Bronze statue will immortalize Pasco’s beloved ‘Peanuts’ Fukuda, the ‘candy man’
A Texas-based artist credited for sculpting one of the largest bronze portraitures in the world is bringing his talents to a beloved Pasco figure.
Sculptor Seth Vandable will create a life-size statue of Noburu ‘Peanuts’ Fukuda, which will serve as the focal point of the newly renovated Peanuts Park in downtown Pasco.
“The goal is to create a joyful, commemorative sculpture and landmark that will bring a smile to the community and to Peanuts’ family as they reflect on his wonderful life and the way Peanuts always gave back to the residence of Pasco,” Vandable wrote in his proposal.
Pasco put out a call for artists last April and closed applications in October. The Pasco Arts and Culture Commission reviewed proposals from six artists who applied to build and install the public art sculpture.
It was announced at a recent meeting that Vandable — a fellow sculptor with the National Sculpture Society — was the winning applicant.
Noburu Fukuda — or “Peanuts” as he was often called — was a retired railroad worker who lived in Pasco. He was known as the “candy man” to generations of locals because of his generous donation of full-sized candy bars and peanuts to children.
He was often seen riding around, picking up trash and handing out treats from his three-wheeled bicycle, given to him in 1974 by the Pasco Kiwanis Club.
He immigrated to the U.S. in 1919, and called Pasco home for more than 70 years. He worked for about 48 years at the railroad, mostly as a janitor and gardener.
His co-workers gave him the nickname Peanuts because he was “plain nuts,” he told the Tri-City Herald over the years.
The one-acre plaza and park, on the corner of 4th Avenue and Lewis Street in downtown, was dedicated in Fukuda’s name in 1977.
In March 2022, the city reopened Peanuts Park and the farmers market after $6.5 million worth of improvements were made to the area. The park had been closed for six months.
The city will pay Vandable $50,000 for his creation, which will also cover materials, fabrication, shipment and installation of the project.
The 5-foot bronze statue will feature Peanuts on his tricycle, waving or possibly holding a candy bar in the air. The statue will be installed on an existing concrete block, and be sealed and finished in a way that requires little-to-no future maintenance.
About Vandable
Vandable has been creating dynamic figurative bronze sculptures for about three decades and has led public art installation projects for almost two decades mostly in Texas and Colorado, according to his resume. He specializes in bronze creations.
He’s well known for making the 42-foot bronze monument “Man Made Energy,” a gateway sculpture leading into Casper, Wyo. The project cost roughly $450,000 to erect and is considered one of the largest bronze portraitures in existence, he said.
Vandable also created the memorial portrait of San Diego Padres right fielder Tony Gwynn — “Hometown Hero” — in Lake Poway Park, Calif.
He also fabricated the 22-foot bronze sculpture of an unnamed hitter outside Whataburger Stadium in Corpus Christi, Texas.
