one hundred billion impressions is perhaps the most reproduced work of art in the history of the world.
• Mary E. Schenley Memorial Fountain was dedicated on Labor Day, 1918. Evening festivities drew a crowd of 4,000. Earlier that day, the Pirates completed a double-header with the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field just a few hundred feet away.
• A Song to Nature faces Schenley Plaza, the grand entrance to Schenley Park.  Managed by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, the Plaza includes the grounds in front of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Frick Fine Arts Building, where the Mary Schenley Fountain is located. The Plaza recently underwent a restoration that transformed the space from a parking lot into a public green space, its original use more than 100 years ago.  Among the many amenities offered at the Plaza are free internet wireless service, a one-acre lawn and large tent, the PNC Carousel, four food and drink kiosks, moveable tables and chairs, restrooms, and ongoing entertainment.
• Victor Brenner, born in 1871, and Michael Brenner (father of Joseph Brenner), born in 1885, were Jews from Lithuania (then a part of Russia). Victor, who learned die cutting and tombstone carving from his father, fled conscription into the Russian army and landed in New York in 1890. Saving money he earned in the Lower East Side jewelry trade, Victor sponsored his entire family’s emigration to New York in 1895, including Michael, who soon manifested artistic ability himself and studied at the Art Student’s League; Miriam, a pianist and instructor; Samuel, who became a successful Bronx-based architect; and Morris, a silversmith. Samuel’s son Daniel, also an architect, later collaborated with Mies Van der Rohe in Chicago.
In 1898, Victor went to Paris to study at the Académie Julian and with France’s noted medallionist, Louis-Oscar Roty.  Victor returned to New York in 1906 to become a successful medallionist and public artist in his own right.