Seeing it there, knowing people will look at it, that I painted it myself, that I was able to do that … it’s really cool. It’s very surreal.
What started out as a random sketch turned into a creative, door-opening opportunity for Gabriel Da Silva, ’29.
Earlier this year, Gabriel visited the Wallace L. Anderson Gallery in Bridgewater State University’s Art Center. Inspired by the art hanging on the walls, he took out his sketchpad and began to draw.
His artwork caught the attention of art professor Sarah Washburn who also happened to be there.
“I wasn’t drawing it for a class. I just really liked the paintings in the gallery and tried to sketch what I was viewing,” Gabriel said. “She saw what I was doing and really liked it.”
So much so, Washburn encouraged him to show BSU Director of Collections and Exhibitions Jay Block what he had created.
That’s when Block shared that the Ricciardi College of Business had requested a business-themed bear statue be installed in front of Harrington Hall to celebrate Bridgewater State’s 185th anniversary.
“I like designing things and thought it would be a really fun challenge to design a bear and leave a little impact on campus,” Gabriel said.
He was thrilled when he learned his submission was selected for the commission, and that he would be adding to the collection of painted mascots that appear across campus.
Gabriel’s bright blue, metallic bear was installed in mid-August in front of Harrington Hall, near the Boyden quadrangle.
Intentional with his design, Gabriel made sure to incorporate the three major areas within the Ricciardi College of Business: finance, marketing, and aviation.
The artistic elements include wings, red stripes with arrows, and stock exchange symbols.
“My objective was that everyone sees their own majors in the bear. I wanted it to be captivating but not overly busy. I wanted to create a design that captures the attention of the people who see it,” Gabriel said.
Because of the size of the project, Gabriel couldn’t paint the bear at his Stoughton home. Instead, Ray “Rod” Delano, a painting and maintenance foreman, allowed him to use the shop within the BSU Operations Department.
“Rod was incredibly helpful, and very patient, too. I am grateful to him and his team,” Gabriel said.
Block echoed the sentiment.
“He hosted Gabe over the summer in his shop, allowing him to paint the bear there. It would not have happened without his help,” Block said.
As a new semester begins, Gabriel looks forward to fellow students viewing his artwork.
“Seeing it there, knowing people will look at it, that I painted it myself, that I was able to do that … it’s really cool. It’s very surreal,” he said.
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