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May
15, 2003 DinoMite
DaysSM Dino Dozen Hatch at Carnegie Museum of Natural
History
Twelve of 100 Dinosaurs Make their Dino Debut to Launch
Jurassic Event
PITTSBURGH,
PA, May 15, 2003 — Twelve of 100 decorated dinosaurs
were unveiled today to officially launch Carnegie Museum of
Natural History’s DinoMite Days, an outdoor public art
exhibit of Jurassic proportions. Hand-decorated by talented
artists throughout Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, these
dinosaurs are just two weeks away from adding a splash of
prehistoric panache to Pittsburgh’s parks, plazas and
public streets.
A colorful
combination of Tyrannosaurus rex, Stegosaurus
and Torosaurus dinosaur replicas paraded into the museum’s
Hall of Architecture accompanied by their artists and local
school children, some of who also created and painted the
reptiles. Together, they wheeled in twelve spectacular pieces
of “DinoMite” art, ranging from dinosaurs featuring
stained-glass windows to a gigantic steel sculpture.
“This
parade marks the beginning of DinoMite Days and a ‘DinoMite’
era in Pittsburgh,” remarked Bill DeWalt, director of
Carnegie Museum of Natural History. “DinoMite Days offers
a fun and exciting opportunity for anyone interested in art,
history, dinosaurs and the Pittsburgh region. It will also
help raise awareness of the significance of Carnegie Museum’s
collection of dinosaur fossils, the third largest in the world!”
“DinoMite”
Migration
The first round of the 200-pound fiberglass dinosaurs will
be installed May 29 through June 1, 2003, while the remaining
dinos will be installed by July 1st. Most dinosaurs will be
affixed to a base and will feature a plaque with the names
of the “sponsaur” and artist.
A “Dino
Map” will provide the locations for each of the 100
dinosaurs and will soon be available online at www.dinomitedays.org.
The site also provides information about the artists, photographs
of the dinosaurs, educational information about the history
of dinosaurs and activities for children.
The public
will also have an opportunity to view the “Dino Dozen”
as the herd makes its way to PPG Plaza. They will be on display
from May 17 through May 28 before these dinosaurs make their
homes at their summer locations. This will be one of the only
times people will have the chance to see all of these works
of art in one place.
The dinosaurs
will remain on display through the summer when they will be
prepared for the gala auction on October 18, 2003 at the David
L. Lawrence Convention Center. Each of the dinosaurs will
be auctioned off at the event or online and the proceeds will
benefit both the expansion of the museum’s “Dinosaur
Hall” as well as a charity of the sponsaur’s choice.
The
Dino Dozen
The twelve Dino Dozen artists who previewed their art include:
- Jason
Gotsch of Strongsville, OH. His T. rex entitled
"Aerodynamic" represents a techno-pet blended
with a sports car using plastic sheeting, stained glass
and automotive parts;
- Jennifer
Zimmerman of Mt. Lebanon, PA, and Lauren Urbschat.
“Florasaurus” is painted with flowers, butterflies
and plants found at Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory
and Botanical Gardens;
- Phillips
Elementary School. The students designed an “Alphabetosaurus”
that bears unique versions of the letters of the alphabet;
- Jen
Urich of Pittsburgh, PA. Her Stegosaurus illustrates
Pittsburgh’s abandoned steel mills through photographic
emulsion;
- Gary
Mesa-Gaido of Morehead, KY. “Philipsaurus,”
named after its inspiration, Philip Johnson's PPG building,
is a truly unique dinosaur composed entirely of reflective
glass and mirrors. Cutting the mirrors into different shapes,
Mesa-Gaido then adhered each individual piece to the dinosaur’s
fiberglass shell to create this glittering masterpiece;
- O’Hara
Elementary School. As one of three winners of the “Decorate
a Dino” contest, these students created a T. rex resembling
a ream of paper. Each piece of paper contains a subject
taught at the elementary school level.
- Shady
Side Academy. The students and their art teacher, Scott
Aiken, created the “Shady Sideosaurus” with
hand-made tiles, representing Pennsylvania’s state
fossil – the Trilobite, that covers the body of the
Torosaurus and embraces themes about Pittsburgh and
education;
- JP
Glover of Pittsburgh, PA. His Stegosaurus exhibits
coloration based on living wildlife;
- Alexander
Overby of Squirrel Hill, PA. As the youngest artist
to participate in DinoMite Days, this 14-year-old’s
Torosaurus entitled “Imagine That!” uses
bright earth-related colors such as fire and water to illustrate
possible causes of dinosaur extinction;
- John
Alexander of McKees Rocks, PA. His "Pittsburghius
Architectaurus" details famous local architecture –
existing on one side and extinct on the other;
- Dave
Klug of Pittsburgh, PA. His “T.Rex VP” shows
the evolution of Pittsburgh from a blue-collar, smoke-filled
city to a high-tech, white-collar giant of industry; and
- Rick
Bach of Pittsburgh, PA. His steel sculpture, “Nino,”
weighs about 700 pounds and captures Pittsburgh’s
transformation from the bones of its industrial past to
its new vision.
Attendees
also got an up-close look at James O’Toole at work on
his partially completed dinosaur sponsaured by Astorino. He
demonstrated the art of architectural design based on a da
Vinci motif during the preview event.
“We
are thrilled to work with such a group of talented artists,”
said Susie Perelman, co-chairperson of DinoMite Days. “It
is amazing what these individuals created through their designs.
Each dinosaur personality will add pizzazz and color to Pittsburgh’s
landscape, which is already so rich in culture. After seeing
how wonderful these dozen turned out, we believe it will build
excitement in the community for the other dinosaurs that will
soon inhabit our city.”
More than
300 dinosaur eggs are also being decorated by local school
children, designers and florists, and local and national celebrities.
All of the eggs will be displayed and auctioned off at the
October 18th gala, which will officially end the DinoMite
Days program. A “Community Day” will occur the
following day, providing the public a chance to visit all
of the dinosaurs one last time in one location before they
find their way to their new homes.
Sponsaur
a Dinosaur
Approximately 20 of the dinosaurs that will go on display
are still available for “sponsaurship.” Sponsaurs
select a design, decide where the work of art will be displayed
throughout the summer and choose a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
to receive half of the proceeds once the dinosaur is auctioned
on October 18, 2003, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
The remaining proceeds will be used for renovation and expansion
of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s “Dinosaur
Hall.”
To become
a DinoMite Days “sponsaur,” contact Ted Hermann,
director of marketing for Carnegie Museum of Natural History,
at 412/622-3328 or via e-mail at hermannt@carnegiemuseums.org.
About
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Founded in 1895, Carnegie Museum of Natural History ranks
among the six
largest natural history museums in the United States, with
more than 20 million specimens, objects and artifacts. The
museum is the world's third-largest repository of dinosaur
fossils and contains one of the world's greatest collections
of publicly displayed dinosaur skeletons, as well as one of
the foremost collections of gems and minerals. The museum
is a distinguished research institution and a dynamic, family-friendly
destination.
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