Home Media "KTSC Bear" receives name!
"KTSC Bear" receives name!
The “KTSC Bear” has finally been named. He will now be known as “K. Town Bear” and will reside inside the Knoxville Visitor Center.
K. Town Bear was named by Carol Nugent of Knoxville after her suggested name received the highest amount of votes.
A 48-inch wide and 52-inch tall fiberglass sculpture, K. Town Bear is a legacy left from a local fundraiser called “Bearfoot in the City,” which helped raise funds for local art activities during the 2001 Dogwood Arts Festival. More than 30 bears were originally painted by local artists, then sold in auctions. Several bears have been on display around Knoxville since 2001.
The bear was originally named “Tourist Bear” and was painted black, with an orange and white Hawaiian shirt, large sunglasses and a camera around the neck. Tourist Bear was painted by local artist Tommy Stokes and placed right outside the Knoxville Visitor Center.
For the past few months, KTSC assistant manager of visitor services Meagan Clark and friend Bailey Tucker have repainted the bear. The KTSC bear’s theme is “The Four Seasons of Knoxville,” and several attractions are incorporated in the bear’s décor, including the Knoxville Visitor Center, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Neyland Stadium and Krutch Park.
For more information, contact Sarah Malak at the KTSC at 865-523-7263 or smalak@knoxville.org.
