One of the artist-painted cows in the La Jolla CowParade was stolen from a La Jolla sidewalk sometime between April 25th and 26th, according to organizers of CowParade La Jolla, a public art project that includes 40 cows designed and painted by local artists. The stolen cow (above) was painted by San Diego artist Werc Alvarez, who is also a graffiti artist. The cows in CowParade are auctioned off to benefit Rady Children's Hospital and the Zoological Society of San Diego. Michael Kinsman, Operations Director for CowParade La Jolla, says this cow was estimated to raise between $5,000 and $10,000 at auction on July 11th.
The life-size, fiberglass cows weigh roughly 100lbs. and are mounted and bracketed onto a steel base. All that is left at the stolen site is the steel base and the brackets. At this time, the police have no leads.
CowParades started in Chicago in 1999 and have taken place in 55 cities around the world. When asked if theft has taken place in other cities, Kinsman said "it usually happens once in most of them. Someone takes the cow for a while, but they are hard to steal and do anything with. You can't display them without getting caught, and you can't sell them without getting caught." Kinsman goes on to say that in past cases, the cows are often returned with little or no damage.
Anyone with information regarding the stolen cow is encouraged to leave a message on the CowParade La Jolla hotline at 619-881-3371 or contact the San Diego Police Department at 619-531-2000.
