State taxpayers are not expected to pay for the project, which is being funded with $60,000 in grants, $13,000 from a Wisconsin Historical Society fundraising effort and the rest likely covered by insurance, Warrick said. The insurance claim is still being processed.
The “Forward” statue, a replica of the original that is stored in the state archives, suffered abrasion damage from being pulled through the street, and some of the figure’s fingers broke off when the statue initially fell, Jurma said. The replica was also covered in red paint, a challenge to remove.
The Heg statue was “far more severely damaged,” Jurma said. When protesters pulled it down, one of the legs detached from the rest of the statue, the base became twisted and the whole statue became crooked, as if Heg were leaning forward. At some point the statue’s head came off. What remained of the statue was filled with mud from Lake Monona.
Jurma said he had to borrow a Jaws of Life tool — used to extract people from damaged vehicles — from a local fire department to straighten the bronze. Heg’s head also had to be recast.
The repair process was “painstaking,” Jurma said, but he said he was glad to be a part of it.
“It was a shame to see them harmed,” he said. “I’m very glad to play a role in getting them back.”