In the context of this artwork, analyze the 2005 bronze statue of the Statues.
By the late 20th century, Michigan's harsh winters had taken a toll on the terra cotta statue, as had vandalism by fans of MSU's rival school, the University of Michigan. While annual repair work helped stem the damage done by precipitation, extreme cold, and vandalism, the statue needed more intensive repair.
In 1989, the Save Our Sparty (SOS) campaign helped restore the statue. When they finished, restorers made fiberglass molds of the refurbished "Sparty". New molds were made in 2004, because the 1989 molds had deteriorated, to cast an identical bronze replica that would better stand up to bad weather and vandalism.
The terra cotta Spartan was removed from its base on May 12, 2005. During MSU's 2005 summer semester, the intersection at which the statue stood was completely redesigned to allow for safer traffic interaction with pedestrians. On Thursday, August 25, 2005, an unveiling of the new bronze Spartan took place. In addition, a Sesquicentennial parade on Saturday, October 8, 2005, concluded with a dedication ceremony at the statue. Meanwhile, the original terra cotta Spartan was moved to a new Spartan Stadium annex where it could be displayed safely indoors. Though most members of the MSU community agree that the original statue needs to be sheltered, some alumni and faculty have criticized the inaccessibility of the original statue.
University of Michigan terra cotta alumni Sesquicentennial Spartan bronze semester Sparta vandalism Spartan Stadium rival