The Sandspur

Issue date: 3/21/08 Section: Life & Times

Public art exhibitions and the subsequent auctioning off of the pieces are a growing trend that pairs art for art's sake with philanthropic ends. Art-onthe-streets are art initiatives notable for their ability to back local artists, breathe the spirit of creativity into quotidian life, produce valuable art, and generate massive proceeds for causes and non-profits.

If one had walked around in Turkey last summer, he may have found himself face to face with several dozens of eye-catching, life-size cows. As the world's largest public art event, CowParade debuted in Chicago in 1999 and has since set up pasture in six continents and 50+ cities worldwide, including New York, Moscow, Milan, Tokyo, Boston, Copenhagen, Sydney, Paris, Buenos Aires, Athens, Atlanta, Budapest, London, Houston, Barcelona, Johannesburg, Geneva, Istanbul, and São Paulo.

CowParade taglines as, "For art, for charity, for fun," but The Vice President of
CowParade Global, Ron Fox, emphasizes that CowParade is "first and foremost a public art event." Each imaginative bovine is painted by a renowned or emerging artist local to the respective city where the event is being held, "creating a mosaic of art, which ultimately reflects the city's unique culture and history."

According to Fox, "This singular focus results in valuable art which is in high demand by the cities' art buyers and collectors. Without the focus on the art, the money raised for charities would not have been possible." Some $20 million dollars has been raised by CowParade for various charities worldwide, with the highest selling cow bringing in 146,000 USD in Dublin of 2004. "CowParade has inspired hundreds of copycat events, particularly in the United States," says Fox who believes the company is seeking to reproduce their results. "However," he remarks, "the charitable benefits have not been realized."

This is not the case at the GecokFest in Bradenton, Florida. GeckoFest's website declares itself as "a public Art Project where business and art communities join hands to support our cultural community and arts education in Manatee County."

In 2006, the art community partnered with the
city of Bradenton to boost the city's four arts organizations: South Florida Museum, ArtCenter Manatee, the Arts Council of Manatee, Inc., and the Artists Guild of Manatee, Inc. (aka Village of the Arts)- not to mention, the education system also budgets for art programs in Manatee County schools.

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