THE GRYPHON STATUE

Visitors arriving at the main entranceway to the University of Guelph campus are greeted by a giant bronzed Gryphon statue unveiled in June 2014 as part of Guelph’s 50th anniversary celebrations and Alumni Weekend. The $300,000 project was funded entirely by donations, primarily from alumni and student groups. It was designed by FASTWÜRMS faculty members Kim Kozzi and Dai Skuse, and two graduates of the School of Fine Art and Music (SOFAM), Nicole Vogelzang and Dustin Wilson.

A gryphon — the namesake of U of G sports teams — is a mythical creature with the head, talons and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. FASTWÜRMS tried to design a creature that would convey the complexity of the University, says Skuse. “The Gryphon is a strange hybrid creature, like mathematics and literature, logic and nonsense, academia and popular culture, eagle and lion,” he says. “Our welcome message would be: expect the unexpected. At the University of Guelph, education is a transformative experience.”