The Bear Pit
Merriam Historic Plaza
The Bear Pit Bronze sculpture by artist Kwan Wu. Dedicated and installed 2006.
This sculpture by artist Kwan Wu represents the City of Merriam's first public sculpture installation. The mother bear and cubs celebrate one of the most popular features of historic Merriam Park.
Artists' [sic] statement:
"The sculpture tells a story with its mother bear and cubs. The city needed an historical representation, rather than a specific bear, and I thought a family of bears would be most appealing. The bears I created for this park are the human kind: they love life. They will bring together the people who come here with their families to relax." Kwan Wu
About the Images
The Bear Pit -
Sculptor Kwan Wu is pictured with scale and life-size clay models of the mother bear and cubs.
Did you know?
During the 1880's, the Merriam Park Zoo housed a bear pit that was home to three wandering bears. The bears often escaped and were returned to the park only to flee again. Eventually, only one bear remained.
Courtesy hmdb.org
