Amanda Buerger Writing and Rhetoric Professor Bain-Conkin 28 February 2012 Prized Pork It is impossible not to notice the

vibrantly colored pigs adorning the streets of Cincinnati. Not real pigs, but statues, placed in various locations, each with its own distinct style and persona. Each pig has been personally paintedsome feature murals, nature scenes, or even outfits. It may seem very strange to an outsider, but to a local, these pigs are just a part of his city. They belong there. However, their function in the city is a little bit harder to understand. Many Cincinnatians may not even realize the meaning of these over-the-top statues; they just know they have their place in the city, and many visitors may be perplexed by the life-sized replicas. The pigs, however, were placed in Cincinnati for a specific reason. The various pigs located around Cincinnati serve to reconstruct the Cincinnatian culture and pride that was very evident in the past but has declined over the years. Previously known as Porkopolis, Cincinnati was a vibrant city home to many slaughterhouses at the turn of the 20th century. Although the slaughter houses have been closed down over the years, their presence seemed to define the city. The overall vibe of Cincinnati has drastically changed over the years. Many people have moved out of city limits, leading to an overall lack of pride in the city itself. In an attempt to liven up the city and unite all of the people in Greater Cincinnati, the city has reintroduced the pig as the unofficial mascot of Cincinnati. For many years, the city has hosted the Flying Pig Marathon, named for the spirits of the pigs who gave their lives so that the city could grow (Hovey). The 2000 attempt to bring back the pig was inspired by Andrew Leicaster, who originally introduced the idea of incorporating pigs into a smokestacks statue to celebrate Cincinnatis Bicentennial (Hovey). With

the success of the pigs on the smokestacks, the idea grew that distributing pigs around the city would raise money by inspiring people to come into the city to see these one-of-a-kind pig ceramics. Cincinnati hosted this event called the Big Pig Gig, where over 400 ceramic pigs were painted and distributed to various places throughout the city (Big Pig Gig). Although the event is long over, these pigs have been sold to residents and companies in the city, and still remain visible icons in Cincinnati. The pigs are an obvious connection to the past of Cincinnati. Other types of statues could have been used, but the pig actually represents the reason why Cincinnati grew into a prosperous city and the reason why many Cincinnatians lived there, and now their descendants. It is also a quirky symbol to give a city, which makes it memorable and unique. The individuality of each pig is also essential for their purpose. The pigs are not merely standing on all fours. Many pigs are standing on their two hind legs, as if they are climbing into the future, as if they are building a stable future for the city, which is what the real pigs actually did. Other pigs are sitting and looking up, as if looking to the future. Still other pigs are dancing or celebrating. The images on each pig are a perception of the present, of what makes the artist happy. The idea was to make each pig be an insight into what different people within the city are experiencing. Each pig tells a story about the people of Cincinnati. These giant pigs each convey a slightly different message to the viewer. They are united by their form as pigs and also by their size. The enormous size of the pigs represents the enormity of the pork industry in the city, but also the enormity of pride in the Cincinnati. With this connection, each pig then gives off its own personal messagea twist of the message of pride in the city. Each pig is painted (or in some cases adorned) in a unique way so that no two pigs are the same. Some pigs are just one main color, some are patriotic, some are turned into completely foreign objects like airplanes, and one is even a glass mosaic. One pig is dressed as a leopard, a tribute to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, another is faces of many different people in Cincinnati, a tribute to the residents of different races,

ethnicities, and religions that are welcomed in the city, and yet another is a tribute to the Queen City herself with a montage of images of iconic places in the city. The pigs brought many people together to make them and view them, which was intended to allow these people to celebrate the city where they live and work. Each pig, although different in appearance, is still a Cincinnati pig. All are united, yet all have their own personality. These pigs, therefore, represent more than just the pigs that brought economic prosperity to Cincinnati. These pigs are symbolic of the people that live in, work in, and spend time in the city every day. Each person and each business makes a unique contribution to Cincinnati, and much like the pork industry, each contributes to the success of the city. They represent the way of life in Cincinnatione of hardworking people who each bring talents to be shared and can contribute to the growth of the city, much like the real pigs did. The pigs attracted a lot of attention. Even after the fundraiser ended the pigs were bought by local businesses and residents and displayed prominently. The pigs continued to be embraced by everyone in the city, and Cincinnati had something to be proud of again. These works of art were displays of Cincinnati history tied with the creativity and generosity of the present, thus reinvigorating a lost cultural aspect and appreciation for what made Cincinnati a great city. The freedom in creating these pigs was essential for this renewed sense of culture and pride because it allowed for each artist (or artists as was usually the case) to represent what they love about Cincinnati. The structure of the pig connected the past to the present, but the exterior of the pig was an artistic expression of sentiments in the year 2000. Each pig was a representation of what a resident of Cincinnati felt was an intricate part of what Cincinnati had become or what they wanted it to be. In essence, the creators of these pigs introduced an appreciation for what the past had done to allow current citizens of Cincinnati to enjoy the modern city. The success of the pigs cannot be underestimated. Without the actual pigs of the past, Cincinnatians could not have enjoyed the luxuries of a successful city, and without the current pigs, Cincinnatians could not have appreciated the current experiences as painted on the pigs.

The emergence of these Big Pigs in Cincinnati was not a mere whim. These pigs were intended to unite a people and allow them to incorporate the past into their lives so as to pay tribute to the growth of their city. Each pig has become an intricate piece of a grand collection, and without each different pig, the collection would fall short of representing the feelings Cincinnatians. It effectively reinvigorated a passion for Cincinnati itself and it allowed for appreciation of what the past has allowed the present to become. The pigs have become an admired part of Cincinnati, and the statements they have made will last for many years to come.

Works Cited "Big Pig Gig." A R T W O R K S. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://artworkscincinnati.org/publicart/bigpiggig.shtml>. Hovey, Martin. "Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon : About Us." Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon : Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, 10K, 5K, Kids Marathon, Fun Run. ADgility. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.flyingpigmarathon.com/about_us/>.