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Replicating the Ship of State Menorah for the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel The Reproduction and Preservation of a Historically Important Art Work for the National Archives |
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Another Sculpture at the Air Force Academy by Comstock Sculpture Studio
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The Alter in the Chapel of Air Force Academy thematically
carries the symbolic and metaphorical motif of the Ship of State.
To the credit of the designers and architects for the building this
motif is carefully reflected in the travertine alter and is echoed
by repeating the design in the two Menorah placed on either side of
the alter. The Menorah theme first appeared as Jewish Symbols of of sacred art during the wildrness experience during the Jewish Sojourn in approxi mately 1250 BCE and are repeated here incorporating the a secondary theme of the ship of state. The Ship Of State theme and its placement at the heart of the Chapel structure is a sober reminder of the relationship the spiritual health of the cadets and future leaders of the Air force has to the well being of the nation.
After nearly fifty years of use the candelabras in the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel were suffering from constant wear. The use of candles in the fixtures was causing some visual damage to the tiles on the wall of the divider and alter backdrop in the main chapel due to the deposit to soot and wax fumes from the burning candles in the menorahs. The gold and silver plated finishes of the Menorah's themselves had been damaged by constant scraping to remove the wax from the Menorahs deposited on them by the melting candles. The Menorah's and their setting were showing the effects of time and wear from constant use. Someone had expressed the desire to resolve the ongoing problem of soot damage and continual maintenance to the building by changing the Menorah's to electrified lighting fixtures. It was determined the appropriate steps to be taken were to upgrade the menorahs to electrical fixtures and replace the original fixtures storing the original Menorahs in an archive as historically important works of art. By careful examination of the above photograph of the Chapel you can see the evidence of the effects of the soot from the candles above the candelabras on the backdrop for the alter. In the attempt made by the Academy to find someone to create the Ship of State Menorah's the talent search eventually lead to Comstock Sculpture Studio and a contract was let to have the Menorahs replicated and prepared as electric fixtures. The production contract was let to Comstock Sculpture Studio on the 4th of March, 2002 by Neosource the art of Imagination with delivery of the New Menorahs expected by the middle of May 2002.
These photographs of the new menorah were taken at the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel on June,14th 2002.
Footnote: The Menorah were completed on May 16 and
the installation made to the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel on Friday
May17, 2002 The Menorah theme first appeared as Jewish Symbols of of sacred art during the wildrness experience during the Jewish Sojourn in approxi mately 1250 BCE and are repeated here incorporating the a secondary theme of the ship of state. |
