Worlds Largest Seahawk Sculpture, world record in Wilmington, North Carolina

March 28, 2024

Wilmington, North Carolina, United States--A huge Soaring Seahawk sculpture, installed on the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, was designed and created by Wilmington metal sculptor Dumay Gorham; the 2,000 pound copper mascot sculpture, with more than 1,000 individual feathers and a wingspan of 20 feet, sets the world record for being the Worlds Largest Seahawk Sculpture, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"A huge Soaring Seahawk sculpture was installed today, Thursday, May 21, 2009, on the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Faculty, staff, students and community members turned out to witness the installation of the flying copper Seahawk, or osprey, which has a 20-foot wingspan," the Newswise says.

"The sculpture, designed and created by Wilmington metal sculptor Dumay Gorham, is believed to be the world's largest depicting a Seahawk, which is the university's mascot. The sculpture and its base weigh 2,000 pounds, its height is 10 feet from base to highest point and its length is 6 feet from beak to tail. Thousands of copper feathers have been painstakingly welded to the sculpture to give it a realistic look. Hundreds of hours of work over a year's time went into the construction and finishing of the copper sculpture and its base.

"The sculpture journeyed by flatbed truck Thursday morning from Gorham's downtown Wilmington art studio to the campus, where it was installed in the center of a traffic in front of the university's oldest building, Hoggard Hall. The circle has now been named Ike Belk Plaza, in honor of Irwin "Ike" Belk, the Charlotte philanthropist who commissioned the sculpture as a personal gift to the university."

"UNCW officially dedicated a sculpture of a soaring seahawk to the school Friday morning. Last month, the university held a ceremony to welcome the 2,000 pound copper mascot sculpture," the WECT says..

"Local artist Dumay Gorham designed and built the seahawk at his studio on 5th Avenue in Wilmington.

"Gorham said it's the world's largest sculpture of a seahawk, with a wing span of nearly 20 feet. The piece of art measures 10 feet from the base to its highest point, and six feet from beak to tail."

"Gorham has been working 12-15 hour days for the past month and steadily over the past year to design and build this bird. He thanks Red Bull, “The Bone” radio station and, primarily, philanthropist Irwin “Ike” Belk who sponsored this piece.

"The stats of this bird are impressive, weighing in at more than 2,000 pounds with more than 1,000 individual feathers and a wingspan of 20 feet. Gorham has sent an application to the Guinness Book of World Records to secure its place as the largest osprey sculpture, which has yet to be confirmed," the Wilmington Star News says.

"More impressive is its realism. Small stiff feathers frame its face and eyes, stripes of solder, like wrinkled bird skin, wrap its feet and gripping talons. The careful patina painting plays like an oil slick, endowing the copper feathers with deserved color and luster. Plus, it has the musculature and energy of a real bird diving."

"UNC Wilmington (UNCW) recently held a small ceremony and celebration to unveil a new sculpture on campus. This new sculpture, which like many of the statues and sculptures on campus, was created by Dumay Gorham. It features two seahawks standing on the edge of the nest," theseahawk.org says.

"Echoing another infamous sculpture of a seahawk (also created by Gorham) on campus that is often used in graduation photos, it seems symbolic that this newest creation stands in front of four freshmen dorms, Graham-Hewlett, Galloway, Pelican hall and Sandpiper hall. The construction of the statue came just after the opening of Pelican and Sandpiper halls.

"According to Peter Groenendyk, UNCW’s Director of Housing and Residence Life, the commission for the statue was around $80,000. The sculpture took six months for Gorham to complete from start to finish, although the design phase reportedly took “several months.”

"Ten feet off the ground at its highest point, with a 20-foot wingspan, individually crafted feathers, piercing eyes and an imposing beak, the sculpture -- located at one end of a long, grassy mall across from UNCW's oldest building, Hoggard Hall -- has in less than a decade become an iconic part of the UNCW campus," the Star News Online says.

"Gorham said he's seen many pictures of students in caps and gowns posing with the seahawk, including one with three generations of UNCW grads from the same family. In perhaps the most memorable post, a young man was riding the big bird like a bucking bronco.

"And while climbing all over public works of art isn't something anyone wants to encourage, necessarily, artists like Gorham -- whose prominent local pieces include "Dram Tree" on the Wilmington Riverwalk and functional water fountains with sculptural elements on the Wrightsville Beach Loop -- take a kind of pride in seeing the ultimate interaction with their work."

"For months the UNCW students, faculty, and staff heard the buzz about the "worlds largest seahawk" being created for our university. On May 21 the handmade, and beautifully sculpted copper Seahawk was installed at the front of campus," the uncw-admissions.blogspot.com says.

"The Seahawk, created by Wilmington artist Dumay Gorham, towers over our UNCW family with its 20-foot wingspan and 10 foot height. Gorham painstakingly welded thousands of copper feathers to the sculpture to give it a more realistic look. Hundreds of hours of work have gone into the construction and finishing of the copper structure and its base.

"The UNCW Seahawk was commissioned by Charlotte philanthropist Ike Belk as a personal gift to the University. Mr. Belk also has donated to facilities such as Belk Residence Hall, and Morton Hall/Auditorium."

Photos: The Seahawk