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Peanuts Tribute
A Photo Tour Of Peanuts Character Statues On Public Display In Saint Paul
Peanuts cartoon creator Charles Schulz was born and raised in Saint Paul,
and lived in Minneapolis before moving to northern California. He is
fondly remembered in the Twin Cities. The city of Saint Paul ran a
series of tributes to Schulz's characters in the early 2000s by producing
several hundred fiberglass statues that were displayed across the city
in a manner similar to the famous cow statues displayed in Chicago in the
late 1990s. While few of those statues remain on display, several
permanent bronze statues have since been installed.
Eagle Triangle Peanuts Tribute
This bronze statue of Charlie Brown was commissioned by the Cossetta and
Mancini families of Saint Paul. It was created by the Tivoli Too studios
using the same design as the Charlie Brown About Town series that were
displayed across the city in 2001. Here we see Charlie wearing period
clothes, a hat, and carrying a suitcase. Woodstock the bird is similarly
outfitted.
Named Charlie Andiamo Americano, the statue is a tribute to the people
of Italian ancestry who settled in the Levee area of Saint Paul in the
early 1900s. The park is located near Irvine Park and the Science Museum
where Chestnut Street, Eagle Street, and Ryan Avenue converge.
Peanuts Statues At Lafayette Park
Five different statues were produced for public display and later sold
as a fundraiser over the course of 5 summers in the early 2000s. An
example of each statue, sponsored by Meritex Enterprises, Inc., is on
display in Lafayette Park along 7th Street East just east of I-94.
Peanuts On Parade debuted in 2000 with statues of Snoopy. This statue
is called Fishin' Snoopy and was designed by artist Cary Allen Armstead.
The Snoopy statues were so popular that it was repeated in the summer
of 2001 with Charlie Brown Around Town. This statue is called Tugboat Charlie
and was designed by artist Carol Halloran.
Looking For Lucy followed in the summer of 2002. This statue is called Queen
For A Play and was designed by artist Carol Halloran.
The 2003 event Linus Blankets Saint Paul featured Lucy's little brother,
Linus van Pelt. This statue is called Limericks By Linus and was
designed by artist Carol Halloran.
The final Charles Schultz tribute in 2004, Doghouse Days Of Summer, featured
Snoopy and Woodstock and Snoopy's famous doghouse. This statue is called
Bird In Paradise and was designed by artist Carol Halloran.
Peanuts Statues On Public Display
The Peanuts tribute statues have been sold and dispersed into private
collections following each event. A few remain on public display, such
as Lucy Barton, designed by artists Jodi Metz and Lynne Weber. It is
sponsored by the American Red Cross, where it is on display at 176 South
Robert Street in Saint Paul.
This Snoopy statue is Sir Lunch-A-Lot, designed by artist Gene Olson and
sponsored by O'Gara's Bar & Grill. It is currently on display at the
Associated Bank at the corner of Snelling and Selby in Saint Paul.
This Linus statue is named Sew Much Love. It was designed by artists
Julie Skluzacek, Tracy Leivermann, and Todd Hanks. It is sponsored
by Associated Sewing, where it is on display in front of their store
located at 690 North Snelling Avenue in Saint Paul. This statue has
been repainted since it was created in 2003, and the original accessories
are no longer displayed with the statue.
A colorful doghouse statue is located near the entrance of the offices
of District Energy at 76 Kellogg Boulevard West in downtown Saint Paul.
This statue, named Dog Gone Green, was designed by artist Marla Gamble and
is sponsored by District Energy.
Peanuts Tribute At Landmark Park
After the successful Peanuts tributes in the early 2000s, the City of
Saint Paul decided to install a permanent tribute to the characters
created by Charles Schulz. A series of bronze figures of between three
and four feet tall were commissioned. Unlike the mass produced fiberglass
statues, these figures would be shown in poses typical of what was seen
in past cartoon strips. In addition, the figures would have smooth
surfaces to be kid friendly. Patty and Marcie are on the east side of
Rice Park, while Chuck, Schroeder, Lucy, Linus, and Sally are across
the street in Landmark Park, both located in downtown Saint Paul.
There is no relationship quite like that between a boy and his dog.
Charlie Brown is sitting under a huge tree enjoying the shade and
spending time with Snoopy, while Snoopy is dreaming of being a World
War I Flying Ace, a world famous writer, or of being the first beagle
to land on the moon.
Marcie Johnson is Peppermint Patty's best friend. While Patty is an
athlete, Marcie is an intellectual. It would not be uncommon to see
her reading a book even on a warm summer afternoon. In the view below,
we see Woodstock (the bird) is reading over Marcie's shoulder.
Peppermint Patty is a star athlete. While her baseball team regularly
beats, trounces, and even destroys Charlie Brown's team, in this scene,
we see Patty playing football.
Above we see Sally Brown (left), Charlie Brown's little sister, and Linus
van Pelt (right) discussing the events of the day. Linus likes to see
himself as a mentor. Sally is in love with Linus. In the view below,
we see that Sally has a gift for her 'sweet babboo', but Linus will have
no part of it.
Lucy van Pelt (right) is seen listening to Schroeder (left) play the
piano. Lucy is in love with Schroeder, but Schroeder's love is playing
the music of Beethoven.
The Real Linus
The Real Linus statue is on display in front of the public library in
the south-central Minnesota town of Sleepy Eye. Sleepy Eye is the hometown
of Linus Maurer, a nationally known cartoon artist. Maurer attended a
Minneapolis art school where Charles Schultz was an instructor, and the
two became close friends. Schultz named his character Linus van Pelt
after Maurer.
The Linus Blankets Saint Paul series consisted of 91 statues. An
additional statue was commissioned by a group from the city of Sleepy
Eye to be a tribute to Maurer. This statue included a figure of
Snoopy sleeping on Linus's blanket. Linus had a heart on his shirt,
and was holding a large red heart that included the words I Love Sleepy
Eye. An unknown vandal stole the heart and Snoopy's nose in May, 2009.
The Sleepy Eye Police Department is offering a reward for any information
on this crime.
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