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Creation of the Statue of
St. Marguerite
The idea of a Statue of Saint Marguerite d’Youville to grace the front lawn of the Koessler Administration Building originated with John Bray, Director of Public Relations and a member of the Centennial Committee in 2005. 
Quickly approved by the committee and Sister Denise, the president of D’Youville, Mr. Bray started a search for a local sculptor who could create a life-size rendition of St. Marguerite.
After consulting with various individuals in the art world, Margaret Martin, internationally known watercolor artist, suggested David Derner who had done small works for clients and had an excellent reputation in the art world. Mr. Bray, after meeting Mr. Derner and studying his works, commissioned him to do the statue.
Derner, a native of Tonawanda, has his studio in the Tri-Main Center at Main and Rodney Streets in Buffalo and has been working as an artist for some 30 years. He worked on his creation for D’Youville over a three year period
He holds a Fine Arts master’s degree and was voted Buffalo’s best sculptor during a recent “Best of Buffalo” celebration. Derner started his research on St. Marguerite in 2005 and visited the Grey Nun Motherhouse and museum in Montreal to learn first hand about Marguerite and her life. He studied renderings of her and spoke with individuals about her works. This provided him with necessary background information to “get to know” what her personality and dedication were and how she applied them to her life’s work.
Sketches and ideas helped him get to the point where he knew what he wanted the statue to signify and work begin on a clay model in 2005. The bronze statue was completed in August of 2008 and moved and installed on September 10 by Stone Art Memorial of Lackawanna who also installed a 3000 pound Vermont granite base the statue rests on.
It includes a young girl symbolizing St. Marguerite’s work with the poor, unwed mothers, and orphans of Montreal.
Derner include a kitten hidden in a section of the statue as he owns two cats and thought it would be a nice touch. “I made an exact copy of St. Marguerite’s room key that I saw in Montreal and I like to think she was startled by the kitten and dropped the key,” he said with wry humor. People viewing the statue are challenged to find the kitten.
“The fact that I both sculpted as well as cast the sculpture myself makes this three-year journey, so to speak, not only pleasant and exhilarating but also arduous and exhausting,” Derner Said. “There are so many people to thank who have helped me at all stages of the process. Without that help the statue could never have been completed.”