RUSSELLS POINT,__ The Our Lady of Fatima Shrine was destroyed by the powerful EF-3 tornado that hit Indian Lake on March 14. The property owner, The American Society of Ephesus (ASE), is now partnering with ArtSpace Lima to conduct a design competition to rebuild the shrine.

Pieces of the nearly 20-foot tall statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary were found in the lake over two weeks later by a team of volunteer divers..The remnants of the shrine pedestal were demolished for safety reasons.”We immediately had requests from the local community to build it back, and there was never any question about it, we will rebuild the shrine," said Bill Quatman, president of the nonprofit corporation. 

The design competition will have 6 age categories: 10 & under; 12 & under; 14 & under; 16 & under; 18 & under; and over 18, and it will be open to any resident of Ohio. A 5-person jury will review the design submittals and decide on the winners in each category. ASE will give a cash prize to the winners in each age category. 

"The community uses the shrine regularly, so we wanted Ohio residents to have a say in what we build. We envision something similar to the 1964 shrine, but updated to last at least another 60 years," Mr. Quatman said. His grandfather, George B. Quatman, Sr., built the original Our Lady of Fatima shrine on St. Mary's Point at Indian Lake after six years of planning. "My grandfather owned the amusement park at the lake,” Bill Quatman said, “and he set aside this property for a quiet and respectful place for prayer and reflection."

In return for the cash prize, ASE will own the rights to use any ideas from the winning entries. "We are very excited to see what Ohio designers come up with," said Ms. Windle. "Many designs will come from amateurs, but we hope to get submissions from Ohio artists and professionals as well. The jury will choose the best ideas submitted," she said. 

Entry forms, rules and a schedule will be posted on both the ASE and ArtSpace/Lima websites by June 13, 2024. For more information, visit www.ase-gbqfoundation.org/ or www.artspacelima.com/