• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Wellesley Square
  • Private schools
  • Camp
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Athlete of the Week
  • Seniors
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend

Wellesley College Sleepwalker statue sticking around until July

May 7, 2014 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Sleepwalker sculpture, MatelliEarlier reports had Tony Matelli’s Sleepwalker sculpture disappearing from the Wellesley College campus this spring, but the school says the piece will remain outdoors until July 20, when it will be returned to the artist. That’s when Matelli’s New Gravity exhibit closes at the Davis Museum.

Just imagine how crushed many students from the Purple class of 2014 and their parents would have been if on Commencement Day (May 30th) they couldn’t take photos with the Sleepwalker, who no doubt will find himself sporting a cap and gown. The Sleepwalker will also be around to greet alums who will be in town in early June for their reunion.

Matelli is said to be making additional versions of the Sleepwalker as well (maybe our April Fools item wasn’t so far-fetched?  Sources confirm that Wellesley commissions more near-naked Sleepwalker statues)

Share

Filed Under: Art, Wellesley College Tagged With: Tony Matelli, wellesley sleepwalker

Linden Square, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley
Riverbend School

Wellesley Sleepwalker not going anywhere anytime soon

February 20, 2014 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

20140204-084035.jpgA very deliberate Wellesley College President Kim Bottomly today joined the weeks-old discussion about the controversial Tony Matelli “Sleepwalker” sculpture on campus. She wrote a blog post (“I have welcomed the depth of the dialogue and am grateful for the many voices and perspectives that have productively contributed to conversations about art, freedom, censorship, and feminism, to name a few.”), had a letter published in the Wall Street Journal that responded to a student-bashing op-ed in that publication and sent a message to the internal Wellesley College community.

In that letter to the college, Bottomly said that the sculpture of the zombie-like man in his tighty-whiteys will remain on campus through the spring stay of the Matelli exhibit.

Share

Filed Under: Art, Wellesley College Tagged With: Sleepwalker, Tony Matelli

Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

Protecting the Wellesley Sleepwalker

February 13, 2014 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Reader LD passed along these photos of a pup seemingly protecting his owner, The Wellesley College Sleepwalker!photo 1sleepwalker photo 2

 

Share

Filed Under: Animals, Wellesley College Tagged With: Tony Matelli, wellesley sleepwalker

Andrews Pharmacy

Naked truth about Wellesley College

February 6, 2014 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley College Severance Hill sleddingWhile some might think the Wellesley College community has issues with the naked or near naked body in light of controversy over the Tighty Whitey Man sculpture that arrived on campus this week, that’s actually not true at all. In fact, the sculpture might find himself freaked out by a couple of supposedly popular student activities.

Indeed, the top item listed on the College’s “50 Things to Do Before You Graduate” list is “Run naked across Severence Green” and #7 is “Skinny-dip in Lake Waban.”

Let’s just hope students hold off until Spring to get going on those items.

Share

Filed Under: Art, Wellesley College Tagged With: Tony Matelli, wellesley sleepwalker

Exercise Coach, Wellesley

Near-naked Wellesley sleepwalker statue now has own Twitter, Facebook accounts

February 5, 2014 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

sleepwalker tweet

 

 

 

 

 

The creepy sleepwalker sculpture sporting nothing but tighty whiteys on the Wellesley College campus now has his own Twitter account: @WCSleepwalker.

The realistic-looking near naked guy, whose images have gone viral since we first reported on his arrival Monday and the ensuing controversy of whether he belongs on the all-women school’s campus, has gotten off to a fast start on the social network.  Turns out he’s a Miley Cyrus fan:

I came in like a wrecking ball @Wellesley pic.twitter.com/Xw8ktDFjXQ

— WellesleySleepwalker (@WCSleepwalker) February 6, 2014

Is the new social media account part of a brilliant campaign on behalf of the College and its Davis Museum of art to promote the Tony Matelli “New Gravity” exhibit opening Thursday night? Or is this realistic sculpture really a real guy?

And don’t think the sleepwalker is stopping at just Twitter. He has a couple of Facebook accounts (and here) too.

RELATED: Before Wellesley’s Tighty Whitey Man: Armless, headless naked Walking Man

Share

Filed Under: Art, Wellesley College Tagged With: Tony Matelli, wellesley sleepwalker

Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend

Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend

Wellesley scantily-clad statue story goes viral

February 5, 2014 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

20140204-084035.jpgThe Wellesley College near-naked sleepwalking sculpture story that broke on The Swellesley Report Monday and that we followed up on Tuesday with word that students were petitioning to get the statue inside has taken off nationally and internationally now.

The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, UPI, AP, Time, Washington Post, USA Today, Wonkette and various TV stations have since covered the story, which has even hopped across the pond to the Daily Mail.

Among the headlines:

Put some pants on! Incredibly realistic statue of man sleepwalking in his underwear causes a stir at all-female Wellesley College (Daily Mail)

Wellesley’s naked older man statue is a lesson in humanity (Washington Post)

Incredibly Life-Like Statue of a Man In Just His Underwear is Scaring Students At Wellesley College (Buzzfeed)

Share

Filed Under: Art, Wellesley College Tagged With: Tony Matelli, wellesley sleepwalker

Deland, Gibson Insurance, Wellesley

Before Wellesley College’s Tighty Whitey Man: Headless, armless, naked Walking Man

February 5, 2014 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Davis Museum photo
Davis Museum photo

The controversial Tony Matelli sculpture of a zombie-like guy in his undies on Wellesley College’s campus isn’t the first scantily-clad dude to make his mark at the all-women’s school.

I recall during our early years in town coming across a nearly 7-foot-high bronze statue of Auguste Rodin‘s “The Walking Man” (described by the Davis Museum as a posthumous cast) outside at Wellesley College’s campus. Students would dress the headless, armless fellow in various ways, sometimes to mark the colors of their class year. I’m sure I took photos, but probably back in the pre-digital camera days, so who knows where they are.

According to a Wellesley College newsletter, the statue was installed at Clapp Library in 1969 and was moved outdoors to the Jewett quadrangle in 1974 “where for many years it bore the brunt of class pranks and the New England weather.” The Walking Man was brought back indoors in 2006 for restoration and placement within the Davis Museum’s confines.

 

 

 

20140205-101558.jpg

Share

Filed Under: Art, Wellesley College Tagged With: Tony Matelli, wellesley sleepwalker

Next Page »

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Edge on Science
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cachet, Wellesley
Lyn Evans, Wellesley
Cheesy Street Grill
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Restaurants in Wellesley, Mass.: more than 50 dining options
  • Wellesley Business Buzz—E.A. Davis to change ownership; OISE looking for host families; Linden Square sidewalk sale coming up
  • Sneak peek: We visit Wellesley's Laughing Monk Cafe
  • Wellesley Business Buzz: New parklets popping up; Papa Razzi taps GM; Babson Beaver Bite
  • Wellesley POPS senior profile: Caroline Mack takes on theater both center stage & behind the scenes

Upcoming Events

May 16
6:30 pm

Rotary Club meeting

May 17
10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Friendly Pool Tournament

May 18
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

In the Beginning: Glaciers, Agriculture, and the Origins of Civilization

May 21
9:00 am - 10:00 am

Centennial Reservation trail walk

May 21
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Wellesley Pooch Parade

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 2022 Boston Marathon charity runners

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • Steven scott on Wellesley, football world mourn death of longtime Patriots star Gino Cappelletti
  • Eric on Wellesley Business Buzz: New parklets popping up; Papa Razzi taps GM; Babson Beaver Bite
  • Herb Gliick on Wellesley Business Buzz: New parklets popping up; Papa Razzi taps GM; Babson Beaver Bite
  • Dianne Dowling on Wellesley POPS senior profile: Caroline Mack takes on theater both center stage & behind the scenes
  • S Hawkinson on Sneak peek: We visit Wellesley’s Laughing Monk Cafe

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • Animals (411)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (575)
  • Beyond Wellesley (45)
  • Books (364)
  • Business (1,492)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (48)
  • Churches (79)
  • Clubs (225)
  • Construction (291)
  • Dump (127)
  • Education (3,083)
    • Babson College (250)
    • Bates Elementary School (16)
    • Dana Hall School (33)
    • Fiske Elementary School (9)
    • Hardy Elementary School (42)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (40)
    • MassBay (55)
    • Schofield Elementary School (24)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (34)
    • Wellesley College (608)
    • Wellesley High School (944)
    • Wellesley Middle School (201)
  • Embracing diversity (69)
  • Entertainment (780)
  • Environment (741)
  • Fashion (140)
  • Finance (14)
  • Fire (159)
  • Food (341)
  • Fundraising (608)
  • Gardens (156)
  • Government (550)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (14)
  • Health (842)
    • COVID-19 (198)
  • Hikes (2)
  • History (386)
  • Holidays (401)
  • Houses (152)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (843)
  • Law (7)
  • Legal notices (6)
  • Letters to the Editor (61)
  • Media (68)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (9)
  • Morses Pond (108)
  • Music (561)
  • Natick Report (29)
  • Neighbors (272)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (70)
  • Outdoors (637)
  • Parenting (62)
  • Police (754)
    • Crime (386)
  • Politics (551)
  • POPS Senior Profile (2)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (328)
  • Religion (131)
  • Restaurants (328)
  • Safety (149)
  • Scouts (1)
  • Seniors (120)
  • Shopping (140)
  • Sponsored (5)
  • Sports (973)
    • Athlete of the Week (6)
  • STEM (107)
  • Technology (164)
  • Theatre (392)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (223)
  • Travel (16)
  • Uncategorized (1,229)
  • Volunteering (345)
  • Weather (177)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (276)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (14)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed
Wellesley Pooch Parade

© 2022 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login