The Awakening

Seward Johnson

The Awakening

Measuring 70 feet in length and 17 feet at its tallest point, this gentle giant is a favorite place to snap a photo by visitors from St. Louis and beyond. The Awakening was first cast by sculptor Seward Johnson in 1980 for a sculpture exhibition in Washington D.C. Chesterfield Arts was commissioned to bring the sculpture to the Chesterfield community and The Awakening was unveiled on October 10, 2009, adding it to Chesterfield Arts' permanent outdoor art collection and the beautiful landscape of Chesterfield, Missouri. Find the Awakening just off the intersection of Chesterfield Parkway and Park Circle Drive adjacent to Chesterfield Central Park.

Image from rooftop of 16150 Main Circle Drive

 

The Awakening

Commissioned by The Sachs Fund and donated to Chesterfield Arts as part of its permanent public (outdoor) art collection, The Awakening was created by sculptor Seward Johnson and is a local favorite of the young and old alike. The giant sculpture was unveiled to much fanfare on October 10, 2009 adjacent to Chesterfield Central Park and weighs in at 4,700 pounds, measures 70-feet long and reaches 17 feet high at its highest point. Designed as a five-part, cast-aluminum sculpture, the larger-than-life bearded figure is a replica of the original Seward Johnson creation, located in East Potomac Park, Prince George County, Maryland.

Voted in 2013 by West NewsMagazine readers as The Best Place to Take a Photo, visitors to The Awakening in Chesterfield can feel free to climb on the sculpture and many have snapped wedding, prom and family photos alongside the giant.

The sculpture has also won the "Best Public Art" in Chesterfield four times and has been featured as a tourist draw in Midwest Living Magazine, St. Louis Magazine and other regional and national publications. 

Visit this extraordinary piece at Chesterfield Parkway and Park Circle Drive adjacent to Chesterfield Central Park. Don't forget your camera!

The Awakening by Seward Johnson

The Unveiling Ceremony with Sculptor Seward Johnson

Oct. 10, 2009, Chesterfield Missouri

 

  

 

Photos courtesy of Stacey Morse, Maurice L. Hirsch, Jr., Jeff Hirsch, Marian Hirsch & Inga Mockapetris

Learn more about The Awakening, the artist and the process on this short video on YouTube.com. Also, browse photos of The Awakening's arrival and install on Flickr.com.

Photos of The Awakening's installation can be found here: Photos from the Post-Dispatch

Special thanks to The Awakening and Community Unveiling Event major contributors: