|
 |
| The Little Mermaid statue in Tower Riverside Park may have to be removed because local officials did not receive proper permission to erect it. |
 |
 |
| Kimballton, Iowa, with a population of about 300, also has a replica of “The Little Mermaid” in their Mermaid Park along Main Street. |
| | About Greenville’s Little Mermaid | • "The Little Mermaid" was made by Lakeview artist Steve Willison as replica of Edvard Eriksen's "The Little Mermaid" statue at the harbor in Copenhagen.
• She was given to the city of Greenville in 1994 as a gift from the Danish Festival Board.
• The green bronze statue stands approximately 30 inches tall and is bolted to a rock along the Flat River in Tower Riverside Park.
• The statue is part of the collection of Greenville city park statues that portray various Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales.
• The statue has been stolen and vandalized numerous times throughout the years.
|
|
6/20/2009 12:16:00 AM
‘An illegal alien’
Legality of mermaid sculpture in question
Jessica Dudenhofer
Staff Writer
GREENVILLE - The Little Mermaid statue in Tower Riverside Park has called Greenville home since 1994.
But that may be changing.
According to City Manager George Bosanic, the city was notified by letter from the Artists Rights Society (ARS) in New York City, representing the estate of Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen, saying the statue is illegal and may have to be removed.
"It had been brought to their attention that we have this illegal mermaid and they wanted to know if we had received permission to put it up," Bosanic said.
Eriksen created the original "The Little Mermaid" statue in 1913 as a tribute to Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. Sitting at the harbor in Copenhagen, Denmark, the statue draws an estimated 1.5 million visitors a year.
According to ARS Rights Administrator Chelsea Rhadigan, the managers of the estate of Eriksen want the statue to be removed since no permission was granted to create a replica of the famous statue.
"If such removal is not possible, then the Eriksen Estate is seeking fees for this unauthorized reproduction and display of 'The Little Mermaid' replica," Rhadigan said.
The ARS represents more than 50,000 artists, defending copyrights and acting as mediators between artists and the public.
"It's kind of a sad situation," Rhadigan said. "Sometimes the estate is willing to negotiate and sometimes they're not. It's very case by case specific."
She said the statue may not be an exact replica of the original but the pose and name are the same, showing it was at least attempting to replicate Denmark's version.
Kathy Jo VanderLaan, co-executive director for the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce and one of the individuals who helped bring the mermaid to the city, does not remember asking any formal permission to create a replica of the Danish Little Mermaid.
"None of us had ever done anything like that before," she said, regretting that they didn't think to ask. "I'm pretty sure we didn't get permission."
VanderLaan said the mermaid was never intended to be an exact duplication of the original, only another artist's interpretation of the famous statue.
Greenville isn't the only U.S. location to brag a replica of the Danish mermaid statue. The small town of Kimbellton, Iowa, has a Mermaid Park with an exact replica of the Eriksen's mermaid standing proudly in a water fountain.
"We've had our mermaid for many years," said Annette Andersen, president of a Danish group in Kimbellton and a volunteer at the Danish Immigrant Museum at the nearby Iowa city of Elkton. "We've had her about 35 to 40 years."
Andersen said that the original Kimbellton mermaid was made of a Fiberglas compound and was created by two college students.
"She'd been sitting there for years and started to disintegrate," Andersen said. "So we contacted the original sculptors and they gave us permission."
She said she hopes permission will be given to Greenville to keep their mermaid as well.
"I just can't believe that they'd make you take it down," Andersen said.
Bosanic said the Danish Festival Board and the city will work together to make an application for permission to keep the mermaid, hoping that Eriksen's family will allow the Greenville symbol to remain intact.
"But for now, she's an illegal alien," Bosanic said of the statue.
|
Posted: Sunday, June 28, 2009
Article comment by:
WhatTheHow
I would love to see hundreds of Little Mermaids pop up across the United States. I think I will build one and donate it to my city.
Posted: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Article comment by:
Marianne Wenneberg
As a Dane living in Denmark I feel very embarrassed to read about the greediness of the estate of Edvard Eriksen. Sorry, Greenville.
Posted: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Article comment by:
S of Copenhagen
I'll go pull off the original statue from the rocks it sits on and FedEx it to you guys. At least then no one can sue you for having a replica )
Posted: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Article comment by:
Mick
The Eriksen estate is notorious in Denmark because of this. These people have made a living out of suing people this way. What a disgrace!
Posted: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Article comment by:
Mikkel
Oh, God this is foolish. I'm from Denmark, and I actually see this as an honour to my country. What the heck, if it looks a bit like the one in Copenhagen. I'm sure that we somewhere in Denmark also have something that can be put in connection with USA. I'm actually not doubting at all.
Well, I don't see this as being discriminating to my country, and I don't think that any Dane thinks that.
Keep your statue, and money. We have plenty of both.
Best wishes from Mikkel, Denmark - 15 years
Posted: Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Article comment by:
James
Run to Meijer’s and pick up a box of blonde hair color, a nice blouse, and a pair of mean heels. I guarantee this mermaid will be “different” than the others.
Posted: Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Article comment by:
Danish Schmanish
Nuts to 'em! Let's throw the mermaid back into the river and change the festival from the Danish Festival to the Main Street U.S.A. Festival. Greenville still has the quintessential American main street, wich is getting rarer and rarer these days. Let's celebrate the Great American Hometown and EVERYBODY that has lived, worked, played and raised families here, rather than just one immigrant group!
Posted: Monday, June 22, 2009
Article comment by:
JustMeSue
Oh come on-----sounds like they just want a little money. Let's have a campaign to raise money for some worthy cause and call it "SAVE THE MERMAID"
Posted: Monday, June 22, 2009
Article comment by:
Jason D
This is just extortion.
Its not about the artist, its all about a big fat check from the City of Greenville.
Posted: Monday, June 22, 2009
Article comment by:
greenville granny
Do you mean to tell me that the mermaid by the Flat River isn't real?
|
|
Article Comment Submission Form
|
|
