Schulz Sculpture Dedication Set For March 3

Organizers plan for crowd at Depot Park site

For Immediate Release

Contact: Gloria Duncan 707/579-4073, or Pat Fruiht 707/543-3023 (City of Santa Rosa)

Santa Rosa, CA — January 17, 2001    It’s official. The long-anticipated unveiling of the sculpture of Charlie Brown and Snoopy, commissioned as a tribute to the life and work of Charles M. Schulz, will be dedicated on Saturday, March 3, at its Depot Park site in Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square. The ceremony will take place at 11 am.

Crafted by sculptor Stan Pawlowski of Long Beach, CA, the four-foot bronze statue features Charlie Brown with Snoopy at his side. It will be surrounded by an octagonal railing with panels of other Peanuts characters, also sculpted by Pawlowski.

“I hope that it just gives them (the public) a really good sense of well-being, that they feel happy from seeing it,” Pawlowski told reporter Miriam Silver in a Press Democrat interview last October. “I want them to think of Charles Schulz and the wonderful characters he's created through his work, how much joy he brought to a multitude of people.”

Lynda T. Angell, president of the Historic Railroad Square Association, remarked, “All of us in historic Railroad Square are delighted to have Charlie Brown and Snoopy with us in Depot Park. The sculpture will forever be a memory of their creator, Sparky, and that ‘warm puppy’ feeling.”

Last February, the City of Santa Rosa, Cultural Arts Council of Sonoma County (CACSC) and Community Foundation Sonoma County announced the formation of a partnership to raise funds for the sculpture. Over $250,000 of the $270,000 needed has been raised, including gifts from more than 500 people from all over the world. A limited number of maquettes, or small replicas of the sculpture, were also cast and will be given to donors of $10,000 or more. “It's so exciting to finally see this happen,” said council member and former Santa Rosa mayor Janet Condron. “This sculpture represents so much to our city and to the hundreds of people who helped make it possible. What started out as an idea of the First Night group of the CACSC to create a tribute to Charles Schulz has grown into this wonderful addition to Santa Rosa. I’m sure he would be very pleased.”
Donations of any amount for the sculpture are still welcome and should be sent to Community Foundation Sonoma County, 250 D Street, Suite 205, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Checks should be made out to “SCCF-Schulz Sculpture.” Only a few of the maquettes are available for a donation of $10,000 or more.

For further information, contact Community Foundation Sonoma County 579-4073 or the City of Santa Rosa, 543-3023.

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