Lexington releases the hogs

Lexington unveiled its newest round of pig celebrities recently with "Pigs in the City III."

"It was the most unusual of fashion shows in the most unlikely of settings," described the Lexington Dispatch. "Haute couture it was not, but creative art and infectious low-brow humor, it was."

The fiberglass, decorated pigs -- dubbed the "New Pigs on the Block" -- were unveiled during Uptown Lexington Inc.'s gala premier at the Lexington Municipal Club to a crowd of 200. Oh, and there was "catwalk" music from Paris and New York to accompany the hogs.

The 26 pigs now adorn the streets of uptown Lexington, where they will remain for five months.

"Local radio announcer Willie Edwards elicited groans and laughter by reading corny biographies stuffed with pork references about each pig and evoked applause by introducing the artist who created and the business that sponsored each one," said the Dispatch. "For example, Carolina Style Swine, designed by Gerri Tomlin for Bank of the Carolinas, moved from a small south Davidson farm 'to the Pig Apple to pursue her dream of becoming a designer,' Edwards said. 'She worked for such big name designers as Sowsoon and Versowchi before opening her own shop in Sow-ho.'

"In addition to a fictional bio, each pig had a true story behind its creation. The most compelling was that of Special Olympig, painted for BB&T in Lexington by 40 to 50 county Special Olympics athletes with help from teachers, coaches and other artists. Buddy Thomas, a BB&T commercial loan officer, said the bank's first artist had to pull out. Mary Ann Brown, county Special Olympics director, wanted her athletes to do a pig but had trouble finding a sponsor. Former Uptown Lexington Executive Director Frank Stoner put them together."

Read more about the "Pigs in the City" here.