It’s hard to believe it’s already been 8 years since the passing of Leonard Nimoy and yet it’s taken this long to consider honoring the actor’s most beloved character, Star Trek’s Mister Spock, with a permanent and public tribute.
The Nimoy family and Boston sculptor David Phillips are presently asking for help raising funds in support of the creation of a Leonard Nimoy Memorial Sculpture immortalizing the late actor’s “Vulcan Salute“. It’s been confirmed today by Nimoy’s daughter Julie that Tech entrepreneur and Android Founder Rich Miner has contributed a major amount (undisclosed) in support of the creation of the Leonard Nimoy Memorial Sculpture.
Im happy to support this tribute to Leonard Nimoy. Star Trek & Spock nurtured my interest in science & technology and inspired aspects of my startups: Wildfire, the first voice based personal assistant & Android (likely the OS for the tricorder in 2265). You can also contribute! https://t.co/rOp7d9mDeg
— Rich Miner 🖖 (@richminer) December 30, 2022
Initially proposed to stand in front of Boston’s West End Place, a condominium-cooperative in Boston’s West End neighborhood, the 20 foot tall stainless steel sculpture of the split fingers is instead to be placed in front of the Boston Museum of Science.
“The ‘live long and prosper’ symbol represents a message that my dad believed so strongly in,” his daughter, Julie Nimoy, said in a statement. “My dad always loved Boston and he would be honored knowing that the Museum of Science would be the permanent home to this memorial. The sculpture not only depicts one of the world’s most recognized and loved gestures for peace, tolerance, and diversity, but it will also be a beautiful tribute to my dad’s life and legacy.”
The Museum of Science has a long history with Leonard Nimoy, the actor and director known the world over for his iconic role as the half-human, half Vulcan Mister Spock in the legendary Star Trek series and films. He grew up in Boston’s West End (home to the Museum since 1951), and his Spock is one of science fiction’s most beloved characters. He is an iconic part of the Museum, narrating the original Mugar Omni Theater preshow for millions of our guests.
More importantly, Spock’s message of the importance of science, intellectual curiosity, generosity, inclusion, exploration, and logic are closely aligned with the Museum’s values. Both the character, and the actor, promoted these ideals for decades.
About the artist:
David L. Phillips (born January 8, 1944, in Flint Michigan) is an American sculptor and site-specific artist best known for his large-scale architectural pieces featuring elements of stone, cast bronze, plants, and, often, pools of water. Phillips, a student of Eastern aesthetics, delves into the magic of nature and illusion. A recurring theme in his work is the intersection of geometric shapes moving through the landscape. Precisely cut stone with sections removed and replaced with cast bronze suggest a bridge between the man-made and natural world. Phillips’s nature-inspired forms exist between the eternal and the human hunger to organize.