Moove Over: The Cow Parade Comes to Boston

I don't know how I became obsessed with cows. There is something about them that is so irresistible. Not the real ones- just the fake ones. I have discovered that real cows are smelly and not that intelligent. Since I collect cows, people call me "The Cow Lady," which is a title that I bear with great pride.

I was beside myself with joy when I found out that The Cow Parade was coming to my hometown of Boston. I had heard of it and seen pictures, but only dreamed that I could see it in real life. The Cow Parade is a public art movement that consists of life-size cows that are painted by artists and are placed around a city. It started in Zurich, Switzerland in 1998 and has been all over the world since then.

The Jimmy Fund, a cancer research charity based in Boston, is sponsoring the Cow Parade in Boston. Over one hundred statues are on display from June to September, and at the end, they will be herded up and fifty will be sold at a live auction. The remaining cows will be sold at an online auction, and all the proceeds will go to benefit the Jimmy Fund.

When I first saw the cows, it was overwhelming. All around Copley Square in front of the Trinity Church and the Boston Public Library, there is a row of brightly painted cows. At first, people walking around could not understand how they came to be, or why they were there. But everyone was in a brighter mood because of them.

One cow that stands out is "The Light Within," dedicated to Virginia Woolfe. From far away, the outline of blue and white clouds can be seen, but up close, viewers can make out small snippets of words taken from Woolfe's books. The cow has a hole in the middle, and I can't help but think that the light within means the absence of light.

Another cow that caught my attention is Pablo Picowso. It is painted in the style of a Picasso painting, with geometric shapes and a face that is not straight. It wears a beret and has a bird on its back. The cow has a smug look on its face and he looks like he has a secret that he is not going to tell anyone.

Other movements have mimicked the Cow Parade. There have been cod, horses, whales, and moose, but the cows are the originals. "Cow Parade is the Olympics of the public art movement," said Ron Fox, spokesperson for the event.

"Everywhere people have a connection to the cows," said Fox. "It's been positive wherever we've been." Children especially love the cows. Petting is allowed, but not climbing. A big draw also is taking pictures of the statues.

There is something so friendly and innocent about a cow. They have been companions and givers of milk and food for humans for thousands of years. People walking down the city streets in Boston love the cows that are colorful and artistic, because it is a primal, natural thing to feel. How could anyone not smile when seeing a cow? This summer in Boston, there are a lot of smiling faces.