Washington State and artist Haiying Wu are developing a bronze statue of Billy Frank Jr. for National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. Haiying Wu is currently completing the clay model (pictured above). Explore the timeline below to learn how the statue was proposed and developed.
January 2021: Rep. Lekanoff introduces House Bill 1372
Representative Debra Lekanoff (D-40th) introduced House Bill 1372 in 2021 to replace the statue of Marcus Whitman in National Statuary Hall with Billy Frank Jr. The legislation notes that “Billy Frank Jr. dedicated his life advocating for equality, justice, and environmental protections. He fought to protect tribal treaty rights, native cultures and traditions, and the natural resources they are based upon.”
February 2023: the Committee forms and selects an artist
ArtsWA issued a call for artists in 2022. The Billy Frank Jr. National Statuary Hall Selection Committee selected four finalists from these submissions to present concepts. Haiying Wu’s concept placed Billy Frank Jr. at the edge of the Nisqually River with salmon leaping at his feet. The pedestal featured Billy’s common statement, “Tell Your Story”, along with his name. The Committee selected Haiying Wu to design the statue in February 2023.
Watch: Haiying Wu artist profile
January 2024: the Committee and Architect of the Capitol approve the maquette
Haiying Wu developed his design in consultation with the Nisqually Tribe, the Frank family, and the Committee. After the Committee approved his design, he sculpted a small-scale model—also known as a “maquette”—of the statue. The Billy Frank Jr. Statuary Hall Selection Committee and the Architect of the Capitol reviewed and approved the maquette. With this approval, Wu could now proceed to sculpt the full-scale clay model.
Watch: Creating the maquette
Summer 2024: Haiying Wu sculpts the full-size clay model
ArtsWA and the Nisqually Indian Tribe partnered with South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) to provide a workspace for Haiying to complete the clay model. Nisqually Tribal members blessed the space before work began.
Haiying started with an enlarged Styrofoam copy of the maquette. He first applied clay to the entire surface. He next began crafting the fine details, such as facial features and folds in clothing. Haiying’s full-scale model must be approved by the Architect of the Capitol before the clay can be cast into bronze.
Next: Foundry casts the full-scale clay model in bronze
When the Architect of the Capitol approves the full-scale design, ArtsWA will invite local foundries to bid on the final step: casting the clay into two bronze statues. The statues will then be installed in the State Capitol in Olympia, Washington, and in National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.
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