The Iowa State Fair Butter Cow is Headed to Washington D.C.
From the nation's heartland to our nation's capital. Iowa's butter cow is headed to Washington D.C.!
The Des Moines Register reports that after decades of fame at the Iowa State Fair, a butter cow sculpted by Sarah Pratt of Cumming, Iowa will be displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. It will be part of a yearlong exhibit called "The State Fair and American Craft."
The exhibit will coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, and the Register reports that it will be featured inside the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery from August 22, 2025 to August 23, 2026. The exhibit will also feature handmade items from state fairs across the country and also highlight Native American tribes and their contributions to regional crafts according to the Register.
Butter cow artist Sarah Pratt told the Register that she has been in contact with representatives from the Smithsonian for several years. Officials with the museum visited the Iowa State Fair in 2023 and again in 2024. It is unclear if other arts and crafts featured at the Iowa State Fair will be featured in the exhibit.
The Register reports that Pratt will have some special help on the project. Her twin daughters, 21-year-old Grace and Hannah, will help her with the new sculpture inside of the Renwick gallery during a week in July of 2025. Unlike her Iowa State Fair butter cow, this sculpture will likely be made with new butter and kept at cooler temperatures.
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