14 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 14, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Crystal Windows unveils statue honoring Claire Shulman
Steve Chen (l.) and Thomas Chen unveil a statue of former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021.
(From l. to r.) Jeff Citron, Thomas Chen and Sid Davidoff .
Photos by Paul Frangipane
(From l. to r.) Frank Wu, Thomas Chen, Toby Stavisky, Jeff rey Rosenstock and John Perricone.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMEDSCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
QNS
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 Th ursday, Oct. 7.
Th omas Chen, founder and chairman
of Crystal Window & Door Systems, and
his son, Steve Chen, president of Crystal,
held a press conference with local elected
offi cials and members of the business and
art community at its production facility,
located at 31-10 Whitestone Expy.
Th e 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.
Th e statue will stand on an 18-foot-by-
8-foot metal pathway base in the shape of
an infi nity 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 fi tting that Crystal
Park will be the place for her statue
permanently,” said Th omas Chen, who
described Shulman as a grandmother to
him and said that she showed interest in
his personal life as well.
According to Th omas 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 offi ce in 2001,
she and the Chens continued
to be close friends. Th ey shared a love of
the arts and supported many cultural
institutions throughout Queens.
Several years ago, Th omas was inspired
to commission sculptures honoring notable
friends who had contributed to his
personal and business success.
Th e statue of Shulman is the fi rst 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 oft en 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,”
Th omas 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 “fi erce
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.
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.
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