Nancy Schön (born 1928) is an American sculptor whose work is displayed internationally in museums, libraries, universities, private collections, and public outdoor spaces.
[1] The sculpture is an homage to the journey of a family of ducks traveling through Boston immortalized in Robert McCloskey's 1941 children's classic Make Way for Ducklings.
The sculpture, created by Schön with permission from McCloskey, is featured on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.
The two visited Schön's duckling sculpture while meeting with a group of children in the Boston area.
He commented that "life in Moscow would improve with time and that, eventually, the ducklings would have lives as good as they had in Boston.
[15] Schön decided then that she wanted to create sculptures that people would interact, and preferably in a public place where it could be viewed for free.
Throughout the year, individuals decorate the ducks to represent sports teams, holidays, special events, and social issues.
[17] Schön's works often exemplify her sense of justice, human rights, and social commentary.
The "sculpture shows an oversized military boot — its toe transformed into a bear face with fangs — about to descend on a tiny nightingale, the state bird of Ukraine.
"[18] As Schön explained to The Boston Globe, "As a child, she'd watched newsreels of Hitler's troops advancing into Czechoslovakia.
"[19] The moment she saw the first news about Russia invading Ukraine, she thought back to the boots of the Hitler troops.
In 2019, Karyn Alzayer, a Boston University student, surrounded the ducklings with wire cages and put mylar blankets over them.