AMHERST – A sculpture shaped like a cow, which serves as a public donation box for Craig’s Doors, the agency that runs the town’s homeless shelter, will be moved this spring to a more prominent spot in downtown Amherst.
Hope the Cow, as the public art is called, will be relocated from its setting within shrubs and flowers in front of the former Loose Goose Cafe, 1 East Pleasant St., to the small Realignment Park at 236 North Pleasant St., near the intersection with Hallock Street.
The Select Board this week unanimously authorized the move, which will help make way for the One East Pleasant mixed-use project slated to replace the former Amherst Carriage Shops.
Installed by Counterfeit Cow Productions in late 2012 and made by metal sculptor Kamil Peters, the sculpture mimics the logo of the production company, with a cow featuring both human male and female legs. People can deposit money into its mouth and are also welcome to sit on it.
Jerry Gates, who has served as president of the agency overseeing the town’s homeless shelter, said the sculpture helps bring attention to the need for money for the homeless and has inspired the state and United Way to provide money. Between $300 to $1,000 is deposited into the sculpture every two to three months, he said.
Gates said it was important people can be able to get onto it, observing the cow can hold up to five female college students at once, “because we have pictures of that.”
As part of the move, two large yellow signs with directional arrows may be removed from Realignment Park. This would give the sculpture more prominence.
Gates said the precise placement of the cow will depend on the location of underground utilities are. A 3-inch pipe is needed to secure the cow to the ground, and puncturing a gas line would pose dangers.
The move received support from the Amherst Business Improvement District, whose executive director, Sarah la Cour, calls it an important piece of public art.
“We were concerned Hope would have to go to a barn,” la Cour said.
It remains uncertain when construction on the One East Pleasant project will begin.
Building Commissioner Robert Morra said no demolition permits have been issued yet and he is still waiting for an agreement related to recreating the Amherst History Mural that faces West Cemetery.
“There is a significant amount of asbestos removal that will need to be completed before demolition occurs,” Morra said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com
