View of the sculpture looking down Alumni Walk

From Paul: Hey all. Taking a quick break from finals studying to let you know about some very cool art here at Bates.  The Bates College Museum of Art and its director Mark Bessire, spearheaded a project to bring an amazing sculpture here to Bates. The ‘Lagacy Mantle (Mao Jacket)’, created by world-renown Chinese artist Sui Jianguo was brought here early this month and is on loan to Bates for a year. The sculpture is truly incredible. It is made of metal, stands 10 feet high and weighs roughly 4 tons. Bessire, the man who helped bring the statue to campus, said that having the sculpture here is an, “extraordinary opportunity for Bates to have one of the iconic symbols of Chinese contemporary art by one of the most influential artists in the world today”.

When I first saw the Mao Jacket I had no idea what to think. I snapped some pictures so you can decide for yourself. Also, check out this article from the Bates website. It is much more in depth and has some AWESOME pictures of moving the huge sculpture (from a flatbed truck, through the air between Pettengill and Lane Hall, into its resting spot along Alumni Walk).