Gladys the Swiss Dairy Cow facts for kids
Gladys the Swiss Dairy Cow, often called "Gladys," is a fun piece of public art in Connecticut, USA. Artist James Lebinski created and takes care of Gladys. He started this project in August 2002. Gladys is a fiberglass Swiss dairy cow sculpture. She is the same size and shape as the famous CowParade cows.
James Lebinski has made over 50 different artworks using Gladys. He decorates her with paint, cloth, and other materials for each holiday. Gladys was shown in Fairfield, Connecticut, from October 2002 until April 2006. Today, you can find her in Monroe, Connecticut.
Contents
The Story of Gladys
How Gladys Was Found
In July 2002, artist James Lebinski found a fiberglass cow sculpture. It was in a Dumpster in Norwalk, Connecticut. The sculpture was broken, but James fixed its body and legs. He then painted it pink.
Gladys was put on display in Fairfield, Connecticut, in August 2002. People quickly noticed her. They even gave James ideas for new, fun designs using the cow as a base.
Gladys's First Transformations
In 2002, the first holiday artwork was made for Halloween. It was called "Gladys as a Skeleton." This artwork got a lot of public attention. This led to the ongoing project of creating holiday-themed art with Gladys.
The next artwork was for Christmas 2002. The cow sculpture was painted like Santa Claus. This piece was titled "Gladys as Santa Cow." Both of these early works became popular and were featured in the news.
Gladys in 2003
The artist kept creating new looks for Gladys in 2003.
The first design in 2003 was for Valentine's Day. It was called "Gladys as a Valentine." In March 2003, Gladys became "Gladys as a Leprechaun." At this time, paint was the main way to change her look.
In April 2003, James started using more props and attachments. This allowed for even more creative designs.
In May 2003, Gladys was turned into "Gladys as Uncle Sam." This artwork was part of a parade float for the 2003 Fairfield Memorial Day Parade. This was the first time Gladys was shown to a very large public audience. The artwork won an award for "Best Appearing Float" from the parade committee.
In July 2003, Gladys became "Gladys in an Itsy-Bitsy Teenie-Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." For this design, James used props that were not even attached to the sculpture.
In August 2003, Gladys was decorated for the first day of school. The artwork "Gladys as a School Bus" was created using only paint. It was the first time Gladys was designed to look exactly like a real object.
In October 2003, Gladys was changed into "Gladys as a Scarecrow." This design was inspired by The Wizard of Oz. This was the first time the artwork moved away from just paint. James used straw, natural fiber, and burlap to create a fall theme.
In December 2003, Gladys got a Christmas theme: "Gladys as a Reindeer." This artwork was featured in a big article in the Fairfield Citizen-News newspaper.
Gladys in 2004
In February 2004, Gladys became "Gladys as a Valentine Bride."
In March 2004, the cow sculpture was decorated for Saint Patrick's Day. It featured rainbow colors, just like a real rainbow. A pot of gold prop was added. Another art piece, "Sophie as a Leprechaun," was also displayed to complete the "pot-of-gold-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow" theme.
For Easter in April 2004, Gladys was transformed. She wore an Easter bonnet prop and had many painted Easter eggs with different pictures.
In May 2004, the "Uncle Sam" design was brought back. This was the first time a design was repeated. This artwork was also part of the 2004 Fairfield Memorial Day Parade. It received an "honorable mention" award.
In August 2004, Gladys became a tribute to the Fairfield Fire Department, Station 2. The artwork included special logos for the Worcester 6 and 9/11 FDNY events. It also showed the firefighters' union logo and an Irish firefighter logo.
In October 2004, Gladys was turned into "Gladys as Dracula." A poem by Ogden Nash was also added on a tombstone prop.
In December 2004, Gladys became a lighted Christmas tree. More props were used, including ornaments and presents that could be seen during the day. At night, multicolored lights made her shine.
Gladys in 2005
In January 2005, Gladys was changed into "Gladys as a Mardi Gras Jester."
In April 2005, Gladys was designed with a Spring/Easter theme. This was the first time a sponge painting technique was used. It created a green grass effect that looked very natural.
The next artwork was "Gladys as an Animal Control Vehicle." This was a tribute to the Fairfield Police Department Animal Control.
In December 2005, Gladys was used to create "Gladys as a Shepherd." Blue and white textured cotton cloth was the main material used for this design.
Gladys in 2006
In January 2006, Gladys was transformed into "Gladys as a Cow." This design featured the classic black and white spotted cow look.
In April 2006, the sculpture was moved to Monroe, Connecticut, where it is still displayed.
In October 2006, Gladys was painted as "Gladys as a Skeleton" again. She was part of Gaffney's Ghoulish House, a charity event with a haunted house theme that collected food.
Gladys in 2007
In December 2007, Gladys was displayed as "Gladys as Santa Claus." For this event, another cow named "Goldie the Cow" was decorated as a reindeer. Also, "Sophie the Pig" was created and decorated as an elf.
Images for kids
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Gladys as a Reindeer.
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Gladys as a Rainbow.
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Gladys as a Mardi Gras Jester.
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Gladys as Dracula.
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Gladys as a Christmas Tree—Night View.
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Gladys as Fairfield Fire Department Two.
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Gladys as Fairfield Police Animal Control.
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Gladys as a Spring/Easter Scene.
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Gladys as a Valentine Bride.
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Gladys as an award-winning float in 2005.
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Gladys as a Christmas Shepherd.
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Gladys as a Leprechaun.
