Bucky on Parade feature: Kim Marie
Artist Kim Marie stands next to “We Are Bucky,” one of 85 unique Bucky statues designed for the public art project Bucky on Parade. CREDIT: Kim Marie
This summer we will feature a weekly Q&A with an artist who created one of the Bucky on Parade statues on UW’s campus to understand their artistic process, their inspirations, and why they love Bucky.
Artist: Kim Marie
Bucky: We Are Bucky (Smith Hall)
What is your history as an artist?
I work full-time at CUNA Mutual Group. Art is hobby for me. Besides a couple of college level design courses, most of my training has been through online tutorials and experimentation.
What inspired you to come up with this take on Bucky?
A friend sent me the link to Bucky on Parade’s Call For Artists a day and a half before the design submissions were due. I immediately had an idea based on canvases I had created for family members a couple of years ago. As I was preparing that submission, other ideas starting flooding into my head. I submitted four designs, and three were selected by Bucky On Parade sponsors. We Are Bucky was inspired by a photo collage in my Wisconsin themed spare bedroom. Funky Buckingham, at Greenway Station, and 5th Quarter, inside the AC Hotel, are the other two Bucky statues that I created.
“We Are Bucky” with only a few postcards attached, revealing the plain, white, 6-foot-tall canvas Marie had to work with. CREDIT: Kim Marie
What idea or message do you hope people get out of this piece of art?
I’d like We Are Bucky to provide the same type of joy and fun people feel when they’re around Bucky Badger and the sense of camaraderie they experience when attending a University of Wisconsin event. I hope the statue sparks memories of good times shared with friends.
Marie under a pile of postcards, which she used to cover “We Are Bucky” head to toe. CREDIT: Kim Marie
What was the process of creating your Bucky like?
I spent over 100 hours on We Are Bucky and close to 300 hours on all three Buckys combined. With We Are Bucky that time included researching the paper and ink to use; requesting and gathering photos from the individuals pictured; cropping, printing, and cutting the photos and memorabilia; sanding and painting the surface; and finally adhering the layers of memorabilia and photos. Besides athletes, coaches, and band members, there are over 200 different fans – from infants to 80-year-old grandparents – pictured on We Are Bucky.
Marie sits at her worktable, where she designed and constructed three Buckys for Bucky on Parade. CREDIT: Kim Marie
Of the other Bucky Badgers created, which ones do you like best?
Besides my three Buckys, I really like Bucky At The Terrace and Sconnie B. Goode.
Men’s Basketball Coach Greg Gard points to a postcard of himself on “We Are Bucky” at an unveiling event. CREDIT: Kim Marie