Florida is known for geckos, running around everywhere (they're cute and they eat bugs, and they don't bother you, so they're friends, not foes).
Many cities around the world have had artists paint and decorate cows or pigs or such - but Bradenton, Florida, has a Gecko Fest. Started in 2006 for the Village of the Arts, it currently has an encore, Gecko Fest 2008. Geico and others are sponsoring this, and since fall 2007 these 6 ft geckos have been spotted on walls throughout Bradenton (between Tampa and Sarasota on the west coast of Florida). "This year, as an Arts In Public Places non-profit organization, funds are being raised for the various arts organizations, including Art Center Manatee, South Florida Museum, the Arts Council of Manatee, Inc, and the Artists' Guild of Manatee (Village of the Arts).
On March 22nd the 62 gecko entries were auctioned off - 45 of them sold. The remaining 17 are available through an on-line auction. After you've looked at the geckos, you can bid for them. You have until April 30th and the minimum bid is $500.00
When George and I travelled through Europe the last time, I took lots of photos of the decorated cows in Berlin. It's fun to see the different entries, and here's your chance to contribute to Bradenton, Florida, "to help our school children, strengthen and grow our local cultural community, support its arts and artists, and will become the spring board for future art-on-the-street projects".
