A $30,000 bronze Firebird sculpture is taking flight in a gritty workshop on the outskirts of Lawrence.

The imposing 1,000-pound reproduction of Free State High School’s mascot should be ready by late March for installation on a massive base near the school’s north entrance.

Ken Wheatley, left, Lawrence sculptor, and Patsy Huffman, Lawrence, co-director of the Raise

On Thursday, Lawrence artist Ken Wheatley was on hand at Heartland Art Bronze’s foundry to inspect progress on his vision of the beloved bird. Wheatley, whose son graduated from Free State, has enjoyed working on the 7-foot-6-inch statue.

“It’s very satisfying,” he said. “The very nice thing about a sculpture is that my grandchildren can see it many years from now.”

Patsy Huffman, co-director of the “Raise the Firebird” project, said $23,000 had been raised during the past year to finance work on the sculpture. Several graduating classes at Free State are expected to make donations that put the fund-raising campaign over the top.

She said individuals interested in supporting the project can buy a “fire” brick with the name of a person, family or business engraved on the top side. The 150 pavers purchased so far will be installed this spring around the sculpture. Memorial bricks with a two-line message cost $100, Huffman said.

“One graduate of Lawrence High has one that says, ‘LHS 1952’ on it,” Huffman said.

She said the Free State Booster Club would continue selling pavers until a courtyard circling the bronze artwork was completed.

The sculpture will be placed on a 6-foot-6-inch base. The bronze will be coated with wax to protect it from vandals packing cans of paint.

Thursday, foundry workers were welding together pieces of the flame. Sections that make up the bird will be connected at some future date.

	A bust of Langston Hughes created by Ken Wheatley is on display in Kansas University’s Murphy Hall.

“These guys are doing a great job,” Wheatley said. “They’re excellent.”

Logistics of preparing the site for a monument and moving the piece to Free State means installation won’t take place until late next month.

A formal dedication is planned probably in May on a school day so students can attend, Huffman said.