New home sought for The Diamond's large sculpture of an American Indian

By: Will Jones | Times-Dispatch
Published: January 05, 2010

The "Connecticut" sculpture of an American Indian - a longtime icon of the Richmond Braves - is looking for a new rooftop home.

With the Richmond Flying Squirrels to begin play at The Diamond this spring, the Richmond Metropolitan Authority is taking steps to relocate the sculpture from atop a concession stand. Beginning Thursday, RMA will invite proposals aimed at keeping the artwork in the Richmond area and accessible to the public for years to come.

Based on four initial inquiries, "we don't think it's going to be a difficult process," said Linda McElroy, a spokeswoman for RMA, which owns and operates The Diamond.

Others aren't convinced, considering that "Connecticut" weighs an estimated 2,000 pounds, stretches 23 feet across, and will cost thousands of dollars to move.

"I think it's going to be a difficult process," said William J. Martin, director of the Valentine Richmond History Center.

Proposals will be due Jan. 29 and will be evaluated by the RMA with the help of a five-person committee that includes representatives of the Valentine and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The RMA board of directors will make the final decision on any sale or donation.

"Connecticut," a bust made of carved foam sealed in epoxy, was completed by local artist Paul DiPasquale in 1983.

After sitting atop a Best Products store in Northern Virginia, the artwork was moved to The Diamond to represent the Triple-A Richmond Braves. To avoid losing the sculpture to a buyer in Northern Virginia, Signet Bank purchased it in 1987 and donated it to the RMA.

The Braves relocated to Gwinnett County, Ga., last year and have been replaced by the Double-A Flying Squirrels, a team that had been in Connecticut and known as the Defenders.

The team didn't ask for "Connecticut" to be moved, but it supports RMA's decision, said Todd Parnell, the Flying Squirrels' vice president and chief operating officer.

"Ultimately, we decided that 'Connecticut' was not so much of a team icon as it was for the Richmond Braves," McElroy said.

DiPasquale, who still owns the sculpture's copyright, said he wants it to remain a visible tribute to the area's original settlers.

He said the piece ideally would sit on a twoto six-story building with a flat roof and said he has talked informally with representatives of the Plant Zero art center in South Richmond's Manchester.

"I think this is a real opportunity for it to function even better as a piece of public art," he said.

The Valentine has about 1.7 million items in its collection, including Braves uniforms, game balls and the last home plate from Parker Field, which was replaced by The Diamond in 1985. But don't look for the museum to make a bid to place "Connecticut" atop the federal-style Wickham House on East Clay Street.

"We've got the Duck instead," Martin said, referring to Diamond Duck, the R-Braves' retired mascot.

Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or wjones@timesdispatch.com.