Bronzes for the Blind: White Handed Gibbons - Tucson, Arizona - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

This sculpture of a mom and baby gibbon is one of several Bronzes for the Blind sculptures at Reid Park Zoo. They are designed to be completely hands-on, to assist the visually impaired learn about the zoo animals by touch. Each Bronzes for the Blind sculpture has an informational plaque that also included a braille inscription. The sculptures are all designed to be at the right height for all visitors to be able to easily access and feel the animal.

The White Handed Gibbons sculpture is unusual in that it is much taller than the others. This one is 3 feet tall since one of the mommy gibbons' arms is outstretched above her. She is holding her baby close by in the other arm.

Some of the other Bronzes for the Blind sculptures at Reid Park Zoo are: Sabu, African Elephant, Polar Bear, and Rhinoceros.

For more information please visit the zoo's website:
(visit link)

From the Smithsonian Art database:

Description:

A mother Gibbon is seated on a tree limb holding her baby in her proper left arm with the proper right arm holding onto a limb of the tree on which she sits. Her proper right leg is bent with the knee bent up and the baby cradled in the pocket formed, close to her body. The proper left foot covers the proper right foot and the proper left leg is bent and very close to the body. The faces are expressive and surfaces textured. The tree limb extends behind the mother and forms into a tree branch which she holds with her proper right arm. The sculpture is mounted atop a rectangular base with a sloped upper front.

Inscription:

Mark Rossi (On plaque on upper front of base, in English and in Braille:) Donated in honor of Lee Brooks Thornton Pioneer Supporter of the Zoo signed

Dimensions:

Sculpture: approx. 36 x 14 x 13 1/2 in.; Base: approx. 36 x 20 x 20 in.

Remarks:

The sculpture was donated in honor of Lee Brooks Thornton, a pioneer supporter of the Reid Park Zoo. It is part of the Bronzes for the Blind, a project developed by the zoo to offer the blind tactile images of zoo animals. Each sculpture is placed at hand-level where it can be touched. The project is an ongoing collaboration between the zoo and the artist.

TITLE: Bronzes for the Blind: Handed Gibbons ARTIST(S): Rossi, Mark, sculptor. Sculpture Resource Studio, founder. Desert Crucible Foundry, founder. DATE: 1993. MEDIUM: Sculpture: bronze; Base: concrete. CONTROL NUMBER: IAS AZ000587 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Reid Park Zoo DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: none

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