(Jan. 10, 2001) Roll over, Michaelangelo.

They're chipping away at sculpture norms, in Anchorage, Alaska, in the 21st century.

That trusty marble has its place, but students at the University of Alaska Anchorage used duct tape to create sculptures in connection with an upcoming Special Olympics fund-raiser called the Duct Tape Ball. Twenty students of UAA art professor Hugh McPeck created the sculptures on display at International Gallery of Contemporary Art.

The first ball, last year, raised about $40,000 for the Special Olympics World Winter Games Alaska. A bit of the money came from a spontaneous sale of three duct tape sculptures -- a dog, a replica of Scarlett O'Hara and an anthropomorphic form titled ''Protective Covering'' -- that were part of the event's decoration scheme.

At the end of the evening, the organizers found that a few people were walking off with the sculptures, which the students had loaned but not donated. The people liked the sculptures so much that they wanted to pay for them. Eventually arrangements were made, and the sculptures were sold for $250 apiece, split between the students and the Games.

The organizers decided to capitalize on the sculptures' popularity through a more prominent exhibit this year, along with a silent auction format at this year's Duct Tape Ball, said volunteer Leanne Rowley.

The show is on exhibit all month at International Gallery of Contemporary Art, and the sale will take place at the Jan. 26 ball, with proceeds again split between the students and 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games Alaska.

The games, scheduled for March 4-11 in Anchorage, Girdwood and Eagle River, will be the largest international sporting event in Alaska's history.

Duct tape foils the grandeur of such a production with its modest, utilitarian, folksy nature. It captivated the imagination of the first ball's organizers, who dreamed up the fund-raiser over a campfire. The next thing they knew they were having parties to make duct tape ball gowns and tuxedos and covering a 1987 Suburu Hatchback with 15 rolls of duct tape.

Let it never be said that Alaska is not on the cutting edge of fashion. It turns out we're not alone in our respect for the esteemed adhesive, a type of fabric-based tape. Ball gowns, an alien costume, gloves, boots, a wallet and a necktie made of duct tape can be found in a search of the Internet. The site www.exploremaine.com offers ''101 Uses for Duct Tape.''

During the past two months, thousands of rolls of duct tape, donated by 3M, have been shaped by local volunteers into centerpieces and decorations for the ball, as well as gowns and tuxedos.

The sculpture students received a couple of boxes and took off with the project, said McPeck of the optional assignment he gave his intermediate sculpture class.

A crow-size mosquito, a baby with a baby bottle, a duck, a fish and an almost life-size figure are among the sculpture pieces. Spontaneity is the virtue of duct tape as a sculpture medium, McPeck said.

Indeed, times have changed since sculpture was a ponderous and painstaking process a la Michaelangelo. ''I don't know what he'd think,'' said McPeck. ''But I think it's real appropriate for Alaska, since duct tape is such a universal substance up here.''