Kickstarter campaign raising $10,000 for a 15-foot inflatable ‘Trumpy’ rat
As a symbol of resistance to the Trump administration, Chelsea-based contemporary art gallery BravinLee created a Kickstarter to raise $10,000 for an inflatable, 15-foot rat sporting a comb-over and an ill-fitting suit (complete with an inflatable piece of scotch tape to ensure his tie won’t blow in the wind) that will be placed outside Trump Tower. As the A.V. Club learned, artist Jeffrey Beebe was inspired by Scabby the Rat, the inflatable rat that attends union strikes to signal unfair and unsafe practices by management. With the deadline to fund “Trumpy the Rat” set for April 19, the project has raked in just over $5,500.
While outside of Trump Tower will remain his permanent residence, Trumpy will be available to make appearances at protests and rallies. Those who donate to the fund can expect different levels of rewards, which include attending a free picnic to witness the inflation, original artwork of Trumpy the Rat by artist Jeffrey Beebe, and a Trumpy the Rat t-shirt.
As their Kickstarter states, BravinLee and Jeffrey Beebe will receive no financial benefit from the project: “Beyond the obvious our larger purpose is to show how artists, art and the creative community can play a meaningful role during these dark times. We are the ones that need to make America great again–or at least as okay as it was last year.”
After the campaign reaches its goal of $10,000, it will then take 12 weeks to complete fabrication and delivery of the inflatable rat to Trump Towers. BravinLee said if the funds raised exceed their goal, they will continue to make as many rats as they can. Trumpy the Rat is expected to be inflated this July.
[Via The A.V. Club]
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Renderings and drawing by Jeffrey Beebe, courtesy BravinLee
