CowParade: History, Facts, and Fun

CowParade has been a global phenomenon since its inception in 1998. The first CowParade was held in Zurich, Switzerland.

The brainchild of artist Trudi Brimhall and Swiss sculptor Ron Feldman, CowParade was initially meant to be a one-time event but gained massive popularity, leading to its global expansion.

The first cow, named "Zurich", was created by artist Urs Huber, and it stood over 12 feet tall.

CowParade has since become a beloved event, featuring over 1,000 cow sculptures in more than 50 cities worldwide.

CowParade has faced criticism from contributing artists, particularly regarding their selectivity standards.

David Lynch's cow, featuring its flesh partially ripped off and organs showing, was rejected, but not by the CowParade organization itself.

The explanation for the rejection lies with the City of New York, which did not approve the cow.

The CowParade is a global phenomenon, but let's focus on the local details. Application submission for the event is due by March 30, 2025.

The timeline for the event is quite specific. Here are the key dates:

The event organizers want to ensure public safety, so designs should be created with durability and safety in mind.

The CowParade phenomenon has reached far and wide, with a staggering 250 million people across 6 continents and 32 countries having seen it. This incredible event has been a global spectacle.

Some impressive numbers to keep in mind: 7,000 cows have been painted and transformed by over 15,000 artists. That's a lot of artistic talent!

Here are some of the cities and locations where CowParade has been held: Austin, Barcelona, Boston, Bucharest, Chicago, Kansas City, Florence, London, Madrid, Milan, Monaco, Rio, Sao Paulo, and more. Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA, and Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol, RI, are also on the list.

Old Sturbridge Village received an astonishing 250 artist proposals for CowParade.

The timeline for CowParade Old Sturbridge Village is pretty straightforward.

The application submission deadline is March 30, 2025, so mark that date on your calendar.

Here are the key dates to keep in mind:

The concept of CowParade was born in Zürich, Switzerland in 1986, where lions were painted and displayed throughout the city as a symbol of the city.

The idea gained momentum in 1998 with the "Land in Sicht" exhibit, which was later adapted and brought to the United States in 1999 by Chicago businessman Peter Hanig and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg.

The event, called Cows on Parade, was a huge success and inspired other cities to host similar fundraising projects featuring public art projects with painted fiberglass sculptures.

Employees at CowParade worked in a variety of locations across the country.

In Mexico City, Miguel Hidalgo, employees were part of the advertising services team.

CowParade employees also worked in manufacturing, civic and social organizations, and as artists and writers in San Antonio, Texas.

In the northeast, employees were based in Milldale, Connecticut, providing advertising services.

Other locations included Sturbridge, Massachusetts, where employees worked at museums, historical sites, and zoos.

Libraries in Worcester, MA, were also staffed by CowParade employees.

Additionally, employees worked in hospitals and healthcare, the armed forces in Jacksonville, Florida, and banking in Laredo, TX.

The concept of "cow parade" was born in Zürich, Switzerland in 1986 as an idea to paint lions as the symbol of Zurich and display them throughout the city.

This idea was later realized in 1998 by artistic director Walter Knapp, who called the exhibit "Land in Sicht" or "Land ho" in English.

The cow parade concept was brought to the United States by Chicago businessman Peter Hanig and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg in 1999, who organized an event called Cows on Parade in Chicago.

A Swiss company called CowHolding Parade AG started to explore the idea and founded an American company with the same name in 1999, but the Swiss company promptly sued and the case fizzled out without results.

The success of the cow parade in Chicago inspired many other cities to host similar fundraising projects, with some choosing animals for public art projects with painted fiberglass sculptures.

We celebrated the completion of the CowParade bovine installations with an intimate celebration at the Artist Studio in Industry City, sponsored by CLEAR.

The event took place on August 5, marking a significant milestone in the CowParade project.

On August 18, the cows were put out to pasture in public spaces in all five boroughs for New Yorkers to appreciate and enjoy.

This move allowed the community to experience and engage with the CowParade installations in a more public and accessible way.

The cows were displayed in public spaces, giving everyone a chance to see and appreciate their unique designs and artwork.