Remember Those Iconic NYC Cows? They're Back—and You Can Bid to Own One
For the past 22 years, CowParade has served as the largest public art event in the world, allowing more than 250 million people to see over 5,000 cow-shaped planters, which are auctioned off to raise money—over $30 million, to be exact—for charitable organizations across the globe.
As part of this year’s lineup, designer Brian McCarthy created a sustainable cow planter known as Flora. “As a decorator, I didn’t want to just paint it but rather try and make it functional as well,” McCarthy tells House Beautiful. His inspiration when designing this cow was French sculptor and installation artist Francois-Xavier Lalanne, who often uses animal imagery in his furniture creations, including gazelle-shaped tables, ram dressers, and a rhinoceros bar.
“Sadly, the fiberglass cow did come with some technical limitations,” reveals McCarthy, “so, turning it into a desk with a drop down leaf wasn’t possible and so we came up with the planter idea.”
The designer adds that he has long admired Belted Galloway cows, so, to mirror the look of this breed, McCarthy turned to color blocking when creating his planter. And, to be mindful of the environment, McCarthy incorporated succulents and plants that require little to no watering, as well as hooves that allow for proper drainage.
The cows from this year’s CowParade are currently on display throughout New York City’s five boroughs, in spots including Hudson Yards in Manhattan, Bronx Community Community College in the Bronx, the New York Hall of Science Museum in Queens, Industry City in Brooklyn, and the National Lighthouse Museum in Staten Island.
From now through Thursday, October 7th, CowParade is auctioning off this year’s creations on Heritage Auctions’ website. Additionally, an in-person auction will take place on Thursday, September 30th at Little Spain restaurant at Hudson Yards, where five standout cows will be auctioned off live, with bidding starting at $1,000 per cow. Proceeds will go to God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit organization providing meals to those in need.
Interested in buying your own cow planter? You can take a look at the online auction here.
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