The Big Catch

The Big Catch sculpture will be presented to the History Museum in Gig Harbor as a symbol honoring the legacy, past and present, of all salmon fishermen.

HONORING THE LEGACY, PAST AND PRESENT, OF ALL SALMON FISHERMEN

The “Big Catch” Sculpture allows us to detach from the normal constraints of time to delve into the soul of the fisherman. The difficulty of his life is reflected in his notched ear, bandaged hand, bent wrist,
and sharply sloping shoulders as he hefts the 80 pound salmon. On August 21, 1909, photographer Asahel Curtis created the arc

hival image that will serve as the basis for the sculpture. The sculpture offers a glimpse from the Gig Harbor’s history and serves as a symbol of all those who have fished these waters for the great salmon. On completion the 6-1/2 ft bronze sculpture will be gifted to the History Museum in Gig Harbor in the Fall 2014 as a symbol of the strength of, and in tribute to, the countless families who have come from all over the world to pursue the magnificent salmon, bringing with them the skills and courage to fulfill their dreams. May this sculpture serve as a tribute to the men and women who had their lives forged by the enduring culture of our Gig Harbor fishing community. The Big Catch inspiration: Asahel Curtis

Asahel Curtis was born in 1874 about 50 miles south of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. In 1888, at the age of 14, he came to Sidney, (now Port Orchard) WA. He took over 60,000 images during his 44-year photographic career. A keen observer of people, places and events, Asahel took special pleasure in photographing the State’s natural resources and those employed in the related industries. The Big Catch sculptor: Douglas C. - Granum www.facebook.com/DouglasCGranum
Doug derives inspiration from such disparate places as the Jungles of New Guinea, plein aire painting in Russia’s northern Urals, trips down China’s Yangtze River, Serengeti nights under the stars, and commercial fishing in the storm-tossed Gulf of Alaska. He works in bronze, glass, stone, steel and wood. "My vision is a community statue to which all generations can relate and to which all in the community can attach their own legacy stories. Please join us on our journey to make the dream of our Legacy Statue come true. Thank you for your support of the Big Catch Legacy Sculpture Project.”
– David Senner,
Visionary & Long Time Gig Harbor Resident

For additional information on how you can donate you can reach us via email: [email protected]

06/07/2016

Some enjoyment of The Big Catch on a sunny day

04/16/2016

Beloved Ivan the Gorilla will soon begin crowdfunding for this life-sized bronze statue, also by Douglas Granum.

Look carefully at this sculpture of a gorilla. What do you see? It’s a statue of a real gorilla named Ivan. He lived in Tacoma for over 30 years—famous and loved and controversial. This sculpture commemorates Ivan, our feelings for him and the lessons he taught us.

04/06/2016

The sculpture has been 3D printed, and is at the bronze foundry.

Here the members of the Irwin family, who cared for Ivan at the B&I, get the first look at resin printed head and hand. They are joined by artist Doug Granum.

03/18/2016

It's a beautiful day at The Big Catch

03/14/2016

Douglas Granum is at it again!

The Beloved Ivan the Gorilla project will create, fund, and install a full-size bronze sculpture at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Learn more at belovedivan.org!

03/13/2016

Harbor History Museum is featuring Douglas Granum's collection of paintings for their first pop-up gallery.

01/21/2016

When we heard that January 20th was Day, we knew we had to join in the fun! We were a bit too big of a group for our marketing coordinator to take a true selfie, but a kind passerby took our picture!

Much love from the staff and volunteers of Harbor History Museum and "The Big Catch"!

09/09/2015

“The photo was taken 106 years ago, and we still don’t know who the young man was. But somebody must know.” Help us find this mystery man's family.

A 1909 photograph of a mystery cannery worker was the model for a new sculpture in Gig Harbor. “Somebody must know” the identify of the young man, says sculptor Douglas Granum.

07/26/2015

A bronze man holding a king salmon now welcomes visitors to the Harbor History Museum, and so far has been a photo opportunity for old and young alike.

07/10/2015

We are so pleased to have the giant fisherman resting with pride at the Harbor History Museum. He was well recieved and will stand confidently in honor of our local fishing community past and present.

07/07/2015

Creating a 7 foot bronze statue can take over a year, but you can enjoy the process in just over 5 minutes in this video from Kris Crews of Crews Photography & Video featuring music by Justin Tamminga .

05/30/2015

Thank you Rose and the GTCF for all your help with the Big Catch public arts sculpture project for the Gig Harbor community!

A tribute to Rose Lincoln Hamilton upon her retirement.

Address

4121 Harborview Dr
Gig Harbor, WA
98332

Website

http://www.gtcf.org/bigcatch

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