Crystal Windows unveils statue honoring
late Borough President Claire Shulman
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | OCT. 15 - OCT. 21, 2021 5
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
A 6-foot bronze statue honoring
the late Queens Borough
President Claire Shulman was
unveiled by executives of the
Flushing-based national manufacturing
company Crystal
Window & Door Systems on
Thursday, Oct. 7.
Thomas Chen, founder and
chairman of Crystal Window
& Door Systems, and his son,
Steve Chen, president of Crystal,
held a press conference
with local elected officials and
members of the business and
art community at its production
facility, located at 31-10
Whitestone Expy.
The statue is a bronze
6-foot-tall lifelike portrayal
of Shulman depicted in motion,
which characterized the
former Queens borough president,
who died in October 2020
at the age of 94.
The statue will stand on
an 18-foot-by-8-foot metal
pathway base in the shape of
an infinity sign, symbolizing
Shulman’s continuous drive
forward and her boundless
energy.
It will be on temporary display
at Crystal’s headquarters
and factory in College Point
for two weeks. Thereafter, it
will be placed on permanent
exhibit at Chen’s 200-acre private
art and nature preserve,
Crystal Park, in Dutchess
County.
“Her memories will always
remain with us forever and it’s
fitting that Crystal Park will
be the place for her statue permanently,”
said Thomas Chen,
who described Shulman as a
grandmother to him and said
that she showed interest in his
personal life as well.
According to Thomas
Chen, when he was starting
his window manufacturing
company in Queens, Shulman
had helped him avoid many
of the typical setbacks immigrant
entrepreneurs faced.
“She encouraged me to
take executive business courses,
engage reputable service
providers and suppliers, and
make Crystal Windows a good
corporate citizen,” Thomas
Chen said.
When Crystal was ready to
expand in Queens, Shulman ensured
New York City agencies
worked effectively with Crystal
as the company constructed
and opened a large new factory.
She continued to be a mentor,
motivator and friend to Thomas
and later to his son, Steve, as
he stepped into the leadership
role at Crystal.
Even after Shulman left
public office in 2001, she and
the Chens continued to be
close friends. They shared a
love of the arts and supported
many cultural institutions
throughout Queens.
Several years ago, Thomas
was inspired to commission
sculptures honoring notable
friends who had contributed
to his personal and business
success.
The statue of Shulman is
the first he commissioned. In
2019, internationally known
Taiwanese sculptor Yutien
Chang was engaged to create
the bronze statue as a tribute
to Shulman’s leadership for
the business community of
Queens and her counsel and
friendship to Crystal Windows.
A native of Taiwan, Yutien
Chang is an award-winning
sculptor on the international
stage. Chang has exhibited
sculptures in Taiwan, New
York, Amsterdam, Germany
and other locations around
the world, both as solo exhibitions
and as part of festivals
and shows.
Chang’s sculptures are often
provocative, examining
the expectations placed on
both people by society when
making life and career choices,
and the impact and consequences
of succumbing to
these expectations.
In the same year, Shulman
met with Chang and the Chens
to discuss the project and presented
renderings of his vision
for the statue.
“I was thrilled Claire was
able to visit Crystal Park in
October 2019 to see the location
selected for her statue
along a wooded path overlooking
the lake,” Thomas Chen
said. “Sadly, Claire did not
get to see the completed work,
but we are here today to share
it with her many friends in
Queens.”
Queens Deputy Borough
President Rhonda Binda described
Shulman as a “fierce
woman.”
“She was fair and she demanded
so much from her
staff because we know that’s
what the families of Queens
deserve,” Binda said.
Queens Borough President
Chief of Staff Franck Joseph
remembered Shulman’s legacy
as the first woman to become
borough president of Queens.
“Her legacy looks like the
cultural hub that Queens has
become. You see institutions
that were built because Claire
Shulman had a vision and she
also worked with her team to
execute that vision,” Joseph
said.
Congresswoman Grace
Meng also reflected on Shulman’s
legacy.
“There are few people who
cared more and made more of
an impact on the families of
Queens that Claire did and it
really wasn’t just because of
her job title; she deeply cared
from the very beginning to the
very end. She would randomly
and often summon me for
another new idea to help the
people of Queens,” Meng said.
“Every time Queens becomes
more accessible and helps
more working families here
in the borough, it really is a
testament to Claire and the incredible
legacy she continues
to leave all of us today.”
The statue will remain on
temporary display at Crystal
Windows & Doors production
facility through noon of Oct.
22. Friends of Shulman and
members of the public are welcome
to visit.
Additional reporting by
Paul Frangipane.
Steve Chen (l.) and Thomas Chen unveil a statue of former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman
on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. Photos by Paul Frangipane
A rendering of the statue in its permanent location.
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