The effort to put three bronze bear sculptures outside Kenai Municipal Airport just got a $25,000 boost from the Rasmuson Foundation. That’s after Kenai City Council members accepted the money Wednesday. If installed, the sculpture will feature a life-size brown bear sow with two cubs in a rock sculpture garden outside the departure gate.
To date, the project has raised almost 90% of its funding goal. Of that, about a third comes from two $30,000 donations from Grant Aviation and Three Bears Alaska. Other supporters include the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. Including the Rasmuson grant, the project still has $25,000 to raise.
Mary Bondurant used to manage the Kenai airport and is now leading project efforts. She says securing the Rasmuson grant means her group can move forward with an artist contract for the biggest piece of the project – the sow sculpture.
“We’re very excited to share this with the community, not just as art, but as a symbol of what’s possible when the community of the Kenai Peninsula comes together,” she said.
Paul Ostrander sits on Rasmuson’s board and used to be Kenai’s city manager. He says the sculpture will do “great things for the airport.”
“It’s going to be the first thing people see when they come to the City of Kenai,” he said. “I’m really excited about that.”
The Kenai Bronze Bear Family Sculpture Project kicked off in 2023. Project leads unveiled a scale model of the sculpture earlier this year, when roughly half of the project funds were raised.
Bondurant says the bears are scheduled to arrive in Kenai from Utah next month. She says their team plans to hold an unveiling at the end of October.
