Artists Ron and Leah Salerno pose with ‘Music B. Ox,’ their contribution to the Hopewell Valley Arts Council Stampede, which raised money for the fledgling organization.
The oxen that have roamed the Hopewell Valley since Aug. 15 will soon be finding new homes.
The painted, embellished, life-size sculptures have been featured throughout the region are now being auctioned off online, as the outdoor exhibition, sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council winds down. The auction is scheduled to close on Oct. 19, at which time the oxen will be on their way to their new homes and a community celebration will take place.
Featuring a variety of artists from different backgrounds, the exhibition was received enthusiastically by the community, in addition to drawing tourists from neighboring towns and states.
“I think it’s brought a lot of happy faces and joy to a lot of people,” said Carol Litson, co-chair of the exhibition, entitled The Hopewell Valley Stampede. “We’ve only had positive feedback.”
The online auction currently taking place is both a search for lasting, appreciative homes for the sculptures, as well as a chance for Hopewell residents to show their appreciation for the Stampede and for the Arts Council, a less than two year old organization.
The proceeds from the auction will go towards future arts council programming that is currently in development, as well as hiring staff for the council. Currently, the organization is made up entirely of volunteers.
“We are going to try to do some alternative things,” said Litson. She said the Council’s projects will aim to fill niches not currently occupied by businesses already offering arts classes, such as floral design, or photography for social media.
“I think in art, and in love, there’s enough in the world to go around. There’s an infinite amount,” she added.
The results of the auction thus far are promising for the Arts Council, with $20,000 having been raised in bids. While 11 of the oxen are being reserved for live auction at a gala in January, many popular oxen are among those currently being auctioned. They include “Daisy,” created by Emmy-award winning graphic artist and broadcast designer Joel Cermele, as well “A Puzzling Oxhibition,” which was awarded second-place in the exhibition by a panel of judges. Oxhibition was created by student artists at Timberlane Middle School.
“There’s a little battle going on right now for Daisy,” said Litson, but she added that there are oxen being auctioned that appeal to a wide variety of tastes.
“I think there’s a little bit of something for everybody,” she said. “There’s some that are modern art. There’s some that are patriotic. There’s some that are whimsical.”
The project has precedent both as a large scale art exhibition integrated in a residential area —CowParade is a project with a similar concept that travels to large cities — as well as an art endeavor in Hopewell Valley. Tour des Arts, an event in which artists in Hopewell Borough open their studios to visitors, takes place the weekend of Oct. 4, two weeks before the end of the Stampede.
The choice of oxen as the form for the sculptures gave the project special significance for the region.
“We are trying to celebrate the agricultural heritage of Hopewell Valley,” said Litson.
-Spencer Parts
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