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http://www.suntimes.com/output/entertainment/wkp-news-mickey21.html
'America's favorite mouse' makes a stand on State Street
May 21, 2004
BY MISHA DAVENPORT Staff Reporter
Mice have invaded the east and west sides of State Street from Wacker Drive all the way to Jackson Boulevard. Please don't call pest control, though.
Like the "Cows on Parade" that perhaps inspired them, 15 Mickey Mouse statues will flank State Street for the next two months. Each is over 6 feet tall, is constructed of polyurethane and weighs 700 pounds. All have been designed by celebrities such as Tom Hanks and Susan Lucci, sports figures such as Andre Agassi and artists such as Gary Baseman.
The one-of-a-kind works of art on display here actually are part of a collection of 75 that were first unveiled at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on Mickey's 75th birthday in November. Chicago is one of the first of a dozen cities that will feature a selection of the statues.
It's all part of the Walt Disney Co.'s yearlong tribute to America's favorite mouse, who made his film debut in the 1928 cartoon short "Steamboat Willie."
Tammy DeMarco, a senior marketing manager who oversees Disney's Mickey and Friends franchise, said Chicago was an obvious choice for two reasons.
"Walt Disney was born in Chicago and it's also the 75th anniversary of the Greater State Street Council, so it was a perfect way to pay honor to both Mickey and the street," DeMarco said.
Hanks has shot a few films in Chicago, so DeMarco says the Mickey Mouse he designed was a perfect fit. Regis Philbin went to Notre Dame, something he has in common with many Chicagoans, so his Mickey is on display here, too.
"We really wanted to make sure that each artist on display had some connection to the city," DeMarco explained.
Selecting which of the 75 statues to display in Chicago was only half the problem. Ty Tabing, the executive director of the Greater State Street Council, said it was quite a challenge to add something as large as these sculptures to the landscape of State Street.
"I can't thank the City's Transportation Department, Disney and the State Street merchants enough. It was only by working together that we were able to place them among all the bus stops, bike racks and storefronts that line the street," Tabing said.
Though the statues are in place today, the official kickoff is Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at Block 37 at the northwest corner of State and Washington. The free event will feature entertainment, music and giveaways. A chance to meet Mickey and friends will follow from 2 to 4 p.m. at Marshall Field's State Street store in the Narcissus Room on the seventh floor.
Disney expects more than a million people to see the statues on display here though July 20.
To add a dose of interactive fun, DeMarco said each of the statues challenges you to find a hidden image of Mickey Mouse in either painted or papier-mache form somewhere on each figure. It wouldn't be Mickey, after all, if it wasn't also fun.
"For four generations, Mickey has touched our hearts through fun and laughter. The statues bring all those great memories back," DeMarco said.
All 75 statues -- including the 15 on display here -- will be auctioned off next year, and the proceeds will go to a charity of the artist/celebrity's choice.
For more information, visit www.disney.com/mickey75.
'America's favorite mouse' makes a stand on State Street
May 21, 2004
BY MISHA DAVENPORT Staff Reporter
Mice have invaded the east and west sides of State Street from Wacker Drive all the way to Jackson Boulevard. Please don't call pest control, though.
Like the "Cows on Parade" that perhaps inspired them, 15 Mickey Mouse statues will flank State Street for the next two months. Each is over 6 feet tall, is constructed of polyurethane and weighs 700 pounds. All have been designed by celebrities such as Tom Hanks and Susan Lucci, sports figures such as Andre Agassi and artists such as Gary Baseman.
The one-of-a-kind works of art on display here actually are part of a collection of 75 that were first unveiled at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on Mickey's 75th birthday in November. Chicago is one of the first of a dozen cities that will feature a selection of the statues.
It's all part of the Walt Disney Co.'s yearlong tribute to America's favorite mouse, who made his film debut in the 1928 cartoon short "Steamboat Willie."
Tammy DeMarco, a senior marketing manager who oversees Disney's Mickey and Friends franchise, said Chicago was an obvious choice for two reasons.
"Walt Disney was born in Chicago and it's also the 75th anniversary of the Greater State Street Council, so it was a perfect way to pay honor to both Mickey and the street," DeMarco said.
Hanks has shot a few films in Chicago, so DeMarco says the Mickey Mouse he designed was a perfect fit. Regis Philbin went to Notre Dame, something he has in common with many Chicagoans, so his Mickey is on display here, too.
"We really wanted to make sure that each artist on display had some connection to the city," DeMarco explained.
Selecting which of the 75 statues to display in Chicago was only half the problem. Ty Tabing, the executive director of the Greater State Street Council, said it was quite a challenge to add something as large as these sculptures to the landscape of State Street.
"I can't thank the City's Transportation Department, Disney and the State Street merchants enough. It was only by working together that we were able to place them among all the bus stops, bike racks and storefronts that line the street," Tabing said.
Though the statues are in place today, the official kickoff is Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at Block 37 at the northwest corner of State and Washington. The free event will feature entertainment, music and giveaways. A chance to meet Mickey and friends will follow from 2 to 4 p.m. at Marshall Field's State Street store in the Narcissus Room on the seventh floor.
Disney expects more than a million people to see the statues on display here though July 20.
To add a dose of interactive fun, DeMarco said each of the statues challenges you to find a hidden image of Mickey Mouse in either painted or papier-mache form somewhere on each figure. It wouldn't be Mickey, after all, if it wasn't also fun.
"For four generations, Mickey has touched our hearts through fun and laughter. The statues bring all those great memories back," DeMarco said.
All 75 statues -- including the 15 on display here -- will be auctioned off next year, and the proceeds will go to a charity of the artist/celebrity's choice.
For more information, visit www.disney.com/mickey75.
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