The Pig Hunt Begins

I love public art. And you will find no more fun and whimsical representation of it than Pigs on Parade. If you haven't heard, Pigs on Parade is a fundraising event and a collection of fiberglass pigs in two different poses (sitting and standing) which have been decorated by local artists. The original Pigs on Parade event was launched in 2001. It was a summer of beautifully and creatively festooned pigs adorning our city sidewalks. At the end of the summer the pigs were auctioned off to the highest bidder raising funds for the Pike Place Market Foundation.

I had a lot of fun in the summer of 2001 running around photographing as many pigs as I could find. That was a bumper year for them with about 200 pigs decorated in total. Why pigs? These pigs were modeled after Rachael, Pike Place Market's big bronze piggy bank. You can read more about her here.

This year (2007) Pigs on Parade are back with 100 pigs celebrating the Market's centennial and the Chinese New Year of the Golden Pig.

Once again I will be venturing forth to capture as many piggy pics as I can. Perhaps it will be easier with only 100 pigs instead of 200 this time. The pig at the top of this entry sits in front of Benaroya Hall on Third Avenue. The one below is on Pike Street less than a block from the Market.