Cow-to Book

[Carolyn Claflin <carolyn.claflin@YALE.EDU>]

Those familiar with university job descriptions will know the phrase
“other duties as assigned.”  While I have been given many
assignments over the years that aptly fit this category, I have
experienced a career first -- being involved in the moving of and
publicity for a cow statue.  What fun!  If I’ve got you
curious, I encourage you to read the following release about “Cow-to
Book.”  While I can probably answer some of your questions about
this very special bovine, you can also direct any questions you may have
to our library colleagues, Ann Okerson (and the one who got me into the
cow biz in the first place) or Scott Bennett.  --CVC

---------------------------------

“Cow-to Book” Arrives

Bulldogs won’t be the only members of the animal kingdom featured at the
opening of the Yale University tercentennial year on October 21. 
Tercentennial Open House visitors will be among the first to see
Connecticut artist Zora Janosova’s “Cow-to Book,” a cheerful and bookish
example of public art recently acquired by the Yale Library at a charity
auction and presented to the University as a decidedly lighthearted
tercentennial gift.  In its first venue, “Cow-to Book” will be seen
on Hewitt Quadrangle (also known as Beinecke Plaza) near the entrance to
the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library located on Wall
Street.  Following the tercentennial open house weekend, “Cow-to
Book” will move to Sterling Memorial Library’s Selin Courtyard.

Those familiar with CowParade won’t be mystified by the appearance of
this fiberglass bovine, decorated with a book theme and acquired by the
library at the auction held on September 29 in New York City.  In
CowParade, a herd of fiberglass cows, fashioned after the Brown Swiss
breed are manufactured, decorated by artists, and then exhibited in
open-to-the-public places around the host city.  Tourists and
residents alike delight in locating the many varied cows.  At the
conclusion of the exhibit, the cows are auctioned off with the proceeds
going to charity.  According to CowParade organizers, the September
auction of 75 cows in New York City raised over $1.35 million for several
city charities.  Throughout October, additional cows are being
auctioned on the Web.

CowParade started in 1998 in Zurich as an opportunity to showcase the
local arts community while encouraging visitors to visit the downtown
area.  The event was overwhelmingly successful, and at the urging of
a local businessman, Chicago became the first city in the United States
to host the event.  This summer, New York City, Stamford,
Connecticut, and West Orange, New Jersey hosted CowParade.

While the statue will begin her campus presence in a fittingly literary
location near the Beinecke Library, library and University
representatives envision that the fiberglass figure will move to new
campus and New Haven venues periodically.


CVC
10/17/00
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In other cow news, you can see images of “Cow-to Book” at the following
URLs:

http://www.library.yale.edu/~okerson/images/cow-to.html
http://www.library.yale.edu/~okerson/images/aso-cow2a.jpg

Ann Okerson has transcribed the book
titles from the side of “Cow-to Book.”  They are:

Don Cowxhote
Omoo
Cowlando
On the Path
Grass of Wrath
Angus Shrugged
Far from the Maddening Cow
Canterbury Tails
Heifer the Fifth
Udders from the Underground
Moolita
Cowathustra
Robinson Cowsoe
Mooloch
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Calf