UPDATE: Deaton orders Tiger Spot removal
MU alumnus Paul Jackson started the project in 1999.
Published July 14, 2006
After years of chronic repairs, MU has given up on Tiger Spot.
Chancellor Brady Deaton announced on Thursday that the Italian tile mosaic outside Ellis Library on Lowry Mall would be removed.
Deaton said in a written statement that he is considering a few options about what to place in Tiger Spot's location, though the donor bricks will be part of the final replacement. The statement didn't specify when the mosaic would be removed.
MU graduate Paul Jackson created Tiger Spot, which was unveiled in October 2001. Since its unveiling, it has required repeated repairs and was covered by a large red tent for several years. Tom Edwards, a local artist, is working on the mosaic's most recent repairs.
At one point, Jackson blamed vandalism for the regular repairs, according to previous reports in The Maneater.
Missouri's weather contributed to Tiger Spot's damage, Deaton said in the statement.
"Because of the commitment of many individuals to Tiger Spot, including Paul Jackson and Tom Edwards, we have made every effort to maintain the mosaic in the face of constant challenges presented by the deterioration of the artwork, apparently caused primarily by the weather," Deaton stated. "Unfortunately, several efforts to repair the damage have not survived additional battering from the Missouri weather."
More than $87,000 from private donor funds has been spent on repairs. The university also spent $11,096 from its general operating fund to install a trench drain on Lowry Mall, spokeswoman Mary Jo Banken said on Tuesday. She said the drain was installed to fix existing drainage problems on Lowry Mall and would have been installed even if Tiger Spot wasn't there.
Missouri Students Association President John Andersen sent Deaton a letter on July 7 asking for the artwork's removal. In his letter Andersen said that though he appreciated the idea of the mosaic, Tiger Spot has been problematic since its installation and the university should remove it or move it to another location.
In an interview Thursday, Andersen said he is "ecstatic" Deaton made the decision to remove Tiger Spot.
"It's time to get that ugly thing out of the way," Andersen said. "I'd like to see something contribute to campus in a positive way (in the mosaic's place), something that can be regarded highly like Tiger Spot could have been."
(Original story from July 12 can be found here.)