Chicago started the trend a few years ago with a series of cow sculptures while Iowa City had dozens of specially-painted Herky the Hawk figures. Now, Ames is on board with a collection of statues of Cy, the Iowa State University mascot. Makenzie Heddens is co-chair of the Cyclone City project and says the fiberglass statues are on display all over town, based on the kneeling bronze Cy outside the I-S-U Alumni Association office.

“We replicated that position and developed 30 statues, all of which are decorated differently by various artists throughout Ames and the surrounding area,” Heddens says. The Cy sculptures are painted in all sorts of different designs.

There’s Jack Trice, a SuperCy, scenes from around Ames, an exerCyzing Cy and even an Elvis-themed Cy. The sculptures will be on display for the next few months. Heddens says an auction is scheduled for December 5th for those statues which haven’t already been purchased. See all 30 of the sculptures for yourself online at http://cyclonecity.wordpress.com