On September 17, Springville City unveiled a sculpture of the late Alan Curtis, who dedicated much of his life to improving the health and overall well-being of the residents of the city and surrounding areas.
Alan, who was affectionately known as “Al,” passed away on July 12, 2023 after spending over 50 years developing recreational programs, after school programs for at-risk kids, coaching high school football, among many other things. According to those who knew him best, Al was just an overall good guy.
One man who counted himself to be one of Al’s friends, is local sculptor Gary Lee Price. Prince was called upon by Al’s family to create a sculpture that represented their dear husband, father and grandfather.
“It was a great honor,” Price said. “Any time a local artist is able to portray a hero, icon and servant of the community, it is indeed a great honor. … To be able to create it as a sculpture rather than just a painting that somebody can just look at is even more awesome because you are able to interact with sculptures. With sculptures, people can help create a relationship with that person, even if they didn’t even know them.”
The sculpture that Price created has Al sitting on a bench with his arm across the back, as if to have his arm around the person next to him while engaging in conversation. This interactive sculpture allows those who visit the chance to sit right next to Al. Price said that it was important to create a sculpture that showed him as he was, which was a friend to all.
“Whenever our kids would go to the games while Al was there, we’d chat with him and he’d always joke around and he just always had wonderful, nice things to say,” Price said. “I got to know Al and his cool demeanor, and when creating the sculpture, I wanted to make sure it embodied that. I wanted to make sure he had a smile on his face, and I wanted his arm to be open and welcoming so that people could sit and have a conversation with him and be in a relaxed position. Fortunately, when I presented the idea to his family, they loved it.”
Al’s family, friends and community members who benefitted from all the good he did, joined together at Memorial Park for the unveiling of what is now known as the Alan Curtis Memorial Sculpture, with the hope that all who want to, can have a seat with Al.
