Have you seen the new Herkys around town? To celebrate Herky the Hawk’s 75th birthday, he’s popped up all over Johnson County in 100 different forms and new poses, unveiled on May 1.
One of these new Herkys—Alumni Band Herky—is wearing the Hawkeye Marching Band’s original uniform from the 1940s and 1950s.
Herky on Parade is a collaborative public art project that began in 2004. This batch of Herkys is being introduced as the 20th Anniversary Edition, and they will be “on parade” for public display through August. Herky on Parade features the work of local and regional artists sponsored and supported by the cooperative effort of University of Iowa Department of Athletics, Think Iowa City, Iowa City Area Sports Commission, and the cities of Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Solon, Tiffin,.
Following the parade, select Herkys will be auctioned off to support a fund that allows local children the opportunity to attend camps and develop their interests.
Alumni Band Herky was created by two local artists and proud members of the Hawkeye Marching Band (HMB) family. Amanda Stout is a 2017 HMB alumni who played both trumpet and sousaphone and triple majored in music, studio art, and arts management. Stout currently works in the School of Music as administrative specialist and assistant to the director.
Mae Dunning is a third-year art major with a focus on graphic design and has been a member of the HMB for 3 years, where she plays clarinet. “Marching band is something I look forward to every football season,” Dunning says.
“HMB is where I found my community during college,” Stout explains. “It can be overwhelming stepping onto a campus with 30,000 students but because of HMB I really found a family on campus. It allowed me to make connections across the campus because there were music majors but there were also other HMB members from other disciplines and we all came together through our love of the marching band.”
Dr. Eric W. Bush, Associate Director of Bands in the School of Music and Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band, developed the vision for Alumni Band Herky to celebrate HMB’s rich history and the thousands of alumni who have been in the marching band over the years, proudly calling themselves “the heartbeat of the University of Iowa.”
“The Herkys feel like Easter eggs. I light up when I see one,” Dunning enthuses. “When I learned about the opportunity to work on the Herky, I immediately thought about the Marching Band Herky (from 2014). It’s a little outdated. So, I asked Dr. Bush if I could help with the project and then he showed me the design for Alumni Band Herky”—a project already in the works to honor the Iowa Alumni Band’s 50th anniversary this year.
In 2014, during the last Herky on Parade, the HMB sponsored a Herky that would don the marching band’s uniform. However, since then, the HMB uniform has undergone a few changes. This time around, the HMB wanted to create a Herky that would reflect the 140-year legacy of the marching band.
Alumni Band Herky wears a military-style uniform that gives a nod to the band’s historical roots in the UI’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. The HMB began in 1881 as a fledgling, student-led group within the UI’s Military Department (now called the Veteran and Military Community at Iowa) to provide music for military, athletic, ceremonial and concert functions. It wasn’t until 1937 that the marching band officially transitioned from the Military Department to the School of Music.
Alumni Band Herky’s dapper black uniform brings the band’s new Retro Marching Herky logo to life and resembles the HMB’s first uniform in the post-military band era.
“It’s a callback to our origins,” Stout describes the Herky’s design. “It’s timeless. The marching band uniforms are updated so often, but this uniform will always be relevant and important to the marching band. It’s part of our roots.”
The Iowa Alumni Band was created in 1973 and is made up of former HMB members who carry on the beloved musical traditions and friendships well beyond their years at the university. The Iowa Alumni Band does not merely support the current band, but they perform at key UI events such as the annual Homecoming parade.
Alumni Band Herky incorporates mixed-media elements layered with the masterful painting of Stout and Dunning. “We have physical items like buttons, buckles, straps, and hats,” Stout explains. “It was really fun working with different materials.”
“My favorite part of the process was working on the buckles,” Dunning adds. “We weren’t sure we could find a buckle that would fit the curve of Herky’s chest. I’d taken a metal arts class and I thought I could probably make one. It worked out really well, and I enjoyed having the chance to put those skills in action.”
Stout and Dunning have both been working tirelessly to bring this monument to life and are excited for people to see Alumni Band Herky, standing proudly outside the UI Athletics Hall of Fame.
“The Herkys aren’t just a great opportunity to feature the talents of local artists,” Stout says, “they’re also a powerful symbol for our Hawkeye community. Like the Herkys, a Hawkeye can be anyone and do anything. They represent the diverse array of people, personalities, and cultures that make up our community.”
