Iowa artists in final throes of finishing 100 spectacular statues for May 1 reveal of Herky on Parade
Within the crowded basement home art studio of April and Jim Kelly, this artistic Iowa City couple has crafted beautiful stained-glass wings for a six-foot fiberglass statue of Herky the Hawk.
Likewise in Coralville, artist Stacey Jackson is busy sorting and applying some 2,000 metal bottle caps to another Herky in her den. Her young children clamor underfoot to “help” her fish through multiple boxes overflowing with caps.
These are just three of 74 artists in Iowa City and beyond now in the final throes of transforming 100 of these muscle-bound University of Iowa mascots into public works of art. It’s all part of the third version of the wildly popular Herky on Parade, which was first organized by Think Iowa City some two decades ago.
The pressure is on all 74 artists to complete their Herkys by the end of this month.
A simultaneous public unveiling of the 100 statues at various locations on May 1 looms large. It will occur at exactly 10 a.m. to coincide with the regular monthly Johnson County tornado siren test.
That will unlock four months of selfie-snapping fun, drawing both locals, tourists, and die-hard Hawkeye fans.
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Kid-friendly Tooth Fairy
Back in the Kelly basement, two of the three Herkys Jim and April are working on display a pretty macho vibe -- a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle version and an Iowa Heartlanders hockey goalie.
The third, however, wears a rainbow tutu, holds a scepter instead of a weapon and will show off those magnificent faux stained-glass wings worthy of a Tiffany lamp.
“We wanted this one to be kid-friendly,” said April. “It’s going to a pediatric dental office as a Tooth Fairy.”
The Kellys are no strangers to the task. Both have art degrees, strong ties to the University of Iowa and worked on previous Herky on Parade public art projects. April teaches art at Liberty High and Jim manages the couple’s Lucky Pawz canine boarding business they started two decades ago.
“My favorite thing is watching people enjoy the Herkys when they go on display,” said Jim. “Especially the kids.”
April also supervises the work on a fourth Herky statue undertaken by the Liberty High art club. Its theme will focus on school imagery and symbols, she said.
“The students have been working on and off on this since January,” she told me. “It’s coming along, but I’m just going to have to order pizzas one night and say it’s time to get it done.”
The Kellys also created a special promotional Herky which was unveiled at FRYFest last fall to mark the mascot’s 75th year and announce this year’s parade. It was adorned with some 120,000 gemstones and was titled “Diamond Jubilee Herky.
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Bottle-cap creativity
Jackson has also undertaken three Herkys this year. One has a bike path theme, and another is tennis.
Her third is the bottle cap-covered Herky that craft beer lovers will find intriguing. They’ll be able to search for caps from Iowa breweries like Big Grove, Backpocket, Millstream, and Peace Tree, not to mention hundreds of other unique and exotic soda and beer caps from around the world.
Friends and family collect the caps for Jackson, as do a few friendly local bars, plus she can often pick up exotic caps from avid collectors on eBay at reasonable prices -- like 100 for $10.
“Once at a wedding in Tipton, I noticed all these Oberon caps by Bell’s Brewing,” she said. “I asked the bartender to save them for me and I got 50 or so great caps. I tipped him $20.”
Jackson painted this Herky first and will eventually cover almost every square inch of the statue with color-coordinated bottle caps artistically applied, except for the teeth.
Kids will enjoy hunting for caps with animals on them. They can find a dog, a wolf, a billy goat, and, of course, a breastplate full of caps that display a unique, hawk-like bird. There’s also a cap adorned with a formal necktie, appropriately located beneath Herky’s chin.
“For kids, finding some of them could almost be a ‘Where’s Waldo’ thing,” she said.
Jackson has a BFA from Millikin University, but the family became “huge Iowa fans” through her husband, Kendall, who has an engineering degree from the UI and works for Proctor & Gamble in Iowa City. Bottlecap art, including large wall pieces with a bicycle theme, has been her passion for about seven years. Find her artist website at https://staceyjackson.godaddysites.com/.
“I’m so happy to be a part of this project,” Jackson said. “It’s a social piece. Craft beer is a big thing and I think people will love to look at it.”
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Marking Herky’s 75th birthday
Herky on Parade is the brainchild of Josh Schamberger, President of Think Iowa City, along with Rick Klatt, former Associate Athletic Director of External Affairs at UI Athletics. It was launched in 2004 with 75 Herkys to celebrate a Kinnick Stadium milestone that year.
Then, in 2014, the public art project was replicated with 84 Herkies in the hands-on pose. This third version of Herky is similar but with the right fist raised.
Seventy-five Herkies is the magic number this year − to celebrate the mascot’s 75th birthday – but Schamberger said his team demanded more.
Artists submitted their designs for review and, once selected, received a stipend to create each Herky. Sponsors have the option of purchasing their Herky before the parade starts for $5,000 each. If they choose not to own it, the Herky will be offered at an auction in early October, which produces spirited bidding. Schamberger said that proceeds from the auction will be donated to area school district foundations for camp scholarship funds for at-risk youth.
“I was blown away by the talent and creativity when we first did this in 2004 and I’m just as blown away 20 years later,” Schamberger told me. “There has never been a program or event that I have been a part of that brings the community together like Herky on Parade.”
The location of the various Herkys will be announced on the project website: https://www.herkyonparade3.com/ this weekend. Two statues have been released so far, but the rest have been kept under wraps. Images of all 100 Herkys will be featured on the project website after the unveilings on May 1.
Richard Hakes is a columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Hakes: Iowa City area ready to host 100 artist-created Herky statues
