Hachiko famouse Akita dog statue of Tokyo Japan replica gets new home in Woonsocket R.I.

This bronze statue replica was made by All Classics Ltd and can be bought here By RUSS OLIVO WOONSOCKET – For six weeks, the metal statue was hidden in the janitor's broom closet. “It was a big secret,” say Robert Pilkington, principal of the Beacon Charter High School for the Arts. “Very few people knew about it.” But the secret's out now, and soon Hachiko – or at least a life-size bronze likeness of the famous dog – will be appearing at a train station near you, the mirror image of the original on the other side of the globe. In case you missed all the earlier hoopla, the Depot Building was the defining set piece for Hollywood icon Richard Gere's 2009 film about the celebrated canine. “Hachiko,” the film, was based on the true story of an Akita in Japan that used to greet his owner as he stepped off the train from work every day at the same time – and continued to do so for a decade after the man died suddenly at work. Hachiko lived as a stray and kept up his sadly futile routine until the day he, too, died. The Japanese were so impressed by Hachiko's enduring loyalty that they erected a statue to him outside Shibuya station in 1934. Pilkington says it was Mayor Leo Fontaine who came up with the idea of erecting a replica statue of Hachiko, a project that would serve as part tourist attraction, part tribute to the creation of the film at the Depot Building, a former Providence & Worcester stop that was transformed into the “Bedford Falls” train station for the movie. He just took the ball and ran with it. At first Pilkington considered letting students in the art program create the replica out of plaster or clay and having the model casted in bronze at a foundry. “That would have been way too complicated, and it would have taken too long,” he says. In the end, Pilkington found what he was looking for where everyone else finds that special, one-of-a-kind item – on eBay. With the approval of Beacon's board of trustees, he expended $1,950 from the school's operating budget for the Hachiko statue. The shiny, brownish figure weighs 90 pounds and stands about three feet high. Cast in the sitting position, with an expression of vague longing in his eyes, the statue appears, so far as Pilkington can tell, like a perfect clone of the Hachiko that patiently waits outside Shibuya station in Japan. Pilkington says it was created by an artist from New Jersey who visited Japan and was so impressed by the original that he came home to make one of his own. “It appears to be an exact replica,” said Pilkington, as he perused laptop images of the real thing on YouTube in an office at the Beacon school. Pilkington wanted to make a surprise gift of the statue to the city, so he kept it hidden after it arrived in a shipping crate a few weeks ago. He chose to unveil the statue Thursday night at Savini's Restaurant, as Pilkington himself was being honored by the Rotary Club with its annual vocational service award. The city, says Pilkington, envisions the Hachiko project as a permanent tribute to the city's role in the movie and as a magnet for outsiders – maybe even a few visitors from Japan. It's no secret, says Pilkington, that Boston is a hub for Japanese visitors who often venture as close to Woonsocket as the Wrentham Village shopping center during their excursions to the Northeast. Given that Gere's film, a remake of the 1987 Japanese original, made $48 million in Japan – more than it earned in the U.S. – Pilkington says it's not such a far-fetched idea to think that Japanese tourists might detour to Woonsocket for a glimpse of the American version of the Shibuya icon while they're in the area. Fontaine agrees. From similarly tiny seeds the Museum of Work and Culture has developed solid ties with the foreign consul of Quebec which have served as a significant stimulus for tourism, the mayor says. “It's not as hokey as some people would make it out to be,” says the mayor. “I know some people will say we've got all these other problems, but we can't get so caught up in them we stop ourselves from taking pride in something this simple as dog.” Fontaine says the statue will also focus attention on a part of the downtown strip – the middle – that seems to be having the most trouble pulling itself up by the bootstraps. The poles of the Main Street axis have their well-established economic drivers – the Stadium Theatre on the north, Museum of Work and Culture on the south. “If we can start drawing some focus on the center, it's a good thing,” says the mayor. “It's an additional feature that we can offer to draw in some people and take some pride in our city.” The Hachiko project has the endorsement of Robert Billington, the director of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, says Fontaine, and the city is already working with the state Department of Transportation to gain permission to erect the statue. DOT owns the Depot Building, which currently serves as the headquarters of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission. The city must also embark on a fundraising campaign to erect a base for the statue and figure out a way to anchor it securely to the base so that it is safe from vandals, says the mayor. If all goes according to plan, the statue will be formally dedicate in 2012, on April 8 – a day that is commemorated annually in Japan as “Hachiko Day.” For now, Hachiko is sitting proudly in the main office at the Beacon school, the expression of confused longing forever etched on his metallic snout. Mary Hoyle, the school nurse, can hardly bring herself to look at him. “I watched that movie,” she says. “It made me cry.”

ROBOCOP statue nixed by Mayor

Every city needs a statue as like sports teams they bring tourists and tourist dollars.
Detroit decided not to have a Robocop statue but news may change and wishes sometimes come true.Every town needs a mascot whether you have Rocky, the Fonze,or Dale Earnhardt.
We at www.bigbronze.com can make these statues at commercial rates with no artist ego charges. We enjoy this kind of work.Check our mascot section.
http://www.bigbronze.com/bronze-Animals-sculpture--Mascots-TK-57748.html

WHEN MASCOTS ATTACK!! Ohio's Mascot exacts justice on Brutus the Buckeye

OHIO STATE BUCKEYE MASCOT GETS TACKLED BY RIVAL MASCOT



In what was easily the best tackle of the day for the Ohio U. Bobcats, their mascot, Rufus laid a lick on Brutus the Buckeye of Ohio State that A.J. Hawk would be proud of. The motivation? Just to do what was done, tackle Brutus. In a strange twist, the young man that donned the Bobcat suit made it his life's ambition to tackle Brutus. Enjoy your 15 seconds of fame pal.

If you'd like your mascot done in bronze, we're here to help. We can custom make any style or size you'd like. Like the Iowa Herky below!



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As Sculptures Proliferate in College Football, the Bar for Legends Dips; Casting Danny Wuerffel

Enough With the Statues, Already

By DARREN EVERSON

There's nothing wrong with commissioning a statue in honor of the late Alabama football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who is universally regarded as one of the icons of college football.

Anyone who doesn't have a heart of stone would have supported Marshall's decision to display a memorial to the members of the 1970 football team who died in a plane crash.

But when a conversation about football statuary starts to veer toward the likes of Nick Saban, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow, it's probably time to stop, locate the nearest paper bag and breathe into it.

If you need any more evidence that college football is in the midst of a new era of blind extravagance and euphoric self-congratulation, all you have to do is start counting statues.

A growing number of schools across the nation have decided they aren't content to reward winning coaches by paying them millions of dollars—or to honor their recent star players by retiring jersey numbers. The latest technique is to send a few still photos to the neighborhood sculptor.

By the end of the season, Alabama hopes to honor its current football coach of three seasons, Mr. Saban, with a statue outside Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. This is something the school has done for its other national-title-winning coaches. It was initially thought the statue might be up already, but it's still being molded because earlier renderings weren't quite right. "It looked like Robert De Niro," a school official said.

Florida, Alabama's top competition in the Southeastern Conference in recent years, is close to completing statues of the school's three Heisman Trophy winners—Steve Spurrier (1966), Mr. Wuerffel (1996) and Mr. Tebow (2007).

Oklahoma, meanwhile, is becoming statue central. Four of the Sooners' Heisman winners have gotten them since 2005; a fifth, of 2008 winner Sam Bradford, is on the way. Oklahoma also plans statues of four of its coaches over the next year, including Bob Stoops, the current coach.

The schools say the statues dress up stadiums, giving them a formal "front door" that celebrates their history. They say fans delight in snapping photos of the statues. They also note that these artworks are paid for in an appropriate manner: Mr. Saban's statue, which will cost about $50,000, is being funded by the Crimson Tide Foundation via private donations. So it's not like tuition increases are supporting this. "I'd just say that, right or wrong, the thing that brings a lot of immediate attention to a university is its athletic programs," says Alabama athletic director Mal Moore. "It's a way of recognizing that success."

It's obviously debatable, of course—especially in the case of Mr. Saban, who was coaching at rival LSU just a few seasons ago. "Saban statue is too much, too soon," said the headline of a Birmingham News column earlier this year.

"It's a dangerous precedent about the statement of football over academics," says author Chris Warner, an LSU alumnus and SEC football fan who wrote a book about conference tailgating. "We're building monuments to coaches. It's a pretty good indicator of where we are."

Traditionally, statues have been erected for football legends long after their playing careers or after decades of service, like the late Grambling coach Eddie Robinson, who had a museum opened in his memory in February on the school's Louisiana campus. Penn State's 83-year-old coach Joe Paterno, whose 18th-ranked Nittany Lions visit Mr. Saban's top-ranked Tide in a highly anticipated game on Saturday, had a statue unveiled in his honor in 2001.

Others have been immortalized in bronze or stone after a tragic death. Nebraska found a way to honor a revered former coach in tandem with a fallen former player: A 2006 statue depicts Tom Osborne, the school's all-time winningest coach, instructing quarterback Brook Berringer, who died in a 1996 plane crash at age 22.

Two years ago, Syracuse unveiled a statue of star running back Ernie Davis, the first black Heisman winner, who died of leukemia less than two years after winning the 1961 award. It was a fine subject, but there was just one problem: The statue depicted Davis wearing modern football equipment, including Nike shoes. (Nike didn't exist when Davis played.) The mistake was later corrected.

In 2003, Washington honored former coach Jim Owens with a statue, an event that spurred an NAACP protest. Mr. Owens had been accused of racism in 1969 for suspending four black players for a perceived lack of loyalty. Mr. Owens, who died last year, apologized at the unveiling.

Some subjects have approached these honors with humility. Mr. Wuerffel, the former Florida star, now works with Desire Street Ministries, a group that works to transform inner-city neighborhoods through what it calls "spiritual development." He says statues on campus shouldn't be limited to football players like him. "There are countless unsung heroes in our world that don't get the public attention that athletes and entertainers do."

"You don't have the statue there to idolize," says ESPN analyst and former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, who received one in 2008. "You have it to remind people of the tradition."

Mr. Saban's planned statue is a symbol of changing times. It used to be that no Alabama coach was worthy of mention in the same breath as Bryant, an Alabama player who returned and won six national titles there. But Bryant has been gone so long—he died in 1983—that Mr. Saban is all many Alabama students know, says Paul Finebaum, a Birmingham radio host and columnist.

And so public opinion about the Saban statue, which Mr. Finebaum says is mostly in favor, is somewhat split by age. "People 50 or above say, 'I don't have a problem with it, but don't you think we ought to wait?' " says Mr. Finebaum. "The young people wonder: Why doesn't he have a statue already?"




If you'd like to memorialize a sports figure, local hero, or mascot and you want a quality piece at an affordable price, we're the solution! We have done many custom pieces, like the one pictured above, and we can work with you to make your vision a reality. Even if it's another sports figure! Check out our website to see all of our great pieces and to check out more of our custom work.


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Back to School Mascot Statues and Sculptures!

BACK TO SCHOOL SAVINGS!!

The back to school season is upon us. Time to start thinking of fall days, seeing friends, and classes. If you're like us you love walking onto campus and seeing the mascot for the first time, it officially means your back for another great year! If you can't see that because you don't have a statue of your school's mascot, we're here to help. We have a large selection of life size and larger than life bronze sculptures that are perfect as the centerpiece for a University, College, or High School stadium or entrance. If you have a mascot that we don't have in-stock we can create a custom piece to suit your needs! Check out bigbronze.com for all your bronze statue or fountain needs. Our wholesale prices can't be beat!

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Largest In-stock Bronze Horse Sculpture Selection on the East Coast

If you have a farm, ranch, equestrian center, training facility, equestrian themed restaurant or mascot we have what you need! We easily have the largest in-stock selection on the east coast at by far the best pricing you'll find anywhere. The pictures above are just the tip of the iceberg. We have several styles and sizes of statue, sculpture and fountain to suit your need. Check out our website for our full line. We can also do custom pieces as well!
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Bronze sculpture statue of Dachshund earns Award

Joy Beckner Sculpture of Bronze Dachshunds
SculptSite.com

Joy Beckners bronze "Siesta" Standard Smooth Dachshund, earned The Agop Agopoff Memorial Award, 79th Annual Exhibition, The Hudson Valley Art Association, NY. See it through July 30 at the National Arts Club, 15 Grammercy Park South, New York,NY.



If you're looking to add a sculpture of man's best friend to your home decor we've got an extensive selection of museum quality bronze dogs to choose from. We can also do custom pieces, including monumental pieces to be used as a mascot!



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Bharti Kher Elephant Sculpture

Bharti Kher's sculpture gets under a million pounds at Sotheby's
The Economic Times

LONDON: A life-sized elephant in a crouched position by UK-born Indian sculptor Bharti Kher fetched over £900,000 at an auction by Sotheby's in London Monday evening.

"The Skin Speaks a Language not its Own" is one of the most talked-about works by Kher, said the auction house which expected it to fetch between £700,000 and a million pounds.

It ultimately went for £993, 250, just short of the high end target, at the Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Auction.

It took Kher 10 months to create. Zara Porter-Hill, director and head of Sotheby's Indian Art Department, said: "Despite our familiarity with elephants, nothing prepares the viewer for the emotional experience of seeing Kher's elephant, huge and incongruous in the gallery space. With her head resting on her front foot, she is brought down to our level and her glassy black eye entreats a communion and proximity rarely encountered in the wild."



If your looking to add a lifesize elephant to your collection, or a WHOLE family for that matter, we have just the set. And, our BRONZE elephant family won't cost a Sotheby's price.

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Our GIANT EAGLE purchased by HCC in Tampa, FL

Our giant Eagle, an exclusive design, is on display at the Hillsborough Community College in Tampa Florida. They're Mascot is the Hawk and they thought our piece would be a perfect fit! If you're looking for an Eagle or Hawk for your school or organization you too can purchase this beautiful, limited production, sculpture too!

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The 10 Most Ridiculous Mascots Of All Time | Bleacher Report

The 10 Most Ridiculous Mascots Of All Time Bleacher Report


Speaking of Mascots, we carry a full line of life size and larger than life Mascots in-stock! We can also custom make your mascot in beautiful bronze at an incredible price!



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Product Focus: Equestrian Sculptures, Statues, and Fountains

One of our most popular product lines are sculptures, statues, and fountains that focus on an equestrian theme. Horses seem to strike a chord with people. The majestic, powerful, and graceful nature of these animals is used as a symbol for a broad range of reasons. It may be used as a school mascot or professional team, to symbolize what industry a ranch or training facility specializes in, even as the marquee of a community or business or simply as an addition to a park or public space. When people see a sculpture or fountain that features horses they just seem to swell with pride. These animals have almost become as much a symbol of the American way as the Bald Eagle. If you have a ranch, school, or business with an equestrian theme there are few better ways to draw attention than a large bronze statue or fountain.

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Bronze Statues and Sculptures are Perfect as a School or Club Mascot

Bronze sculptures and statues and mascots go hand in hand. Many of the pieces we have, especially the life-size and larger than life animals, are perfectly suited for use as the symbol for schools or organizations. Eagles, Tigers, and other animals are all represented in school sports and nearly all are readily available in bronze in virtually every size. Bronze fits so well due to its durability, beauty, and sheer impact it can make sitting on top of a well made pedestal. Plus, since bronze is such a flexible medium, it's easy to create custom pieces that look just like the costumed version of a the mascot that runs the sidelines. These symbols, in the proper setting, will instill pride within the student body or organization and be the envy of any school or club that doesn't have one of their own. If you want to make an impact and have a symbol that will last for generations, a bronze sculpture is the way to go.

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Tasmanian "Tazzy" Tiger Thylacine Original Bronze Animal Sculpture Art

Here at All Classics Ltd. and bigbronze.com we're always coming up with new and unique concepts for our original, exclusive bronze sculptures and statues. We thought it would be neat to do a statue of the fabled Tasmanian Tiger. We always thought it was a perfect subject to be immortalized in bronze and could be a great addition to a museum, display, or private collection. And, wouldn't you know it, the response has been great! We sold the first 2 pieces made within a month of their arrival. Both to private collectors. This piece is our very own design so it can't be found anywhere else, making it very rare, and a very good investment.

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Movie Props and Other Novelty Sculptures and Statues

Here at bigbronze.com we like doing things that others won't. We like to think outside the box when it comes to sculpture. A lot of our bronze statues can't be found anywhere else. We often choose movie style memorabilia or famous faces we think could look good in a certain setting. As pictured above, we've done the idol from Indiana Jones, the skeletons from Jason and the Argonauts, and a Mohammed Ali. If you'd like a movie prop or memorabilia but don't see it anywhere, contact us! We can make it into a real work of art for you.

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Bronze Custom Order Statues Sculptures

We're working on 3 custom bronze sculptures for an installation designed by an artist in Canada. Each piece is being done to his exact specifications. We often do custom work to accomodate people's needs. Our bronze sculptures are created by self taught artisans that take great pride in their work. We can custom make any type of piece in any style. Animals, children, memorial busts, and mascots are many of the types of custom pieces that get made.

Towson Tiger Custom Mascot Statue

We created this piece for the Towson University Tigers. It's proudly displayed on their main campus for all to see. It was a truly unique experience and the piece turned out great. The University was very happy with the end result. We can custom make anything, any size. Especially mascots! Monumental bronze sculptures are a great way to garner a lot of attention for a school, business, club, or social organization. They make any locale into a landmark people will remember.

Top Ten Reasons to Buy a Bronze Sculpture, Statue, or Fountain

10. Limited Production

During the process of these pieces being made the mould has to be broken, this means that no two pieces are exactly alike. And even though they are similar, styles change so pieces regularly stop being reproduced meaning they are usually fairly rare pieces to own.

9. Unique Way to Add Beauty to a Location

Everyone wants to have a beautiful landscape; be it for a home, business, or public park or courtyard. A bronze sculpture, statue, or fountain is a great way to add beauty and elegance to any landscape, garden, or park. Not only does a bronze get attention, it also adds a bit of tranquility that people are just drawn to.

8. Inherent Natural Beauty

Bronze Sculpture has a natural beauty that is unmatched. Bronze sculpture has been around since ancient times and it still holds our fascination as much now as it did then. Seeing a beautiful work of bronze in a park, garden, or landscape inspires people and the imagination. It has become the gold standard for immortalizing and romanticizing the human experience.

7. Bronze has Historical Significance

The advent of bronze in the 3rd millennia BC brought about a huge advancement in metalworking and brought humanity into a more modern era. When you purchase a piece of bronze art, statue or a fountain you are instantly connected to those early beginnings and help to continue the legacy of this magnificent metal alloy.

6. Versatility of Use

Like the ancient cultures that discovered it, our uses for bronze are infinite. Bronze is mainly known for its use as an artistic medium but it's also used for many other things. Architectural elements, boat parts and propellers, automobile elements, musical instruments, and tools are just a few examples of the immense versatility of the bronze alloy. It has been used during every major advancement mankind has had and will continue to do so long into the future.

5. Monumental Sculpture is Iconic

Adding a monumental statue or sculpture to the front of a building instantly makes that location memorable and iconic. A large bronze trumps a large sign every day of the week. People are conditioned to block out signs because there are so many of them. However, a monumental sculpture or statue will always garner attention. This is due to the unique nature of a bronze and because people always remember seeing something out of the ordinary.

4. Bronze has Intrinsic Value

Unlike other materials used for fountains and sculptures, bronze has an inherent value due to the value of the metal contents. Bronze is mostly made of copper which is a commodity that continues to grow in value. So, by getting a piece now, it's value will only increase over time as the metal prices rise. Also, many pieces are very limited production so they will increase in value over time because of their rarity.

3. Owning Bronze is a Status Symbol

Since bronze has intrinsic value due to the metal and the limited production of many of the pieces created, it's often something that not everyone can afford. By purchasing a piece of bronze art or fountain you're telling the world that you've succeeded in life and you're rewarding yourself for all your hard work. A bronze sculpture not only enhances a landscape, it can enhance your standing in the community.

2. Virtually Maintenance Free

Once you've purchased your bronze statue or fountain you've done most of the work. You can put it in place as is or have it professionally installed for added security and stability. And really, that's it. Once in place there's really nothing else to do but enjoy your piece. It will "age" over time and get that statue of liberty look, but it may take 20 or 30 years for it to happen. If you don't want that to happen there are a couple simple solutions to help protect your bronze piece from the elements.

1. It Lasts Forever!

That's right, it really does last forever. Pieces sitting at the bottom of the Mediterranean sea since the Roman and Greek empires are still be pulled up today looking as good as ever. This is due to Bronze's very high resistance to salt water and the elements. So, when you buy a piece of bronze, be it a statue, sculpture, fountain, or fine work of art, you know it will be an heirloom for your family enjoy for many many years to come.