Sports Icons

Iconic Sculptures for the Ultimate Fans

Nothing beats it. When you approach a stadium or arena and witness your oversized, triumphant mascot, a wonderful chill runs up your spine. You’re elated with thoughts of victory. You grab your friends and run to take photos with the giant animal, character, or abstract concepts come to life. Sports bring people together to cheer for a common goal. And, a massive iconic art installation connects fan bases even further.

So many fans have personal pride in their teams. They wear jerseys and plan their weeks around sports schedules. A sports icon is a symbol of allegiance. And when you take that icon to the next level, super-sizing it and ensuring it’s a public piece of art, you’re giving the team a face. You’re creating a sports “Mecca.” Fans turn to the sculpture for inspiration, excitement, and even history. They honor the atmosphere, team legends, and the game itself every time they look at this amazing focal point.

Fans marvel at the 41.5-ft. tall bird with its 72-ft. wingspan.

Birds of a Feather

Hungarian master sculptor and DB&A associate artist Gabor Szoke is the brilliant mind behind the Atlanta Falcon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. At the 2018 Super Bowl, all eyes were on his epic falcon. Everyone wanted a glimpse of the largest free-standing bird sculpture in the world. It is a monument not only to the American football team, but to the city of Atlanta itself. With well-researched, site-specific sculptures like these, the meaning of the piece goes so much deeper than the surface. Szoke was inspired by the team slogan “Rise Up!” He saw the sculpture as a reminder to citizens: you can rise from literal ashes, segregation, and so much more. You have the power to soar.

The striking Snow Leopard welcomes fans and intimidates opponents

The Fierce Spirit of Competition

Whether under the sun or beneath the stars, Szoke’s Snow Leopard gets crowds hype as they approach the SKC Arena to cheer on the Siofok Women’s Handball Club in Hungary. The snowy beast is sleek, fierce, and majestic – all the things you desire in sports, from the athletes themselves. We, as fans, aspire to be so agile, controlled, and determined. With Snow Leopard Szoke comes forward as a true leader in the sports icon sculpture trend.

He also participated in a holistic rebranding of the team, considering the identity of the entire town when he designed this piece, logos, etc. Hungarian mythology tells of a snow leopard that chases deer through the forest. They are the top of the food chain, leaders of the pack, a force in the wild. This art installation speaks to everyone—sports fans and other residents as well, reflecting their rich cultural heritage filled with champions.

Made from forgotten farm tools, this mascot presents a message of recycling, renewal, and the ultimate comeback

An unforgettable mascot

The immediately intriguing and sleek style of the hybrid scrap metal sculptures of John Lopez lends itself perfectly to the realm of sports icons. With Northern State Wolf, he granted the eponymous university in Aberdeen, South Dakota with an unforgettable mascot. Fans are beaconed to the entrance of the stadium by the artwork, although its true magic reveals itself from closer distances. It is composed of many crescent-shaped pieces of scrap metal that elegantly render the fur of the wolf, solidifying the multifaceted sculpture as a focal point of the stadium and the team.

Beauty Wins

At DiBari & Associates, we believe that beauty will save the world. We’re working to create emotional cityscapes that inspire locals and tourists alike. When a fan base and town take pride in a sports icon art installation, we think that’s trophy-worthy. What a beautiful picture of unity and joy – a larger-than-life mascot igniting a spirit of bond and belief.

If there’s a sports team, stadium, arena, school, park, etc. that could benefit from a towering and empowering mascot sculpture, you can trust us to connect with your vision. So many of our artists are producing magnificent, show-stopping, iconic sites that bring diverse cities together and give them a collective identity. We’re hoping to instill pride among people with our projects. And we’re aiming to leave everyone in awe – swept up in imagination, courage, and the will to win.