Johnson county residents can expect to see a whole lot more of the University of Iowa’s beloved mascot, Herky, starting May 1 – but he may not look the same.
In what has been called “the largest public art participatory event in Iowa,” 100 Herky statues will be placed around Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, University Heights, Tiffin, and Solon as part of Herky on Parade and in honor of the mascot’s 75th birthday.
Each of the six-foot-tall plaster statues will be a canvas exhibiting the creativity of local and regional artists, and more than 260 designs from 150 artists were submitted, a news release from Think Iowa City said.
“Nothing epitomizes community collaboration better than Herky On Parade,” said Josh
Schamberger, president of Think Iowa City, the organizer of Herky On Parade. “From
collaboration from the University of Iowa and the athletics department, to streets staff from each of the cities and county, to businesses and organizations generously sponsoring, to the artistic community for overwhelming us with creative designs which all leads to the end result which is thousands of community members and visitors spending their summer visiting each Herky statue.”
Herky On Parade 2024 was announced at FRYfest Sept. 1, and was originally going to feature 75 Herkys to celebrate its 75th anniversary, but the number of design proposals coupled with sponsor demand increased it to 100.
Following the announcement, offers of sponsorships began pouring in, with the option to sponsor a Herky or sponsor and purchase a Herky. Half of the statues have since been spoken for, and those not not purchased will go to a live auction in September with proceeds supporting public art programs within the Iowa City Community School District and Clear Creek Amana School District.
Artists began receiving “blank” Herkys in December with a March deadline, and each one received a protective coating by Coralville business Kahler Collision Center.
“Having seen all 100 designs, I continue to be amazed by the incredible artistic ability in our community. Each time a Herky was delivered by the artist it became my new favorite,” said Mr. Schamberger. “No question, people will be blown away by some of these designs.”
The cities of Tiffin and Solon are recent additions to the locations of Herky on Parade.
“We have 25 more statues than we had in 2014, so it is a nice excuse to expand and work with more of our communities. Tiffin and Solon have been great to work with and they are excited to be a part of the project,” said Mr. Schamberger.
“All of the statues will be out in the community until the last week of August. Our staff has a variety of fun interactions planned all summer long. We will have merchandise, posters, and some miniatures available. And you’ll want to be on the lookout for a special treasure hunt to be announced in June,” he added.
Artists, sponsors, and community leaders are invited to unwrap and unveil each Herky at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1. Photos, descriptions, and locations of all statues will go live on the official website, HerkyOnParade3.com, at 11 a.m. that day.
Herky on Parade was originally established in 2004 and replicated in 2014. This year will be its third installment.
