Tiger spot provides a good laugh for MU community
By Shawn Davis

Remember the circus located on Lowry Mall? The bright red and white striped tent, that white Nissan 300zx that was parked in front of it everyday? All of that plus the sound of power tools right outside Ellis Library echoing throughout Lowry Mall made this an unforgettable sight.

That tent was there to fix the Tiger Mosaic. Originally, Paul Jackson, the designer and creator of the Tiger Spot had a huge ceremony to unveil the finished product in October 2001. More than 100 workers, 201 panels and 300,000 tiny glass tiles went into the creation of the 30-foot Tiger Spot. The ceremony included a speech by MU Chancellor Richard Wallace and Jackson himself.

“We thrill at destruction and we yawn at creation, but today creation prevails,” Jackson remarked in his speech. I guess he was oblivious to the destruction that would follow.

Since its unveiling in 2001, the Tiger Spot has been under more construction and scrutiny than it has been viewable to the public. The ancient Venetian art, usually reserved for walls and ceilings was not staying together. Jackson studied the art first hand in Italy, but Mid-Missouri weather patterns and the effect of students walking on the mosaic caused it to not hold up.

When students pass by the Tiger Spot, many no longer glance in awe. They look past the chain guard and see a tiger that is missing a few whiskers and part of its nose. They see squirrels eating the tiles as if they were to store them for a long winter. It is no longer that beautiful piece of art that it once was. It is just an artist’s failed attempt to give something back to the University.

Join me in saying thank you to Jackson for a valiant effort, but most of all, thank you for that beautiful mosaic of a Tiger, torn to pieces. Thank you for making Lowry Mall look more like Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey circus than a beautiful part of campus. And most of all thank you for giving us something we can all look at and say with a chuckle, “Wow, what a waste of time and money.” But if you look on the bright side, at least the squirrels have found something else to make their nests out of.

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