Monument to Star Trek: Voyager’s Captain Janeway set to be unveiled in October

Mockup of Captain Janeway monument. Image Captain Janeway Bloomington Collective

You may remember last December's coverage of a new monument in Bloomington, Indiana honoring the future birthplace of Star Trek: Voyager’s Captain Janeway. While funding for the monument was more than successful, plans for the unveiling have been rescheduled. The announcement came from the Captain Janeway Bloomington Collective in the wake of social distancing guidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic. “As we all try to navigate the state of our current world,” the press release read, “we are all a little disappointed to have had to reschedule.” The new date for the monument’s unveiling will be October 24th of this year.

With 2020 marking the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager, the timing is ideal to celebrate the iconic Starfleet captain. The first female captain to lead a Star Trek series, Kate Mulgrew’s character was a bold step for the future of the franchise. “Being the first female captain was seismic,” Mulgrew told TrekMovie.com. “There were tidal waves of publicity and reaction [...] because a girl had been put in command.”

The impact of Captain Janeway has gone beyond entertainment, inspiring women in STEM fields as well as politicians Stacey Abrams and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Captain Janeway Bloomington Collective president Peter Kaczmarcyzk said of Janeway, “She was a strong leader who showed integrity, consistency and managed to maintain her humanity”. 

The monument was first sculpted from clay before being cast in bronze. The impressive bust of Captain Janeway will rest atop a limestone base with a steel plaque beneath the captain’s likeness. While you may have to wait until October to see the Captain Janeway monument, you can see Janeway herself on Star Trek: Voyager, streaming now on CBS All Access.