Fresh off her 96th birthday, Nancy Schön, the prolific sculptor beloved especially for her iconic bronze ducklings in Boston’s Public Garden, is still at it.
But this time, she’s strayed from whimsical animals to bring a decidedly political art piece called “The Noble Journey” to the city’s North End.
Debuting on Sept. 29, the sculpture at St. Leonard of Port Maurice Catholic Church was conceived as a birthday present of sorts for the parish and its meaningful history as a haven for immigrant families, according to North End Historical Society board member Anthony Cortese.
“My family is three generations in this church,” he said. “They lived nearby, and ran a religious goods store for over 70 years.”
Cortese and members of The Friends of the North End wanted an art piece to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the church, which was built by Italian newcomers in 1873. They also felt strongly the work should highlight the legacy of all immigrants.
“Not just the Italian community,” Cortese, who directed the project said. “So to honor our ancestors is incredibly moving and why we feel so lucky that we found someone like Nancy Schön — and someone of her stature — that is willing to actually design the sculpture.”
Schön is known for her works inspired by children’s book creatures, like the 1987 “Make Way for Ducklings” sculpture and “The Tortoise and the Hare” in Copley Square. But some strong political feelings pushed her take on what could be seen as an artistic departure.
“I got really mad,” she recalled, “and I think what is going on with the way immigrants are being treated — the kind of anti-everything — is just awful. We should all be treated the same.”
“We’re all immigrants,” Schön, who is Jewish, continued. She reflected on how many Americans trace their family lines to other countries. Those thoughts inspired the artist as she got to work in her Newton home studio.
Schön walked slowly into the spacious, converted garage behind her house because she’s still healing after breaking her femur last November.
“I shattered it,” she recalled, “it was in pieces all over the place.” She was also diagnosed with lung cancer this year, but after the five weeks of radiation is doing remarkably well.
“So this is where it all happens,” Schön said with a smile as she opened the door. “Not all, but a lot.”
Schön has lost count of how many sculptures she’s created over her long career. To bring her latest to life she imagined the journey 19th and early 20th century immigrants endured.
“These people came because they wanted a better life for their kids,” she said, “and they made this really hard voyage, if you think about 150 years ago, how people were crammed into these boats.”
Schön envisioned what would’ve happened after they walked down the gangway to get off the boat. “They’re going to leave their footprints.”
She picked up a small maquette — or model — of the piece she designed to be an interactive gangway. It has 18 pairs of footprints etched into its surface for visitors to walk inside as they enter St. Leonard’s church.
To realize her concept as a 5-by-8 foot “carpet of bronze,” Schön called her partner at Sincere Metal Works in Amesbury.
For about a decade, Schön has collaborated with foundry man Dan Kendall. He cast “The Noble Journey” sculpture using 1,000 pounds of molten metal. Once cooled, his team clamped its four, thick, rectangular plates onto a huge table so they could be welded together by hand.
As always, Kendall is currently working on a bunch of pieces for Schön. After all these years he’s still amazed by the artist’s output and inexhaustible energy. As Kendall sees it, Schön’s legacy is sculpted into the neighborhoods around Boston, and beyond.
“Nancy’s work will be around forever — and she gets a big kick out of that, I think — how could you not?” he asked. “She does it because she loves it, and that’s why she’s still doing it too. This one is a really big one for her. It’s inspiring.”
After painstakingly perfecting the mammoth sculpture’s form, texture and patina, the foundry’s team drove the bulky work down to the North End for installation. Once on site, Kendall manipulated a manual crane to gently lower “The Noble Journey” into a rectangular hole in the brick walkway outside the church.
The group that commissioned the sculpture watched patiently as its heavy girth inched into its new home. Of course Schön was there, too. “I’ve only seen pictures of it at the foundry when it hadn’t been finished,” she said, “I can’t wait to see it.”
Then Kendall asked the small crowd if they were ready. After more than two years of planning and fundraising they eagerly responded, “We’re all ready!” A wave of applause followed, along with a few hoots and hollers.
“How do you like that color?” Schön asked, “isn’t that gorgeous?”
“This is a most appropriate time for this piece to be going in, and I hope that it helps people think about the fact that we’re all equal,” she then said. “It’s very moving for everybody — mostly me.”
Victor Passacantilli, founder of the Friends of the North End, was clearly touched. He looked down at the sculpture’s child-sized bronze footprints and said they reminded him of his mother’s journey from Sicily to the North End. “Those little footsteps are hers when she was 3 years old in 1920.”
The project’s director Anthony Cortese was smiling ear to ear.
“St. Leonard’s church gets one million visitors a year because it’s on the Freedom Trail,” he said. “And we imagine the impact on all the visitors who will walk in the footprints of their ancestors, because without them we wouldn’t be here today.”
____
Back in her studio, the sprightly artist wanted to share a slew of smaller political sculptures she’s been creating. Through these personal pieces, Schön has been venting her rage over issues including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, gun violence and what she called the three “broken” branches of the United States federal government.
She joked that most people will never get to see her personal pieces.
“But I can’t stop. I can’t remember half people’s names or a lot of words I lose — but I feel my creative juices are really hot and alive,” Schön said. “I guess it’s because I just feel I can say anything. There’s something about age where you feel you have a certain freedom.”
Then she laughed again and said, “I feel I’m a grown up.”
____
Nancy Schön’s “Noble Journey” will be unveiled at St. Leonard’s church in the North End on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 1 p.m.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
