Fear the Turtle Sculpture Project
With great pride in our past achievements and full of great expectations for the future of the state's flagship university, the University of Maryland family has come to embrace "Fear the Turtle" as a reflection of our great stature. First conceived as a slogan of athletic success, the phrase has evolved to embrace the spirit of achievement and excellence in every aspect of the university. The University of Maryland is now recognized across the nation as a top research university, drawing power from its diversity of people, ideas and connections, both local and global. As we gear up for celebration of our 150th Anniversary, we invite the artist community of the greater Washington-Baltimore region to reflect our shared pride with a Fear the Turtle Public Art Exhibition that re-imagines the form of our beloved mascot to benefit the university's ongoing scholarship campaign.
The Fear the Turtle Sculpture Project is designed to extend the anniversary celebration into the community with art that is accessible to everyone. Artists are invited to bring our Terrapin mascot to life with images that reflect their vision of the varied personalities or themes embodied in the university and its broad community. As they re-imagine the Terrapin, we expect they will find many ways, great and small, to reflect what Maryland means to them and to the state. Or they may just have fun creating a Terrapin with a new attitude.
Fear The Turtle Sculpture Model by Steven Weitzman, Weitzman Studio, Inc., Brentwood, Maryland
