The Arizona Capitol Museum literally looks up Winged Victory, the statue that watches over us from atop the Capitol's copper dome. It is a symbol of leadership and liberty, and all that our state strives to be. The task of recreating that beauty and authority in miniature takes an especially skilled artist, which is why it took 116 years for it to happen.
The Arizona Capitol Museum's new Winged Victory statue was crafted by renowned New Mexico based master designer Kay Frances, who dedicated her work "for all the people of Arizona." Kay Frances donated countless hours sculpting wax into the likeness of Arizona's beloved Winged Victory statue. While visiting the Arizona Capitol Museum, Kay presented details about how her art is made and shared examples from her 30 years as a jewelry designer. Kay's presented her design sketches and an example of the figure to be displayed in the museum's collection of archived items.
The figure, just like Winged Victory atop the dome , is based on a marble sculpture of the Greek Goddess Nike, which dates back to the 2nd century BC. The fundamental skills needed to make great sculpture haven't changed since that time. Kay Frances' art creates not only a connection to those ancient skills, but also brings Arizona into metaphorical contact with the forward-looking ideals of Greece's foundational culture. We are honored to have our master designer associated with such a renowned piece.
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"The winged victory- weather vane that sits on top of the old state capital building now the Arizona museum was a very interesting challenge to recreate. Since she sits on top of the museum I could only examine it from a picture. Throughout my life I have seen the presence of goodness. I think of these moments as being in the presence of Angels. The magical power of love and kindness is my own personal expression or inspiration. I am honored to provide my touch to a historic work of art."- Kay Frances