Big Pig Gig
Encyclopedia
The Big Pig Gig was a public art
exhibit displayed in Cincinnati, Ohio
, United States
, from May 14 to October 31, 2000. In the large-scale event, local artists and schools decorated fiberglass
pig
statues and installed them throughout the downtown area.
, which had been featured in Chicago
the previous year. Laura Pulfer, a columnist at The Cincinnati Enquirer
, wrote about seven-year-old Alexander Longi's proposal to Mayor Roxanne Qualls
for an event similar to the one in Chicago. The idea to build statues of pigs recalled Cincinnati's annual Flying Pig Marathon
and the city's nickname of "Porkopolis". The nickname dates from the mid–19th century, when the Cincinnati meat packing industry
led the country. The project's rhyming
name was submitted by Joyce Monger and won a naming contest.
in Newport
and Covington, Kentucky
. They stretched north to Findlay Market
, east to Eden Park, south to the Covington Cathedral
, and west to Union Terminal
. Participants included over 50 schools. More than 500,000 visitors brought an estimated $
170 million to the city.
A number of these statues have been sold on eBay
for charity since the event, and many others have come to decorate the Cincinnati airport
, local hotels, and other buildings.
Two videos made from still pictures of most of the pigs have been posted on YouTube.
The following year saw a similar though less publicized event in which large flower pots were decorated and placed throughout downtown.
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
exhibit displayed in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from May 14 to October 31, 2000. In the large-scale event, local artists and schools decorated fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
statues and installed them throughout the downtown area.
Background
The Big Pig Gig was one of many projects inspired by CowParadeCowParade
CowParade is an international public art exhibit that has been featured in major world cities. Fiberglass sculptures of cows are decorated by local artists, and distributed over the city centre, in public places such as train stations, important avenues, and parks. They often feature artwork and...
, which had been featured in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
the previous year. Laura Pulfer, a columnist at The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) and Northern Kentucky. The...
, wrote about seven-year-old Alexander Longi's proposal to Mayor Roxanne Qualls
Roxanne Qualls
Roxanne Qualls is a former Democratic mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, having served from December 1993 to November 1999. She also served a two-year term on the Cincinnati City Council prior to her service as mayor, having been elected in 1991. On August 8, 2007, the Charter Committee announced her...
for an event similar to the one in Chicago. The idea to build statues of pigs recalled Cincinnati's annual Flying Pig Marathon
Flying Pig Marathon
The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon is a race run the 1st Sunday of every May in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the 3rd largest first-time marathon in the United States, and had nearly 5000 finishers in 2008. An official time from the Flying Pig Marathon can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon...
and the city's nickname of "Porkopolis". The nickname dates from the mid–19th century, when the Cincinnati meat packing industry
Meat packing industry
The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock...
led the country. The project's rhyming
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
name was submitted by Joyce Monger and won a naming contest.
Results
With the sponsorship of ArtWorks, a community art employment program, as well as the support of various local businesses and media outlets, the project attracted about 400 entries, many of which depicted "flying pigs". Hundreds of pigs were installed downtown, while others were stationed across the Ohio RiverOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
in Newport
Newport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
and Covington, Kentucky
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
. They stretched north to Findlay Market
Findlay Market
Findlay Market in historic Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio, is the state's oldest continuously operated public market. The Findlay Market Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1972...
, east to Eden Park, south to the Covington Cathedral
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington
The Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, is a minor basilica in the United States. The cathedral was started by the Diocese of Covington's third bishop, Camillus Paul Maes, in 1894. The cathedral project was terminated in 1915, though it is incomplete, even...
, and west to Union Terminal
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal
The Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, originally Cincinnati Union Terminal, is a passenger railroad station in the Queensgate neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States...
. Participants included over 50 schools. More than 500,000 visitors brought an estimated $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
170 million to the city.
A number of these statues have been sold on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for charity since the event, and many others have come to decorate the Cincinnati airport
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport , sometimes called the Greater Cincinnati Airport is located in Hebron, unincorporated Boone County, Kentucky, United States and serves the Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area. Despite being located in Boone County, the airport operations are...
, local hotels, and other buildings.
Two videos made from still pictures of most of the pigs have been posted on YouTube.
The following year saw a similar though less publicized event in which large flower pots were decorated and placed throughout downtown.
See also
- CowParadeCowParadeCowParade is an international public art exhibit that has been featured in major world cities. Fiberglass sculptures of cows are decorated by local artists, and distributed over the city centre, in public places such as train stations, important avenues, and parks. They often feature artwork and...
- Flying Pig MarathonFlying Pig MarathonThe Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon is a race run the 1st Sunday of every May in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the 3rd largest first-time marathon in the United States, and had nearly 5000 finishers in 2008. An official time from the Flying Pig Marathon can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon...
- Pigs in the CityPigs in the CityPigs in the City is a public art initiative coordinated by Uptown Lexington, Inc., a non-profit organization created to revitalize the downtown area of Lexington. It includes an annual event held in the fall in the uptown business district of Lexington, North Carolina U.S., the self-proclaimed...
, another public art exhibit featuring pigs
External links
- ArtWorks, event organizer
- Big Pig Gig at Cincinnati.Com