Marietta counts its chickens, hatches plan to fund charities
By Tucker McQueen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/07/07
A flock of fiberglass chickens is coming to Marietta.
The birds will look like the city's landmark —- the Big Chicken —- but won't be quite as tall.
Organizers plan to put up to 35 sculptures around Marietta from June to November to raise money for
charity.
Several cities have used public art displays to raise money: In Atlanta, for instance, painted cows once
decorated the sidewalks.
The Marietta chickens will pay homage to a defining landmark —- the big red-and-white chicken that
towers above the KFC at U.S. 41 and Roswell Road.
People in Marietta tend to cite the Big Chicken just about every time they give directions. So the idea of
chickens seemed to make sense (even though one resident suggested a display of roosters). "The Big
Chicken is an icon," said Tracy Young, of the Junior League of Cobb-Marietta, which is organizing the "Lil
Chickens of Marietta" project. "We want the community to get it when they see our chickens. ..."
The fiberglass chickens will stand 5 feet 2 inches tall. The Big Chicken rises 60 feet into the air. The art
birds will have a wavy comb on top, unlike the famous poultry landmark. They'll also have a different beak.
Those alterations have less to do with artistic license and more to do with the organizer's desire to avoid
infringing on KFC's trademark.
The chickens will come from a Chicago company, Cowpainters, that has designed whimsical creatures for
more than 160 public art projects around the country. This year, they will send giant squirrels to a city in
New York as well as the chickens to Marietta.
Local artists will transform the plain, white chickens into works of art. The "Lil' Chickens" group plans to
raise money by finding businesses that would pay to display the birds. After a few months, the chickens
would be auctioned off to raise more money. Some of the money will benefit the project's supporting
partners, the Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art, the Marietta Museum of History and Junior League of Cobb-
Marietta.
Sponsors who commission the sculptures will choose other nonprofit groups that will benefit. Marietta
Mayor Bill Dunaway decided the city should have its own exhibit after hearing about a display of 75 giant
turtles in Sandy Springs two years ago.
That project raised more than $500,000 for parks and nonprofit groups in that community.
"Atlanta had cows, Athens had bull dogs, and Sandy Springs had turtles," Dunaway said. "Now Marietta
can have fun with little chickens."
By Tucker McQueen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/07/07
A flock of fiberglass chickens is coming to Marietta.
The birds will look like the city's landmark —- the Big Chicken —- but won't be quite as tall.
Organizers plan to put up to 35 sculptures around Marietta from June to November to raise money for
charity.
Several cities have used public art displays to raise money: In Atlanta, for instance, painted cows once
decorated the sidewalks.
The Marietta chickens will pay homage to a defining landmark —- the big red-and-white chicken that
towers above the KFC at U.S. 41 and Roswell Road.
People in Marietta tend to cite the Big Chicken just about every time they give directions. So the idea of
chickens seemed to make sense (even though one resident suggested a display of roosters). "The Big
Chicken is an icon," said Tracy Young, of the Junior League of Cobb-Marietta, which is organizing the "Lil
Chickens of Marietta" project. "We want the community to get it when they see our chickens. ..."
The fiberglass chickens will stand 5 feet 2 inches tall. The Big Chicken rises 60 feet into the air. The art
birds will have a wavy comb on top, unlike the famous poultry landmark. They'll also have a different beak.
Those alterations have less to do with artistic license and more to do with the organizer's desire to avoid
infringing on KFC's trademark.
The chickens will come from a Chicago company, Cowpainters, that has designed whimsical creatures for
more than 160 public art projects around the country. This year, they will send giant squirrels to a city in
New York as well as the chickens to Marietta.
Local artists will transform the plain, white chickens into works of art. The "Lil' Chickens" group plans to
raise money by finding businesses that would pay to display the birds. After a few months, the chickens
would be auctioned off to raise more money. Some of the money will benefit the project's supporting
partners, the Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art, the Marietta Museum of History and Junior League of Cobb-
Marietta.
Sponsors who commission the sculptures will choose other nonprofit groups that will benefit. Marietta
Mayor Bill Dunaway decided the city should have its own exhibit after hearing about a display of 75 giant
turtles in Sandy Springs two years ago.
That project raised more than $500,000 for parks and nonprofit groups in that community.
"Atlanta had cows, Athens had bull dogs, and Sandy Springs had turtles," Dunaway said. "Now Marietta
can have fun with little chickens."
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lil' chickens
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