Snapshot (featuring Macaulay Culkin, Gary Coleman, Brett Ratner and Janet Jackson) - Lakewood, CO - Living Statues on Waymarking.com

"The people of Lakewood have been walking past Michael Jackson and his pals for 15 years — without knowing it.

In Addenbrooke Park sits a bench sculpture by Loveland artist Jane DeDecker. It was commissioned by Jackson 17 years ago — depicting Jackson as a young boy surrounded by his friends, also made younger, including Macaulay Culkin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaulay_Culkin ), Gary Coleman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Coleman ), his sister Janet Jackson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Jackson ), his niece Brandi Jackson and filmmaker friend Brett Ratner (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Ratner ). The other children in the piece are friends of DeDecker’s.

DeDecker, 44, met Michael Jackson at an arts festival in Los Angeles in 1992. She had a booth on Santa Monica Boulevard, and he stopped to admire her work, but within 10 minutes they were surrounded by fans. Jackson fled but returned the next day in disguise, bought two pieces and visited with DeDecker for about an hour. It was after that that Jackson commissioned her to make “Snapshot,” a candid scene of Jacko and his friends. He sent her photographs for the piece, which she still has.

With a touch of whimsy, DeDecker put a baseball glove on young Jackson’s left hand, which, she says, delighted the King of Pop.

Jackson had the original in his sculpture garden at Neverland. The one that sits in Lakewood is a copy purchased by the city of Lakewood in 1994 as its first piece of public art. It sits unidentified in a lovely setting by a lake in the park. Kathy Berls, who was president of the Lakewood Arts Council when it chose the work, said the city had no idea of any connection to Jackson until I called her about it Monday. Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy said Monday, “This is all news to me.”

Says DeDecker, “I just kept everything low-key, and I think he (Jackson) wanted it that way. He was just such a kind man. He loved my work and was always so supportive of me.”

She says “Snapshot” isn’t so much about Jackson as it is about multiculturalism and youth. “And that is still paramount,” she says. " (from (visit link) )

Visit Instructions:
At least one original photo, taken by the poster, of the statue. No internet photos.

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