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Jayhawks on Parade to debut during March Madness
First came cows on parade. Then pigs and horses. But the
barnyard theme stops in Lawrence this spring when Jayhawks
become the latest form of eclectic street decor.
The Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau will use KU's
beloved mascot for "Jayhawks on Parade," an art-icon
event that will feature several large fiberglass Jayhawk statues
decorated by local and regional artists and positioned strategically
around Lawrence, including the KU campus.
The Jayhawks will stand 5 feet tall on their concrete base
and about 3 feet wide. They will be unveiled next March -
in time for KU basketball's "March Madness" - and
remain on display through the fall.
Each Jayhawk statue will require $4,500 sponsorship either
through individuals or organizations. The sponsorship covers
the cost of making, maintaining and decorating the statues.
When the show ends, sponsors are encouraged to donate the
Jayhawks to a nonprofit charity of their choice. The charity
then can auction or sell the statue. The bureau hopes to get
at least 30 sponsors.
So what sort of intriguing designs can we expect? An Elvis
Jayhawk? Or perhaps one fashioned after Jackson Pollock's
abstract technique?
Bureau board member Brad Kemp said some artists already had
asked him whether the statues could be cut up and reconfigured.
According to the guidelines, artists are given plenty of liberties
with the statues, although they must be approved by the bureau-so
don't expect to see any purple statues.
Kemp, who also is assistant director for public affairs at
KU's Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center,
said the parade would be similar to successful projects across
the nation, including decorated cows in Kansas City, Mo.;
pigs in Austin, Minn.; and Mr. Potato Heads in Providence,
R.I.
"I don't think we would have done it if we couldn't
have used something as unusual an icon as the Jayhawk,"
Kemp said.
For more information about the "Jayhawks on Parade,"
including how to sponsor a statue or how to submit
a formal artist's proposal, visit http://www.jayhawksonparade.com
or contact Brad Kemp, (785) 843-0448, bkemp@ku.edu
or Susan Henderson, (785) 865-4497, cvbmktg@visitlawrence.com
.
Suggest a theme!
When Kansas City sponsored its Cows on Parade, artists exploded
with clever titles and themes, including "Moo-lin Rouge,"
"A 'Cowus Line,' " "Cow-Eidoscope," Cow-moo-flage
and, of course, The Cow-ardly Lion.
For Jayhawks, we've heard ideas for a risqué "Negli-Jay,"
an Easter time "Faber-Jay Egg" or perhaps a slice
of Americana: Norman Hawk-well.
Do you have a good idea? Send
it to us and we will share responses with you and the
Jayhawks on Parade organizers to review Dec. 2.
Need an idea? View the Kansas City Cows at http://www.cowparadekc.com/cow/gallery/
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