2014 Butter Sculpture Pays Homage To Ohio

One of the biggest and most talked about attractions at the Ohio State Fair is the butter sculpture. What started as a butter cow and calf, has expanded to a giant display of buttery art, paying homage to key symbols and icons familiar to Ohioans. Equipped with 2,000 pounds of butter, sculptors spent more than 500 hours sculpting the cow and calf, and 15 other symbols that represent Ohio. They range from a Cardinal, the state bird — nesting in a Buckeye Tree, of course — to the ladybug, the state bug of Ohio. They have even created the state fossil of Ohio, Isotelus. An army of air conditioners and cooling systems will keep the butter sculptures from melting throughout the fair, where officials estimate more than half a million people will see the sculpture. One Ohio icon salutes another as the butter cow and calf share their display case with a collage of meticulously crafted animals, artifacts, flowers and foods that represent the rich history of Ohio. Among the line-up of creamy creations is a trilobite fossil, cardinal, paw paw fruit, spotted salamander, adena pipe and cardinal. 00000178-6a24-ddab-a97a-6a3ccfdb0000 Among the line-up of creamy concoctions is Ohio`s state insect, the ladybug. The sculptors crafted this sculpture by building wooden and steel frames to support the weight of the butter. After many hours of molding and smoothing the butter in a 46-degree cooler, the bug began to take shape. 00000178-6a24-ddab-a97a-6a3ccfdd0000 On behalf of Ohio`s dairy farmers, the American Dairy Association Mideast commissions a group of technical sculptors, several who are engaged primarily in the toy industry, to create the butter masterpiece. This year, two guest sculptors, including a dairy farmer from Shelby County, were enlisted to help with creating the display. 00000178-6a24-ddab-a97a-6a3ccfde0000 The butter cow and calf share their display case with a collage of carefully-crafted animals, artifacts, flowers and foods that represent the rich history and culture of Ohio. 00000178-6a24-ddab-a97a-6a3ccfdf0000 The case will be kept at a cool 46 degrees throughout the fair. 00000178-6a24-ddab-a97a-6a3ccfe00000 It took sculptors, like Bob Kling, combined more than 500 hours to create the display. 00000178-6a24-ddab-a97a-6a3ccfe10000 Fun fact. The State of Ohio has a state artifact, the Adena Pipe. 00000178-6a24-ddab-a97a-6a3ccfe20000 The Ohio State Fair is scheduled to open tomorrow, July 23 and run through August 3. 00000178-6a24-ddab-a97a-6a3ccfe30000 For the first time in over 15 years, Ohio State Fair fans had the chance to choose a name for the iconic butter cow and calf at the Ohio State Fair. The winner, tagging the cow with the name Scarlet, and the calf Grayce, shared the spotlight with the cow and calf during the sculpture unveiling.