He also can be seen washing windows throughout downtown Marquette.

However, there might be an additional honor for Niemisto if a fundraising effort campaign is successful.

The goal of that campaign is creating a statue of the dedicated 88-year-old.

A GoFundMe site has raised more than $3,400 of the $8,500 goal.

Phil Niemisto, is seen washing windows in downtown Marquette. (Journal file photo)

Reads the site in part: “On any given day, no matter the weather, Phil can be seen throughout Marquette’s downtown working to keep shop windows sparkling clean or planting and tending his flowers in the Washington Street Pocket Park.”

Adding an artistic rendition of Niemisto in the park would be a lasting tribute to an individual who embodies all the attributes that are special about the community, according to the site.

“Although Phil figures that ‘they make statues of dead people’ and he makes it clear that he has plenty of life left in him, local sculptor Earl Senchuk recently convinced Phil to allow him to complete a miniature rendition of Phil for a local art show,” it said.

The campaign would provide the funds to enable Senchuk to build a life-sized statue of Niemisto, which would be installed on a bench in the park to give the impression that he’s telling a story to a person standing on the sidewalk in front of the bench.

“It’s going to be my helper,” Niemisto said as he was washing yet another window recently. “I’m going to put the statue to work.”

Senchuk said in an email: “My goal and challenge is to capture Phil’s spirit including his mannerisms, attire and attitude. “

He said that years ago he spoke with Eric Hammerstrom, currently a language arts teacher with Marquette Area Public Schools, about Senchuk making a small sculpture of Niemisto.

“Eric came up with the idea of proposing a statue for downtown as a more significant tribute to Phil,” Senchuk said.

Not much happened since until recently when he entered a 14-inch tall sculpture of Niemisto in brass and steel into the Lake Superior Artists Association Annual Members Show in May.

“When I posted the picture of Phil standing next to his statue on Facebook, I really got a feel for how loved and respected Phil is in the community,” Senchuk said.

Hammerstrom’s statue idea also started to gain traction.

Senchuk said the life-sized statue will be of Niemisto in a relaxed, seated position on a bench in the pocket park, probably facing the street, with his left arm outstretched over the back of the bench.

“By himself, the statue of Phil will appear to be smiling as though he is telling one of his many stories to someone standing on the sidewalk,” Senchuk said. “On the other hand, when someone sits down next to the Phil statue, it will appear that Phil has his arm around that individual posing for a photo op.”

Senchuk acknowledged that capturing Niemisto’s likeness will not be nearly as difficult as capturing the man himself.

“Phil rarely sits down,” Senchuk said. “Just holding Phil down long enough to measure him for the small statue was hard enough. He’s always on the move to some place important where someone needs him or under pressure to get something done.”

He said it will be no easy task to have Niemisto take part in a couple sittings for an hour each whilehe captures his likeness in Plastilina, an oil-based clay.

The process, according to Senchuk, starts with an armature made of ¢-inch cold-rolled steel bar welded into the size and shape of Niemisto’s skeleton sitting on the bench. Foam-filling the armature saves concrete and weight. Wrapping and sewing expanded steel mesh prepares the tooth for the foundation layer of a especially tough repair concrete called Planitop X.

The Niemisto sculpture will involve the same techniques Senchuk used with his Living Tree Art, such as the flowering tree currently next to the Marquette Post Office, with several exceptions. A ¢-inch thick layer of tinted PolyGem 307 LiteFlex epoxy over the reinforced concrete armature base will be used to sculpt Niemisto’s clothing.

The epoxy is designed to be slightly flexible, made to handle the outdoors and wide temperature variations.

A latex mold of the Plastilina sculpture will render a casting of Niemisto’s head in a pure white, porcelain-like material called Permastone, Senchuk said. A rubberlike material called Moulage will be used to make a mold of Niemisto’s hands in Permastone as well.

To make a donation for the statue, visit the established GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/phil-niemisto-pocket-park-statue.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.