CowParade Kicks Off in Auckland

"Team Moo Zealand's" secret udder unveiled to start Auckland CowParade

An udderly mooving herd of cows will be strutting their hides in the American Express Viaduct Harbour from 11am today to kick start Auckland's CowParade.

Entertainment, giveaways and activities will precede the 3pm unveiling of the "Team Moo Zealand Secret Udder", which will officially mark the start of CowParade Auckland.

Fourteen life-sized fibreglass cows will be unveiled to the public including Buzzy Beef, fashioned after the New Zealand icon, Buzzy Bee; Colin McCowhan, a cow that tributes the works of visionary New Zealand artist Colin McCahon, and distinctly Auckland cows Mooving Up and JAFA.

More than a dozen artists have collaborated to help design and paint the cows, including renowned father and son, Dick and Otis Frizzell, architect Peter Townsend and young emerging artists including 13-year-old Hanne Nielsen.

Following the launch, the herd of painted, costumed, festooned and whimsically transformed cows will take to the city streets of Auckland's CBD, where they will graze until April.

"Auckland's CBD will be an urban pasture for the herd," says Liz Smith, Marketing Manager of Heart of the City, the main organisers behind the event.

"CowParade Auckland 2003 will be a great public display of bovine art that locals, visitors and tourists to the city can enjoy, particularly while the America's Cup is on.

"Cows will be seen grazing, lazing and gazing everywhere from the American Express Viaduct Harbour to Aotea Square. They may even be found perusing major Auckland events this summer."

At the conclusion of the parade in April, the cows will be sold at a charity auction with the net proceeds benefiting the charity Youthtown.

"This will be the largest art event ever seen in this country, and is a 'must do' activity this summer," says John Banks, mayor of Auckland City.

"We are thrilled to have such an internationally recognised art exhibition to kick-start the year. CowParade represents a unique opportunity for Auckland to support art, culture and most importantly, charity."

CowParade Auckland follows on the back of successful CowParades in cities around the world including New York, London, Chicago and Sydney.

ENDS

** About CowParade CowParade is the world's largest public art event. Beginning in Zurich in 1998, the event is continually growing in size, quality and creativity. It's a chance for the city to come together to support art, culture and most importantly, charity.

After Zurich, CowParade mooved to Chicago (1999) and New York (2000) enjoying great success with more than 44 million people viewing the New York event. Oprah Winfrey even bought three cows at auction to graze on her ranch! Other cities to have hosted their own CowParade include Stamford - Connecticut, West Orange - New Jersey, Kansas City - Missouri, Houston - Texas, Las Vegas, Montevideo - Uruguay, Ventspils - Latvia, London and Sydney. This year it's Auckland and Dublin's turn!

CowParade Auckland represents an opportunity for local artists and businesses to work together on a very unique project. Companies "adopt" a cow for the duration of the project and select a design from an extensive portfolio of ideas submitted by New Zealand artists, or create their own.

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