Herd About Buffalo | Direction


Direction of Buffalo was created as a part of the Herd About Buffalo Public Art Project. Similar to the public art projects in Chicago and Toronto, artists were provided with a large fiberglass buffalo and commissioned to create a sculptural piece. The works were displayed in public during the summer of 2000, and auctioned in the fall. The proceeds of the auction went to benefit the Burchfield-Penny Art Center and Roswell Park Cancer Institute. My piece was purchased at the auction by the Buffalo Yatch Club and is currently installed on their grounds.

Direction of Buffalo is a functional weather vane. The sail is a solid sheet of copper. The fiberglass buffalo is covered with powdered bronze suspended in clear acrylic paint. To protect the copper sheet and bronze buffalo, I covered both with marine grade varnish. The buffalo sits atop a ten foot pole. Inside the buffalo, just below the back, is a bearing allowing the entire piece to pivot easily with the breeze.