Three turtles made downtown Baltimore their home Tuesday afternoon, settling in on Washington Boulevard and around the Harbor for a six-month visit.
The turtles ? cast resin sculptures of the University of Maryland?s terrapin mascot ? are part of the school?s 150th anniversary celebration, and are being sold and auctioned to raise money for scholarships. Baltimore became one of the first off-campus sites to host the public art exhibit, officials said.
“All of these turtles will be throughout the Baltimore-Washington area ? in Silver Spring, Annapolis, Baltimore, D.C.,” said David Ottalini, a university spokesman. “This has been one of the most fun things we?ve done.”
For $4,000 each, companies “sponsored” the 4.5-foot-tall statues and helped determine their locations. In Baltimore, the Fiberglas sculptures have been placed at the National Aquarium, at Harbor Place and on Washington Boulevard.
Designed by local artists, each celebrates Maryland?s history and natural resources.
The Harbor Place statue honors Edgar Allan Poe, for example, with images of Poe and his work set against a Maryland flag backdrop.
Twenty sculptures will be scattered across the state, at rest stops, shopping centers and tourist attractions. Thirty sculptures will remain on campus and will be displayed at the university?s annual Maryland Day celebration April 29.
“This is an interactive project,”Terry Flannery, a university spokesman, said in a statement. “We hope people will look for them as they travel around the state this spring and summer and send us pictures of themselves taken with their favorite sculpture.”
