CowParade 2001 "Mooooves" to Houston

A herd of 325 fancifully decorated cows, part of CowParade Houston 2001, recently "mooooved" into town, and are on display in and around city streets, parks and landmarks.

CowParade is a unique public art exhibit that has gained international recognition. The exhibit showcases local artistic talent, while raising funds for charity.

At a recent celebration to kick off the event, Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO of Texas Children's Hospital said, "Head `em up and moooove `em out! These cows are getting ready to head out all over the landscape of Houston, Texas. We are so pleased and proud to be the beneficiary of this wonderful event."

Proceeds will benefit the "Building for Children" capital campaign at Texas Children's. The campaign supports the $345 million expansion and capital improvements program underway at the Texas Children's Hospital complex in the Texas Medical Center.

Texas Children's Hospital and Texas Children's Cancer Center were chosen to benefit from this project, because they are growing exponentially, Wallace said. They are currently adding 1,200,000-square-feet of space, for more beds, more intensive care units, more operating rooms, and more clinics to take care of an ever-growing number of children that require the specialists needed to provide specialty and subspecialty care.

Texas Children's is trying to raise about $80 million. Already more than half way to their goal, Wallace recognized Houstonians Emily Crosswell, Lynn Baird, Flo Crady, Laura Walls, Jessica Younger and Kirby McCool, who have collectively raised more than $2 million.

Texas Children's is the largest freestanding pediatric hospital in the United States, and is the largest pediatric cancer center in Texas, as well as one of the largest in the United States. They specialize in the treatment of pediatric cancer and blood diseases.

The CowParade Houston 2001 cows will be on display until Nov. 7.

CowParade Holdings Corp., the rights holder and owner of the intellectual property associated with the concept, is hosting this exhibit in cooperation with Mayor Lee P. Brown, the "ambassador" of CowParade Houston; the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Houston Municipal Arts Commission, and Texas Children's Hospital.

"I thank Texas Children's Hospital for hosting CowParade Houston 2001," Jerome D. Elbaum, president of CowParade Holdings said. "I want to especially thank the many volunteers who have contributed their time and enthusiasm to this event. We are indebted to our sponsors for CowParade Houston, and without their involvement, this huge undertaking would not have been possible."

CowParade Holdings Corp. was organized to develop and cultivate this unique concept and bring a special art exhibition to cities worldwide. The company raises funds through sponsors and merchandising.

Elbaum said the cows encourage dialogue and connect people from all walks of life, forging a real sense of community. He is confident Houstonians will welcome these "new neighbors," and will rise to the challenge of making this event a success.

"One of the most rewarding and interesting elements of this event, is a program involving the Houston public school children," Elbaum said. "A primary objective of CowParade is to foster art and art education in the schools, as we strongly believe that art helps school children better understand and relate to their environment, encourages their development and creative skills, and builds self confidence."

Earlier this year, EOG Resources, Reliant Energy, METRO, and the CowParade Foundation sponsored an art contest for Houston school children. Winners were chosen at elementary, middle, and junior and senior high school levels. The schools submitting winning designs each decorated a cow for display in CowParade Houston 2001. Forty-five public and private school art classes participated in the "Cows in Schools" project.

"The art that these students produced is exceptional," Elbaum said.

Emily Crosswell, CowParade Houston 2001 chairwoman, said launching an event of this magnitude took the commitment and passion of many people.

"The magic of CowParade Houston 2001 has begun," she said. "This bovine bonanza is an extraordinary event - one with a sense of humor and a sense of purpose."

Mayor Brown proclaimed Sept. 6 as "CowParade Houston 2001" day in Houston.

"This event is going to be a lot of fun," said Mayor Brown. "Until recently, many people didn't know what Houston was all about. They looked at us as roughnecks, cowboys and cowgirls. But Houston, and the state of Texas, really has some gifted and outstanding artists."

The mayor thanked the artists who donated their time and talent to CowParade Houston 2001, and acknowledged the generosity of Houston's corporations and individuals.

"I've had the chance to live in many parts of this country, and I can't think of any other city in America with a corporate community who gives back to the citizens quite like Houston," he said.

CowParade started in Zurich, Switzerland in 1998. The cows, designed by a Swiss-born sculptor, are made of fiberglass with reinforcement bar, and are hollow on the inside. They are modeled after the Brown Swiss dairy breed, a traditional Swiss milking cow, and come in three poses - standing, grazing, or lying down - but some artists used their artistic license to change the poses. Standing cows are 8 feet long, 5 feet high and 2.5 feet wide. Undecorated, the cows weigh about 100 pounds each, and are mounted on concrete bases. The specially designed surfaces and 3-D features have resulted in a new form of artistic expression.

Each cow, or herd of cows, has a sponsor or patron. These supporters come from all walks of the Houston community, including corporations, community groups, individual merchants and private citizens.

On Dec. 6, Sotheby's auction house will administer a live auction of 50 select bovines in the Cullen Theater at Wortham Center. Two hundred of the remaining cows will be sold in an online auction administered by Amazon.com.

"If you see one you like, you better start saving your "moooo-la" now," Mayor Brown said.

Other U.S. cities where CowParade has toured include Chicago, New York City, and Kansas City.

For more information, visit http://www.cowparadehouston.com.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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