Woodruff Park Welcomes Tube Dudes for a Limited Engagement

April 3,2013

Downtown Atlanta will see plenty of visitors during the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s Final Four tournament, but Woodruff Park will host some especially unique guests, with the temporary installation of more than 20 Tube Dude sculptures.

The brainchild of entrepreneur Scott Gerber, the smiling stick figure sculptures have become a structural art sensation with more than 900 Tube Dudes sold across the country and abroad. Gerber, a former yacht-maker from Sarasota, Fla., created his first Tube Dude in 2010 as a creative diversion when his business was going under.

“Who would have thought that all my ambitions and success – and failure – in the yacht industry would lead to stick figure art that is making people everywhere smile and be happy?” Gerber said.

The Tube Dudes are upwards of 10 feet tall, are constructed out of schedule-40, marine-grade aluminum and are fully customizable in color, size and positioning. The whimsical statues are used in a range of applications, from sign-holders and mailboxes to simply “goodwill ambassadors.”

Four of the Woodruff Park Tube Dudes will represent each of the teams competing at the Georgia Dome. The group of sculptures will be on view April 3 through April 8. A giant, 20-foot Tube Dude will be installed in Manhattan’s High Line Park in May.

“Downtown Atlanta is excited to once again host the NCAA Final Four, and Woodruff Park is the ideal location to enjoy the sights, sounds and scenery of Downtown during one of our city’s most highly-anticipated sporting events,” said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress. “These one-of-a-kind sculptures are a must-see item on any visitor’s itinerary.”

Woodruff Park sees more than 5 million visitors annually. Park-goers can relax under the springtime sun on the park’s lush lawn, enjoy people-watching or a good conversation in the open-air Reading Room, and bring kids of all ages to play on the recently installed playground. The park also features a water wall and fountain, fitness system and chess area.