Mizzou Tiger, Tiger Plaza, University of MO, Columbia, MO
N 38° 56.548 W 092° 19.736
15S E 558156 N 4310606
The University of Missouri's mascot is the Bengal Tiger. The renowned wildlife sculptor Forest Hart from Maine created a standing tiger in bronze for Tiger Plaza for homecoming weekend in 2002. It is one of the most photographed spots on campus.
Waymark Code: WM90MA
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 06/09/2010
Views: 8
The Tiger Plaza with its fountain and a big bronze statue of the Missouri University mascot-- a Bengal Tiger is a wonderful spot at the south end of the Carnahan Quadrangle. It is one most photographed vistas on campus,since it was dedicated in the fall of 2002.
The sculptor is a renowned designer of wildlife statues in bronze. His name is Forest Hart and his studio is in Maine. In reading about his Mizzou Tiger project on his website he noted that: "This is the most exciting project on which I have ever worked."
The foundry for this project was the Lands End Sculpture Center in Colorado. When the finished Mizzou Tiger was assembled it was then trucked across Colorado and Kansas to Missouri . The sculptor and foundry installation crew drove the 1,600-pound mascot to the big cat's new home in Columbia, but I learned that by chance they stopped overnight in Lawrence,Kansas before proceeding to the MU Columbia campus. A photo of the Mizzou Tiger at the dedication ceremonies shows what looks like red and blue feathers in the tiger's mouth. (Lawrence is the home of the Kansas Jay Hawks!)
So if you happen to be in Columbia, Missouri I recommend highly a stop on the campus of the University where a bronze Bengal tiger holds sway over its territory south of Rollins Street,which includes several of the university's sports arenas and stadiums.
The mascot that appears in the stadiums and arenas is named Truman, but he is a costumed human dressed as a tiger-- who is very popular with children. Someone did propose not long ago having a real tiger at games, but that idea did not fly.
Meanwhile,"Truman the Tiger" is so popular that do not be surprised if he too is cast in bronze somewhere in Columbia, Missouri's city limits in the future. I got to meet Truman and the cheerleaders at Tiger Plaza on June 11,2010. They were there for a photo shoot in their new outfits for the fall football season. Wow! Check out the photos of that afternoon.
School name: University of Missouri at Columbia, Missouri
Artist: Forest Hart of Monroe, Maine
Year Created/Dedicated: 2002/ October 2002
|
Visit Instructions:
Please upload a new, original photo of the mascot statue. This photo may or may not include you or a personal mascot.