Boston CowParade
The Boston CowParade (sic.) consists of 117 painted cows scattered around the city. This cow is known as the Tea Party Cow. It makes me think of the role of public art in a city, and the fact that Worcester does not seem to have very much of it. Sure, there are plenty of memorials and historic markers which are all very nice and good, and we’ll always have turtle boy, but what happens when a city (or country) forgets to make a conscious effort to make art a part of the city? Even only a few years after Cloud Gate was unveiled, can any Chicagoan image Chicago without it? Same question for the “Chicago Picasso.” Though I have never lived in New York City, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s installation of The Gates leaves me profoundly saddened that I will never see them in Central Park again. I am already planning to visit their Over The River installation in Colorado in 2010. My sense is that public art matters a great deal, even though most would not be able to realize it.
Questions:
What examples of public art can you think of that are not memorials?
Do you feel like public art is worthy of taxpayer money?
Would anyone miss turtle boy?
July 29th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
My favorite cow is the one with the MBTA map!
July 30th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
My mother did a Bat Mitzvah a couple years ago and the theme was the Cow Parade… it was pretty cool.. the girl had her sign-in board picture taken with one of the full size ones and for favors everyone got to take hom a minature model…. it was pretty cool. it was like “Jessica’s CowParade” or something…
July 31st, 2006 at 10:28 pm
This past winter in the Mount Washington Valley in NH there was a “Snow People on Parade” art event, http://www.mwvevents.com/SnowPeopleOnParadePress2.html It was similar to the CowParade on a smaller scale. It was fun to see them throughout the valley.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:13 am
oh boy!! look at this!! i think this is better than the snow people
http://www.wachusettchamber.com/appleart/index.html
August 1st, 2006 at 10:53 am
Granby, CT has someting similar to the Cow Parade this summer and fall. It is called “Giddy Up Granby” and local artisits have painted horses and ponys that will be around town. They are beautiful- just as good as any of the cows in Chicago a few years back. I’m glad to be moving to a town that values art. The horses will eventually be auctioned off and leave the community. I would love to see more permanent pieces of art throughout town. (As long as they don’t rust like the whole Skokie art bike path along McCormick.)
August 21st, 2006 at 11:51 pm
These cows make me ill and I’m sick of the whole dumb gimmick. It’s played.