Congratulations to the winners of the
2007 Clarion Bear Contest
Sarah Snyder of Beaver PA and
Ruth Zacherl of Cranberry PA

The art project, called Clarion County: A Beary Good Place, began in the summer of 2005, when Clarion County’s coolest, friendliest, and most fun bears began to wake up and come out of hibernation and join the fun in our communities.

Dozens of life-size fiber glass whimsical bear statues are being installed around the county, as part of a Clarion County tourism promotion project. The bears will serve as "unofficial family-travel ambassadors" and will portray though illustration and creative art that Clarion County is a great place to live and visit. And best of all the county’s newest tourist attraction is free to everyone, every day, all day.

Our project is patterned after a public art projects across the nation. The first project of painted fiberglass cows was introduced in Zurich, Switzerland in 1998. Zurich had over 800 decorated fiberglass cows as public art, strategically placed in the public landscape. It was a huge success and spurned a new view towards public art in this country. Public arts projects across the nation have proved phenomenally successful.

Why Bears?
The bears represent the black bear found in the great outdoors and outdoor recreation of Clarion County. The bear sculpture project is a fun, exciting way to showcase the talents of local and regional artists while supporting Clarion County’s economic development through tourism.