#456 on parade

In 1999, the City of Chicago created a buzz when it hosted the Cow Parade public art exhibit.  Fiberglass sculptures of cows were painted in various themes and placed all around town, and after several months on display, the 300 works of art were auctioned off to generate revenue.  It was the first such exhibit in the United States and generated millions in tourism and for charity.

Since then, it seems like every city or cause has created a fiberglass statue of its own.  Anchorage had wild salmon; Buffalo, of course, had its mascot; Pensacola paraded pelicans, Bennington, VT had Moose and Cleveland had guitars in honor of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Locally, we currently have turtles on exhibit to promote (and raise funds for) a new turtle exhibit at the aquarium.

If your organization had the opportunity to create a fiberglass sculpture, what icon would it represent?  For schools or sports teams, it is easy to say "the mascot", but think a little deeper.  What symbol represents your public image and what you'd like to be known for? Maybe there is an opportunity to add a three-dimensional aspect to your storytelling.

-- beth triplett
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