Largest Zoo Sculpture

The St. Louis Zoo now appears to have the largest zoo sculpture, with its life-sized representation of over 60 animals (most are endangered), the Associated Press reports. (Link)

"The COR-TEN steel sculpture is composed of more than 1,300 elements, stands three stories tall and is 130 feet long. It features more than 60 life-size animals, most of them endangered species."

The North Carolina Zoo is also getting good recognition for its public art collection. Ann, who works for the United Arts Council of Greensboro, sent a message about that to me earlier this week:

"Renee Piechocki, nationally know public art consultant from Pittsburgh, is in Greensboro today leading a well-attended Public Art Forum sponsored by the Arts Council and the Public Library. City officials, elected officials, representatives of most of the private foundations, loads of artists, etc. are in attendance today. Several times during her presentation this morning Renee referenced the Zoo’s fabulous public art collection. She mentions your collection as she travels around the country adding that the NC Zoo has the best public art collection of any zoo in the nation; probably the world. Renee went on to say that “the NC Zoo deserves to be famous for its art collection, not just the fact that it is an award-winning natural habitat zoo.”"

The NC Zoo has just recently sent a life-sized sculpture of Marjan, the late lion from Kabul Zoo, to that zoo. The sculpture, donated by Austin, Texas artist Bob Coffee, is now a symbol of the friendship between people of Afghanistan and North America and beyond. Thousands of donors sent over $500,000 to the NC Zoo Society to help rebuild Kabul Zoo and care for Afghan animals affected by war in that region in response to the story of Marjan, injured in earlier fighting in Kabul. (The NC Zoo Society served as the vehicle for all that generosity when no other vehicle existed.)