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The Frederick Art Club is proud to have driven a significant public art endeavor that honors fashion designer and Frederick, Maryland, native Claire McCardell (1905-1958). Credited with inventing American sportswear, McCardell created innovative fashions that have uniquely defined decades of American fashion. Her design perspective continues to influence the industry to this day.

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The Claire McCardell Project involved the creation of a larger-than-life bronze sculpture that pays homage to the designer in her hometown. The sculpture was unveiled on October 17, 2021 at its site at the east end of Carroll Creek Park, a world-class urban park that threads through downtown Frederick, Maryland. An accompanying wayside exhibit tells the story of Claire’s extraordinary career, and the statue is enhanced by an elegant garden. Through this project, the Frederick Art Club joins a national trend to “break the bronze ceiling” by putting monumental women on a pedestal. 

The club undertook this public art project to:

• Pay tribute to a Frederick, Maryland native who won international acclaim

• Commemorate a woman who became an icon in an arts profession  

• Expand public recognition of exceptional women 

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An Exceptional American Woman Breaks the Bronze Ceiling