Memorial Sculpture for Leonard Nimoy Gets A Hand Bringing It Closer To Completion.

leonard nimoy memorial sculpture

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.

Concept sketch by Boston-area artist David Phillips of the monument to Leonard Nimoy
Initial concept sketch proposed by Boston-area artist David Phillips of the monument to Leonard Nimoy, image courtesy of The Boston Sun

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.

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.

proposed sketch for Leonard Nimoy Tribute sculpture by David Phillips
proposed sketch for sculpture by David Phillips

“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 Leonard Nimoy Tribute Sculpture as it would appear in front of Boston's Museum of Science
The Leonard Nimoy Tribute Sculpture as it would appear in front of Boston’s Museum of Science

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.

leonard nimoy giving the vulcan salute

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.

Nimoy's handprints in front of Hollywood's famous Graumann's Theater are in a Vulcan salute.
Even the actor’s handprints in front of Hollywood’s famous Graumann’s Theater are in a Vulcan salute.

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.

You can contribute to the funding of the Leonard Nimoy Memorial Sculpture here