Rachel (Kiel) Lyga, a Wilton native and a 1995 Royall High School graduate, designed one of the Bucky Badgers for Madison’s “Bucky on Parade” art display.
Madison Area Sports Commission planned the event to raise money for the commission, Garding Against Cancer and other community charities. The free public art display brought 85 life-size Bucky Badger statues to Madison and surrounding Dane County.
Artists who wanted to participate submitted their own designs, and the sponsors could choose from the designs which one or more they wanted to sponsor.
Lyga designed the leader of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band. Mid-West Family Broadcasting, owner of Z93 in La Crosse and other radio stations, chose to sponsor “Major Bucky,” her design.
After submitting the design, it had to be approved by the University of Wisconsin and by the sponsor before work on it could be started.
Because some of the money from this project was being used for cancer research, Lyga decided she could use her talent for this cause, having lost her aunt, mother and father-in-law to cancer.
The design and the fabrication for the 85 Bucky’s was done by the FAST Corporation ofSparta.
Lyga spent many hours at FAST and at home working on her Bucky to get the design and details to match the UW marching major. She had the arm changed to hold the baton, added tails to the coat, and carved the hat and plume to make it look like the real major.
Lyga also participated in a project called “Herons on Parade” a few years ago in La Crosse.
Lyga said she would love to pursue art as a career, as she graduated from Western Technical College in La Crosse with a degree in graphic design. Finding out it was hard to make a living at it, she went on to further her education, graduating with a master’s degree from Viterbo. Her full-time job is working for Mayo in Rochester, Minn., as a senior analyst and enjoying her art as a hobby.
Art seems to be in the family genes, as Lyga’s cousin, Julie (O’Rourke) Hancock, also designed one of the Buckys. Hancock designed “Farmer Bucky” in honor of her family occupation. Hancock also designed one of the cows that were displayed in Madison a few years ago.
The Buckys will be on display in Madison and surrounding areas until Sept. 12, when some will be auctioned off and the rest have been purchased by their sponsors.
For more information and maps of the locations of the Buckys, go to buckyonparade.com.