ONA Student Newsroom
  • Data reveal differences in return to in-person schooling
    • June 26, 2021
  • How three news start-ups approached innovation in 2020
    • June 22, 2021
  • Sports journalists, from left, Matt Musil of KHOW TV, Emily Giangreco of KVUE TV, and John Affleck, the Knight Chair for Sports Journalism at Penn State University.
    Virtual group interviews are changing sports coverage
    • June 22, 2021
  • In their memory: Pandemic offers opportunities to transform digital obits
    • June 21, 2021
  • COVID-19 vaccine incentives: do they work?
    • June 21, 2021
  • Home
  • ONA23 Conference
  • Online Journalism Awards
  • Ethics Tool
  • Knowledge Base
  • ONA Insights
  • Member Log In
ONA Student Newsroom
  • Conference

Outside looking in: What’s up with that big blue bear?

  • Dolores Hinckley
  • September 16, 2016
  • 2 minute read
Big Blue Bear, also called “I See What You Mean” by Lawrence Argent, peers into the Colorado Convention Center (Deonna Anderson/ONA Newsroom)
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
0

blue-bearIn Denver, the elephant in the room is a giant blue bear that is always peering into the Colorado Convention Center.

The 40-foot-tall sculpture is one of about 350 pieces of public art throughout the city. It’s probably safe to say it’s the most photographed blue bear in the world.

“Maybe he’s looking in on the cool things people are doing,” Katie Hommes, a reporter and producer at the New York Post, said when she saw it.

That’s just what sculptor Lawrence Argent had in mind.

The sculpture is called “I See What You Mean.” When planning it, Argent thought about the disconnect between conferences taking place in the building and residents passing by.

“I’m always interested in what might be going on in there, the exchange of information, ideas, and ideologies, but there’s never really any indication from the outside what’s going on inside,” he wrote on the convention center’s website.

The “fur” of the bear is made of more than 4,000 triangles constructed from a composite material. They’re attached to a steel frame underneath.

bear2The color was a bit of an accident. When Argent got a 3D model of his work in progress from the University of Denver’s engineering department, it was blue. “I went, ‘Oh, I kind of like that,’ ” he said in an interview.

Blue is “very tranquil, very peaceful,” Argent said. “I think if the bear had’ve been red, it wouldn’t have the same impact.”

Priya Krishnakumar, a graphics and data journalist at the Los Angeles Times, said the bear is cute. “I think I’d be afraid if I drove by it at night or if I didn’t know it was there.”

Argent said the convention center’s architect didn’t like the sculpture at first. That changed once it was installed. Argent said the architect told him, “What you did was humanize my building.”

 

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Dolores Hinckley

Dolores Hinckley is a producer and reporter for WUFT News. In her time at the station, Dolores has also worked with NPR national, covering Hurricane Michael from ground zero in Panama City and the protest of white nationalist Richard Spencer at UF. In Spring 2019, Dolores interned for CBS’ “60 Minutes,” where she assisted in researching upcoming pieces for the acclaimed news magazine, including the profile of Samuel L. Jackson. Following her semester in New York, Dolores spent Summer 2019 interning for the Associated Press in Rome, covering Italy and the Vatican as a video and print journalist, prior to her graduation in December 2019. Born in Italy and raised in the U.S., Dolores one day hopes to work as a foreign correspondent for an American outlet, telling compelling stories wherever they may be. When she’s not pursuing a story, Dolores loves to fence épée and travel to compete with the UF club fencing team.

Previous Article
Six tips for freelance writers.
  • Conference
  • Industry

Wind ’em up: 6 tips for freelancers on pitching story idea

  • Minna Markkanen
  • September 16, 2016
Read More
Next Article
ONA student newsroom journalist Minna Markkanen
  • Voices

Vlogging through ONA, Part 2: The Small Talk Challenge

  • Minna Markkanen
  • September 16, 2016
Read More

Special thanks to our Patron Sponsors
Google News Initiative logo

Content Authenticity Initiative logo

…and our Supporting Sponsors
Microsoft logo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution logo

Top Articles
  • 1
    Ever heard of a ‘newsgame’? They aren’t as new as you might think
    • September 24, 2022
  • A table with three speakers sit in front of a room with people at round tables 2
    As journalists look to build trust, solutions journalism might help
    • September 24, 2022
  • Why news organizations are pivoting to short-form video and TikTok
    • September 24, 2022
  • screen shot of Zine produced by the ONA Newsroom in 2022 4
    To paper and back again – the #ONAZine
    • September 24, 2022
  • 5
    Women’s Leadership Accelerator cohorts back in person after two years
    • September 24, 2022
@ONANewsroom
My Tweets

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

ONA Student Newsroom
Daily conference coverage from ONA's student newsroom

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.