Max Ehrmann was once a fixture at the corner of Seventh Street and Wabash Avenue in Terre Haute, sitting and watching people pass. Fans of his beloved poetry should soon find Ehrmann’s image there again.
A group in Terre Haute, his hometown, is working to establish a memorial to Ehrmann on the northwest corner of Seventh and Wabash. This group, the Cultural Trail Alliance, includes interested citizens from a variety of local arts, historical and civic agencies and organizations. Their goal is to create a lasting tribute to Ehrmann and his works, and later do the same for Terre Haute’s other internationally known icons, such as Eugene V. Debs.
The alliance’s plan calls for a bronze sculpture of Ehrmann, seated on a park bench. A few memorable passages from his renowned “Desiderata” will be set in bronze and embedded into the path leading to the bench. Visitors will be able to sit down next to Max and read the full text of that poem — a call for peace, serenity and understanding — positioned in a bronze plaque near the foot of the bench.
The shrine would be not only a fitting tribute to Ehrmann, but also a tourist destination for his legion of admirers. “Desiderata” is still quoted 63 years after the death of Ehrmann, who lived from 1872 to 1945. Its opening line is a literary classic: “Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.”
Terre Haute artist Bill Wolfe crafted a maquette of the proposed Ehrmann memorial for the Cultural Trail Alliance, and he is poised to build the actual seated statue. First, the group must secure funding and donations from potential contributors. The alliance is operating under the umbrella of Wabash Valley Art Spaces, a nonprofit organization that develops public outdoor sculpture throughout the area. Their target is to have the project completed by late October.
Ehrmann represents a positive link between Terre Haute and the world. We urge individuals, businesses and other entities to actively assist the alliance, and give Max a permanent spot at the Crossroads of America.
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Cultural Trail Alliance working to establish memorial to famous poet
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