Interest
SCULPTED PRODUCTS
Arrow Bronze is proud of its heritage and innovation in sclupted products - from products developed 50 years ago to new and exciting products developed today. Behind every design there is a real person, an artist who has helped Arrow pioneer and develop products such as our original and ever popular design lawn burial plaques and our beautifully crafted Rose, Pansy and Flowering Gum cremation plaques.
In keeping with Arrow's policy of excellence, over the years we have commissioned only quality sculptors to create our sculpted plaques, bas relief emblems, motifs, insignia, and the many special requeste forwarded by our clients from the Cemetery, Commercial and Private industries.
We have drawn from an artistic pool of local, national and even international talent to secure this quality. What is even more pleasing is the enthusiasm shown by these commissioned artists to create these work of art, for a community principally honouring and grieving for its lost friends and relatives, at very resonable costs considering the work that goes into them.
Let me introduce some of the many talented artists that have contributed so well and so willingly to our industry.
Ray Ewers - born in Wylong NSW 1917 died 1998. Amongst Ray's most notable public works is the Australian Serviceman now a feature in the gardens of the Australian War Memorial, Field Marshal Blamey in St Kilda Rd Melbourne and the John F Kennedy Memorial in the Melbourne's Treasury Gardens. For Arrow, Ray was responsible for many of the very popular, tried and proven design on our 559mm x 305mm (22 x 12) plaques. Many of these designs with his support have been replicated on other sized plaques for your convenience.
Stanley Hamilton - born in Trentham Victoria 1913. Stanley created the John Batman statue in Swanston Street Melbourne, the animal figures on Melbourne Zoo gates and the Fallen Warrior at the Shrine of Remembrance. Other famous creations include the 3 metre Australian Soldier at Mont St Quentin France and Captain Cook at Cooktown. He also designed a range of our popular design lawn burial plaques.
Chevalier Frank Gatt - born Egypt 1926. Frank trained under Vincenzo Di Lauro a master artist often commissioned by King Fouad and later King Faruk. Frank's many Australian works include the bronze wall at the Canberra War Memorial, Busts of Mary McKillop for her beautification by Pope John Paul the II in 1995 and sulpture and lettering for the MCG The Gallery of Sports. Frank again designed many of our feature design plaques - including the popular ANPAS Book of Life.
Lynda Klarfeld, responsible for the Stations of the Cross at Macquarie Park Cemetery was commissioned by Arrow to develop a plaque depicting Sydney.
Anna Meszaros, now in her late 20's learnt from her Uncle Michael Meszaros. Since working for Arrow, Anna has blossomed and is now regularly commissioned to do major works including Stations of the Cross for Melbourne City Churches. Much of her work is now exhibited internationally. She is currently commissioned to Melbourne General Cemetery and St Mark's Evangelist Church North Melbourne. Anna has produced many special works of art for Arrow including somef of our recent design plaques. Along with our Errol Davis, past Trustee at Macquarie Park Cemetery, Anna is a member of the Fédération Internationale de la Médaille.
William Eicholtz is a contemporary artist with such artworks as the Bradman Plaque, Sydney Cricket ground, Army, Navy and Air Force figures at the Australian Korena War Memorial and the Lady of Justice, Victorian County Court. William may be best known to us for his portrayal of Gunner Hudson donated by Arrow for an ACCA fundraiser in Darwin.
Andrew Mesei - Andrew began his career at the age oge 14, drawing cartoons for the Camberwell Free Press. He focuses mostly on 17th Century Dutch realism. Andrew has helped us develop many new products including Ducks and Rainforest designs and many specials for our clients.
Arrow's products development encapsulates the philosophy that value can only come from quality. Hence in each of the steps we ask for the best to achieve the best. - Sketching, plaster sculptiing, resin moulding, working patterns, sand moulding, casting and finishing.
Only then can we offer products that have obvious and perceived value that cemeteries can promote at a premium.
Lyn Davis - General Manager - Arrow Bronze
5 THINGS MANY FAMILIES DO NOT KNOW ABOUT CREMATION - THE PARADIGM
Cremation in Australia was first promoted in the late 1800's as more hygienic and modern than traditional burial. By the 1960's it was very much accepted and had overtaken burials as the first choice of the mjority. Now the preference is as high as 75% of people in capital cities.
Over these years a prardigm has developed which ever increasingly threatens the institutions that have services our communities with the essential continuum between grief and remembrance.
The paradigm, that sees cremation as just a cheap option, mainfests itself in a growth of no service cremations and families storing or scattering cremated remains. The inner desire by all of us to be remembered or to remember has some how been overlooked or even ignored, resultin in a gradual decline in remembrance of ou beautiful cemetery and crematoria facitlities throughout the country.
So why do people carve their initials in trees? Or place their hands in cemete? They want to beleave their mark, and to be remembered. Bt the real marks they leave are the ones they've made on us. A hug, a smile, a kind word. We ant to remember them.
We need to capture the essence and importance of this fundamental yet basic human need, encapsulating the care-giving continuum before death through the farewell process with time-tested ways to help families move from grief to remembrance.
The paradigm must shift. A shift where firstly the funeral industry as a whol acknowledges that families need to complete the process of grief to remembrance. Secondly, our families need to be informed of all the wonderful options that are available and that cremation is not just a low cost easy option.
A small part of the paradigm shift could be an industry recognition and promotion of "5 things people don't know about cremation"
1. That cremation does not limit your funeral choices
Our research shows that many families are not aware of all thechoices they have for sayin goodbye to loved one. You can be as creative in planning the you want to say goodbye to your loved one as you wish. Cremation or Burial, your services should be created to meet you family's emotional needs. The industry and Arrow offer many choices and aids to help move from grive to remembrance.
2. That cremation doesn't limit your ways of creating permanent remembrances.
In fact, when you choose cremation you have a wide variety of choices that include permanent memorials, cremation niches, and cremation gardens. And new technologies allow you to create July personal remembrances that capture a lifein uniquely meaningful ways.
3. That cremation doesn't just mean scattering.
While advertising makes it seem like that is the only choice, when you choose cremation you can have any kind of service, and any kind of memorial you wish. That means you can have a traditional service and a cremation, a scattering and a permanent cemetery niche, or space in a cremation garden. And for many families having a permanent place to remember their loved ones fills an important need that a scattering just can't.
4. That many religions have special considerations around cremation.
For example, while the Catholic Church now permits cremation - the Church required that the cremated remains be treated in the same respectful way that a body in traditional burial received. Other religious traditions also have requirements regarding cremation and funerals.
5. That "direct cremation" means not seeing your loved one.
Many families do not realise that with a direct cremation, when the body is removed, they will have no opportunity to ever see their loved one again. And for many families being able to see their loved one at least one last time is very important.
If our families are properly informed by every section of the funeral industry of the options available to complete the essential process from greif to remembrance then teh paradigm will shift and our industry will prosper.