The bears are back in Boulder’s Chautauqua Park!
Every year, Chautauqua Park is home to a series of painted bear sculptures created by local artists as part of an annual fundraiser, and as a way to add a little color to Winter.
This year’s event features twelve large bear sculptures (40” tall) and fifteen miniature bear sculptures (14” tall). Unlike in previous years when the bears were dotted around Chautauqua Park in a treasure hunt, most of the large bears can all be found in Centennial Park on Morning Glory Drive. Two of the large bears can be found inside the lobby of the Academic Hall building, just across the road from Centennial Park. You’ll also find two of the small bears on display here, while one is displayed in the General Store on Clematis Drive, and the remaining bears can be found in the Community House, also on Morning Glory Drive.
Check out all the bears below, and if you’re interested in taking one home, make sure to read on for details of the auction.
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| “Birds of a Feather Stick Together” by Sarah Spencer |
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| “Homestead Hugger” by Jaclyn Brada |
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| “Polaris” by Ryan Hughes |
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| “Ace & Mav - A Rocky Mountain Duo” by Candice Cain |
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| “The Return” by Tabitha Benedict |
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| “Honey Slopes” by Isabel Rhodes-Wolin |
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| “The First Bear” by Lena Larrieu |
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“Harmony Keeper” by Michelle Hanson
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My favorite thing about the bear sculptures in Chautauqua Park, is that while they’re all made from the same mold, each one has it’s own personality and story to tell thanks to the artists behind them. Each bear features a different theme and artistic style, but they all have one thing in common: a sense of wonder and whimsy!
Each year, a different mold is used, which means that from year to year, the bears change shape. While this year’s bears sit upright,
last year’s bears stood on four legs.
2024’s bears stood on all four legs in a walking position. In
2023 the bears sat leaning forward. In
2021 the bears stood upright.
Let’s take a look at the large bears which can be found in Centennial Park and the Academic Hall Building, both located on Morning Glory Drive in Chautauqua Park.
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| “The Cosmic Bear” by Jessica Moon Bernstein-Schiano |
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| “H.Bearlios” by Jacqueline McKinny |
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| “H.Bearlios” by Jacqueline McKinny |
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| “Homestead Hugger” by Jaclyn Brada |
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| “Birds of a Feather Stick Together” by Sarah Spencer |
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| “Birds of a Feather Stick Together” by Sarah Spencer |
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| “The Colorado Mughal” by Bala Thiagarajan |
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| “Beary Superstitious” by Karina Vogt |
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| “The Poppy Bear” by Jessica Mahan |
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| “The Return” by Tabitha Benedict |
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| “Harmony Keeper” by Michelle Hanson |
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| “Ace & Mav - A Rocky Mountain Duo” by Candice Cain |
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| “Cosmic Honeyblooms of Boulder” by Karolyn Stutz |
The small bears, can be found in the Academic Hall Building and Community House on Morning Glory Drive, and the General Store on Clematis Drive. The General Store was closed the day that I visited to check out the bears, so I haven’t included that particular sculpture here, but I will make sure to update this post with a photo of it after I visit again.
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| “Violet Haze” by McCall Sherman |
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| “Fox and Bear” by Foothills Elementary 5th Grade |
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| “Bear-y and Bright” by Jo Richardson |
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| “Aumakua” by Isabella Carter |
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| “Verdant Echoes” by Maya Leising |
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| “We Will Bear This Together” by Sara Broers Brown |
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| “Polaris” by Ryan Hughes |
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| “Bear in Stillness” by Nicola Olalla |
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| “Abstract Expression on Sculpture” by Lauren Richard’s |
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| “The First Bear” by Lena Larrieu |
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| “Honey Slopes” by Isabel Rhodes-Wolin |
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| “Azul” by Samantha Cauchy |
Interested in taking one of these fun bear sculptures home?
Chautauqua Park is located at 900 Baseline Rod, Boulder.
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