Biking to Bucky - 5 Years Later

The latest Bucky Badger at Union Terrace. 8/12/23 dwm

  It's been five years since I tracked down every one of 85 Bucky Badger statues in and around Madison.  (You can find the home page for all those statues and stories here.)

 

 I recently learned there was a new Bucky statue unveiled on campus July 26 recognizing the state and university's 175th anniversaries and that it's been 5 years since the popular parade of Bucky in various poses and professions.

 

 According to a story in the Wisconsin State Journal, this Bucky is named Honor the Air, Land and Water.

 

8/12/2023 dwm photo

Art professor John Hitchock and student Kaylee Herrmann designed Bucky in red and white and covered in x's and o's that stand for the UW's people and research in the past 175 years.

The black stars represent a compass to recognize both native cultures who lived in this area long before European settlers arrived and the role the university takes in helping people find their own way.

One notable difference with most of the badgers on parade is how Bucky is placed, four feet above the viewer.

 

You can't look this Bucky in the eye. 8/12/23 dwm

 It was fun riding to Bucky again.  If you want to re-live the original parade there are 31 of the original statues scattered around Madison in a 5th anniversary scavenger hunt sponsored by Destination Madison, the local tourism bureau. The hunt is on through September 15.

 I don't plan to hunt for any of them but look forward to stumbling across them over the next three and a half weeks.

 If you've never made your way to the Memorial Union Terrace, late summer is a prime time to take in the beauty of the terrace; Bucky is a good reason to go!

The dots represent flowers. 8/12/23 dwm

See Bucky while you can, he's waiting for you through September 15, 2023.  8/12/23 dwm photo