A small herd of silent cows waits in the Golden Belt art studio in Durham-the result of more than a year’s worth of effort from organizers all over the world. The cows, formed from white fiberglass, are gathered in preparation for their Triangle debut as the latest event in the international public art series-Cow Parade.
More than 75 cities all over the world including New York, Chicago, Taipei and Buenos Aires have hosted the Cow Parade. As a joint effort between international organizers, Triangle artists, local sponsors and the N.C. Children’s Hospital, organizers hope the event will contribute to cultural discourse in the Triangle while raising money to benefit the N.C. Children’s Hospital.
“It’s a long process getting the artists onboard, finding sponsors to pair up with them, getting the cows here and decorated and transformed into these whimsical creations,” Danielle Bates, communications director of the N.C. Children’s Hospital, said. “I’m really excited about it…I think it’s one of those things that appeals to audiences of different ages and interest groups. It’s something I can see bringing my husband and son to.”
If everything goes according to plan, a “stampede” of more than 80 fiberglass cows decorated by different Triangle artists will fill the Golden Belt art studio Aug. 17. The following days, organizers hope to move the cows to various locations around the Triangle. In January, organizers plan to auction off selected cows and miniature versions of these cows with benefits going towards the N.C. Children’s Hospital.
According to Mary Lamb, a Chapel Hill based artist participating in the parade, this combination of art, community and charity make the Cow Parade a special event for her.
“Because it is something that the community will enjoy, and it will also benefit the hospital, [Cow Parade] really ties everything nicely together for me.” Lamb said.
For the past few weeks, Lamb has been decorating her cows with local communities and traditions in mind. She is designing two cows at Golden Belt and hopes to pay tribute to Raleigh with an N.C. State cow and a Sir Walter ” Cow-leigh ” cow. This is the first high profile event Lamb has participated in, and and she said this has given her an opportunity to interact with other artists and explore different art forms.
For her N.C. State design, Lamb is constructing a “wolf in cow’s clothing.” Lamb removed the fiberglass horns, ears and tail from the cow body. She hopes to replace them with more wolf-like appendages. An oil painter by trade, working with fiberglass and putty is a relatively new experience for Lamb. However, she said working with novel materials keeps the task exciting.
“I’m really enjoying it,” Lamb said. “I met some interesting people and I’m learning about some new processes because of the cows. Because there are some new things, it’s fun and it’s a stretch for me.”
While this collaborative element and focus on regional identity is not uncommon in the history of Cow Parade, the North Carolina Cow Parade is a little different, according to Bates. This is the first time a region-not an individual city-will host the Cow Parade.
“We didn’t want to just tie the cow parade to just Raleigh or just Chapel Hill or Durham,” Bates said. “We thought a Triangle area parade would be more representative of the flavor here and how things work.”
In addition to the cows dedicated to N.C. State and Raleigh, participating artists are paying tribute to other features of the Triangle like UNC-Chapel Hill, Durham and traditions like the Krispy Kreme Challenge.
Sadie Rapp , 15-years-old, is the youngest participating artists, and her “glazed cow” design attracted the sponsorship of Krispy Kreme . She said Cow Parade is an opportunity to unite the Triangle area and celebrate local culture.
“Because of events like these, people really connect as a community… Durham, Chapel Hill and around Raleigh we’re all passionate about being proud of where we come from, and everyone’s for supporting the children’s hospital,” Rapp said.
Cow Parade manages to benefit everyone involved, which is why everyone is so excited, according to Lamb.
“It’s a chance for companies or groups to sponsor a cow and be involved in the activity,” Lamb said. “The companies get something out of it, the artists definitely do, the townspeople will enjoy it and the hospital benefits from it too so it’s just a win-win situation all around, and I think it will probably attract attention from all over North Carolina to the Triangle area.”
