Congratulations to Lynn Miller for recognizing Rogers Center in Toronto. The quiz focused on two pieces of art known as “The Audience” in the northeast and northwest corners of the building, executed by Michael Snow in 1989. Both are crafted of fiberglass and covered with metallic paint. There are a number of figures in each of two pieces, identified below:
Top row, L to R: 1) pointer, 2) waver, 3) man and boy
Bottom row, L to R: 1) oh no, 2) V is for victory, 3) camera man, 4) nose thumber
Top row, L to R: 1) lady pointer, 2) binoculars, 3) muscle man
Bottom row, L to R: 1) ear wagger, 2) clapper, 3) fatso, 4) thumbs down
Formerly known as the SkyDome, Rogers Center opened 25 years ago and initially received a lot of press coverage for its retractable roof. It was subsequently purchased and renamed by Rogers Communications, one of Canada’s largest cell phone providers, and a statue of its founder sits in the square outside the building. It is in a popular tourist area adjoining the CN Tower (see Gumbo’s Pic of the Day for August 14, 2014) and the new Ripley’s Aquarium.
Rogers Center is a very versatile entertainment facility hosting a large variety of sporting and entertainment events for up to 200 days each year. Its size is flexible, from a few thousand to over 50,000 seating capacity. In its 25 years more than 60,000,000 folks have passed through its door.
Today Rogers Center is best know as the home of the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club (World Series Champs, 1992 and 1993), and the Toronto Argonauts Football Team of the Canadian Football League (whose championships no one cares about).
As I travel, I pay a lot of attention to statuary (there’s so much!), but it’s always special when it manages not only to tell a story, but to give you a little lift, a little laugh. Your samples from the Rogers Center are great!
PS…for anyone with a taste for more semi-comic statues, we had a piece here on Gumbo last October: Laughter Set in Stone: Fun With Statues…