Arts Advocates Receives Gift of Sculptor Frank Colson’s Doughboy Statue

October 27, 2021 – Sarasota

Arts Advocates is pleased to announce that sculptor Frank Colson’s wife, Diana, and son, Sean, have gifted the organization with a 12-inch bronze sculpture of “Spirit of the American Doughboy.” The statue, which is a replica of the life-size sculpture Colson was commissioned to create for Rev. J.D. Hamel Park in downtown Sarasota, is now on exhibit in the Arts Advocates Gallery, located in the Crossings at Siesta Mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, in Sarasota. The gallery will have special hours from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Veteran’s Day, Thursday, November 11, to honor both this gift and veterans. 

The memorial statue of a World War I American soldier – a “doughboy” – is one of the most reproduced life-size sculptures in the United States. Its original sculptor was Ernest Moore “Dick” Viquesney (1876-1946), who created it in 1920. Often referred to as simply the doughboy statue, its proper name is “Spirit of the American Doughboy.”

According to doughboysearcher.com, “While [Viquesney] wanted to depict an American soldier in battle, he didn’t want to depict excessive might or power … Instead, he wanted to depict the ‘spirit’ of the American doughboy’s determination to preserve freedom for their country and mankind.” 

In the 1920s, there was great national interest to honor those who served in the World War, and, like many cities across the United States, Sarasota had planned to obtain a copy of “Spirit of the American Doughboy.” However, the Great Depression halted those efforts. Decades later, Sarasota’s plan to acquire the statue were discovered. On Memorial Day, May 25, 1998, Sarasota got its full-scale bronze doughboy, created by Colson using molds taken from the genuine Viquesney sculpture in Clearwater, Florida. 

Beginning in the 1960s, Colson, who was a sculptor and ceramicist, created his works in Sarasota along with other notable artists of the Sarasota Art Colony. In 1964, the Colsons bought the house and studio of watercolorist Hilton Leech and established the studio as the Colson School of Art, which is now on the National Historic Register. Colson also led at the Manatee Art League in the 1960s and ‘70s. His work has been exhibited in Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and Sweden. 

Arts Advocates is thrilled to add “Spirit of the American Doughboy” to its current exhibit of Sarasota Art Colony artists. Regular gallery hours are every Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Docent-guided gallery tours are offered the first Wednesday of every month at 11:00 a.m.; reservations for tours are required. 

To register for gallery tours, and learn more about or become a member of Arts Advocates, visit ArtsAdvocates.org.