Mermaids of Earth

  • Home
  • About
    • Ocean Conservation
  • Mermaid Art
    • Artists
    • Mermaid Poems
    • Pictures
      • Public Paintings and Murals
    • Statues
      • Public Mermaid Statues & Sculptures
      • Private Mermaid Statues & Sculptures
      • Mermaid statues and mermaid sculptures for sale
  • Media
  • Shop
    • Mermaid Jewelry
    • Mermaid Tails
    • Mermaid Calendars
    • Mermaid Books
  • Contact
  • Blog

Ventura’s Mermaid Statue at Soter Point

August 5, 2013 By Mermaids of Earth

The Russian mermaid statue at Soter Point in Ventura, California was donated by Alec & Tatyana Benke to the city of Ventura in 2009, and placed at Soter Point in collaboration with Samuel Povar and Andy Soter.

Russian Mermaid at Soter Point
The Russian Mermaid statue at Soter Point, Ventura CA. Photo by Sunny Oberto.

Alec Benke and his wife Tatyana emigrated from Kazakhstan to the United States and the mermaid statue is a symbol of their love for their new country.

The statue stands on a base created by Alec. With the base, the sculpture reaches more than 20 feet into the air.  The mermaid sculpture is meant to be a water fountain, but there is as of 2013 no water yet – although it is planned.

Soter Point is part of the Ventura harbor area, and Andy Soter dedicated time and funds to renovating and beautifying this area in memory of his daughter.

Samuel Povar has been actively involved in a number of public-private art collaborations in Ventura, and was instrumental in making this project possible.

The mermaid statue at Soter Point is rapidly becoming a major attraction for tourists and also gaining fame as an example of public-private collaboration in beautifying a city.

The plaque at the base of the sculpture reads:

The Mermaid of Soter Point
A Public and Private Collaboration

This stunning landmark overlooking the Ventura Harbor
represents a trailblazing cooperative effort to beautify our
community through private citizens working with public agencies.
Andy Soter developed and landscaped the area in memory of his
daughter Andrea, a successful and much admired investment
manager. The mermaid sculpture and its foundation were donated
by Russian emigrants Alec and Tatyana Benke, as an expression of
love for their new country, America. Samuel Povar created the first
collaboration of this nature in 2007 as a tribute to his late wife
Orianna and worked tirelessly to make this Marina Park project
a reality. And, the Ventura City Council and the Coastal Commission
gave their enthusiastic blessing. Now Povar, Soter, and Benke,
all Ventura residents, hope to inspire others to use private capital
along with public cooperation and support…to envision
something beautiful and make it happen.

I sat upon a promontory,
And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin’s back,
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath,
That the rude sea grew civil at her song;
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres,
To hear the sea-maid’s music.
                    – William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Mermaid of Soter Point
The Russian Mermaid of Soter Point in Ventura, CA. Notice the detail by the eye. Photo by Sunny Oberto.
Mermaid of Soter Point
The Russian Mermaid of Soter Point in Ventura, CA. Photo by Sunny Oberto.

Many thanks to Samuel Povar for details on this project, and to Sunny Oberto for many stunning photos.

See more photos at the Soter Point Mermaid page.

Related

Filed Under: Public Mermaid Sculptures

Featured Product

Recent Articles

La Sirene in Bastia, on Corsica, France

News arrived just today of another mermaid sculpture – this time on Corsica, in the commercial harbor of Bastia. This mermaid sculpture was created by the Italian-French sculptor Gabriel Diana in 2002. The mermaid is made in bronze, and is seated on a rock of raw marble, between two large propeller blades (from a propeller whose third […]

Beaulieu-sur-Mer Mermaids

After spending a fabulous morning in Monaco and Èze, we just happened to spot this completely unexpected sculpture of a mermaid mother with her child as we were driving home along the coast.  Located by the marina in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, the sculpture was created in 1997 by Natasha Jusopov, who also sculpted the Lorelei statue in […]

Szabó Mermaid in Budapest

An unusual mermaid is found in Majus Park on the Hajógyári Island, located in the Danube River as it cuts through the city of Budapest.  The statue was reportedly created in 1982 by Szabó Gábor. Like the mermaid in Warsaw, this mermaid holds a shield, possibly an indication of a similar legend of the city […]

 

 

This site is about mermaids on planet Earth

Why? Because mermaids are all around us. Lots of them. No, not actual live mermaids of course…

Read More

NEWSLETTER

Copyright © 2021 · MERMAIDS OF EARTH · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED