A massive, years-long effort to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal is nearing completion with a dramatic work of art to honor the workers. The final six bronze sculptures of the Lock Tenders along the Erie Canal are being finished at a foundry in Loveland, Colorado. Artist Susan Geissler recently traveled to Colorado to do some touch-ups on the artwork while in the wax stage. She reports things look very good at this point. She spent days closely examining the artwork that is broken up into pieces at this stage.

Ceramic molds are being built around the wax. The molds will be put in kilns — heated up — and the wax will melt away — leaving a chamber for the molten bronze to be poured into. This is why it’s called the lost wax process. The work is being done at the Bronze Services of Loveland foundry.

Once poured, and the ceramic mold is broken apart, the artwork will be revealed and welded into full pieces. Artists will then “chase” the weld seams — grind them down to the point you can’t see the seams. Then a patina will be added.

The plan calls for Susan’s husband Pete Henderson to fly to Colorado in August, and make the long trek back to New York with the finished cargo. It’s a drive he has made nearly 50 times on this and other projects. The six will be added to 8 sculptures already installed on steps next to the canal locks in Lockport, New York. The old section of canal locks, which was called “The Flight of Five,” has been refurbished.  Lock gates are rebuilt and volunteers are now demonstrating to people how things worked back in the day. The Lockport Locks Heritage District has an excellent explanation of the workings of the Flight of Five — a series of five back-to-back locks. On Saturdays in Summer, volunteers operate the rebuilt lock gates on the old stretch of the canal so the public can learn about our past. Hundreds of thousands in donations made the repairs to the historic canal possible. The current plan calls for a full dedication ceremony in mid September.