“Decatur Cow” Public Art Project
Celebrating Decatur — DeKalb County’s County Seat
The Decatur Arts Alliance, on behalf of the City of Decatur, invites artists and artist teams to submit design concepts for the creation of an original work of art on a life-sized fiberglass cow.
The “Decatur Cow” is part of a DeKalb County public art initiative featuring artist-designed cows representing communities throughout the county. As DeKalb County’s county seat, Decatur has a unique opportunity to create a cow that reflects the city’s identity, history, creativity, diversity, and sense of place.
We are looking for an artist with a strong creative vision who can transform the cow into a distinctive work of public art that feels unmistakably Decatur.
THE DECATUR CONNECTION
Proposals should respond in some way to Decatur and what makes our community distinctive.
Artists are encouraged to think broadly. Inspiration might come from Decatur’s history, neighborhoods, architecture, arts and culture, natural environment, people, gathering places, or its role as the county seat.
The artwork does not need to be a literal illustration of Decatur. Creative, contemporary, unexpected, playful, and imaginative approaches are encouraged.
ARTIST FEE
The selected artist will receive a $3,000 artist fee for the design, materials, and installation of the artwork.
THE COW
The artist will create and install an original design for a life-size fiberglass cow provided by DeKalb County.
Artists may use paint or other appropriate decorative approaches. Manufacturer recommendations regarding surface preparation and paint products will be provided to the selected artist.
Because the finished cow may be displayed outdoors, the completed artwork must be appropriate for public exhibition and able to withstand environmental conditions. Protective clear coat will be provided by the City of Decatur, to be installed by the artist.
The cow includes steel anchors in each hoof to allow it to be secured to a concrete slab or exhibition stand.
WORK LOCATION
Because of the size and weight of the cow, the Decatur Arts Alliance will work with the selected artist to identify an appropriate location where the cow can be completed.
The artist should expect to complete most or all of the work at the designated location rather than transporting the cow back and forth.
ACCELERATED PROJECT SCHEDULE
Call Opens: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Submission Deadline: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Artist Selected & Notified: September 30–October 1
Artist Work Period: Approximately October 1–11
Artwork Completion Deadline: Approximately October 11, 2026
Final Preparation & Installation: October 12–26
IMPORTANT: This project is operating on an accelerated schedule. Artists should apply only if they are available to begin immediately upon selection and can substantially complete the artwork within approximately two weeks.
Because of the abbreviated timeline, we are not asking artists to develop highly finished proposals before selection. We want to see a compelling idea, an understanding of Decatur, and evidence that you have the artistic ability to execute the work successfully.
ARTIST SELECTION
The Decatur Arts Alliance will coordinate the selection process using its established public art
review process.
Proposals will be considered based on:
â—Ź Artistic quality and originality
â—Ź Strength of the proposed concept
â—Ź Connection and relevance to Decatur
â—Ź Suitability for a highly visible public artwork
â—Ź Quality of previous work
â—Ź Ability to successfully execute the proposed design
â—Ź Ability to meet the accelerated project schedule
PUBLIC DISPLAY
Once completed, the cow will be installed in a publicly accessible location in Decatur.
A project plaque will accompany the artwork and identify the selected artist or artist team.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
This project is part of a DeKalb County initiative inviting municipalities throughout the county to create artist-designed cows representing their individual communities. For Decatur, the project is an opportunity to celebrate the creativity and character of the county seat while adding a fun and distinctive new piece of public art to the community.
Submission Deadline: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Presented by the City of Decatur and Decatur Arts Alliance as part of a DeKalb County
public art initiative.
