If this cow could talk, she would tell you she was made by Greg Weaver in about 1980. Although his wife Fran worked at Bethlehem Steel, most likely Greg secured the steel from one of two scrap yards on Sumner Ave, which graciously tolerated his foraging excursions. Most likely the cow was cut and welded at his Allen Street studio, just west of 9th Street. The building was an old wooden barn type structure, owned by Fred P. Kistler, and no longer exists. (it's a few parking spaces now) Fred didn't get much rent, but he does have some nice Weaver artwork. I recall gathering in the rose garden to celebrate the installation. I repeated the phrase "most likely" because the details blur with time, worse, too many of us there are no longer. The photo was taken by Andrew Kleiner and published on his blog, Remember.
RETRACTION; THERE WAS 'SOMETHING' THAT BOTHERED ME. THE COW IS VERY WEAVERISH, I REMEMBER HE PREVAILED ON THE PARK DIRECTOR FOR A LONG TIME FOR PERMISSION, I REMEMBER THE GATHERING, BUT, I DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER THE COW. I CONTACTED AN ASSOCIATE OF THAT ERA, AND HE TELLS ME THAT GREG INSTALLED A FLOWER SCULPTURE THAT DAY, AND LATER A GATE PIECE. I LEAVE THE POST, AND I BELIEVE THOSE OF US WHO KNEW GREG AND HIS WORK WILL THINK OF HIM WHEN THEY SEE THAT COW.
Thank you for the information. That's fantastic.
ReplyDeleteRemeber Greg very well and his lovely wife. Where is that cow? In one of our parks?
ReplyDeletethe cow was in the lilly pond by the rose gardens.(which is empty for repairs) i'm somewhat embarrassed by having to recant greg having made the cow, but it happens. cows were greg's signature pieces. he was very prolific, but unfortunately, because of diabetes, first went blind and then died young. as memory serves me, which we now know it doesn't, greg's piece in the pond (whatever it was) may have been the first pop sculpture in the parks, pre-dating berman.
ReplyDeletei heard today, through the grapevine, that the cow was made by phil berman himself and meant as a whimsical piece of art. now, if cows could only talk...
ReplyDeleteMaybe Greg didn't make that cow but cows indeed were his specialty. Do you mean the then parks director forbid his artwork in a park? Know who that would have been and that person was anything but pleasant.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what you meant. Greg was a wonderful artist. That was the time to be in Allentown. The art museum would host saturday night openings and everyone would go. Pay for wine but anyone was welcome. Hundreds would show up.
Fun and laughter. No worry about
car being stolen or us being shot.
Heard that during a recent young people's event at nearby art
facility, patrons cars were robbed. Does little to encouraghe visitor support to our city's fine arts facilities.