Edition 17 - 3 March 2010

CowParade Margaret River is finally here! It’s been a busy couple of weeks for everyone involved with CowParade. The cows herded together at Colonial Brewery for a hugely successful launch event. Our sponsors, artists, VIPs and media were fed, “watered” and corralled by Jesters Flat’s horsemen throughout the afternoon – all the while taking advantage of the opportunity to get a first viewing of our beautiful bovines.

All the cows then commenced their journeys to their homes for the next four months. It was a gruelling week getting them all in place but worth all the effort. Special thanks to the following cowboys (and girls) who helped tirelessly throughout the week: the Augusta Margaret River SES Unit for their superior bolting skills, Colonial Brewery staff for cow-sitting the herd, Cowara Transport for moooo-ving abilities, the Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association staff for being our go-to guys and the countless other volunteers who made this happen.

The cows look amazing – some have had special homes built for them, some have been hoisted into tricky places and one has even taken flight! So make sure you get out and have a look – we’ve already had plenty of people making cow pilgrimages over the weekend and with four months to go they are going to be some very well photographed cows. View the map online or pick up one at one of the region's Visitor Centres or at a variety of other outlets.

Enjoy the Moo News!

>From the CowTeam in Margaret River

Artists

Peter Lowe has created “a surreal image of a leopard’s face and body markings, transposed onto the shape of a cow. Cowmouflage! Role reversal and a touch of humour!” Track down the elusive Herd But Not Seen!

“Known for consistent big waves, a ‘cow- surfer’ seemed the most comical and appropriate having considered Margaret River’s unique attractions which included wineries, forests and beaches.” Ryan Tate’s Cow Bombie strikes a commanding view over the beach, looking ready to get wet.

The Grass is Always Greener by Tim Brett has a determined side. “Placid cow on one side of the fence, always wanting to get to the other side where the grass is greener. No longer!”

“The Moo Ute captures the Aussie culture of the true blue work animal, practical and tough with bull bar and V8.” Voytek Kozlowski’s Tru Blu shows the Aussie spirit in cow form!

“Cows are notoriously languid creatures, making their way home at an unhurried pace. This sentiment inspired our design. Viewers can leisurely track our cow’s path home.” Ros Barry & Margaret Heenan have created a cow to entertain you Till the Cows Come Home.

Deanne Haddow’s The Beatles White Album 40th Anniversary Tribute draws upon a collection of key words. “Mass Production. Made in China. White Cow. White Album. Contemporary Culture. Icons. Reminiscence. Sepia. Rock and Roll. Retro. Kitsch. Cartoons. 20th Century Icons. Pop Art.”

Eventscorp

Eventscorp is the Western Australian Government’s major events agency and a division of Tourism Western Australia. Its main objective is to identify, develop and deliver world class events that promote and enrich Perth and Western Australia. Eventscorp pioneered the Australian events industry and is recognised today as a world leader in its field.

Eventscorp’s cow Till the Cows Come Home is on display at the Perth Airport, International Terminal to encourage international visitors to Western Australia to head south to visit the cows! A second Eventscorp cow Self Portrait can be found at Flametree Wines near Dunsborough.

Australia's South West

The vibrant colours of the thousands of wildflowers which decorate the spectacular landscape of Australia’s South West inspired our sponsorship of Wild Flora who is on display at the Perth Airport, Domestic Terminal as one of the pointer cows leading the way to the South West.

We hope that Wild Flora will not only encourage you to come and see the beautiful wildflowers and the amazing CowParade, but also to take the time out to discover the spectacular coastal scenery and white sandy beaches. Explore the winding rivers and take walks through ancient forests that reach up towards the bright blue sky. And of course, enjoy the internationally acclaimed wine and produce from our five wine regions: Margaret River, Great Southern, Geographe, Blackwood Valley and Pemberton & Manjimup.

Discover Australia's South West.

Events

Our design partner, Jack in the box, have created a homage to their cow online. They are also running a photo competition in conjunction with Evans & Tate so make sure you submit your Wholey Cow photos into them. Check it out here.

Opening at Caves House Hotel in Yallingup on 5th to 21st March is an exhibition of works inspired by the spirit of our great land by CowParade artist’s Kylie Porter-Rath and Emma Blyth who have cows on display at Seashells Yallingup.

Get into Busselton on Saturday 6th March from 11am to 3pm for a Family Fun Day at the Busselton Jetty. Meet the artists, enjoy great food, face painting, balloons, bouncy castle – fun for the whole family!

Media

Make sure you tune into ABC1 on Sunday 14th March at 5.30pm to Art Nation. This national art’s show will be showcasing CowParade Margaret River, along with following the journey of two of our CowParade artists, Robert Juniper and Kylie Porter-Rath through to the completion of their cows.

We’ve been getting some great publicity through a number of mediums this week. We’d just like to showcase three blog articles that have come out from a variety of sources – thanks for the support!

ABC South West
Gerry Gannon
Margaret River Discovery

CowParade Margaret River Facts:

18 of our cows have gold horns!
These moo-vellous pieces of art took artists up to 3 months to complete.
There are 56 sponsors making this event a reality!
Four of our cows aren’t afraid of heights – can you find them?

CowParade Sponsors

CowParade Partners

Cattle Driver

Colonial Brewery

Grand Champion Prize Cow

Augusta Margaret River Shire Council | Busselton Shire Council

Stockyard Cow

Margaret River Region Wine Festival | Curtin University of Technology, Margaret River Campus
Augusta Business Community

Jackaroo

Dairy Hand