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Windsor Councilman Jake Redd announced at the Feb. 8 Town Council meeting that the Windsor Economic Development Authority has now received the three large frog sculptures it ordered and is looking for applicants to paint them so they can be placed at key points in town this spring.

Redd, who sits on the EDA, previously explained the purpose of the frogs when he said that the EDA had been looking for a way to aid the town not just through business retention and recruitment but also by creating something for people to recognize the town by. “Frog” having been part of a town nickname in the past made frogs an obvious choice.

During the Feb. 8 council meeting, Redd said, “We have three frogs in now, and we’ve got one applicant who’s applied so far to paint one.”

He later added that at this point, the EDA is going to be looking for applicants to paint the frogs.

In a previous meeting, Redd noted that each frog is 42 inches high, 42 inches wide, has 45 inches of depth and weighs about 250 pounds. The chosen design for Windsor shows a frog in a sitting position but about to leap. Brieanne Hauger, of Cowpainters, the company that made the frogs, said this design is fabricated in hand lay up fiberglass.

The EDA intends for each frog to feature a different color scheme.

Windsor Christian Church had purchased a copy of the selected Cowpainters frog to place on its own property in an effort to help further promote the town. The church is nearly done with the painting process on its frog.

“They say it’s 95% done, painting-wise, and that basically different people from the church have been going in and painting, and it takes a very long time, and they’ve been really meticulous,” Redd said at the Feb. 8 meeting.

He noted he is hopeful the church puts its frog out on display soon.

“They wanted to wait to see if concrete trucks would be cheaper to pour all the slabs at one time, but because of the way they have to clean the chutes out every time they move the truck, they’re just probably going to go ahead and set their slab and get it out there,” Redd said. “So hopefully that’ll draw some excitement.”

EDA Chair Mischelle Goodman shared the frog art proposal form that artists or groups of artists will need to fill out to apply for painting the frogs.

The form states that the EDA is looking for individuals — or groups — to paint the three EDA-purchased frogs that will be placed on public property within the town of Windsor. 

The goal, according to the form, is to have the frogs painted in an artistic manner, and abstract art or specific subjects are acceptable. While commercial “ads” on the frogs are not the intended purpose, logos related to historical businesses no longer in operation within the town are acceptable.

The form includes a series of questions for applicants. One of the questions alludes to the opportunity present for other businesses and organizations in Windsor to purchase their own copy of the frog sculpture to decorate and display on their own properties. The question reads, “Do you propose to paint a frog purchased and placed by the EDA, or does your group plan to purchase a frog for placement on private property?”

Costs of painting the EDA-purchased frogs, including paint and supplies, are the responsibility of the chosen artists, the form states. Prep and painting tips and paint recommendations from the manufacturer, Cowpainters, are attached to the form.

The rest of the form’s questions and instructions are as follows:

• Do you have a facility to which the frog can be delivered and housed while it is painted?
• Please provide a description of your group (if applicable) and the theme and composition of your proposed artwork on a frog.
• Attach sketches and photos to help the reviewers visualize your proposed artwork.

All applications are due to the town of Windsor by March 31, and the form states that applicants will be notified promptly regarding the status of their submissions.

The frog art proposal form is available at the Windsor town office, located at 8 E. Windsor Blvd., and also at the Windsor EDA Facebook page — www.facebook.com/WindsorVAEDA.