Franz the Bear
| Franz the Bear | |
|---|---|
_-_006.jpg) The sculpture in 2021 | |
| Artist | Michele vandenHeuvel |
| Location | |
Franz the Bear is a statue of a bear on a bench by Michele vandenHeuvel, installed in Park City, Utah, United States. Franz the Bear sits on a bench and is intended as a photo op for visitors.[1]
History
The public art piece was commissioned for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and was originally located at Park City’s transportation hub. Franz now sits on a walkway between Main Street and Swede Alley.[1]
Someone placed a face mask on the statue during the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] The bear was also featured in signs encouraging people to wear masks.[3]
The work was vandalized in January 2021.[4][5][6]
In 2024, Franz was listed as one of "11 Beloved Park City Landmarks."[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Meredith Gustman (December 16, 2024). "11 Beloved Park City Landmarks". mountainparkcity.com. Mountain. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Hamburger, Jay (April 14, 2020). "Park City sculptures outfitted with masks, a playful commentary on coronavirus protections". www.parkrecord.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ↑ Hamburger, Jay (June 20, 2020). "Unmasked on Main Street? Park City worries about people not wearing face coverings". www.parkrecord.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ↑ Hamburger, Jay (January 19, 2021). "Park City bear bench, a Main Street landmark, vandalized". www.parkrecord.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ↑ KUTV, Jennifer Weaver (January 20, 2021). "'Franz the bear' bronze bench statue in Park City knocked over onto gas meter". KUTV. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ↑ Hamburger, Jay (January 28, 2021). "Park City vandals, like those who targeted Franz the Bear, difficult to catch, police say". www.parkrecord.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
External links
- Franz the Bear at CODAworx