"The Guardians- The Wary and the Fierce"

Artist Kyle Fokken was approached about an idea to have 2 bulls heads on display in front of the Mayo Clinic Health Systems Event Center which would greet hockey fans when they attended the Mankato State Maverick's hockey games. The donors did not just want a couple of heads, they wanted a fan experience when they came to the games. Kyle ran with their idea by designing 2 heads that when turned on the eyes come to life with an LED lighting system and fog rolls out of the nostrils through a tube system that can be hooked up to a fog machine greeting fans as they attend the games.

The donor stated, "On game days, with the eyes lighting up in purple and the fog coming out of the snout, families can share that experience with their kids and make this arena a difficult place for competitors to come and play."

Kyle has experience with hot-dip galvanizing and has done other artistic projects which have been galvanized. Kyle along with the plant manager worked very close together to ensure proper drain and vent holes which in an artistic project like this is no easy task. Kyle's sculptures are known as having a tough and industrial feel to them so hot-dip galvanizing fits right into his vision.