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15-ft metal praying mantis (Studio 105)

Owensboro, Kentucky, United States
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A 15-foot-tall, 13-foot-wide metal praying mantis sculpture, about 250 pounds, made by Andy Shoemaker of Medieval Man Studio from parts including an air compressor, catalytic converter, muffler and trampoline parts. Begun in fall 2021, it was installed on the roof of the Studio 105 Art & Frame Gallery building at 105 W. Third St., downtown Owensboro, in spring 2022. The Messenger-Inquirer reported in March 2026 that it would move to the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden in early April 2026.
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15-ft metal praying mantis (Studio 105)
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Approximate location · 37.774° N, 87.113° W
FIELD GUIDE

The story

A 15-foot metal praying mantis sculpture was installed in spring 2022 on the roof of the Studio 105 Art & Frame Gallery building at 105 W. Third St. in downtown Owensboro, Kentucky. The Owensboro Times reported in April 2022 that it had been put on the roof of that building.
The Messenger-Inquirer said in March 2026 that Andy Shoemaker of Medieval Man Studio made it in the fall of 2021. It is 15 feet high, 13 feet wide and weighs about 250 pounds, built from an air compressor, catalytic converter, muffler, trampoline parts and other things. The paper said its head was once a framing table at Studio 105.
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WHAT TO EXPECT
A 15-foot metal praying mantis sculpture, originally a downtown Owensboro rooftop landmark, now at the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden.
ACCESS
Western Kentucky Botanical Garden, Owensboro, Kentucky (relocated from its original site atop 105 W 3rd St in April 2026).
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Cauldron of Burgoo
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A giant cast-iron burgoo kettle stands outside the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn in Owensboro, described by the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau's own destination management director as 'the biggest burgoo pot.' The kettle has historically been driven in parades across the state, tying it to Owensboro's identity as home of the International Bar-B-Q Festival (now BBQ and Barrels) and the regional specialty dish burgoo.
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5.3 km away
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