Six ways the Big Blue Bear could make over his image

Since 2005, "I See What You Mean," arguably Denver's most beloved piece of public art, has been photographed, imitated and miniaturized. The sculpture outside of the Colorado Convention Center, nicknamed the Big Blue Bear, has been laughed at, loved, lingered over, tagged with a yarn-made ball and chain and pranked...

By Westword Staff

September 26, 2012

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Since 2005, "I See What You Mean," arguably Denver's most beloved piece of public art, has been photographed, imitated and miniaturized. The sculpture outside of the Colorado Convention Center, nicknamed the Big Blue Bear, has been laughed at, loved, lingered over, tagged with a yarn-made ball and chain and pranked with a Big Blue Piece of Poop. It's even lent its name to a food truck and a new garden.

And after seven years, Big Blue is getting a bit of a facelift. But will it go far enough?

The 10,000-pound, forty-foot-tall sculpture, created by artist Lawrence Argent, needs a tuneup, according to Arts & Venues Denver. It "has seen the effects of time and will be re-coated and repainted to bring him back to his sparkling blue color," the city reports, a process that will take eleven days and wrap up on October 1 (weather permitting). "The seven-year-old will also get some routine maintenance done to his steel and concrete shell."

Which is all well and good. But why not take this opportunity to give the Big Blue Bear a real makeover?

Here are a few suggestions for how our Big Blue Bear could stretch his big blue legs:

6. Joining a roller derby team 5. Getting a tattoo 4. Running for President

3. Upstaging the CU-Boulder bear 2. Global domination 1. Nemesis domination

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