Image of one of Tyler FuQua’s recent Mechans seen at this year’s Burning Man
The Norman Arts Council and the City of Norman have commissioned Tyler FuQua Creations to design and install one of their world-famous Mechan Robots in Reaves Park as part of Norman Forward. Norman’s Robot will be a baseball player AND a Medieval knight (depending on the season). FuQua is seeking community input on a few finishing details of the robot to help make it singular and special to Norman and a point of pride for those who call it home.
There are two different opportunities, one is only for Norman High School students, and the other for anyone. Submissions for both are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, October 20.
Early renderings of Norman’s Mechan Robot
MECHAN ROBOT NUMBER SUBMISSIONS
OPEN TO EVERYONE
DUE 11:59 p.m. Friday, October 20
Details from Tyler:
Tyler FuQua of Tyler FuQua Creations here and we need your help with the naming (or maybe I should say numbering?) of the new giant Mechan robot for Reaves Park.
See, all of our robots have a number and we would like the people of Norman to come up with a number that you feel best represents your city. How you choose this is up to you and the only limitations are that it can’t be more than 3 numbers and it can’t be the following (they are already taken: 1, 8, 9, X or 10, 11, 42, 1000, and H2O.)
Once decided, the number will go on the back of this robot’s back forever. It will forever be known as MECHAN ____. Help us fill in the blank!
Please submit your number suggestion and briefly describe what the number means.
Mechan Heart Chamber Design
Open to Norman high school students only
DUE 11:59 p.m. Friday, October 20
A letter from FuQua:
Hello, High School Students of Norman!
I am Tyler FuQua of a small art company in Eagle Creek, OR called Tyler FuQua Creations and we will be creating a giant robot for Reaves Park in Norman. We are super excited to be doing this and we are well underway in the construction of this Mechan (all of our robots are from the fictional robot company, Mechan Inc.)
All of our robots have something original and very special - a heart chamber. Each one is unique and helps symbolize what that particular robot is all about. This is where you come in!
We would like you to create/draw/sketch a 2D heart chamber design that represents Norman and Reaves Park.
This robot will mostly be a baseball-playing robot, but it will be a robot knight to represent the Medieval Fair for a time during the year.
The heart chamber doesn’t necessarily have to represent either of these two things - or maybe you want it to represent both! It’s up to you.
We ask that you incorporate a mirrored or reflective surface somewhere.
Get creative! You can just draw something artsy or get technical with what materials you think it should be made of. Once the designs are submitted, a small committee will select the one we think is the best option (both in design, representation, and feasibility.) We will then transform the 2D drawing into a 3D representation and it will live forever in the chest of this giant metal robot.
The chamber will be in the shape of an upside-down triangle with the corners cut off. It will be about 6” deep, 25” wide and 27” tall (see attached sketch.)
