New Sculpture “Fiona the Falcon” Soon Soaring Into UTPB
The University of Texas Permian Basin is about to welcome their newest mascot "Fiona the Falcon", a large metal sculpture soon overlooking the UTPB campus. Artist and UTPB alumna Katherine Taylor assembled the stainless steel sculpture. The piece - with its 14-foot wingspan - will be perched in what will be called Fiona’s Court, according to officials with UTPB.
Fiona’s Court will be located in what’s currently known on campus as the Quad. The Quad is a big grassy knoll in the center of campus and an important “face” of UTPB. However it will soon be transformed when the university completes a remodel of the area.
The Quad first started to come to life in the early 2000s after the library was constructed. The big grass field used to be where commencement ceremonies would take place on campus. Over the years, student life activities have been held on the field as well as other campus events.
Fiona’s Court will feature a stage in the center for performances running the gamut of ballet and slam poetry to acoustic sets and lectures. There will also be a food court, TV screens to catch sporting events, native plants, and water/fire features. The university notes that the water features will be sustained by capturing rainwater throughout campus.
According to her website, artist Katherine Taylor "splits her time between Texas, the Adirondack Mountains, and northern Spain where her foundry, Alfa Arte, is located.”
UTPB is a public university that is part of the University of Texas system in Odessa.
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Gallery Credit: Melissa Bartlett/TSM