This elephant can't walk, so where is it going?
Carol Comegno
BURLINGTON TWP. – An elephant will lumber out of the vacant Burlington Center Mall this weekend but not under its own power.
The life-size elephant, a sculpture that was a meeting point for mall shoppers for more than 30 years, will not be traveling far because it has been donated to the New Jersey Arts Guild, a nonprofit in neighboring Burlington City.
Derrick Owings, arts guild treasurer, said the guild plans to lift the elephant sculpture out its fountain Friday for refurbishment and relocation with a goal of mounting it in Burlington City as an attraction, possibly on the city's waterfront promenade along the Delaware River.
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The announcement of the pending move came this week from the statue's sculptor, Zenos Frudakis of Glenside, Pennsylvania, in the midst of the mall ownership changing hands.
"We are ecstatic because this is an icon of our area. The guild intends to transform Burlington through the arts and make it a destination and the statue would be one of the most-see things to bring people to our city," Owings said.
John Xuereb, a spokesman for Frudakis, said the guild received the go-ahead to move the statue from Steve and Natalie Maksin of Moonbeam Capital Investments, which has owned the mall for six years.
The 11-foot tall, fiberglass statue with a boy riding atop became a white elephant with an uncertain future when the mall closed in September. The shopping center was nearly vacant before then, having lost its department stores and other businesses over a period of years.
Frudakis said the elephant, located at the inside mall entrance to the former Strawbridge and Clothier department store, was commissioned by Stockton Strawbridge and erected in 1982 when the mall opened.
The sculptor was a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts when he won a competition for the project — his first large work — and later sculpted the statue of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo that long has stood in the city.
“Mall owners Steve and Natalie Maksin have led the way on this project by being very generous, and the community has risen to the occasion. Everyone here has been wonderful to work with and we’re looking forward to restoring the sculpture on the riverfront for the community and generations to come," said Rosalie Frudakis, business manager of Frudakis Studio, Inc.
The elephant will be moved for restoration to a plant in Chester, Pennsylvania.
The Rotary of Burlington is financing most of the move for the guild. Burlington City officials must give their approval for placing the statue on the waterfront or another public site.
Burlington City spokesman John Alexander said while city officials are excited about the sculpture coming to the city, they have made no decision on a specific location.
Burlington City Mayor Barry Conaway said he appreciates all the parties collaborating to bring this "iconic work" to the city and the region"so residents, neighbors and visitors can continue to enjoy the beloved Petals."
Steve Maksin, Moonbeam CEO, said he and his wife first thought of moving it to one of their other centers.
"But then a community group approached me to donate it and because it has emotional value to me, I wanted to preserve its legacy by keeping it in the Burlington area and donating it to a nonprofit organization," he said Thursday.
He confirmed a mall sale is imminent but offered no details.
Carol Comegno: @carolcomegno; 856-486-2473; ccomegno@gannettnj.com
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