Teddy Bears for Highland Park - Part 3

     The site and foundations were ready and the entire group was crated, covered and loaded on two tractor trailers bound for Dallas Texas, where a 100 ton crane awaited their arrival. All of the pieces were unloaded onto a staging area, so the trucks could leave quickly and not tie up morning commuters.

     An expert crane operator wove under phone cables, over power lines and between trees in a very confined area. We actually needed to let air out of some times to gain a few inches of clearance. The body sections were up righted and lifted into position with specially designed lift pins that allowed a single-point lift from a hole at the top of each section. The bronze neckband and bow tie were fitted, and pins were inserted and epoxied to the top of each body section to secure the head. A layer of epoxy and a perimeter bead of silicone were applied to the top and we were ready to set the six ton head.

     With the large bear complete, we began the installation of the smaller ones, beginning with the black one at the foot of the big bear. In the photo, he appears to be on stilts, but these are the sub-bases that will be below grade when the landscaping is finished.

     The "sliding bear" was installed next. A large inclined rock served as the base. The gray bear was epoxied and pinned to the rock on a surface prepared at the studio. The pins were used to secure the bear from sliding on the wet epoxy and served little structural function, as the bear was nearly balanced without them.

     The third and final small bear, carved from pink granite, was installed with its support piece; a two foot diameter stump of 30 million year old petrified wood. The bear appears to be curiously studying an over-sized cartoonish bronze bumble bee, epoxied and pinned to the top of the stump. The stump was installed first, then the bear's paws were aligned with the notches cut into the stump, and lowered into place.

     Over the next few weeks, backfilling, final plantings, and landscape work were completed. The small park is located at the end of a large pedestrian bridge on a favorite walking and running route in the neighborhood. Parents bring their children to be photographed with the bears and the site has become an enjoyable place to visit for the community.

     Our clients were well pleased by the quality of the work and the attention to detail throughout the project. We would like to note that our client's project manager did a superb job in keeping the various contractors on track and on schedule, and with the park's crew, made the installation process a smooth and enjoyable experience.

     We continue to produce a couple of smaller scale bears in a variety of compositions each year for our clients, which are then generously donated to other sites of their choosing. In fact, with this year's pair of bears, their population has grown to 13.

Time Frame: 18 months
Cost (Overall): $200,000+
Sculpture Sizes: Large Bear 10x6x6; Gray Bear 4x4x4; Pink Bear 5x2.5x3; Black Bear 5x2.5x3
Materials: Grey Granite (Barre)
Canadian Pink Granite
Onyx Black
Newton Brown (Canada)
Silicon Bronze
Petrified Wood

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