ODESSA, Texas — The familiar Odessa College jackrabbit has a new look — and a new story.

As Odessa College celebrates its 80th anniversary, the sculpture formerly known as Symphony De Bunnie has been reimagined as Many Pieces: One Spirit, a mosaic artwork created by Colombian visual artist and art educator Yennifer Cano Rojas.

The original six-foot jackrabbit was part of Odessa’s Jackrabbit Jamboree tradition, which began in 2004 when local artists transformed jackrabbit sculptures into works of public art. Symphony De Bunnie was designed by artist Wesley Haynie and purchased by Janet Wood. It remained part of the Odessa College landscape for more than two decades.

To create its next chapter, OC invited artists to submit new concepts for the sculpture. Fifteen proposals were received, with a jury of campus and community leaders selecting Cano Rojas’s design.

“When I saw the open call to create a new design for the jackrabbit, they talked especially about the spirit of Odessa College,” Cano Rojas said. “So I thought about the community.”

That idea became the foundation for Many Pieces: One Spirit.

“I thought about the mosaic like each piece represents each person in Odessa College — each student, the staff, each person that collaborates with Odessa College has value,” she said. “The individual pieces come together to create something greater than themselves.”

The flowing patterns and Odessa College colors further connect the artwork to the institution, while the mosaic reflects the diversity of the students, employees, alumni and community members who have helped shape the college.

Cano Rojas, who now calls Odessa home and teaches visual arts at Ector Prep Middle School, brings an international perspective to her work, having studied and worked in Colombia, Spain, Dubai and the United States. Her artistic practice includes mosaic art, mural painting, drawing, printmaking and illustration.

“I just hope everyone enjoys this artwork as I enjoyed it during the process,” she said.

“As an international teacher and also as an international artist, it's a part of my grateful thanks to give back to the community this artwork,” she said. “I'm so thankful to participate in this wonderful project … I'm also very thankful to Odessa College to trust my vision as an artist and be a part of this community with my artwork”

The transformation preserves the jackrabbit’s place in Odessa College history while giving it new meaning for the future.

Many Pieces: One Spirit –– A familiar symbol, a new vision and a celebration of the people who make Odessa College what it is.