SLO County students sought for CowParade art project

High school students are being encouraged to participate in CowParade SLO County, a public art exhibit being held in San Luis Obispo County in 2016-17.

CowParade launched in Chicago in 1999 and has been held in 79 cities worldwide, according to a news release from event organizers. By fall, 101 fiberglass cows, sponsored by local businesses and individuals and transformed by local artists, will be displayed in public places throughout the county.

After an eight-month exhibit, the entire stock will be driven to a gala auction in May 2017. Proceeds will benefit the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, the California Mid-State Fair Heritage Foundation and Arts Obispo — the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council. Individual cow sponsors can choose to designate a charity of their choice in place of the title charities.

While local artists are being chosen to decorate the life-size heifers, CowParade SLO County organizers are reaching out to each of the county’s high schools to paint “mini-moos” — Labrador-sized cows that will benefit art programs at the schools.

CowParade will donate blank sculptures to each school that wants to participate.

High schools will have until September to decorate their bovines for the exhibit. The cows will be auctioned off in May and the proceeds from student-designed cows will benefit each school’s arts program.

Interested high schools should contact Tom Halen at tom@cowparadeslo.com. More information is available at www.cowparadeslo.com.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 3:03 PM with the headline "SLO County students sought for CowParade art project."