'Fabulous gift.' 8-foot bronze Obie statue placed in new home in downtown Massillon
MASSILLON ‒ A crane operator from Berens Tree Service and a worker from Coopermill Bronze Works worked together Monday morning to maneuver the highly-anticipated bronze Obie statue into place along Lincoln Way.
The 1,000-pound, 8-foot sculpture of the Tigers' beloved mascot will be formally unveiled Wednesday night after the annual kickoff pep rally in Duncan Plaza. The Tiger growl begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the rally at 7. The unveiling of the statue will follow. Guests are then invited to the Massillon Museum lawn for a free scoop of Tiger Stripe ice cream.
Tiger fans can meet the football team, cheerleaders and senior members of the Tiger Swing Band as they prepare for the season opener at 7 p.m. Friday against Archbishop Moeller at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
The Obie statue, through a donation from an anonymous benefactor, was created by Zanesville artist Alan Cottrill. It features the mascot wearing a letter "M" on his sweater, a football helmet and carrying a football in his left arm while his left leg is extended and his tail dances behind.
How was the new Obie statue created?
The funding for the project was donated to the Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club to create and construct the larger-than-life piece.
"I'm excited for the citizens of Massillon to have something that gravitates the community to one common admiration for what most people perceive as the city's mascot," school board member John Paquelet said. "It's a highly recognized high school mascot throughout the country. It's great to be able to memorialize it for all people to see."
Obie:Massillon Tigers' beloved mascot cast in bronze as work on statue continues
A small crowd gathered Monday to watch the installation. On hand were Paquelet and his father, Dr. Charles Paquelet, a 1952 Washington High School alum, who has helped spearhead the project for the booster club.
"It's better than what I imagined," the elder Paquelet said as the statue was lifted into place at Lincoln Way E and First Street NE next to Benders. The backdrop will be the mural created by Eric Groh in 1997. The "Century of Heroes" mural showcases the history and traditions of Massillon Tiger football. A 4-foot wall is expected to be built behind the statue.
Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry also joined the crowd.
"I love it," she said. "It's a beautiful, wonderful, fabulous gift to the city."
Paquelet said his son and several others, including Jean Morris, owner of Studer's Signs, have followed the process of developing the statue from start to finish.
The effort began earlier this year when Cottrill created a miniature version and proceeded to create a life-size clay model. Tweaks were made to arrive at the final image. Over the past few weeks bronze was poured into about 50 pieces that were welded together. On Friday, a patina was added to create the orange and brown stripes.
Statue:Proposed new Obie statue in Massillon moves closer to reality
"Everyone who saw it thinks it's terrific," John Paquelet said. "It's classy. Not too big. Not too small. I think it is perfect."
From the start of the project, the artist wanted the statue to be a part of the town. Interactive artwork fans could pose with and take pictures and touch.
"He didn't want it put on a pedestal behind a fence," Paquelet said. "Think about after games when the team comes downtown. This is going to be a central intersection where everything will gravitate to going forward. It's good for the community and it ehances the things the (city) did to enhance downtown."
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.
On Twitter: @aknappINDE
This article originally appeared on The Independent: Tiger fans to get first look of Obie statue during annal pep rally
