Stories related to: statue

A federal arts panel is demanding changes to a colossal statue of Martin Luther King Jr. planned for the heart of Washington because commissioners think King looks too "confrontational," almost like a dictator, reports the Washington Post . The 28-foot-tall statue is to be the centerpiece of a 4-acre King memorial scheduled to be finished next year, but the panel has the clout to hold things up. More »

A Finnish tourist is facing an imposing sentence for cracking an ear off one of Easter Island's ancient monoliths, the Guardian reports. A local woman saw him snap the ear off the 13-foot statue. It shattered in several pieces as it fell to the ground, and he fled with one of the bits clutched in his hand, said authorities. A Finnish diplomat said the man, 26, deeply regrets his "sudden, impulsive crazy idea." More »

Milwaukee’s about to get way cooler. Thanks to private donations and teenagers who bought “Bronze the Fonz” T-shirts, the tourist bureau has raised $85,000 to erect a permanent bronze tribute to Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, the leather-jacketed biker in the Milwaukee-set '70s hit sitcom “Happy Days.” But the the local art community isn't impressed; one gallery is even said to be closing in protest. More »

University of Washington students are petitioning for the right to build a statue of Bruce Lee, the film icon who studied at the university for three years and offered martial arts classes at the student union. Students argue the statue would be step toward better artistic representation of the school's student body, 25% of which is Asian. More »

The largest online poll ever conducted wrapped up yesterday, and today the results became official. The seven wonders of the modern world, which were announced in Portugal, include an Asian engineering triumph and a South American religious monument, but not the Great Pyramid of Giza—the Egyptian government refused to cooperate with the competition. More »

The House wants Lady Liberty's crown reopened to visitors intrepid enough to make the climb, and for the second year in a row has set aside $1 million for the National Park Service to figure out how to do it. Since 9-11 only the pedestal at her feet has been accessible; officials say the narrow staircase to the top is a fire-hazard and terror risk. More »

The former Iraqi weightlifting champion who used a sledgehammer to topple the infamous 20-foot-tall bronze statue of Saddam Hussein four years ago now feels remorse at his symbolic role in the US victory. "I really regret bringing down the statue," Kadhim al-Jubouri says. "The Americans are worse than the dictatorship. Every day is worse than the previous day." More »