Cow Parade art project returning to San Antonio after more than 20 years

CowParade bills itself as the largest public art show in the world, and it raises money for charities.

click to enlarge An unpainted CowParade sculpture stands on the San Antonio River Walk.
An unpainted CowParade sculpture stands on the San Antonio River Walk.
Editor's note: This story was corrected to include an updated link to the artist application.

The public art project that planted brightly painted cow sculptures across San Antonio in the early 2000s is about to stampede back into town.

Next year, the Alamo City will participate in national fundraising art event CowParade for the first time since 2003, according to officials with Christus Health. Created in 1999, CowParade bills itself as the largest public art show in the world, and it draws more than 100 participating cities annually.

Christus Health plans to exhibit 75 life-size fiberglass cows for the exhibition, all painted by local artists. A charity auction of the bovine creations will follow, with the proceeds going to the Christus Children's Foundation, a nonprofit hospital serving children and expectant women.

CowParade is accepting online proposals through Sept. 6 from San Antonio artists interested in adding their touch to the cows. Interested artists can apply online, and those selected will receive a $1,000 stipend.

The organization is looking for designs that celebrate the history and culture of San Antonio as well as interesting and unique creations. Alamo City artist Allison Gregory will lead this year's local artists and produce a cow for exhibition and auction.

More than 15,000 artists have created 7,500 cows for CowParade since it's inception, according to the organization's website.

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