Cranes are going to start popping up all over Kearney. However, these six feet tall fiberglass cranes aren't a part of the annual migration - they're a part of a public art project.

The project is called Cranes on Parade II, and is sponsored by the Kearney Dawn Rotary. Rotary members say the project isn't just about art or celebrating the crane migration.

"It's both an art project and a fundraiser to benefit the community," said Rotary member Connie Francis. "So there are lots of good things about it."

About seven years ago the Rotary held the first Cranes on Parade and raised thousands of dollars for local, regional, and international organizations. They're hoping to do the same thing again this year.

Local, and nationally renowned, artist Martha Pettigrew designed the crane sculpture used in both projects. After the sculpture was completed, other artists could submit their ideas applying their own creative designs to it. This year 14 artists were chosen to do 17 cranes. The artists have this month to work on their cranes, and for everyone involved the anticipation of finally seeing the finished project is building.

"We are very excited," said Francis. "The excitement sort of builds as we start seeing the finished cranes because the artists are doing a wonderful job, and there's a wide variety of different kinds of designs on the cranes, so that's really exciting. Then as we begin to see them out in the community, that's going to be really neat because you still see cranes that were a part of the 2003 project."

After the cranes are completed this month, they will be placed at sponsor locations throughout the community over the summer. The Rotary plans to make maps available so the public can tour the cranes. The cranes will also make appearances at some summer events around Kearney.

Then, in September, the cranes will be auctioned off. The proceeds will go to eight projects: Safe House, Kearney Area Community Foundation, Water for Haiti, the Children's Museum, Press On Ministries, Himanchal Education Foundation, and international Rotary projects including Children of the Dump, Polio Plus, and Alliance for Smiles.

THE NIGHT CRANE

Allison Hedge Coke and her son, Travis Hedge Coke, don't always get to work together on visual art projects, but they've collaborated on a crane design for Cranes on Parade II that they call "The Night Crane."

"I thought there's not enough attention spent on the night cranes," said Allison. "They're there in the river, sustaining themselves at night, waiting for the feeding hours, and all huddled together, braced together, to protect themselves from predators."

Allison and Travis, both accomplished writers, are both professors of English at UNK. Their offices are just down the hall from one another. Allison said she's been looking forward to the chance to be a part of Cranes on Parade since she moved to Kearney a few years ago. She was even more enthusiastic when she found out much of the proceeds go to community efforts.

"The allocation of the funds that are raised with the auction go to to benefit so many good sources," said Allison. "As long as it was going to a good source that would permeate the community with opportunity, it was important for me to take part in this, and also for Travis as well."

She and Travis submitted four designs, and were excited when the night crane concept was chosen. They've decided to use nightscape colors on their crane. They each wrote a poem to put on the sculpture as well. Allison's will be on a wing, and Travis' on the base.

Allison said when she found out the crane would be made out of fiberglass she thought the perfect medium to use on it would be auto paint. She says this brings an interesting concept of nature versus the mechanical into their design.

"Autos are so responsible for climate damage at this point in time, and to use something that's really conditioned to make that a beautifying factor on the highway into really envisioning something very beautiful in nature I thought was really an artistic statement - not all bad has to remain bad."

Like most of the crane artists, the Hedge Cokes are just pleased to be a part of Cranes on Parade.

"I think it's an honor and a privilege to be selected to do this project," Allison said. "I hope that we have a lot of people from the community come out and see the cranes."

To hear more from Allison Hedge Coke about "The Night Crane," and to hear her read her poem that will be on the crane, click on the video links above. Also click on the web extras above to find out more about Cranes on Parade from Rotary member Connie Francis.