It seems every man and his dog has had his say about the Soufriere Square and its centrepiece, the Freedom Monument, nearly all of it dripping small-mind politics. No sooner had the opening ceremony been announced than political hatchet-men invaded the narrative. Little was heard about the local talent that had produced the beautiful symbol that is supposed to epitomize the struggles associated with the people of Soufriere in the time of slavery. It turns out the story behind the monument is quite a compelling one, especially as narrated by its creator Mr. Ricky George.
First conceptualized by the National Trust in 1997, the work was completed in 2008. Its creator recalls: “It was the winning entry in all three categories of the national design competition to create a work of public art that would commemorate the historical liberation movements on the island.”
Crafted at a Florida foundry, the monument was shipped to Saint Lucia in 2009 and left “sitting in a crate at the back of the Castries Comprehensive School for a number of years”. From there, the monument was moved to a facility in Massade.
The sculptor considered it laughable that “a national monument which was endorsed and paid for by two different administrations” was shelved and evidently forgotten for ten years. “It’s somewhat ironic that everybody now is making quite a show about it because it fits their political agenda,” observed the sculptor. “Succeeding administrations appeared in no hurry to have the work unveiled. I recall Prime Minister Dr. Anthony’s pledge to unveil it during his term in office, but obviously that never happened.”
Two years ago Ricky George was visited by the attorney general Stephen Julien. His visit had nothing to do with the Freedom Monument but, in the course of their conversation, the subject of the forgotten gem came up. As the sculptor recalled during a sit-down this week: “He asked about the piece. I told him it had been sitting in storage in Massade. Then he asked if I’d mind seeing it sitting in the Soufriere Square. I said I wouldn’t. So he called Herod [Stanislas] right then and there and, well, the rest is recent history.”
Stanislas called Ricky George the next day to set up a visit to the monument’s Massade home but the sculptor was unavailable. “I was told later that Herod had arranged a visit anyway with someone and they were amazed at what they saw. That is how the piece was incorporated into the square.”
This week PM Allen Chastanet told the STAR: “The District Rep had said the attorney general told him about the existence of the statue. It blended in beautifully with our government’s vision. What was earlier planned for the place where the monument now stands was a water fountain. I really was turned off when I learned about that. The statue was precisely what was needed. You couldn’t ask for a better representation.”
Back to Ricky George: “There’s very little reverence for art and artisans in this country.” Pressed to reveal what he was paid for his work, he reluctantly revealed that it was a lot less than other sculptors would receive for work of such calibre. A little research on my part revealed the figure normally paid overseas for such monuments was in the millions. This one cost just $156,000. “You could say it’s another gift from me to the people of Saint Lucia.”
George went on: “This piece exudes and reverberates the extraordinarily long and challenging journey from concept design to present. This Freedom Monument evidently awaited its own freedom by way of an unveiling on 1st August, 2019. It echoes the resilience and tenacity personified by our slave forebears for the aspiration of freedom.”
