Tigers on the Prowl? Cows on Parade? Buffalo Roaming?

[Richard Cobb]

Local businessman, Pryce Hayness, III, shared with me one of his creative ideas. He is now a registered member of Create Huntington. Pryce attended Auburn University in Auburn, AL, and he shared information with me about the Tiger on the Prowl art project promoted by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce in Conjunction with the Auburn University Industrial Design Department. Tigers on the Prowl, is a community art project that has enhanced the Auburn community and embraced the Auburn University spirit. Two Auburn Chamber volunteers, who saw Chicago's "Cows on Parade" felt that Auburn would be an ideal setting for Tigers.

What's that got to do with Huntington, you ask? Pryce dreams of having a "Thunderling Herd" roam along the Old Main Corridor, which is 4th Avenue from the Marshall University's Old Main on 16th Street down to 8th Street in downtown Huntington. Pryce's idea is that "Marco" and his buddies would be constructed, painted and decorated by local artists. Then, they would be placed along "the corridor" to spirtually connect our university and our downtown business and entertainment area.

Anybody care to expand on Pryce's creative idea? What other public art could be added to connect the Marshall campus to downtown?

Great idea, Pryce!

[tbailey1138]

Here's a good illustration that shows what you are talking about. I think that this would be a great idea as long as it was cost effective. The museum of art actually did something similar to this a few years ago and called it buffalart but they only did one to auction off. The auctioning part wasn't as successful as they thought it would be but I still think a mass exhibit of them would be cool.
Tim

http://www.custerstampede.com/news.htm
http://www.publicartprojectsofamerica.com/nulinks1.htm

[Richard Cobb]

Tim, the Custer Stampede is exactly what Pryce Haynes, III is suggesting. We can do this! We can acquire sponsors for each buffalo. I'm going to promote this, and your input is greatly appreciated by all of us.

Check Tim's idea out, folks:

http://www.custerstampede.com/news.htm

[Pryce M. Haynes III]

Tim, good eye! I am glad you saw this and were able to add to the vision with a concrete example. When one looks at other thriving small towns, most have one thing in common. Character. This initiative would certainly help establish more of that and help bridge the gap between MU and downtown.

If there were 2-3 buffalo per block, and as Richard Cobb suggested, on one side of the street all the buffalo would be facing one direction and on the opposite side they would all face the other direction, this would allow for more than enough opportunities for those businesses wanting to personally sponsor their own buffalo. I think this would be a terrific way to advertise and promote one

[Richard Cobb]

Here is another example of imaginative public art. Check it out:

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/may/09/0509_horses/

Painted Marcos headed downtown from Old Main and additional Marcos heading back to MU on the other side of 4th Avenue?

What do you think?