EDMOND—The Swans in Flight bronze sculpture, which adorned Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Tex., for over 40 years, was transported to Oklahoma on August 11. It is currently being prepared for its new home: Armstrong Auditorium.
The large bronze sculpture is the work of world-famous London sculptor Sir David Wynne. The five birds depict the five stages of a swan taking flight. The length of the sculpture, with all five birds in total, is 25 feet, and each bird has a wingspan of a little over 12 feet. Once assembled in a 120-foot-long reflecting pool in front of Armstrong Auditorium, the swans will soar approximately 13.5 feet above the water level. Under the action of water jets, the birds will give an impression of being in motion.
Prior to disassembling the birds in Big Sandy, church officials made several reconnaissance visits to the site. Then on August 10, a day before the scheduled dismantling of the birds, they visited the site along with the professionals who would refurbish the sculpture to begin work on the dismantling process. On the morning of August 11, with the help of a 40-ton crane, the five birds were disassembled and loaded onto two trailers. The crane operator estimated the heaviest bird to weigh about 1,600 pounds.
After their arrival in Oklahoma, Pastor General Gerald Flurry inspected the swans to determine exactly how much repair and restoration work they would need. Due to aging and previous repairs the swans will have to be refinished with a new patina. The church hopes to preserve the same color as the original finish.
Once the minor repairs and refinishing are complete, the sculpture will be assembled on-site at Armstrong Auditorium the same way that it was installed originally at Big Sandy.
