Proposed Dylan statue for Duluth goes back to drawing board

An effort to raise $159,000 to fund the completion of a giant bronze sculpture of Bob Dylan, to be placed in the songwriter's hometown, has fallen well short of its goal.

Tom Page, an artist from Cohasset, launched a campaign on the website Kickstarter on June 2.  He sculpted a maquette, a miniature model of Dylan, strumming his guitar with his coat "blowing in the wind."

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The plan was to create a 12 and a half foot tall version of the sculpture, with song titles and lyrics engraved on the coat. Page said he reached an agreement with the city of Duluth that if he raised the money, the city would commit to accepting the sculpture and finding a place to display it.

But after two months on Kickstarter, the project only raised $15,425. Page said he's not sure what he could have done differently. He offered rewards for different levels of contributions and enlisted the support of popular Duluth Mayor Don Ness, who recorded a video for the campaign.

The 64-year-old Page said he's not sure what comes next after spending 18 months and personal funds on the project. He said he has a very loose "Plan B," but isn't yet prepared to speak about it.

Bob Dylan has sold 100 million albums, Page mused. "If everyone who bought an album gave 50 cents," he said, "we'd have reached the goal in a few minutes."

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