A herd of cows has been unleashed on the serene beach colony of La Jolla. But rather than littering the landscape with manure and obstructing roadways, these cows are stopping traffic with their psychedelic hides.
CowParade ‘mdash; a traveling art exhibit that has stopped at 55 cities, from New York to Buenos Aires to Brussels ‘mdash; made its California debut in La Jolla on March 15. Forty life-size fiberglass cows, painted by local San Diego and Tijuana artists, will remain sprinkled throughout a 10-block radius from Prospect Street to Pearl Street until June 15.
If you’re in the mood for fresh air and an old-fashioned scavenger hunt, CowParade is an alternative to a trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown La Jolla. To begin your cattle crusade, download and print a map from www.cowparadelajolla.com. The hoof prints will take you from downtown La Jolla to Westfield Shoppingtown UTC, past cows with colorful paisley patterns; cows with silver lunar swirls; cows with giant, ominous eyes painted across their torsos; cows disguised as tigers, fruit cows and political cows.
One cow, ‘A Triumph of Will,’ was given a matador’s costume by local artist Carlos Castrejon ‘mdash; there’s even a tiny matador painted in its pupil. Inocente Izucar Galicia’s cow, ‘Emoo A Reason to Survive,’ sprouts a purple Mohawk and flames over a background of funk and flowers.
So why cows? Contributing artist Perry Vasquez, whose ‘Action Cow’ is on display on Ivanhoe Avenue, said ‘They’re very approachable ‘hellip; friendly, not aggressive, placid, peaceful ‘hellip; What’s not to like about a cow, besides the methane?’
The cows will be auctioned at a July 11′ gala at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and’ proceeds will benefit the Rady Children’s Hospital and the Zoological Society of San Diego.
CowParade La Jolla Exhibition Main Office 707 Broadway, 19th Floor San Diego, Calif. 92101