Remington "Mountain Man" Sculpture Dedication Dec 11
You are cordially invited to a sculpture dedication of Frederic Remington’s “Mountain Man” hosted by the Friends of Southwest Public Libraries on December 11, 2021 at 1 p.m. on the second floor of the Grove City Library.
Gifted to the library by SPL benefactor and Friends President Emeritus Laurina “Laura” M. Harper in honor of retired SPL Director Mark M. Shaw and retired Grove City Library Assistant Director Bethanne Gibboney Johnson. Dedication will include brief remarks. Masks required for attendance.
On December 11, 2021 the Friends of Southwest Public Libaries will publicly unveil and dedicate a gift of Frederic Remington’s sculpture The Mountain Man, given to the library by longtime SPL benefactor and Friends President Emeritus Laurina “Laura” M. Harper, in honor of retired SPL Director Mark M. Shaw and retired Grove City Library Assistant Director Bethanne Gibboney Johnson.
The sculpture, a limited edition issued by the Frederic Remington Museum of Art and The Liberty Mint, stands approximately 28 inches tall and is cast in pure silver. It will be permanently displayed on the second floor of the Grove City Library in a custom case sponsored by the Friends.
Mr. Shaw and Ms. Johnson retired from SPL in recent months, each after more than 35 years of dedication to the library. Ms. Harper shares not only a mutual and deep love of SPL with them but also years of friendship and respect.
Laura has owned and displayed the cast of Mountain Man in her home for over 25 years and has chosen to gift the sculpture in celebration of Mr. Shaw and Ms. Johnson’s many years of leadership and achievements. Frederic Remington (1861–1909) was an American painter, sculptor, illustrator, and author well-known for his depictions of the Old West, and both Mr. Shaw and Ms. Harper share a mutual appreciation for his work.
“I knew the time would come when I would have to find a new home for Mountain Man,” says Laura, who turns 99 later this month. “I wanted to find a place where it could be seen by many and enjoyed by many, and so I [had initially] willed it to the Grove City Library.”
But upon learning of Mr. Shaw and Ms. Johnson's retirements, Laura decided now was the right time to gift the sculpture in their honor. “They did so much to bring the Grove City Library to where it is today. It [is] a great achievement and should be recognized.”
About Mark and Bethanne
Mark served at SPL from 1986 to January of 2021, first as Treasurer, then as Operations Manager, and finally as director from 2002-Jan 2021. As Director, Mark guided SPL through both some of the library system’s highest highs and lowest lows, from the difficulties of major economic downturns and drastic cuts in funding, to the triumphs of passage of SPL’s first successful levy and the opening of the new Grove City Library and expansion of Westland.
Bethanne joined SPL in 1985 as a Reference Assistant before becoming the head of Reference and Adult Services, and then Assistant Director at Grove City in 2015; she retired in autumn of 2020. During her tenure, Bethanne was known for her friendly welcome, vast knowledge, and professional development of staff. She skillfully spearheaded the entire move of the the Grove City Library from Park Street to Broadway.
About Laura
Born and raised in Ithaca, New York, Laura cherishes literacy, education, and paying it forward. She and her late husband, John Harper, served as educators in New York before moving to John’s family farm in Pickaway County in 1975. Laura has strong ties to the library that goes back decades. She is the President Emeritus of the Friends of Southwest Public Libraries, and her late husband’s aunt, Irene Harper, served as SPL’s first librarian. It was always John’s wish to honor his aunt, and Laura established the Harper scholarship, awarded to staff members continuing their library education, in John and Irene’s honor. Harper’s Grove, the interactive early literacy area at Grove City Library, was generously sponsored by Laura.
About Frederic Remington
Frederic Remington (1861–1909) was an American painter, sculptor, illustrator, and author well-known for his depictions of the American Old West. "His subject matter offered a nostalgic, even mythic, look at a rapidly disappearing western frontier” and he enjoyed high popularity during his lifetime (metmuseum.org). His works continue to be popular today, and there is a musuem of his art located in Ogdensburg, New York. Learn more on the websites of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or Frederic Remington Art Museum.