Gator Trails
Art project
Gator Trails is the name of an art project and series of alligator statues located in Alachua County , Florida , primarily in its county seat of Gainesville . The series was found around the county during the 2000s.
The concept was inspired by the Cows on Parade series in Chicago , which itself was inspired by a similar Zürich -based idea. [1] Gators, having a cultural significance in Gainesville—through its presence as the University of Florida 's mascot—and Florida in general, were chosen for the series. [1] [2] The statues were open for sponsorship, with sponsors' names displayed with the gators. [3] They were also auctioned off as fundraisers for the arts in Gainesville. [4]
In January 2001, the series was launched with 50 fiberglass alligator statues which were decorated by local artists. [1] In August and September of that year, the Gainesville City Commission and Alachua County Commission, respectively, granted $20,000 each to the project. [1] Some statues in the series were vandalized. [2] Repairs were made to these statues and the county would prosecute anyone caught vandalizing the statues. [3]
In total, 57 gator statues were unveiled publicly, with an additional three shown at private ceremonies. [3] In July 2002, the last of the public statues were unveiled by the project's coordinator, Jennifer Beamen. [3] The final statues were nicknamed Navigator, Ally the Snowbird Gator, Gator Del Sol, G3000 and Sir Lids-A lot. [3] The statues were scheduled to be taken down in April 2003. [3]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Fiberglass gators will squat along Gainesville sidewalks" . Tampa Bay Times . September 10, 2005 [September 27, 2001] . Retrieved May 4, 2023 .
- 1 2 Wilson, Linda C. (July 29, 2002). "Gator statues good for city" . The Gainesville Sun . Retrieved May 4, 2023 .
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Parsons, Brad (July 27, 2002). "Last of Gator Trail statues introduced" . The Gainesville Sun . Retrieved May 4, 2023 .
- ↑ Friend, Sandra; Wolf, Kathy (2007). Explorer's Guide North Florida & the Florida Panhandle: Includes St. Augustine, Panama City, Pensacola, and Jacksonville . The Countryman Press . p. 195. ISBN 978-0-88150-965-6 .
Further reading
- Gator Trails: A New Breed of Gator . Keep Alachua County Beautiful. 2002. ISBN 9780972633802 .