Horse Mania sculpture designed by Lexington elementary school damaged by vandals
A life-size fiberglass sculpture of horse painted by a Lexington elementary school was damaged over the weekend, according to LexArts.
The non-profit art organization who is behind the public art project, Horse Mania, said in a Facebook post the vandalism of the horse, “Cosmic Colt,” took place early Sunday morning. Video captured two males repeatedly kicking the art project instillation until the head and a foot was broken off.
The horse was designed by Julius Marks Elementary School, per LexArts. Each hand-painted horse depicts a theme and costs between $1,500 and $2,000 to produce.
LexArts said they contacted the authorities. Lexington police confirmed they are looking into the incident.
LexArts asked people to contact them if they see vandalism of the art projects in the future.
This is not the first time vandals have hit the popular Horse Mania displays, which are on display at various spots around downtown Lexington.
How long will Horse Mania 2022 be on display?
The pieces will be on display through to the November Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland and will be auctioned off in December.
During its first run in 2000, LexArts said the event grossed upwards of $1 million. That money was used to help seed public art in Lexington, including some of its first iconic murals.
This story was originally published July 27, 2022 at 7:39 AM.
