Big Pig Gig
The Big Pig Gig was a public art exhibit displayed in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, from May 14 to October 31, 2000. In the large-scale event, local artists and schools decorated fiberglass pig statues and installed them throughout the downtown area.
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[edit] Background
The Big Pig Gig was one of many projects inspired by CowParade, which had been featured in Chicago the previous year. Laura Pulfer, a columnist at The Cincinnati Enquirer, wrote about seven-year-old Alexander Longi's proposal to Mayor Roxanne Qualls for an event similar to the one in Chicago.[1] The idea to build statues of pigs recalled Cincinnati's annual Flying Pig Marathon and the city's nickname of "Porkopolis". The nickname dates from the mid–19th century, when the Cincinnati meat packing industry led the country.[2] The project's rhyming name was submitted by Joyce Monger and won a naming contest.[3]
[edit] Results
With the sponsorship of ArtWorks, a community art employment program, as well as the support of various local businesses and media outlets, the project attracted about 400 entries, many of which depicted "flying pigs".[2] Hundreds of pigs were installed downtown, while others were stationed across the Ohio River in Newport and Covington, Kentucky. They stretched north to Findlay Market, east to Eden Park, south to the Covington Cathedral, and west to Union Terminal.[4] Participants included over 50 schools. More than 500,000 visitors brought an estimated $170 million to the city.[2]
A number of these statues have been sold on eBay for charity since the event, and many others have come to decorate the Cincinnati airport, local hotels, and other buildings. Two videos made from still pictures of most of the pigs have been posted on YouTube. The following year saw a similar though less publicized event in which large flower pots were decorated and placed throughout downtown.
[edit] References
- ^ Pulfer, Laura (1999-08-12). "Making a silk purse from a cow's ear". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio: Gannett Company): p. 1B. http://www.enquirer.com/columns/pulfer/1999/08/12/lp_making_silk_purse.html. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
- ^ a b c Pender, Rick (2000). The Big Pig Gig: Celebrating Pigs in the City. Wilmington, Ohio: Orange Frazer Press. ISBN 1-882203-70-4.
- ^ Pulfer, Laura (1999-09-28). "Big Pig Gig is a good joke on all of us". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio: Gannett Company): p. 1B. http://www.cincinnati.com/bigpiggig/joke_on_us.html. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
- ^ "New Big Pig Gig map" (JPEG). The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio: Gannett Company). http://www.cincinnati.com/bigpiggig/images/pigmap.jpg. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
[edit] See also
- CowParade
- Flying Pig Marathon
- Pigs in the City, another public art exhibit featuring pigs
[edit] External links
- Big Pig Gig official website at the Wayback Machine (archived July 1, 2007)
- ArtWorks, event organizer
- Big Pig Gig at Cincinnati.Com
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