SAN ANGELO, Texas — Have you ever noticed unique sheep across San Angelo? Well there is a special history behind them many aren’t aware of.
These sheep came about when the promotions committee of Downtown San Angelo Inc. needed a fundraising idea for the organization. They then came up with the idea to have fiberglass sheep be displayed in front of organizations to signify the San Angelo heritage. Now it’s known as the Sheep Spectacular Project.
The history of the sheep in San Angelo dates back to when the town was once known as the Wool Capital of the World.
San Angelo hosted the Miss Wool Pageant of America from 1952-1972. Instead of attempting to revitalize the pageant, Downtown San Angelo Assistant Director Ashley Perales said they decided utilizing a sheep for local businesses to sponsor would be a better concept.
“The Sheep Spectacular has really been a wonderful fundraiser, not just for the organization, but as well as helping the community see our history. Each sheep has its own personality and they are coined with a you name "ewes"-d. This is a term used for a female sheep, which again ties back to the Miss Wool Pageant.”
There are more than 110 special sheep spread across San Angelo, and Velocity Tire revealed its sheep Monday.
To make these sheep look special, local artists design each and every one. Perales said she loves displaying her artwork for the community to see.
“So this is my third one. I actually have two in the process, so I will have five total by hopefully the end of the week. But I loved doing this one. This is like the one that screams Texas. I think it represents Texas and San Angelo very well. It promotes the business, but it also promotes the local artist. I love that they pick locals to showcase our work,” Perales said.
To help locals and tourists find these historic sheep across San Angelo, Downtown San Angelo is creating a map to help spot these different sheep across the Concho Valley.
If you want to join the Sheep Spectacular Project and have a sheep outside your business or you’re an artist interested in painting a sheep, visit the Downtown San Angelo project to apply.