Easthampton City Arts – Easthampton Bear Fest
Auction Ends: Oct 14, 2009 11:00 PM EDT

Small Bear

'Aurora 'Bear'ealis' by Michael Fitzgibbon

"Aurora 'Bear'ealis" by Michael Fitzgibbon

Item Number
119
Leading Bid
825 USD
Number of Bids
17  -  Bid History

Live Event Item

After the online close, this item went to a Live Event for further bidding.

Item Description

ABOUT THE BEAR: "My vision for this bear was to paint a nighttime landscape scene with the aurora borealis featured. Bears are a symbol of untamed wilderness, and I thought it would be appropriate to illustrate the form of a bear with images of its habitat. Also, the aurora borealis is one of nature's most awe-inspiring phenomena and it is interesting to link the solid presence of the bear with the ethereality of the lights. I highlighted the great bear constellation, Ursa Major, with fiber optic lights installed form the inside of the sculpture." - Michael Fitzgibbon

ABOUT THE ARTIST: Michael Fitzgibbon is a twenty-seven-year-old resident of Westhampton, who has had a lifelong passion for art. He is a self-taught painter, and also attended Metropolitan State College in Denver to study industrial design. His favorite subject for painting is people, but he is always looking for new and interesting challenges. The Bear Fest project was Michael's first foray into 3-dimensional and public art, and he feels that it was quite successful. The experience included learning how to airbrush, which gave him a chance to expand his artistic repertoire. His interest in electrical and mechanical projects made for a unique opportunity to integrate lights into the bear.

http://www.mikefitzgibbon.blogspot.com/ 

 

Item Special Note

This bear is a small bear.  The measurements are as follows:

Height:  26" tall.

Width: circumference - approximately 58" around at the widest point at the base of the bear.  Footprint, 17" wide and 19" deep.  

Weight:  This bear weighs approximately 20 lbs.

Other useful information: The bear will come with the log that it was displayed on in the exhibit, and will include the plaque on the log. 

The bear is coated with a UV protective clear coat so that the paint will not fade with exposure to the sun, and it is also equipped with a solar panel for the optic fibers.