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The Maryland, My Maryland turtle, painted 
	by Barbara and William Gordon, outside the Adele H. Stamp Student Union.
The "Maryland, My Maryland" turtle, painted by Barbara and William Gordon, stands boldly outside the Adele H. Stamp Student Union.
An army of terrapins has been rolled out to help the University of Maryland in College Park celebrate its 150th anniversary.

Artists, students and art enthusiasts painted dozens of fiberglass sculptures of Testudo, the campus mascot, for the university's public-art project.

"We were looking for a way to include the broader community in the anniversary celebration," says Cassandra Robinson, assistant director of university communications.

A 4-and-a-half-foot tall basic fiberglass sculpture was created by Steven Weitzman, an artist in Brentwood, Md.

Artists were then asked to submit proposals showing the sculpture painted in different guises.

Artists submitted 80 proposals in October 2005; the 50 best were chosen by the Fear the Turtle Artistic Review Committee, which included local artists, members of the art department and the university at large, area arts councils and local gallery curators.

Thirty terrapins are displayed across the College Park campus; another 20 are located in Baltimore, Annapolis, Ocean City and the surrounding Washington, D.C., area.

Each artist chosen received a $1,000 stipend to buy supplies. Artists used a variety of materials in their designs, including paint, clay and paper mache.

The Testudos will remain on display until early October. On October 19, 33 of them will be sold at a public auction at the Riggs Alumni Center to raise money for scholarships.

Seventeen sculptures have already been pre-purchased by some businesses and individuals who helped sponsor the program.

 

Photos, text and banner graphic by Jennifer Fu
Edited by Chris Harvey
Published May 17, 2006


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