BLUE GORILLA

Don Kennell’s Blue Gorilla was commissioned by the Philadelphia Zoo for their Second Nature exhibit. Made of salvaged automotive sheet metal, the 13 foot tall piece highlights the habitat destruction of endangered lowland gorillas. The sculpture depicts a forlorn and melancholy gorilla holding an actual car door. The sculpture is made from blue sheet metals harvested from wrecked cars and is intended to point out connections between our consumer driven society and habitat loss/climate change. 

“Name the Gorilla” Competition!

The Railyard Park Conservancy held a contest for Santa Fe’s public elementary schools to help name the 1,500 pound gorilla. On February 12, 2015, it was announced that a fourth grade entry from Acequia Madre won the gorilla naming contest. The gorilla was deemed “Zubachi” from that day forth! The winning classroom received $250 from Barker Realty. A $100 second prize sponsored by PK Public Relations was awarded to Cesar Chavez Community School for their name “Azulito” and to Santa Fe School for Arts and Sciences for the name “King Kar”