Thursday, May 21, 2009

University of North Carolina Wilmington faculty, staff and students turned out on Hoggard Lawn today to witness the installation of the university's new Soaring Seahawk sculpture, designed and created by Wilmington metal sculptor Dumay Gorham.

The sculpture, with a nearly 20-foot wingspan, is believed to be the world's largest Seahawk, or osprey, sculpture. This is being researched for confirmation. The sculpture and its base weigh 2,000 pounds, its height is 10 feet from base to highest point and its length is 6 feet from beak to tail. Thousands of copper feathers have been painstakingly welded to the sculpture to give it a realistic look. Hundreds of hours of work over a year's time went into the construction and finishing of the copper sculpture and its base.

The sculpture journeyed by flatbed truck Thursday morning from Gorham's downtown art studio to the campus, where it was installed in the center of the traffic circle on Wagoner Drive in front of Hoggard Hall. The circle has now been named Belk Plaza, in honor of the Charlotte philanthropist who commissioned the sculpture as a personal gift to the university.

No UNCW or state funds were used for the project.

Photos are available for download. Below are photo captions:

Soaring Above Downtown Wilmington

UNC Wilmington's Soaring Seahawk sculpture flies 45 feet above the trees in downtown Wilmington as it is hefted from Dumay Gorham's studio onto a trailer for its journey to the UNC Wilmington campus Thursday, May 21, 2009. The sculpture, which features a 20-foot wingspan, was created for UNCW and was commissioned and paid for by philanthropist Ike Belk. - UNCW/Jamie Moncrief

Seahawk on MLK Parkway

The Soaring Seahawk sculpture rolls down MLK Parkway and soars past the airport exit on its way to the UNC Wilmington campus Thursday, May 21, 2009. The sculpture, which features a 20-foot wingspan, was created for UNCW by local artist Dumay Gorham and was commissioned and paid for by philanthropist Ike Belk. - UNCW/Jamie Moncrief

Arriving on Campus

Faculty, staff, students and members of the community applaud as UNC Wilmington's Soaring Seahawk arrives on campus Thursday, May 21, 2009. The sculpture, which features a 20-foot wingspan, was created for UNCW by artist Dumay Gorham and was commissioned and paid for by philanthropist Ike Belk. - UNCW/Jamie Moncrief

Chancellor DePaolo Views Sculpture

Artist Dumay Gorham and UNC Wilmington Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo step back to admire the Soaring Seahawk on the UNCW campus Thursday, May 21, 2009. The sculpture, which features a 20-foot wingspan, was commissioned and paid for by philanthropist Ike Belk. - UNCW/Jamie Moncrief

Soaring Seahawk Roosts at UNCW

Will Helms of Coastal Machine and Welding gives the "thumbs up" as UNCW's Soaring Seahawk finally rests on its base on the campus Thursday, May 21, 2009. The sculpture, which features a 20-foot wingspan, was created for UNCW by Wilmington artist Dumay Gorham and was commissioned and paid for by philanthropist Ike Belk. - UNCW/Jamie Moncrief

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu