For the Stuart Collection, Tim imagined a bear constructed of boulders. Eight granite stones - torso, head, ears, arms, and legs - were found locally. Together they make a bear 23'6" feet high with a total weight of 180 tons. *Bear* sits in the Academic Courtyard formed by three signature-engineering buildings: Atkinson Hall of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, the Computer Science and Engineering Building, and the Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall. First proposed in 2001, assembly of the sculpture took place onsite in May 2005 and the landscaping was completed in November 2005. *Bear* looks simple but was a sophisticated transportation and engineering feat. The process of placing and securing the boulders together was complex and unusual - actually unknown - in the construction world.

Bear pushes the bounds of credibility. Questions arise. Where did they find these rocks? How did they get them here? Are they real? How are they held together? On the one hand, the sculpture is massive, permanent, thoroughly engineered. At the same time, it has a form (a toy bear) that one knows to be soft and cozy - a form that one associates with childhood, play, and security. The bear can be seen framed through the trees lining the paths that lead to the Academic Courtyard. As you get closer, you see the mass, the monumentality and the stone surfaces. It becomes immense, especially in the context of the scale of a toy. The rounded, ancient, and weathered natural granite contrasts with the high-tech, anodized, and highly manufactured surfaces of the surrounding buildings. The Bear in this world has an astonishing and memorable presence. It has inspired many students who have given it Valentines' Day "heart glasses", an entire crew team uniform, and a "Beary Potter" costume.