Submitted
Italian sculptor Alessandro Lombardo has completed work on the larger-than-life sculptureinspired by Batman, designed by Chinese artist Jiannan Wu, using a 10-ton block of marble donated by Vermont Quarries. will be unveiled along the Rutland Halloween Parade route.
Wednesday, Oct. 25 at Noon—RUTLAND—A marble sculpture inspired by DC’s Batman and DC comic book creators will be unveiled along the Rutland Halloween Parade route.
Italian sculptor Alessandro Lombardo has completed work on the larger-than-life sculpture designed by Chinese artist Jiannan Wu, using a 10-ton block of marble donated by Vermont Quarries.
The sculpture features Rutland Halloween Parade organizer Tom Fagan, whose connections with comic book artists helped make the parade famous across the country. In the early ‘70s, comic book creators attended the parade and huge parties that followed and incorporated Fagan and the City of Rutland into numerous story lines in more than two dozen comic books.
The sculpture that features Fagan dressed as Batman, who stands face to face with the DC Super Hero is installed on West St., just west of Cottage St.
Organizers are excited to finally have Batman along the parade route as the sculpture was expected to be completed in time for the 2022 Halloween parade, but cold weather and the pandemic slowed the carving.
“We can’t wait to unveil the result of Alessandro and Jiannan’s efforts,” organizers said. “It is a powerful, fun piece of art with deep connections to the parade’s history, and Batman’s role in it.”
Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 on March 30, 1939, and has stood as a symbol of determination, courage, and justice to generations of fans for over 80 years. He has influenced every area of modern entertainment, appearing in countless DC comic books, Saturday morning cartoons, television series, video games, theme parks, toys, collectibles, and apparel and lifestyle products, as well as blockbuster animated and live-action films. Batman continues to be one of the most popular DC super-heroes ever created.
The piece has been funded by lead donors Captain Credit Union and Heritage Family Credit Union and Green Mountain Power, The City of Rutland, Davey Tree Expert Company, Downtown Rutland Partnership, Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty, PEGTV Channels 1075, 1085 & 1095, Rob and Colleen Mzitchell, Russ and Renee Marsan, Rutland Blooms, Sara and Greg McClallen, Steve and Jane Costello, and TPW Management.
The Rutland Sculpture Trail began in 2017 as a community project centered at the West Rutland Carving Studio and Sculpture Center, to create art and interest in downtown, generate community pride, and highlight local and regional history. Batman will join 11 pieces already carved and installed in downtown Rutland, with several others in various stages of development, including a large piece honoring Ernie Royal, the Black owner-chef of Royal’s Hearthside restaurant.
DC, a Warner Bros. Discovery Company, creates iconic characters, enduring stories, and immersive experiences that inspire and entertain audiences of every generation around the world and is one of the world’s largest publishers of comics and graphic novels. As a creative division, DC is charged with strategically integrating its stories and characters across film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, interactive games, and the DC Universe Infinite digital subscription service and community engagement portal. For more information visit dc.com.
