Back in early October, Arthur and I passed through Cherokee, North Carolina, on our way to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Throughout the town there are life-size statues of bears.
![Eagle Dancer Bear](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8349/8246125246_d028277748_z.jpg)
There are 25 statues in the Bears Project. Each fiberglass black bear statue has been individualized by an artist from the Eastern Band of Cherokee. The designs tell a story; this wonderful blog post showcases many of them.
![Eagle Dancer Bear](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8201/8245058775_ac903d7d76_z.jpg)
![Eagle Dancer Bear](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8490/8245058949_953212e9fb_z.jpg)
![Eagle Dancer Bear](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8485/8245059117_938db5b495_z.jpg)
I especially liked “Eagle Dancer Bear” by Lora Powell. I bet you can guess why. It stands in front of the Mountainside Theatre right along Tsali Boulevard, Cherokee’s main drag.