"The Worker" Sculpture

"The Worker" Sculpture (1985)

James Higgins

Quick Facts

Location:

Mack Plaza (Corner of Market and Shattuck Streets), Lowell, Massachusetts

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

This life-size bronze sculpture of an Irish canal digger stands as a tribute to those nineteenth-century laborers who by hand dug Lowell's 5.6 miles of canals. The water in these canals powered the city's textile mills. The granite blocks stacked in the middle of the fountain resemble those used to construct the canal walls. The realistic figure symbolizes the lives and struggles of all workers who have contributed to our industrial society. Labor and power are two of five interpretive themes of the Lowell National Historical Park and the Lowell Heritage State Park. Through various public history and educational programs, the Parks celebrate the heritage of Lowell's working people and the city's water power system.

Realistic figures created by artists Ivan and Elliot Schwartz have been displayed in many museum exhibits and theater productions. Their work has also been featured at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Site: Mack Plaza, Lowell Heritage State Park, Corner of Market and Shattuck Streets
Artists: Ivan and Elliot Schwartz
Fountain and plaza designed by Krent Pafford Associates
Materials: Bronze, granite, and water