Blaze statue
- This article is about the concrete statue at Bartow Arena. For the bronze statue at the Collat School of Business, see Blaze Means Business.
The Blaze statue is a large sculpture of the UAB Blazers "Blaze" mascot that was dedicated on the pedestrian plaza outside the south entrance to Bartow Arena on April 29, 2008. (map)
The original 7,000 pound concrete statue was proposed as part of a series of "new campus traditions" developed by the Commission on UAB Traditions. The UAB National Alumni Society raised the $30,000 needed to commission the green and gold-painted sculpture from Homosassa, Florida artist T. J. Neil. The statue was 9 feet tall and 16 feet long and sat on an 18-inch tall concrete pedestal measuring 7 feet by 14 feet. It was illuminated by green-colored floodlights and rigged with an internal apparatus to allow it to "breathe smoke" on game days and other special occasions.
Neil's original concrete statue suffered structural damage and was removed in the Summer of 2013. The UAB Student Alumni Society and UAB National Alumni Society commissioned a replacement, similar in size, which was installed in 2014. In the interim, a Blaze topiary was installed on the UAB Campus Green.
References
- "Bay area artists sculpt major university's mascot." (April 5, 2008) [Tampa] Bay News 9
- Ayers, Jerry (April 29, 2008) "Blaze is smokin' today." The Birmingham News
- "Blaze at Bartow Arena succumbs to elements, heads for vacation" (July 31, 2013) UAB Reporter
- "'Blaze' on vacation from UAB's Bartow Arena." (August 8, 2013) WBRC 6/myfoxal.com
- "Blaze topiary to get new life and a winter home" (May 24, 2017) UAB Reporter
External links
- Blaze Statue at uab.edu/handbook/traditions
- T. J. Neil's World of Concrete Sculpture website
- UAB Blaze Statue construction photos on Flickr.com