Many Western New Yorkers have never heard of these southern tier sculptures—let alone seen them—although they are somewhat difficult to miss. I was honestly surprised at how many people thought I was nuts when I’d enthusiastically talk about them with a large grin on my face. It’s not like they’ve ever been kept a secret. Quite the contrary. Olean LOVES their squirrels and is extremely proud of them. In fact, they’re just plain crazy about their four-foot fiberglass friends. 

So why squirrels you ask?

First of all, Olean happens to have an abundance of the scurrying, furry real-life critters, particularly the black variety that seem to have an extra special cuteness and beauty about them. The story of their introduction to the city holds that many years ago, while traveling up north, a local man spotted a black squirrel for the first time. Instantly thinking it would make a unique and fun pet for his child, he proceeded to capture the squirrel (by means unknown) and brought it home, much to the child’s delight. But as children tend to get easily distracted and their delight is sometimes short-lived, the squirrel eventually managed to escape (or was let loose) into one of the local parks. Once back in the wild, it proceeded to populate the area with other ebony, fuzzy-tailed progeny.

Enter community-minded residents Amy and Bob Shelburne. The couple had been working on a community dream idea, while also seeking a way to maximize the squirrel’s appeal as an endearing representative of their city, its parks and trees. After seeing two public art installation projects in other cities—“Mermaids on Parade” in Norfolk, VA and the “Winged Horse Extravaganza” in Outerbanks, NC—they joined with local artists Mark Barta and Evelyn Penman to establish the “Woodland in the City” project in 2006. The object of the organization was to promote art, along with the local businesses that would eventually sponsor sculptures for their city’s own art installation project.

This idea of fundraising with fiberglass as a public art concept has been around since 1998.  In that year, the city of Zurich, Switzerland, created the largest public art event in the world, called “Land in Sicht,” using fiberglass lions—that city’s symbol. On this side of the pond, Chicago quickly adopted the concept and followed suit in 1999 with an art project they titled “Cows on Parade.” The “cow parade” concept soon caught on and spread like a global tidal wave, though the actual sculptures in each case are usually not cows. New York City held its first Cow Parade in 2000, while London jumped on board (with elephants) in 2002. Brussels and Dublin held events in 2003; Prague and Stockholm in 2004; Mexico City and Sao Paulo in 2005; Boston and Paris 2006; Milan and Istanbul in 2007. Bath, UK has it proud lions, which perfectly match its stately Georgian architecture, and Berlin has showcased its beloved bears. Rochester, NY, El Paso, TX and Juarez, Mexico had Horse Parades in 2015 and many more continue to be held all over the world using a wide variety of shapes and themes.

Back in Olean, Amy Shelburne’s original idea was to use herons as the animal of choice, since the city once had a stable, healthy population of them. Heron numbers had been steadily dwindling, however, and so the ingratiating, adorable, chubby-bottomed squirrels won out. This was probably a good thing, as sculpted long, skinny wading bird legs would not have held up well outdoors in the sometimes-extreme weather conditions that often occur in Western New York. 

Looking to convey a friendly demeanor, artist Mark Barta designed the body shape for the base of the squirrel figures with a large fluffy tail and the hint of a grin on the face. The Chicago-based firm of Cowpainters, well known for their larger-than-life animal forms, did the casting. An initial order was placed for seven squirrels but soon there was an order for seven more. Things went wild from there. The Sherburnes ran ads and sent out fliers to vet local talent who might be interested in executing the individualized decoration for each sculpture—for a stipend—for the non-profit Woodland in the City organization. In addition to the satisfaction of supporting this wonderful project, each artist’s work would be on display in an enduring public forum with a wide community outreach. Chosen artists were given full creative license to incorporate their own style, personality and vision into their piece. The results have been both amazing and diverse, with each sculpture being a unique work of fine art.

Most of the squirrels, with a few exceptions, remain on display. Each has been given an interesting name in addition to having their own personality. The oldest one, “Blue Poplar,” was retired and re-primed and is awaiting a new sponsor. “Squirrel World” and “Olean Patriot” are warehoused and in need of repairs. “Inky” is simply missing. “Lady Justice” has had her base redesigned to include an elevated mirror pillar, showing that justice begins with each of us who look at her and see our own reflection. “Sir Pennywise” has been moved inside Community Bank due to vandalism—one of the very few cases of this happening to any of them. “Pepe and Pepito” and “Country Folk” are still on exhibit outdoors, and “Enchanted Mountain” has been relocated from Crandall’s Monuments to Oak Hill Park—the perfect residence for any squirrel worth their salt. The newest additions to the project are “Hermie” and “Turbo.” 

“Corey” is not on display and “There’s No Place Like Home” has been retired and relocated to a place unknown. Kansas, perhaps? “Artour O’Quick” was refinished and reborn as “POP ARThur” with an Andy Warhol-esque painting for his fur, while “Ronald McSquirrel” is temporarily out of commission due to construction going on in Lincoln Park.

Other squirrels with clever names and wonderful backstories include “General Casimir Krupnik,” so dubbed for the namesake of the Pulaski Club, Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, and the traditional Polish and Lithuanian honey liquor called Krupnik. “J.R” is the only squirrel wearing boots and chaps, and stands ready to wrangle any cattle that may pass by, fiberglass or otherwise. “Florence Squirrelingale, RN” and “Sleep E. Squirrel, MD” bookend a bench outside the main entrance to Olean General Hospital, stethoscopes in hand. “InVINCEble” is named for an EMT who saved a child’s life in the park across from his station in a residential area of town. “Melody of Birds” and “Enchanted Mountain” both celebrate the beautiful outdoors with meticulously painted nature murals wrapping each squirrel in a blanket of trees, birds, animals, flowers, people and landscapes. “Country Folk” was sponsored by people from Lebanon who wanted to show their home country landscape incorporated with their new home in Olean. The artist shows both, one on each side of this squirrel. They are ALL a must-see—unique pieces each with a special story.

Proceeds from the business sponsorships of the squirrels have gone, in part, to the Historical and Preservation Society of Olean in addition to providing revenue for repairs to the squirrels. Funds are safely kept at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation. As the project continues to grow, funds will be used as seed money for architectural design plans for what was the original dream – a children’s museum and theater. Currently, they are looking for a prime location to become available for this purpose.

Everyone who has had the pleasure of seeing these squirrel sculptures up close—ranging from the silly to the serious, the thought-provoking to the whimsical—can’t help but smile, reflecting as they enjoy these amiable ambassadors of Olean. For those who haven’t had the pleasure—it’s a must do.

Like other similar projects around the world, these squirrel sculptures perpetuate the fun-loving side of a city whose population has dwindled almost by half since much of the once-flourishing industry has left the city. They also represent the ambitious desire of residents to connect with their past, while moving their still-vital city forward to a future reflecting its heyday as the largest city in Cattaraugus County.  And for those who think the squirrels are the “last word” in Woodland in the City’s fundraising through public art, keep your eyes peeled—the next wave, though perhaps in a different form, may be just around the next tree.

Want to see one of the squirrels go from its humble beginning as a 3-dimensional, blank fiberglass canvas to a magnificent work of art? Visit wnyheritage.org to see a 2.5-minute video filmed by the artist.