Dear Tucsonans and Arizonians

On behalf of the Arizona Buffalo Soldiers Association, we would like to invite you, your organization and other organizations in the Tucson community to join us as we propose to the Mayor and Council our plans to establish a Buffalo Soldiers Monument here in the city of Tucson, Arizona. We are asking you to help us raise the funds needed to build this Project. The Project will cost about $1,000,000. The City of Tucson has given us an appropriate place to exhibit it. We have invited _________ to be our Guest speaker at our Fundraiser.

The Arizona Buffalo Soldiers Association Banquet will be held 

17 October 2008

7:00 PM

Inn Suite Hotel

Tucson Ballroom

475 E. Granada Ave. Tucson, AZ 85705.

Please save the date

Our goal is to have all the funds in place for the Project by December 2008.

We are planning to have a public showing Mr. Dwight’s model and would like for him to be able to unveil his plans for the Project, for the public.

We sincerely believe that a project such as the one that we are proposing would be greatly beneficial for the economy of Tucson while simultaneously honoring those brave Americans who protected and served for so many years on the western frontier of our great nation. We believe and hope that you believe that this is a project worth supporting.  We are asking you and your organization for a letter of support for this project.      

            Our goal is to continue diligently working to get community support for this project. Our objective is the completion of a project of which the entire community can be proud for many years to come.

Please respond as soon as possible as we must get started with the fundraising ASAP.

                                                                               Sincerely,

INFORMATION ABOUT ED DWIGHT

Mr. Dwight is a man of many outstanding accomplishments which include:

·         former Air Force Test Pilot

·         America's first African American Astronaut Trainee

·         computer systems engineer

·         aviation consultant

·         restaurateur

·         real estate developer

·         construction entrepreneur

He can best be described as embracing all aspects of the true "renaissance man".

              At first glance, it should be noted that Mr. Dwight has been extremely successful in many areas throughout the years. However, for the last twenty-five years he has focused creative attention in the areas of fine art and sculpture projects.  His first serious artistic undertaking began with a commission to create a sculpture in 1976. Since that time, he has become “one of the most prolific and insightful sculptors in America.”

              George Brown, Colorado's first Black Lt. Governor was the subject of his first commission. As a direct consequence of the artistic impact of his first project, the Colorado Centennial Commission soon commissioned Mr. Dwight to create a series of bronzes entitled "Black Frontier Spirit in the American West".   This series of fine sculptures depicted the contributions African Americans made to the opening of the American West. 

As you are well aware, very few facts were written about the Black pioneers, explorers, trappers, farmers or soldiers.  Mr. Dwight, using his unique artistic style and skills, has opened the minds of numerous viewers to the heretofore forgotten history of the American West. The series of 30 bronzes was on exhibit for several years throughout the U.S., and gained wide acceptance and critical acclaim. Accordingly, he has been inundated with public art projects throughout the country.

               In 2001, he unveiled four major monuments including the first Bi-National Monuments in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Canada.  This project was dedicated to the International Underground Railroad Movement. Other projects for which he is noted is the African American History Monument on the Capitol Grounds in Columbia, South Carolina, and a memorial to George Washington Williams, the first Black legislator in Ohio. The Williams monument was installed in the State Capitol in Columbus, OH.

For more information, visit www.eddwight.com/about_eddwight/index.htm. 

We sincerely believe that a project such as the one that we are proposing would be greatly beneficial for the economy of Tucson while simultaneously honoring those brave Americans who protected and served for so many years on the western frontiers of our great nation.