Dino formerly known as Cogitatio Aeterna

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The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

Talk about an identity crisis. This dinosaur must have had some serious self–image issues because he had a total make–over. Like a wanted criminal going to South America for a face lift and new identity, you would never know that this guy used to look like this:

According to Carol Moye Photography (who set out to photograph all 100 of the DinoMite Days Dinos), the owner had Cogitatio Aeterna re-done because of weather damage.

The original design by Glen Whittaker is still on the Carnegie Museum site. So far we haven’t discovered the artist responsible for the make–over or whether or not they changed the dino’s name. We’ll let you know if we do.

Seymour Sparklesaurus by Western Pa School for Blind Children

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The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

Bumps along Sparky’s upper body (both sides) are braille.

Seymour Sparklesaurus, AKA Sparky is something special. This dino was created by the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children and that’s where he now lives. What we noticed right away were two things: One, the plaque in front of Sparky is in braille and only in braille. Very appropriate and it made us think about all the signs out there that are not offered with a braille translation – the ones that the sighted can read but the blind cannot. The other thing we noticed was that Sparky has raised features. We see jewels and bumps that provide a tactile experience. Those bumps on his sides are actually braille and the translation is WPSBC, the acronym for the school.

Multicolored, round, glass jewels decorate the plates along Sparky’s back.

When we were reviewing the information on the DinoMite Days auction we also noticed that Sparky pulled in the most money at the auction: $17,500!

DNAsaurus by Anne Lopez

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This was a tough dinosaur to identify. The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website. This one, however, was not a part of the original 100 artworks created to celebrate the Carnegie Museum’s 100th anniversary, and it’s not included on their website. We stopped in at the Carnegie Science Center to ask about it, but no one currently working there had any information on it. Not even its name.

We finally discovered that the DNAsaurus was created to commemorate His Royal Highness Prince Andrew’s 2003 visit to Pittsburgh. The Duke of York was in town to speak at a business conference and was going to visit the North American Headquarters of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a British owned pharmaceutical company. From a report by PRNewswire dated Oct 24, 2003, the local president of GSK said:

"When some people think about Pittsburgh, they still think about steel mills and smoke stacks. The reality is that those people are living in the stone age and those images should become dinosaurs. Pittsburgh is home to world-class health, medicine and biotechnology industries -- all of which, like us, need future generations to increase their understanding of and proficiency in science."

The article continues:

Throughout the summer, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History sponsored a public art display in and around Pittsburgh with nearly 100 dinosaurs gracing the city's street corners and parks. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare worked with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to have a special dinosaur created to commemorate The Duke of York's visit. The concept for the DNAsaurus was developed by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare's in-house graphics department. Carnegie Mellon University professor and artist, Anne Lopez painted the dinosaur.

"DNAsaurus" features a collage of molecular structures, scientific diagrams, strands of DNA, images of U.S. and British flags, and yes, a squirt of Aquafresh(R) toothpaste on its tail. The design is representative of GlaxoSmithKline's science-driven mission to help people do more, feel better and live longer.

In 2002, His Royal Highness Prince Andrew had the opportunity to meet James Watson, one of the scientists who discovered DNA fifty years ago, at the original Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. As a science-based company, GlaxoSmithKline sponsors and supports a number of initiatives worldwide to increase science literacy and to encourage more young people to pursue careers in science.

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1A5WF)

Squirt of Aquafresh on his tail.

Update 22 July 2014:
The Carnegie Science Center tells us that they call this guy SciTeratops. We like that they’ve bestowed his own scientific name (genus) on him, but opted to leave his given name listed for the title.

The Dinomite Days dinos consisted of three different genus: Tyrannosaurus rex, Stegosaurus and Torosaurus. The fiberglass sculptures weigh in at around 200 pounds.

Update Dec 2015:
There've been some renovations going on behind the Science Center this past year. New walkways and landscaping changes and in the process (as you may be able to tell from the photos above) DNAsaurus was moved a few times. He disappeared completely and when we asked we were told it was temporary - until the work was completed. As of right now he still isn't back and we aren't sure if he's on display inside now or not.

Update Apr 2016:
We stopped by the Science Center and asked if DNAsaurus would be returning to his previous location. The folks inside said that they thought it was now inside the building somewhere, but they weren't sure exactly where. A quick lap around the building after we left and we were pleasantly surprised to discover that it had been relocated to the front of the building. Specifically, DNAsaurus is now along the sidewalk in the front corner of the Sportsworks building.

Liberty by Burton Morris

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The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

Liberty is actually an indoor dinosaur, but you can see it through the window of the Senator John Heinz History Center.

You may recognize the style on this dinosaur. You’ve no doubt seen Mr Morris’s work many, many times. He’s the artist that does so many national and international event logos and signs in addition to his other art. I was in New Zealand during the World Cup finals and immediately recognized his work on banners all over the city. A pop–culture artist often compared to Andy Warhol because of his way of portraying everyday items in his own, distinct way, he uses bold colors with sharp, simple images. He’s also a native Pittsburgher if you didn’t know. Just one more reason to love him!

The Senator John Heinz History Center folks were kind enough to allow us to photograph Liberty from inside (the photo above), but from out on the sidewalk you can still see it pretty well.

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Liberty is in a glassed–in corner of the building, so you can view it from two sides through the windows.

These next two dinos are also at Heinz History Center, but they aren’t what we can honestly categorize as public art because you need to purchase a ticket and go inside to see them. We could ignore them for that reason, but we decided to compromise. They don’t get their own marker on the map or separate write ups, but the photos are included here. For someone that really wants to see these dinosaurs, we’re letting them know that they can do it for a price.

On the second floor as soon as you come out of the elevators you’ll see Lost Pittsburgh. It was made by Shirley Yee and students at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh – who dubbed her Lola. She’s a collage of newspaper stories about significant events and people in the region.

   

   

Continue up to the third floor and look left as you exit the elevators and you’ see George Washasaurus in the French and Indian War by Barbara Anderson.

Connections by Patricia Bellan-Gillen

About Pgh Murals
Spreadsheet of Pittsburgh Public Art and blog archives
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The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

Patricia Bellan–Gillen was another artist that had some school children help with the artwork. On Connections, she had fourth grade students at Burgettstown Elementary paint the vase on the dinosaur’s head. On the rest of the dinosaur she shows connections between all living things.

Look for this dinosaur between buildings at Children’s Hospital. It stands under an overhang next to some cool, old remnants from St. Francis Hospital.

Lunasaurus Lux by Jason Gotsch

About Pgh Murals
Spreadsheet of Pittsburgh Public Art and blog archives
Map of Pittsburgh Public Art

The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

This is Lunasaurus Lux. Stained glass pieces on this dino made me wonder if it might have an internal light on at night. We haven’t been out there after dark to see, but if anyone else has seen it at night and can tell us, we’d be interested.

The Carnegie DinoMite Days web page explains the design as techno–pet blended with sport cars. They describe it as a combination of the dinosaur representing the past and the materials used to make this dino representing the present, modern era of design. We still want to know if it lights up at night!

Amazing Hands by Terri Draghi, multiple artists

About Pgh Murals
Spreadsheet of Pittsburgh Public Art and blog archives
Map of Pittsburgh Public Art

The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

This is Amazing Hands AKA Wilson to the kids that helped to create him. You may remember the amazing theme from commercials for The Children’s Institute. In fact, their website is www.amazingkids.org/ and it was their students along with artist Terri Draghi that turned this Rex into a garden themed dino. He was originally photographed holding a watering can, but it wasn't with him when we stopped by.

Multi–colored handprints make the flowers growing on this cheerful dino.

Bill Dollarsaurus by Dymun and Company

About Pgh Murals
Spreadsheet of Pittsburgh Public Art and blog archives
Map of Pittsburgh Public Art

The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

This is Bill Dollarsaurus. They list the artist as Dymun and Company, but they're not really artists, per se. They're a think tank/PR company. Since this dino was sponsored by Dollar Bank, it appears that the bank’s PR firm came up with a clever way to brand the dino without really needing to hire an artist. They did a take off on the classic pink piggy bank with a dollar bill in the slot. Simple and effective. His name may be Bill Dollarsaurus, but most refer to him as The Dollar Bank Dinosaur.

Alphabetasaurus by Carl Goldman, Multiple Artists

About Pgh Murals
Spreadsheet of Pittsburgh Public Art and blog archives
Map of Pittsburgh Public Art

The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

This is Alphabetasaurus. The letters were done by the students and teachers at Phillips Elementary School on the Southside. Their art teacher, Carl Goldman, oversaw the project.

Fredosaurus Rex Friday XIII by Karen Howell

About Pgh Murals
Spreadsheet of Pittsburgh Public Art and blog archives
Map of Pittsburgh Public Art

The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

Fredosaurus Rex Friday XIII should need no introduction. After all, like his namesake, he’s everybody’s neighbor! WQED studios is home to this much loved dino, just like they were home to Mr Roger’s neighborhood. I have to wonder how many children have stood in front of this dinosaur to have their picture taken.

Update 3 May 2014:
Even though Fredosaurus Rex graced the grounds of the WQED studios for 10 years, it belongs to the The Fred Rogers Company, who had offices in the studio’s building. In 2013 The Fred Rogers Company relocated to the Southside, and Fredosaurus Rex Friday XIII was sent to its creator for restoration. Karen Howell meticulously restored the dino to mint condition, even reinforcing the new trolley so it might hold up to the exuberant children who hang all over the sculpture.

Creation Rex by Stephen Butler

About Pgh Murals
Spreadsheet of Pittsburgh Public Art and blog archives
Map of Pittsburgh Public Art

The dinosaurs from the Carnegie Museum’s DinoMite Days were all adopted and moved to their new homes years ago. A handful remain scattered around the city in public places and those are the ones we’ve included in this website.

Holiday Creation Rex goes ice skating.

This is Creation Rex. Sponsored by, and living at, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Creation Rex is a dinosaur of many moods. His costumes and background scenery change often to reflect holidays and seasons. Check back to see more. We hope to add photographs throughout the year when we catch him dressed for different events and occasions.

Creation Rex at Mardi Gras:

Creation Rex is a party animal at Mardi Gras.

For St Patrick’s Day Creation Rex lines up favorite local snacks, puts on his shamrock hat, and gets ready to celebrate with the leprechauns:

A shamrock tray with local delicacies.

Here’s Creation Rex ready to pitch in on Earth Day:

For the end of May we found the dino promoting BBQ Month:

For the miracle of the Pirates being in the playoffs after more than a 20 year losing streak, Creation Rex is celebrating with the city:

Raise It!!!

Update, Jun 2014
It seems that they’ve discontinued decorating Creation Rex for various occasions. We haven’t seen anything more than a candy cane adorning this dino since the baseball motif last fall. We kind of miss seeing the clever accessories to celebrate holidays and events.