Perhaps Picasso recalled that the Art Institute of Chicago was the first American museum to show his work. Whatever the reason, not only did he take on the assignment, he refused to accept a $100,000 check for his work, saying it was his gift to Chicago. Several of Chicago's charitable foundations shared the $300,000 (more than $2 million in 2017 dollars) construction cost of the statue, which was fabricated by the American Bridge division of U.S. Steel in Gary.