SAN ANTONIO – On Friday, October 18, CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation officially launched the highly anticipated CowParade San Antonio 2025 with a vibrant kickoff celebration at AnArte Gallery. The event introduced the 40 local artists chosen to transform life-size cow sculptures, which will later be auctioned to benefit the foundation’s mission.

The festive evening gathered CowParade artists, local art patrons, and CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation board members for the unveiling of the first completed cow, Good MOOd. This celestial and colorful sculpture was crafted by the lead artist of the campaign, Allison Gregory, who drew inspiration from her involvement in CowParade Austin in 2011.

“Good MOOd was inspired by my time with CowParade Austin,” said Gregory. “Meeting the children who benefited from that initiative reaffirmed how impactful CowParade can be. My goal for San Antonio was to create a cow that radiates joy, hope, and peace.”

In August, San Antonio artists submitted their designs for the campaign, with selected artists now gearing up to receive their life-size cow sculptures in the coming weeks. They will have eight weeks to complete their “moo-sterpieces,” which will showcase a diverse range of designs, from cultural tributes to imaginative, out-of-the-box creations.

The 2025 CowParade will officially launch in spring, when the completed sculptures will be placed throughout the city. A scavenger hunt map will be released, inviting the public to explore the artistic cows at iconic San Antonio locations. In early summer 2025, the cows will be auctioned to raise funds for CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation.

Theo Meyer, Director of Philanthropy at CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation, expressed excitement about the collaboration with local artists: “We were honored to meet and celebrate the CowParade 2025 artists. Not only are they sharing their incredible talents with our city, but they are also supporting the vital work we do at CHRISTUS. We can’t wait to see these designs come to life as larger-than-life bovine sculptures that will inspire joy throughout San Antonio.”

CowParade, the world’s largest and most successful public art event, has graced over 100 cities globally, resulting in more than 5,000 unique cow sculptures since 1999. The event last visited San Antonio in 2003 and has now returned, with the proceeds from the auctioned cows benefiting the CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation.

For artists who still wish to participate, there are opportunities to paint the remaining cow sculptures. Interested artists can apply through the CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation website at christuschildrensfoundation.org/cowparade.