Mayor Richard Hatcher Sculpture Unveiling in Gary, Indiana

A life-size bronze tribute to a significant figure in the nation’s history was unveiled on October 9. A statue of Mayor Richard Hatcher was created to honor the first African-American mayor of Gary, Indiana, a major United States city.

Mayor Hatcher was elected at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. The sculpture stands atop a limestone pedestal in the public square of Gary, Indiana near the entrance of the building that houses the office of the current city mayor.

Over a year in the making, the tribute is the work of Gary Tillery. He is known for such other public art as the life-size bronze of Johnny Appleseed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the 9-foot bronze Jerry Colangelo in Phoenix, Arizona, and the centerpiece sculpture of the Chicago Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

bronze sculpture of a man