$200,000
Fundraising objective covering bronze casting, transportation, installation, and site integration.
Fundraising Campaign | Miami Bayfront Esplanade
"What is essential is invisible to the eye."
Help place the Little Prince permanently on the Miami bayfront - where every child can find him.
"On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur." Aidez-nous a installer Le Petit Prince durablement sur la baie de Miami.
$200,000 goal
Your gift is fully tax-deductible. A receipt will be sent for tax purposes. 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Campaign Goal: $200,000
Status: Statue in production
Target Dedication: January 2027
$1,000+ Gifts: Name or family name engraved on the museum donor plaque
Location: Maurice A. Ferre Park, between PAMM and Frost Science
Project At a Glance
Life-Size Bronze
Designed by sculptor Jean-Marc de Pas, approximately 250 lbs, anchored to withstand Miami weather.
For Families
A public artwork at child eye-level, designed for direct interaction and photo memories.
French-American Legacy
A permanent cultural marker celebrating literature, aviation history, and friendship between nations.
Proposed Site
Between Miami's Two Flagship Museums
The sculpture is proposed near the main entrance of the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science, across from Perez Art Museum Miami, on the bayfront esplanade in Maurice A. Ferre Park.
This location receives a high volume of school groups and family visitors each year, making the installation both visible and educational.
Why This Matters
For Children
Every year, large numbers of school-age visitors pass through the museum esplanade. This sculpture is designed without a pedestal, at approachable height, so children can engage with it directly.
For Miami
At Maurice A. Ferre Park, this becomes a permanent public landmark connecting science, art, books, and family life in one of downtown Miami's most active cultural corridors.
For French Culture
Saint-Exupery wrote The Little Prince in the United States. Installing this work in Miami highlights a real French-American story rooted in both history and imagination.
History
Antoine de Saint-Exupery and the Americas
Antoine de Saint-Exupery is known worldwide as the author of The Little Prince, but his life was deeply connected to the Americas. During the early decades of aviation, he flew long postal routes linked to South America, helping define the adventurous spirit that shaped his writing. Those years in the air informed the values that appear throughout his books: responsibility, courage, wonder, and care for others.
He later spent important years in the United States, particularly in New York, where The Little Prince was written and first published in 1943 in both French and English editions. This American chapter is central to the story of the book itself. It is one reason this project belongs naturally in Miami: a city that connects North America, Latin America, and Europe every day.
Saint-Exupery returned to military service during World War II and disappeared in 1944 while flying a reconnaissance mission. His life joined literature, flight, and public service. The Miami sculpture honors that full legacy by placing him hand-in-hand with the child character who continues to inspire generations across cultures and languages.
Project Timeline
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Concept & Artistic Design
Sculpture concept completed by Jean-Marc de Pas.
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Sculpture in Production & Fundraising (Current)
Modeling and production preparation are underway while campaign funding continues.
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Bronze Casting & Finishing
Final casting and quality control once funding milestone is reached.
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Transport & Site Preparation
Shipment, anchoring preparation, and final location work on the esplanade.
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Installation & Interpretation
Sculpture placement plus trilingual educational marker.
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Dedication Ceremony - January 2027
Public unveiling with donors, partners, and community families.
Programming
Grand Week - January 2027
A full cultural week is planned around the dedication, designed to bring families, readers, institutions, sponsors, and media together in downtown Miami.
- Monday: Literary Evening at Books & Books
- Tuesday: Sponsor and Patron Reception
- Wednesday: Youth and School Engagement Program
- Thursday: Film Screening and Conversation
- Friday: Private Donor Preview Evening
- Saturday: Grand Gala Celebration
- Sunday: Community Late Brunch & Family Programming
Partners & Sponsors
Corporate and institutional sponsors are invited to support sculpture production, education programming, and the Grand Week cultural events.
Tier 1 Partner - $50,000+
Premier logo placement, lead visibility during Grand Week, VIP seats at the gala, and top-billing in campaign materials.
Tier 2 Partner - $10,000 to $25,000
Featured recognition on campaign media, event invitations, and sponsor acknowledgment across donor communications.
Community Partner - Up to $10,000
Support youth-facing programming and receive partner listing on site and event collateral.
Sponsorship inquiries: use the campaign contact form below and select Volunteer or partnership.
Video
Campaign Story in Motion
Watch archival material connected to Saint-Exupery's United States chapter. A dedicated campaign and sculptor studio video will be added as production advances.
Get Video Updates
The Sculptor
Jean-Marc de Pas
Jean-Marc de Pas is a French sculptor born in Rouen in 1962. Trained at Beaux-Arts de Paris and Ecole Boulle, he has produced public monuments for decades, with a practice centered on figurative storytelling and poetic presence in civic space.
His work on Saint-Exupery and The Little Prince bridges literature and public art. The Miami concept is intentionally human-scale and interactive: no pedestal, direct proximity, and a gesture of companionship that children can understand immediately.
Beyond commissioned pieces, he created a large sculpture garden in Normandy where visitors move through narrative installations in nature. That same approach informs this Miami project: an artwork designed not only to be seen, but to be lived with over time.
Donor Recognition Levels
Any gift of $100 or more is recognized. Donors of $1,000 or more will have their name or family name engraved on a permanent donor plaque inside the museum.
Bronze
$1,000 - $5,000
Your name or family name engraved on the museum donor plaque, plus an invitation to the January 2027 dedication ceremony.
Silver
$5,000 - $10,000
All Bronze recognition plus expanded acknowledgment in campaign donor communications.
Gold
$10,000 - $20,000
All Silver recognition plus access for two to the exclusive donor preview evening.
Platinum
$20,000+
All Gold recognition plus premium gala seating and permanent top-tier recognition.
Ways to Give
Support the Sculpture Today
Select a suggested one-time amount or choose your own contribution.
Give $1,000 or more: your name or family name will be permanently displayed on the donor plaque inside the museum.
Your gift is fully tax-deductible. A receipt will be sent for tax purposes. 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
EIN available upon request for sponsor and major-gift processing.
Wire Transfers
For secure wire instructions, please contact the campaign team directly through the form below.
Check
Payable to: The American Society of Le Souvenir Francais Inc.
500 East 77th Street #2017, New York, NY 10162
Press & Campaign Materials
Campaign Fundraising Letter (PDF)
Official campaign letter and donation guidance.
Open PDFSaint-Exupery and the USA Press Dossier (PDF)
Historical and cultural context for media and partners.
Open PDFArchive Interview (NBC, 1939)
Library of Congress archive-linked audio interview on Saint-Exupery's US period.
WatchInstitutional Partners
French Embassy in the United States
Villa Albertine
Fondation Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The American Society of Le Souvenir Francais
Souvenir Saint-Exupery 80
France Florida Foundation for the Arts
Contact The Campaign
Request Updates, Partnership Details, or Wire Instructions
Campaign leadership: Melissa Patrylo (President, France Florida Foundation for the Arts) and Thierry Chaunu (President, The American Society of Le Souvenir Francais, Inc.).
Use the form to join the monthly campaign update list, request sponsor materials, ask for major-gift outreach, or receive secure wire instructions.
- One campaign update email per month
- Grand Week event notifications
- Direct follow-up for institutional and sponsor inquiries