Elaine Nunnally has observed a recent trend sweeping art communities all across the nation and now she will be able to participate in it.
Like many other local artists, Nunnally noticed the success of decorate-the-fiberglass-animal projects like Party Animals in Washington, D.C., and Cows on Parade in Chicago. "It made the headlines and all artists followed it," she said.
The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce hopes to replicate the success of such art projects in Horsing Around Loudoun, where local artists will decorate fiberglass horses for community display.
Benefiting the Chamber of Commerce, the fund-raiser attracted 64 submissions by 46 local artists, said Bob Steere, COO of the chamber. However, only 32 artists could participate in the program. By May 15, artists submitted designs for the 125-pound, life-size horses, which were judged by an anonymous jury.
"Choosing the artists was difficult," said Steere. "Artists were supposed to provide an outline of the horse. Artists might provide a lot of detail for the horse, but you have to consider what it's going to look like when it's large."
On May 27, artists were notified of their acceptance into Horsing Around Loudoun.
The chamber is currently seeking business sponsors for the horses. Sponsors donate $5,000, which covers the construction and delivery of the horse, marketing, maintenance of the Horsing Around Loudoun Web site and $500 to provide for each artist's supplies. Upon completion of the horse, each artist will receive an additional $500, Steere said.
Artists will have six weeks to complete the works of art and, on Aug. 1, the horses will be revealed through birthing announcements in local newspapers and scattered throughout the county for public viewing.
Horses will be auctioned Oct. 22. If a horse is auctioned for more than $10,000, the artist will receive a $1,000 bonus. "You want to get as much of a spur as you can," said Steere. "We want to acknowledge these local artists for their work."
Although the proceeds of the auction directly benefit the chamber, it is possible that other Loudoun organizations could benefit as well. "Depending on how well we do at the auction, we'll donate some money to local nonprofits like the Loudoun Arts Council, Oatlands, places like that," said Steere.
The 32 selected horses are each a different artistic expression, with artists spanning all ages, backgrounds and occupations.
A STERLING RESIDENT for 20 years, Nunnally, 55, is an art teacher at Potomac Falls High School who titled her horse "Horace Mann" after a famous educator. "This will be the educated horse," Nunnally said.
She plans to have a picture of every school on the horse. "There're 69 schools, most of which I haven't been to and many are new," Nunnally said. "We've grown so much since I came here."
"Horace Mann" will be painted with oils and decorated with a mortarboard and glasses. The mane and tail will be braided with various school colors, Nunnally said.
She considered a Jackson Pollock theme but finally settled on schools because she is a big proponent of public schools. "I hope to make this horse one of the more interesting ones. The schools touch each and every one of us," Nunnally said. "Whether we have a child going to school, we teach at one or we know someone going to school."
Leonor Alvim Brazao, 43, of South Riding, is originally from Portugal and titled her horse "Lufigano" after a famous horse race in Portugal's Lusitania region. "There is a huge community of Portuguese here and this is to honor them," said Brazao.
Specializing in acrylics on canvas, Brazao was attracted to Horsing Around Loudoun because she wanted to bring art to the community. "With this project, the community might not participate in it, but they are exposed to the art," Brazao said. "It brings art to the community, not just into the galleries."
Using only four or five acrylic paints, "Lufigano" will be a graphic design, but very simple and abstract, Brazao said. "The colors are a symbol of the Portuguese language. It will have a visual impact," she said.
An artist, evangelist, homeless activist and jazz singer, Shirley A. Brown, Sterling, is a preschool teacher at Open Arms Child Development whose horse design was selected for Horsing Around Loudoun.
"Pearl of Life," Brown's horse, was inspired by the recent passing of her mother, Pearl. "I thought it would be a wonderful legacy to my mom," Brown said. "It is a testimony to her love of life, to her love of children, to her love of humanity and to her love of nature." Brown will work with acrylics, flat mirrors and flowers.
Besides dedicating the horse to her mother, Brown wanted to be involved in Horsing Around Loudoun because of the love of nature Virginia fosters. "I love nature. I love animals. I love life," she said. "Everything consists of life. If it's an ant, I want to know where it's going. If it's a horse, I want to know what it's doing Ñ why it's just standing there like that."
Brown has high hopes for the role this project will play in the county. "I hope people come together and support the artist and the idea of what we do, and come to the gala to bid at the auction," she said. "I hope this opens up doors to so much more."
CYNTHIA L. STOWERS, 32, of Sterling, is integrating culinary arts with painting. Stowers, a chef instructor, has never done a public work of art. A resident of Sterling for only a year, Stowers was attracted to Horsing Around Loudoun because she wanted to get involved in her community and build new connections.
An oil painter in college, Stowers is excited about the project because it will bring her back to her roots in painting. "After college, I turned to food and it has been my art outlet for the past eight years."
Working with Ivonne L. Couret, the horse is titled "Ice Cream Sundae." "It's all about food for me," said Stowers. "The horse will be painted with outdoor paint. It will be multi-colored and multi-layered. It will have hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry on top. You can get me into anything if you tell me it's about food."
Leslie Tharp, 43, and Lindsey Morgan, 27, are Ashburn residents working together on "Compass Rose." Graphic designers, these two women were attracted to this project because it was "something artsy," Leslie said.
"Compass Rose" will feature landmarks like the courthouse, trolleys, Route 7 and White's Ferry in the Potomac River. Primarily using acrylics, Tharp and Morgan plan to take photographs of landmarks around the county and paint them onto the horse.
Tharp and Morgan brainstormed numerous themes before deciding on "Compass Rose." "We wanted to do something with wine, but we thought that might be more advertising than artwork." They also considered high-school mascots and a theme dealing with the hunt. Morgan was particularly fond of an iron, electronic, almost robotic horse. "We thought of a horse in a shield of armor to represent industrialization," Morgan said.
Ultimately, they decided to pursue the map theme because "it was the most obvious one to be picked by the chamber," Tharp said.
Similar to Stowers, Tharp and Morgan were both attracted to Horsing Around Loudoun because they wanted to get back to their roots. "We both got into graphic design and we think that it'd be a good way to go back to how we started Ñ painting," Morgan said.
LOUDOUN COUNTY is home to more than 20,000 horses. Since the horse industry is the No. 1 agricultural industry in the county, it is no surprise that horses were selected to ornament the county's streets.
"What other animal could you think of for Loudoun County?" said Steere. "They're a tradition in the county. They're a huge part of this place."
Steere is convinced that Horsing Around Loudoun will be a smash. "This is good for children, tourism, business. Children will say to their parents, 'Mommy! Daddy! Let's go see the horses!' Parents will be saying, 'Thank God there's something do with the children on Saturdays,'" Steere said. "This is something people will still talk about in five years."