Artists from Kalona have been commissioned to create a life-size statue of Hayden Fry, former coach of the University of Iowa football team, for the City of Coralville. Steve Maxon and Doris Park of Max-Cast will be creating the piece. They share they’re in the design phase of the project and have started some drawings.

Park explains they do quite a bit of research early on to make sure they have the right articles of clothing. They then pose a model in the clothing and take photos from a variety of angles so they can see how the clothing wrinkles and where it falls. Fry will be shown with sunglasses and a baseball cap with a Tigerhawk on it, while wearing white polyester pants with Hawkeye on the leg and a certain kind of athletic shoes.

Maxon adds it is the first time they’ve made a statue of someone still living, so they have been able to get some measurements from Fry. They had a chance to speak with Fry last September and he has set some stipulations for the work, including having it high enough so dogs can’t get to it and that it not look like Elvis Presley.

The bronze statue will cost approximately $36,000 and is to be finished in time for Fry Fest on September 2nd.