Big Blue Bear

700 14th St., Denver
303/228-8000
www.denverconvention.com [1]

Part whimsy, part serious artwork with much left to personal interpretation, the 40-foot-tall Big Blue Bear peering into the windows of the Colorado Convention Center has become the most popular and recognizable piece funded by the city’s public art program.

First installed in 2005, the piece is officially titled “I See What You Mean,” and was designed and created by Denver [2] artist and art professor Lawrence Argent. It is constructed from polymer concrete and a steel frame, covered in a bright blue that is evocative of the bluish hue of the nearby Rocky Mountains.

But like any bear you might meet in the mountains, you can’t get too close. People so loved touching the bear and having their photograph taken right next to it that officials had to rope off the lawn around it to keep visitors at a safe distance.