Large Bear

Item Description

ABOUT THE BEAR:

“Our bear is the embodiment of the night sky.  The front of the bear shows the night sky form the northern hemisphere and the stars wrap around the bear, with the southern hemisphere show on the back side.  The meridian lines are an artistic/illustrative touch and emphasize the three dimensional aspect of the bear/sky relationship.  The bear holds a fabricated golden telescope.”  - “Ursa Major”

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

“I studied painting and printmaking at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. After receiving my BFA degree from MassArt in 1988, I worked as a corporate Art Director for a high tech company in Cambridge, MA.  In 1991, I started my own company, Adell Donaghue Design, and I have worked with a variety of small business, non-profit and corporate clients throughout New England for the past eighteen years.  Currently, I divide my time between running a boutique design firm in western Massachusetts specializing in branding and identity work, landscape painting and photography, and domestic and international travel.  The Bear Fest was an opportunity for me to work collaboratively with friends Justin Brown and Joe Carrier. I have been fascinated by the night sky since childhood and I began to paint night landscapes in art school. “Ursa Major” was a conceptual nod to these early interests and also provided the right set of circumstances in which add a new tool to my artistic arsenal: the airbrush.  I am currently planning my next airbrush project: a 1985 Ford Escort Wagon which I use to haul canvas and easel around in when I am painting on site. The wagon will include the full moon, solar flares, and ultimately, a set of large fuzzy dice.”  - Adell Donaghue

“I have been a professional painter (interior and exterior) for the past twenty-five years and currently run the paint department at the Fleury Lumber Company in Easthampton, MA. I studied painting and interior design at The Benjamin Moore School and have worked on all types of traditional and decorative painting projects throughout my career.  I was roped into the Bear Fest by my friend Adell’s enthusiasm (and nagging).  Helping to create “Ursa Major” has been a lot of fun and I’m happy to see the crowds in Easthampton viewing the bears on a daily basis.  It’s likely that I’ll be roped into Adell’s next project—that Escort Wagon is going to need a lot of help.”  - Joseph Carrier

“I studied art at the Savannah College of Art & Design in 1994 and photography at Holyoke Community College from 1995-1997 after moving back to the Valley.  Music has always played important part in my life and work. I am employed as a music publicist for Public Emily in Northampton MA and work with a number of independent record labels promoting the work of local and national musicians. I am presently involved in creating a series of sculpture and collage pieces, including a recent commission for Erin McKeown’s new album “Hundreds of Lions”.  My interest in the Bear Fest stemmed from a desire to collaborate with my friend Adell. Adell and I worked on the ArtsEasthampton Project from 2003-2007 and became great friends in the process. Our mutual love of stars and the color blue sent us on the “Ursa Major” odyssey. I had a great time on eBay searching for telescopes and a few moments of terror when we first started waving that airbrush around!  I am looking forward to the Ford Escort Wagon project, which I am happy to say, I convinced Adell to tackle.”  - Justin Brown

Item Special Note

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

Height:  54" from tip of feet to top of ears, 44" from base (where the bottom sits on base) to ears.

Width: circumference - approximately 92" around at the widest point (around the paws and back).  Footprint width is 21" and depth is 31".

Weight:  This bear weighs approximately 45 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.