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| West Port Plaza 314-576-7100  "If it's happening in St. Louis, it's on St. Louis Front Page." 
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by Betty Moore, SLFP.com ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), November 2, 2011 - Bright sunlight created a halo about the massive, 10-foot, 1,100-pound Albert Pujols bronze statue as it was unveiled Wednesday morning, November 2, before hundreds of fans outside Pujols 5 Restaurant at Westport Plaza. Lisa Bulczak, general manager of Westport Plaza, sculptor Harry Weber, Jack Scharr, president and founder of Fine Art, Ltd. spoke during a short dedication ceremony prior to the unveiling. Smiling and a bit overcome, Pujols greeted the crowd, noting that St. Louis was the best city to play baseball. As many in huge crowd shouted "stay, stay", Pujols said that he was grateful for winning the World Series in St. Louis and wanted his legacy to be remembered. Two years ago, an anonymous donor wanted to recognize Albert Pujols for his dedication to the St. Louis Cardinals and Major League Baseball and his philanthropy to the St. Louis community by having a statue made in his honor. The donor contacted the Pujols Family Foundation, which handed the request over to Fine Art Ltd., the world's largest publisher of fine art commemorating special events based in Chesterfield, Missouri. Nationally acclaimed sculptor Harry Weber, who is known for his captivating sculptures such as the heroic size Lewis and Clark sculpture on the St. Louis Riverfront and the "Plaza of Champions" outside Busch Stadium, was commissioned to design and sculpt the figure. Now, two years later, the masterpiece is complete. In a brief interview following the unveiling, Weber noted that the donor requested that they do one with Albert's salute to the heavens. When asked if this statue was one of his most memorable pieces, Weber responded enthusiastically, "It's certainly in the top one percent. It was a wonderful statue to do, because of its dual purpose to honor Albert the player and certainly Albert the man." Weber added with a smile that he hoped the statue would remain there until it was moved to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The donor also commissioned Weber to create limited edition replicas of the Albert Pujols statue to be sold to raise money for the Pujols Family Foundation. Two sizes of bronze maquettes and copies of Weber's original sketch of the sculpture are available for purchase through Fine Art, Ltd. 
A festive and romantic atmosphere is created within the walkways and open courtyards of the Plaza's Old World Village where visitors will find all the services of a luxurious resort ... all without crossing a street. Directions: West Port Plaza is situated on 42 beautifully landscaped acres in Central Saint Louis County, located between Dorsett Road and Page Avenue, with easy access from I-270 at Page Avenue. The location is just minutes to Lambert International Airport, the Art Museum, St. Louis Zoo, and Downtown St. Louis. Abundant indoor and outdoor secured free parking is available. See Metropolitan Map for visual location.  
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