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Twenty Bears Bring Art and Conservation to Cuenca's Streets

Twenty painted Andean bear sculptures bring wildlife conservation into Cuenca's San Blas park.

Editorial line illustration for “Twenty Bears Bring Art and Conservation to Cuenca's Streets.”
Editorial illustration for “Twenty Bears Bring Art and Conservation to Cuenca's Streets.”Original editorial line illustration created for Ecuador Informa with OpenAI image generation.

Visitors to Cuenca's San Blas park are encountering an unusual collection of bears—not the wild animals of the Andes, but 20 colourful sculptures transformed into works of art by Ecuadorian artists.

The outdoor exhibition, Ukumari: El Jardinero del Bosque (The Gardener of the Forest), was presented on October 19 by the Azuay Prefecture, the Cuenca Biennial and Fundación AMARU.

Quito sculptor Milton Estrella Gavidea created the original bear forms, which were then decorated by 20 artists from different provinces. Each artist donated their work to help draw attention to the spectacled bear and the mountain forests it inhabits.

The exhibition brings wildlife conservation into a public space where residents and visitors can encounter it through art. Its organizers hope the sculptures will encourage greater appreciation for the Andean bear and the forests and páramos that sustain it.