top of page
Creative Machines Logo_Large.png
!

Toby is a sculpture located in the heart of downtown Tucson, Arizona. Griffins have historically been placed on libraries and churches as guardians of valuables. The former Carnegie Library across the street originally had stone griffins perched on the upper corners of the building. There was a fire in 1938 and in the subsequent renovation, the Griffins were destroyed. We like to think that one escaped. The one that escaped was named Toby, and he jumped down from the building and left his footprints in the concrete as he ran to his current location on Scott Avenue. 

 

Toby includes incredibly bright red LEDs at his heart which, at night, cast the sharp outlines of his ribs on the buildings and sidewalks nearby. The sculpture consists of painted steel in the shape of a Griffin (half lion, half eagle) and an intense light source that is active whenever the street lights are on. 

Date:

2009

Location:

Scott Avenue, Tucson, AZ

Dimensions:

12’ x 7’ x 8’

Media:

powder-coated steel, LED lighting, concrete texture (footprints)

Commissioning Agency: 

City of Tucson

Artist:

Joseph O'Connell

Toby

CM Logo.png

COPYRIGHT © 2024

Creative Machines Inc.

4141 E. Irvington Rd.

Tucson, Arizona 85714

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Our Creative Machines shop is located on the ancestral lands of the Tohono O'odham Nation. We are nestled in the heart of Tucson, Arizona, a vibrant, culture-rich city, both presently and historically. This land was home to some of the earliest people in North America, the Hohokam, and we honor and respectfully acknowledge the indigenous nations that have stewarded this land since time immemorial. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the Tohono O’odham and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT

bottom of page