Richard F. Novak has been a sculptor for forty years and has over seventy works in public, corporate, and private collections. His first book now in its second edition, Topping The Dome, was about the life of Thomas Crawford and his sculpture Statue of Freedom on the Capitol Dome in Washington, DC. His second book, Adelaide Johnson's Portrait Monument, was co-authored with his daughter Catherine Novak Davidson. He is also a Professor Emeritus (MD) at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.
Catherine Novak Davidson is captivated by art and while she values the aesthetic and beauty what intrigues her is the process, motivation, and intent of the artist and the effect their work has on its audience. Davidson hopes that this research into the life and crusade of Adelaide Johnson for Women's rights results in a better understanding of the significance of this unusual monument. Davidson has a BFA from The Juilliard School and an MS from Hunter College, both in New York, NY.