Linda Clark, local artist, and Josh MacMillan, Hubbard High School art teacher unveil the new painted eagles as part of the Flight of the Eagles project. Staff photo / Bob Coupland

HUBBARD — An effort to beautify the community with various painted eagle statues also will help benefit the Harding Park Meeting House project.

“Flight of the Eagles” is a way to raise money to build a replica of an 1857 meeting house at Harding Park by creating at least 12 eagle statues. The statues, 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, would be placed throughout the community and uniquely painted or decorated by area artists.

Project organizers said it’s an effort similar to what many communities have done, such as Youngstown State University and its penguins and a similar effort in Warren years ago with the Goddess of Speed statues.

Two new eagles, one by artist Linda Clark of Hubbard, and the other by art students in Josh MacMillan’s art class at Hubbard High School, were unveiled recently at the high school.

One is entitled “American Ingenuity,” painted by Clark highlighting the working men and women of the country; and the other titled “It’s a Great Day to be an Eagle” was designed and painted by Hubbard High School art students.

Clark said Jugenheimer Industrial Supplies had requested she paint its eagle.

She is coordinating the “Flight of the Eagles” community art project” with Hubbard resident Mary Buchenic, co-chair of the Harding Park Meeting House committee.

Originally, plans were to unveil the two newest eagles last spring, but that was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. They are at the high school and their unveiling had to be held virtually, which is available on the school district website and Facebook page.

“We had this all ready to go in May but our plans had to be changed. There were some unforseen delays,” Clark said.

She said the first eagle entitled “Eagle in Literature” is displayed at the Hubbard Public Library and is sponsored by the Kerola Family. The statue for the library was painted in a literature theme by Clark and is covered from beak to talons with book covers about eagles.

PROJECT GOAL

Clark and Buchenic have said the meeting house, which once stood on Liberty Street, would be reconstructed for community and public events while showcasing Hubbard’s history.

The committee plans on incorporating much of the original structure for the house for educational and historic preservation purposes.

The group chose an eagle, the Hubbard schools mascot, for the project.

Clark said the committee has been working to get sponsors for the 12 eagles and work with a local artist to discuss how they would like the eagle to look. The artists can use different art media and any style. The sponsor and artist will all be named on a small plaque at the base of the statue.

“This is a way to show pride in the community. We can have eagles inside and outside different locations,” Clark said.

Plans are to get the eagles completed, then display them together publicly at different locations.

There is a plan for the end of the project to develop a map so people can visit the sites where the statutes will be.

STUDENTS HELPED

“We are so grateful the art students and their teachers agreed to take part in this project. The students did a fabulous job,” Clark said.

MacMillan said the students felt blessed to have the opportunity to take part in the project after being approached by Clark to be involved.

“Our students planned from the design to how they wanted to paint it. We appreciated being a part of this and hope to have more opportunities like this in the future,” he said.

Students in Dan Scarmack’s wood technology class designed the pedestals and plaques for the two new eagles.

MacMillan said students who took part in the project are listed at the base of the pedestal.

Hubbard schools Superintendent Raymond Soloman said the community has always been very supportive of the schools, including with this project.

“Whenever we reach out to our community, they are always behind our schools. The talent that our student body has is amazing. Recognizing students who are in the trades such as the woods or art … our teachers bring that talent out of our students,” Soloman said.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com