2012 Miss Fancy statue
The Miss Fancy statue is a bronze statue of the beloved elephant Miss Fancy, displayed at Avondale Park, where she formerly reined as "Queen" of the zoo.
The statue was installed as the centerpiece of the plaza facing 41st Street South in 2012, shortly after the renovated park reopened. Not long afterward, it was damaged by a drunk driver and removed without fanfare to a storage room at Legion Field.
Ron Council of the Friends of Avondale Park began a fund-raising campaign in early 2014 to commission a new bronze fountain depicting the elephant at full size from a local sculptor. After Council's death, his son, Bryan took over the project.
While that campaign continued, Leslie Smukler learned about the 2012 statue's whereabouts and launched a separate campaign which raised more than $7,000 to restore it.
Sculptor Mike Chiarito re-attached a broken tusk and repaired scratches and other damage, and mounted the sculpture to a steel "circus platform" on top of a raised plinth. He also installed a solar-powered lighting and a pump to push a stream of water out of the elephant's trunk. The plinth is sloped to collect the water for recirculation. Central Steel Service and Bama Concrete contributed to the effort.
The statue was rededicated on June 18, 2021 at a new location, on the 40th Street side of the park, near Avondale Elementary School.
Neighbors have "dressed up" the statue of Miss Fancy for Independence Day and for the first day of school.
References
- Cope, Donna (June 17, 2021) "Miss Fancy the elephant returns triumphant to Birmingham’s Avondale Park." Alabama NewsCenter