Meet COFEE + “Lonestar Leroy”
If you’ve made a trip to Pearl recently, you may have spotted life-sized cow statues with artwork created by San Antonio artists. The public art campaign called CowParade is the largest public art initiative, with 100 cities participating worldwide.
This year, there are 70 cows located across San Antonio, with four calling Pearl home. While the cows are out to pasture, at the end of the initiative (the cow sculptures leave Wednesday, August 27), they’ll be auctioned off for charity, benefiting the Christus Children’s Foundation. Pearl, and its talented CowParade artists are proud to be part of the initiative.
From Lonestar State sunsets and Pearl iconography to Native American-inspired works and the Battle of Flowers, today we’re having a conversation with the artist behind Lonestar Leroy, COFEE. Leroy can be found in front of Pullman Market at Pearl, adorned in vibrant yellow, orange, blue, green, and purple hues. COFEE described that he was “Inspired by the blazing Texas sun and the beautiful state flower.”
From hooves to horn, Lonestar Leroy honors the state’s beauty that any local or visitor can vouch for. When asked about how he feels about Leroy calling Pearl home, he explained, “I feel very honored to have my cow at Pearl. It’s a great place to be, and I love seeing the community interact with my artwork.”
Painting on a 3-dimensional, to-scale cow offers a unique challenge to CowParade’s artists, and Lonestar Leroy was no exception. Equipped with acrylic and paint markers (COFEE’s usual medium as an artist), COFEE found himself in odd positions when painting the cow’s underside and utters.
“When I see the community engage with my artwork and enjoy it as much as I love creating it – that’s what brings me immense pride.” – COFEE
You can find Lonestar Leroy at the front entrance of Pullman Market at Pearl through Wednesday, August 27.
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