University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

Page 14 text:

l JAYWMWKS hllffwtflflliihi rssra Urn April ZQQEQ a large, srramgemleekingj rldek ar Hevalale birds deseerlded on rhe.earrrriarifilye5i Their rrarme? layharrfras Pararltrs, Trhefr mission? ring vrshdrs ro ltarrrerreer J warm The Lawrence Visitors Bureau coined the idea for the 'SJayhawks on Paradei' off the popular i'Cows on Parade many cities have sponsored. 'gWe had several purposes, the first ofwhich was to bring visitors to Lawrence to see them. said Susan Henderson. Director of Marketing for the Lawrence Visitors, Bureau. Other reasons included boosting commu- nity morale, and benefiting non-profit organizations. Thirty of the 5 feet-tall fiberglass birds were commissioned. Then it was up to the Visitors' Bureau to find sponsors. Using target lists, public meetings, and a lot of one-on-one time, they found homes for all of the statues. Next, each sponsor chose an artist to decorate the Jayhawk. Local artists drew up their ideas and, once chosen, set to work. A myriad of designs emerged, from the playful to the proud. Most artists submitted four or five designs. l had submitted four hoping that one would get picked, but l kind of lucked out, said Susan Younger, an artist from the Alumni Association who decorated three of the birds and also designed the poster and book for the parade. The actual models differed from the sketches because you had never seen what you were working with when you submitted the proposal. You had to kind of fly by the seat of your pants and just make it workf, The Jayhawks were on display from April until November 2003. After that, each individual organization chose whether to auction it off or keep it. By the end of October. half had named a beneficiary. and many others had decided they couldnit let go. KU alumni Doug and Elaine Nelson fClass of '79 and '74J were one of a handful of couples who privately sponsored one of the birds. uJayhawk as a Cow on Parade will be auctioned off to raise money for The Shelter, lnc., a local agency providing emergency housing for children in need of care. 'gWhen we first read about the project, it looked like funf said Elaine Nelson. 'ilt was just a coincidence that lam also serving this year as President of the Board of'Directors for The Shelter, The timing of the gJayhawks on Parade, fit perfectly with our annual auction. Doug and I thought it would combine our Jayhawk loyalty and love for The Shelter. The whole experience was exciting for the artists. who had only a month to complete their work. l'm really proud to have been included in it, and l'm really happy that the city did itf, said Younger. The biggest thing, the thing that made it really worthwhile, was when my husband and l went to pick up the first bird We had it strapped in the back ofthe truck. and stopped at the grocery store. When we came out, this lady was petting the bird. To me, that was so rewarding. to see how much people loved this mascot and enjoyed it. Though they had hoped the project would go well, the Visitors' Bureau wasn't quite sure what to expect. lt surpassed our expectations in many ways and fhasl taken on a life ofits ownf, said Henderson. Overall itis been an overwhelming success and generated a lot of publicity. l's been a lot of fun to see people reactions, taking pictures and that sort of thing. lt also surpassed our expectations as far as the amount of time it was going to take. Many ofthe people working on the project were working on this in addition to their full-time jobs, but it could have been a full-time job in itself. But, it's all been worth it and we're glad we did it. Through the different artists' interpretations, the Jayhawks on Parade provided something for every personal tastes Some people have said that this isnit fine art, said Younger. but one of my teachers in college told me, Art is whatever creates a reaction, and to me that's true. lfyou look at a painting or you look at a sculpture and feel something, then it was successful, and this was.

Page 13 text:

f il , It . ' j 'E l JI 1 ' ,H 5 -fi 5 r . ,N 5 l 1 l ,g. lay i ' r ' i We vvant to fill a void, l'eClUCe stress, cause trouble, make a dl'lfEl'Gl'lCE to someone, learn something, be remembered, get involved, forget, haw? stories to tell, impress people, be dllcfefeflt, succeed, do what everyone else is doing, say thank you, follow the rules, reach a goal, be independent, have fun, make friends, do it on our own, be taken seriously, be dE1ng6fOLlS, be famous, do S0lllllllE'iJl:Il'lllll'lQ amazing.

Page 15 text:

'Wit 'btw 07 ,4 677' iitlif i i ihr -iiw tint L...- ,i r ii ,,.,.- viii f 7'c ' '- '- illli ' Ib ' 25 fiberglass Jayhawks were exhibited outdoors from March through October 2003 viii - The first Jayhawk unveiled on Saturday, ian. 11, 2003 at 9 a.m. at Lawrence Visitors Center, , 402 N. 2nd St. W ' Organized by the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Board ' - Event sponsors paid 54,500 to sponsor a iayhawk.