Chippewa Valley Museum

The Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire, WI will preserve its Bear for Wear, a three-dimensional expression of the Gillette Safety Tire Company logo. For most of the 20th century, Gillette was the area’s largest employer. The Bear for Wear painted plaster cast, though broken in several pieces, was intentionally saved by the employees when the plant closed in the 1990s. After conservation, the museum will promote the project at the Fourth of July celebration, their largest community event, and on their Web site. This process will be used as an opportunity to discuss the repair of the Bear, as well as the preservation of the entire collection as the memory of the community.