On display in one of the concourses of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, the Ted Stevens Statue allows visitors to engage with the legacy of one of the region’s most impactful politicians. Doing so has provided residents and visitors with a means of connection to this legacy in a way that resonates across the eras.
One of the Most Notable Politicians in Alaska
Ted Stephens started his career in the United States Senate in 1968 and would go on to become the one of the longest-serving senators in U.S. history. His work to protect fisheries and enable the trans-Alaska oil pipeline allowed him to play a prominent role in some of the state’s most significant public policies. The Anchorage airport was renamed in 2000 as the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to honor his impact. He lost a bid for reelection in 2009 and died in a plane crash in 2010.
An effort to further celebrate the impact Stephens had culminated in 2019 with the installation of Ted Stevens Statue. Showing him seated and comfortable, the piece indirectly invites visitors to sit and have a conversation with him. Sculptor Joan Bugbee Jackson tried to show him “speaking but almost smiling.”
The jacket features representations of the moments that defined the Senator’s life in public service, including the China-Burma-Indian patch from his World War II service, and the President Pro Tempore seal signifying his appointment to the position in 2003. Additionally, columns surrounding the statue reference multiple milestones in his career.
Three benches partially surround the center Seal of Alaska, encouraging audiences to literally engage with the legacy and history that the Ted Stevens Statue represents. That engagement defines what it means to transform a common space into an extraordinary landmark.
An Alaskan Legacy
Located between the B and C concourses in the airport’s South Terminal, the Ted Stevens Statue resides in a common airport location that would otherwise be empty or have simple benches. By creating a landmark that honors the legacy and history of the state in such a prominent way, the piece highlights what it can mean to actively enable engagement.
