Artist J.A. Cobb’s favorite thing about his job happens when people least expect it. Once his statues are installed and opening ceremonies are over, Cobb prefers to stay a little while longer, just to observe. Leaning back, far away from the crowd, Cobb stands listening and watching, soaking in the reactions his statues provoke in passersby.
“They start usually by seeing the frog, going towards the frog, starting to see the details that I put in, cuff links, knuckles on their little fingers, things that I can do to give them personality,” Cobb said. “And then they start calling people over to come see, Go look at this hand! Look at it’s feet! Come look at this! So, to me, I love the fact that these are endearing to a lot of people.”
In February of 2021, we wrote an article about the plight of the Johnny Appleseed Museum and Educational Center and the work of the Johnny Appleseed Founda