Two Jurassic works of art that had their genesis in Uniontown are being sold to the highest bidder.
The two fiberglass statues were part of the DinoMite Days promotion in Pittsburgh for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
The Carnegie placed more than 100 dinosaur statues with area artists and a few high schools. The dinosaurs-- which came in Stegosaurus, Torosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex versions -- were as realistic as the museum could make them.
But they had a white finish on which the artists could exhibit their creativity or whimsy.
Patrick Daugherty, a Uniontown artist, created "Fossil Fuel," a Tyrannosaurus Rex in a state of metamorphosis.
"The dinosaur represents the Pittsburgh area morphing from a fossil fuel based economy into a new era as a fierce competitor," Daugherty noted.
The lower portion of the dinosaur is covered in coal and stands in a reflective pool of black paint, representing oil -- which is appropriate since that's what many of the real dinosaurs became.
The inspiration for the eyes and skin pattern was an alligator head loaned to Daugherty by Uniontown veterinarian, Richard Baird.
No one knows a dinosaur's true colors, but Daugherty's wife, Ellen, also an artist, helped mix the hues, including the pale blue underbelly of the beast. Pam Seighman, of the Coal and Coke Center at Fayette campus, provided the coal to finish it off.
"Sign-O-Saurus" was created by the art class of Beverly DeMotte at Uniontown Area High School, which plastered the dinosaur's skin with all manner of traffic signs. On one level it is a humorous "motorists warning" to the complexity of Pittsburgh traffic.
On another level, it represents the connections between Uniontown and Pittsburgh, according to DeMotte.
The two Uniontown statues had choice spots in Pittsburgh. Daugherty's was sponsored by PNC and placed at the Waterfront, in Homestead. Sign-O-Saurus was sponsored by Dominion and placed adjacent to Dominion Tower at 625 Liberty St. in Pittsburgh.
The Uniontown Area High School dinosaur was also on display for a short time at the Carnegie museum, not far from the world-renowned bones of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Some of the Uniontown students visited their creation at the museum.
A number of the dinosaurs didn't fare well on the street.
Nearly half of the statues had some damage, mostly minor nicks and scratches from children climbing on them. But 12 or so came under attack by vandals who caused more serious damage such as breaking horns off, according to Ted Hermann, who oversaw the program for the Carnegie.
"Ours didn't get broken," DeMotte said. Daugherty's dinosaur also escaped unscathed.
The dinosaurs have been removed from the streets and cleaned up for an Oct. 18 live auction and gala at the David Lawrence Convention Center.
Uniontown residents can see Fossil Fuels and Sign-O-Saurus, and about 100 other dinosaurs, Oct. 19, at a family day for a nominal admission fee.
In the meantime, art lovers can bid on the dinosaurs on-line at www.dinomite.org.
DeMotte hopes Sign-O-Saurus attracts a good home. "PennDOT would be perfect," she said.
Proceeds from its sale will go to the Carnegie, but the high school is also to receive a percentage.
Although DeMotte said the dinosaurs are "kind of large" for one's front yard, Hermann noted that a number of people have expressed interest in placing them on their property.
Uniontown residents can also vote for the home team in a contest for favorite dinosaur at the dinomite Web site. Fossil Fuel has been a contender in the "Golden Tooth - Best Tyrannosaurus Rex" category.
DeMotte said it will be hard to find another art project to top Sign-O-Saurus and the ceramic mural her art class did for the Pittsburgh Steelers' Heinz Field a year earlier.
In addition to his creating his own art, Daugherty teaches the subject at Penn State University's Fayette campus and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. He is also the curator of the Frank L. Melega Art Museum, in the Flatiron Building in Brownsville.
