Deceased Indiana politician Richard Lugar to be honored with statue • Indiana Capital Chronicle

To create the statue from the waist down, Hess drew inspiration from a place closer to home: the Lugar family farm.

“I asked (his son Bob Lugar) … ‘Where was your dad’s favorite place?’ And he didn’t waste a moment. He said, ‘Well, it was the farm,’” Hess said. “But it was actually the walnut grove that Senator Lugar really liked. I think the pastoral nature of it and his love of forestry — his love of farming.”

“I think his grounding as an individual and as a person — as a statesman — kind of brought him back home to Indiana. That was really his favorite place,” Hess continued.

In the final design, Lugar relies on an abstract column. A walnut trunk—formed from real bark from a grove tree—rises from the ground, morphing into an ionic column, the kind of structure traditionally seen on government buildings.

At the top of the column is a globe.

“(The commission) wanted to make it not just about Indiana, but about Senator Lugar’s global reach,” Hess said.

Lugar stands on a pentagonal platform that extends outward, with plaques engraved with some of his most memorable quotes and other information. The pentagonal shape is inspired by the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, which former President Barack Obama awarded Lugar in 2013.

Indianapolis Metalhead Ryan Feeney did a “wonderful job of creating the likeness,” Hess said, allowing the architect into his workshop to see the creation process.

“It’s really rewarding to go into his workshop and see him actually make it happen,” Hess said.

The bronze and steel statue is seven feet tall and weighs more than 800 pounds. The base and five other panels — surrounding the central statue and depicting Lugar’s life — weigh 1,100 pounds and add another 18 inches to the height. Because of the flat shape of the pentagonal base, the statue is about 12 feet in diameter.

Summary of the legacy

Richardson said Lugar was a mentor and role model for him for more than 50 years, especially after Richardson moved to D.C. to pursue his career in 1999. By then, Lugar had served in Congress for more than two decades.

“He was both able and willing to help others like me grow and succeed. He was never threatened by other people’s success; he truly believed in lifting everyone up,” Richardson said.

Lugar’s political career ended after he lost the 2013 primary to Richard Mourdock, who then lost to Democrat Joe Donnelly.

After that loss, the politician focused on founding the Lugar Center, an institute focused on the foreign policy issues that have informed much of Lugar’s career. The site touts his expertise in addressing issues such as global food security, nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, aid effectiveness and bipartisan governance.

“Senator Lugar charted a path for post-Cold War U.S. foreign policy away from nuclear confrontation and toward a safer, more just world. He believed the world was a better place when the United States led by example, based on pragmatism and principle,” said founding dean Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studiespart of Indiana University.