Going Hog Wild in Martin County
August 21, 2021
FAIRMONT– The anticipation of many ended Thursday evening as 34 hog statues were finally unveiled in downtown Fairmont. The statues, painted by area artists, will go out to a variety of businesses and organizations throughout Martin County. The project was done by Going Hog Wild in Martin County.
Going Hog Wild started in the summer of 2021 with a goal of drawing attraction and tourism by promoting business, organizations and cities throughout the county, all while paying homage to the pork-producing success in Martin County.
Jeff Rouse, downtown business owner of Our Story Studios, and Alex Young-Williams, a Lead for Minnesota Fellow serving Project 1590 in Fairmont, are two of the driving forces behind the project. They both serve on the Martin County Arts Council.
In late fall 2021, a call was put on for area artists to work on the statues and 16 artists began working on painting them in a warehouse earlier this year. Paint and other supplies were provided through a Prairie Lakes Arts and Cultural Heritage grant, secured by Project 1590. The artists worked with the various businesses and organizations to come up with a design for the statues.
The 2 ft. tall statues sit on a 2ft. platform and weigh nearly 400 pounds. They were manufactured in Kellogg, MN.
On Thursday evening a sheet was lifted and the statues were finally revealed to the public.
People came out in droves to attend the event on W. 1st Street in Fairmont. Nearly 300 people were present. One spectator, Wayne Quade, said that when he rounded the corner he was knocked back.
“I’ve never seen this many people on W. 1st. Street in my life,” he said.
Blake Potthoff emceed the event and announced which artist had painted each hog statue and the business that it was going to. There was then a time for both parties to get a photo taken with the statue.
Pork chops on a stick were available through Martin County Pork Producers and members of the Kids Just Want to Have Fun Committee were selling lemonade and snacks. Minuteman Press also donated pig face masks for children to wear.
Dan Hamlet, a financial advisor with Edward Jones, explained why they decided to get a hog statue for their business.
“It was county pride really. We’re a pork leader in the county and I like the fact that they’ll be spread around the whole county. I think it was a neat idea and a fun project,” Hamlet said.
Some of the other statues were sponsored by St. John Vianney School, CCF Bank, Graffiti Corner, the city of Welcome, Good news Bookstore and D&S Trophies.
Both Rouse and Young-Williams were pleased with the turnout of the event and how well the project went overall.
“It was nice to see the artists and the business together, all while honoring the pork community,” Rouse said.
Part of the original goal of the project was to revitalize Fairmont’s downtown and Young-Williams said that 16 of the statues will be on the downtown blocks. Twenty-eight of the statues will stay in Fairmont and some are going to the cities of Welcome, Sherburn, Northrop and Granada.
The statues will remain on W. 1st Street in Fairmont for viewing through the weekend. After that they’ll move on to their permanent homes.
Rouse’s long-term goal is to see 100 hog statues around the county in the next three years. He said they’ve already had people reaching out and signing up to get a statue in the next round. For more information or to contact Rouse and Young-Williams about a hog, visit goinghogwildinmartincounty.com.
FAIRMONT — Residents of Martin County can soon expect to see dozens of hog statues at businesses and other establishments. Going Hog Wild hopes to serve as a way to draw attraction and tourism by promoting businesses, organizations and cities throughout the county. Jeff Rouse, downtown ...
Artists needed for area project
November 5, 2021
FAIRMONT– Calling all area artists. You’re needed for a community project. Going Hog Wild hopes to serve as a way to draw attraction and tourism by promoting businesses, organizations and cities throughout Martin County.
Going Hog Wild is a collaboration between Project 1590, Martin County Arts Council and Bacon Capital USA. The idea is to have area businesses and organizations sponsor a hog that will represent them. The hogs will also promote Martin County as it’s in the top five pork producing counties in the country.
Alex Young-Williams, a Lead for Minnesota Fellow serving Fairmont through Project 1590, is also a member of the arts council. He said they received an $8,000 Prairie Lakes Arts and Cultural Heritage grant, applied through Project 1590, to use for the project.
The grant money will, in part, allow for each artist to receive a $300 stipend for each hog they complete. Paint will be provided, but artists should plan to use their own supplies.
Jeff Rouse, a member of the arts council, said they’re starting with 32 hog statues, all of which have been spoken for. Ten of them are at a warehouse in the area, ready to be painted. He said they’ll be picking up another batch in the next few weeks.
The majority are going in the Fairmont area, but will also be sprinkled throughout the entire county. As a long-term goal, Rouse said he would like the see 100 hog statues throughout the county in the next three years.
Each hog is 2 ft. tall and weighs almost 400 pounds. They sit on a 2 ft. platform and were manufactured locally in Kellogg, Minn.
Young-Williams said, “We have an online application form that people can fill out, but if they’re more comfortable making a video submitting and emailing it to us that would be just as good.”
The form includes basic information and a question about why they’re interested in the project. They’re also able to email pictures of work samples.
“The last question is on availability over the winter. We’re hoping to do one week segments and hopefully have two different artists in the warehouse every week to make sure we finish them by spring,” Young-Williams said.
He said they would like to get artists in the warehouse by mid-December.
There is no cap on how many artists are used. They’re open to having 10 artists do three hogs each or 30 artists do one each if there’s that much interest in it.
Young-Williams said they welcome anyone who is a person of color to apply.
“We’d definitely prefer someone local since it’s a project that’s trying to promote the pork industry in Martin County,” Young-Williams said.
Once the application deadline passes, the arts council will take a look at the submissions and start the process of matching artists to businesses. Young-Williams said they anticipate painting the hogs will be a co-creative process between the artist and business or organization.
“We’re hoping to have a few downtown and to continue the momentum we had from the mural unveiling. We’d like to continue to encourage public arts projects like this,” Young-Williams said.
The deadline to apply is Nov. 30. Interested people can send an email to alex.youngwilliams@gmail.com for application information.
Rouse shared why this is a good opportunity for area artists.
“It gives them the chance to not only use their creativity, but help highlight businesses and organizations around the community. They can also be part of a local art scene that’s growing.”
Area artists move project forward
February 24, 2022
FAIRMONT–Several months ago, a call was put out looking for area artists to work on a community project– painting hog statues. Going Hog Wild hopes to serve as a way to draw attraction and tourism by promoting businesses, organizations and cities throughout Martin County.
Going Hog Wild is a collaboration between Project 1590, Martin County Arts Council and Bacon Capital USA. Alex Young-Williams, a Lead for Minnesota Fellow serving Fairmont through Project 1590, is also a member of the arts council. He said Project 1590 received an $8,000 Prairie Lakes Arts and Cultural Heritage grant to use for the project. Some of that money will allow for each artist to receive a $300 stipend for each hog they compete.
Young-Williams said they ended up receiving 16 applications from area artists. Each artist is painting one or more statues, which have been claimed and sponsored by area business and organizations.
The hogs will also promote Martin County as it’s in the top five pork producing counties in the country.
“I’ve set up a schedule so there’s about four hogs being worked on every two weeks,” Young-Williams said.
Jeff Rouse, a member of the arts council, said they’re starting with 32 statues. As a long-term goal, Rouse would like to see 100 located throughout the county in the next three years.
Each statue is 2 ft. tall, sits on a 2 ft. platform and weighs about 400 pounds. The statutes were made locally in Minnesota and they’re currently sitting in a nearby warehouse.
The artists began painting them, in shifts, in December. Young-Williams said they have provided ten cans of paint, of all different colors, so artists can mix and match. He said this should provide enough color difference to allow for very unique hogs.
“Each sponsoring business has paid for their own hog. Because of that, we decided they should have some input on the design so Jeff and I have been connecting the artist with the business,” Young-Williams explained.
He said they’re encouraging artists to have a design that’s also ran past himself, Rouse and area artist Nancy Katzer, who are all on the project committee.
Katzer painted the first hog statue last summer which sits outside Rouse’s downtown Fairmont business, Our Story Studio.
Young-Williams said they want to make sure the design is not just the logo for the business, as they want it to be artistic in some way.
Jori Boeckman is one of 16 area artists painting several of the hogs.
“My husband found out about it in the paper and said, ‘hey, this would be a really good thing for you to do.’ So I went ahead and did it,” Boeckman said.
She said she’s always enjoyed art and crafts. She also designs bullet journals for friends and families.
Boeckman was drawn to the project, not only as an artistic project to work on, but as a way to give back to the community that has given so much to her and her family since moving here in 2007.
“It’s been a fun experience and I’ve actually met quite a few great people because of it,” Boeckman said.
She also touched on the fact that the project is another way to bring art into the community and especially show young people its various uses.
“We want to teach them that creativity has a point. It’s not a disposable skill. It’s not only a career, but a way for them to have an outlet with all the stressors in life,” Boeckman said.
Finally, Boeckman shared that she believes the project serves as a way to highlight the surrounding community.
“I think this is another way to bring people into the community. If you take pride in where you live, it’s a way to keep people there,” Boeckman said.
Young-Williams said their goal is to have all of the hogs painted by the week of May 9.
He said they’re hoping to have an unveiling ceremony that week where all of the finished hog statues will be showcased.
Young-Williams explained how it feels to have the project make it to this point.
“It’s exciting to move forward with something like this. I really enjoy working on these community-driven projects as part of my fellowship. It’s been a great experience coordinating between artists and the committee. I’m excited to do my part in promoting pork production in the county.”
Like Rouse, Young-Williams hopes it can become somewhat of a tourist destination.
“Anything that brings more attention to the community is a good thing,” Young-Williams said.
Hog statues unveiled
May 27, 2022
FAIRMONT– The anticipation of many ended Thursday evening as 34 hog statues were finally unveiled in downtown Fairmont. The statues, painted by area artists, will go out to a variety of businesses and organizations throughout Martin County. The project was done by Going Hog Wild in Martin County.
Going Hog Wild started in the summer of 2021 with a goal of drawing attraction and tourism by promoting business, organizations and cities throughout the county, all while paying homage to the pork-producing success in Martin County.
Jeff Rouse, downtown business owner of Our Story Studios, and Alex Young-Williams, a Lead for Minnesota Fellow serving Project 1590 in Fairmont, are two of the driving forces behind the project. They both serve on the Martin County Arts Council.
In late fall 2021, a call was put on for area artists to work on the statues and 16 artists began working on painting them in a warehouse earlier this year. Paint and other supplies were provided through a Prairie Lakes Arts and Cultural Heritage grant, secured by Project 1590. The artists worked with the various businesses and organizations to come up with a design for the statues.
The 2 ft. tall statues sit on a 2ft. platform and weigh nearly 400 pounds. They were manufactured in Kellogg, MN.
On Thursday evening a sheet was lifted and the statues were finally revealed to the public.
People came out in droves to attend the event on W. 1st Street in Fairmont. Nearly 300 people were present. One spectator, Wayne Quade, said that when he rounded the corner he was knocked back.
“I’ve never seen this many people on W. 1st. Street in my life,” he said.
Blake Potthoff emceed the event and announced which artist had painted each hog statue and the business that it was going to. There was then a time for both parties to get a photo taken with the statue.
Pork chops on a stick were available through Martin County Pork Producers and members of the Kids Just Want to Have Fun Committee were selling lemonade and snacks. Minuteman Press also donated pig face masks for children to wear.
Next round of hog statues underway
August 17, 2022
FAIRMONT– Going Hog Wild is in the midst of its second installment of hog statues to be sprinkled across Martin County. Three of them were unveiled Tuesday afternoon at the Martin County Fair.
Going Hog Wild started in the summer of 2021 with a goal of drawing attraction and tourism by promoting business, organizations and cities throughout the county, all while paying homage to the pork-producing success in Martin County.
Jeff Rouse, a member of the Martin County Arts Council and driving force behind the project, said they had planned to do another round next spring, but after the late May unveiling of the first 36 statues, people began reaching out immediately requesting a statue of their own.
“We thought we could move it up. The phone calls kept coming in so we decided to do phase two now,” Rouse said.
He said 50 people representing businesses and organizations around the county have reached out since then and have committed to a hog statue. They started working on the first three a few weeks ago and plan to do 36 in the second phase over the next six months.
A few more businesses are slated for the third phase but Rouse said they still have room for about 15 more. Right now the plan is to do 101 before stopping completely.
“It’s great fun and the response has been overwhelming, but this is becoming kind of like my full time job when I’m just a volunteer,” Rouse said with a laugh.
He said in the next phase several are going to Trimont, some to Truman, a few more to Welcome and a good amount more in Fairmont.
“I’m sure every town will be represented by the time we complete the whole project,” Rouse said.
Part of the goal with the project was not only to have the statues represent individual businesses and the county as a whole, but to give local artists the opportunity to engage in it.
About 15 artists had applied and worked on the first 36 statues and many of them have eagerly agreed to work on phase two and phase three, through Rouse said they’re open to having some new artists commit to working on a few.
“All of the artists are being assigned different people. They’ll be contacted in the next few weeks to see what the design should be for the pigs,” Rouse said.
Rouse admitted that the response they’ve received on the project has far exceeded what they anticipated and he credits that in large part to the artists who really stepped up the plate when designing and executing the art work on the statues.
One of the artists, Nancy Katzer, said, “almost none of us had painted a statue before so that’s been the first time for almost all of us. It’s challenging to take a design on paper and transfer to a three-dimensional element. It’s been challenging but fun to do.”
She said it’s also been fun to see “closet artists” come out and get involved in the project. She reiterated what Rouse said that they’re still open to having more artists join in.
The artists have been working with each individual business or organization to come up with a design, which Katzer said has worked well.
“A lot of them have great ideas or some say ‘just do what you want.’ It’s really been fun to work with the businesses,” she said.
This time around, as the first, the artists have worked on painting their statues at the Designing Signs Inc. warehouse.
“He’s generously continuing to let the artists paint the pigs in his warehouse which has been a tremendous help,” Rouse said of owner Jim Thate.
In addition to that help, Rouse said that nine title sponsors have stepped up to complete the project. They’re listed the platform the statues sit on, as well as on the goinghodwildinmartincounty.com website.
The current plan is to have the rest of the statues unveiled individually as they’re completed.
New non-profit centers on art
May 19, 2023
FAIRMONT– Imagine Martin is a new non-profit that has a goal of introducing and supporting arts in Martin County. The organization is in the midst of several projects and was born out of the success of one of its first endeavors: Going Hog Wild.
Jeff Rouse, chairman of Imagine Martin, said, “With the success of Going Hog Wild, we thought it would be beneficial to our committee and for the community to be a non-profit so that we could further our projects,” Rouse said.
One of the first things the non-profit will allow them to do is complete phase three of Going Hog Wild. To date 66 hog statues are scattered across the county and 35 more are planned for phase three, which will end that project with 101 hog statues representing businesses and organizations in nearly all cities in the county.
However, instead of naming the non-profit Going Hog Wild, Rouse said they decided to give it a different name so that it allows them to do more for the community in the future, rather than being only associated with hogs. It also allows them to expand to different types of art.
“When we’re talking art, we’re not just talking art work. Art can be interpreted as music, events, activities and the like,” Rouse said.
So far a few committees are being formed which will focus on projects in different areas of art. Rouse said Imagine Martin currently has five projects in the works. Phase three of Going Hog Wild is one of them, as well as a series of walking tours of the statues. A “swine and wine” painting event is being planned along with a promotional music video.
Another of Imagine Martin’s main projects is updating the mural on the first block of Downtown Plaza in Fairmont. The mural, which was completed in the fall of 2021, will be reworked and created out of a different medium so that it will hold up better in the different weather experienced here.
In order to help fund the project, a grant was secured through Fairmont Economic Development Authority’s (FEDA) new facade loan program. Rouse said that they wouldn’t have considered updating it quite yet but that the loan, which covers up to $5,000 of 50 percent of the project, wasn’t something that they could pass up.
“Now seemed to be the perfect opportunity for us to make some changes and improvements to that,” Rouse said.
Fairmont’s Economic Development Coordinator, Ned Koppen, said that he thinks the current art work, including the murals and the hog statues from Going Hog Wild, lend a unique and appealing aspect to downtown Fairmont and anywhere else they exist in the community.
“I’m excited to be involved in a small way in moving that forward,” Koppen said.
Rouse said that both Koppen and the county’s EDA consultant, Joshua Schuetz, have been very helpful in helping Imagine Martin line up organizations to talk to and find funding sources.
Imagine Martin will have seven board members. So far there are six, which includes artists and representatives from local businesses and organizations in the community. One more board members is still being sought to complete the board.
“We feel like we can really help develop arts projects for the whole county,” Rouse said.
He acknowledged that there are other successful non-profits in the area doing similar work and that Imagine Martin doesn’t want to compete, but rather partner and work together where they can.
“If somebody has an idea or concept, contact us because we have 20 artists at our disposal. We can put a call out to see who will be interested in doing the project. By being a non-profit, we’re hoping to be able to help out financially and work to make this happen for everybody,” Rouse said.