Artist covers Wyoming house with hot cheese

By Becky Bohrer, The Associated Press, Posted October 18 2001, 8:45 AM EDT

Sun-Sentinel Link

Cosimo Cavallaro has a vision -- and it involves cheese. Tons and tons of cheese, in fact. Enough cheese to blanket a house. The New York artist began spraying hot pepperjack cheese in the bedroom of a vacant home Tuesday. By the time he's done, 12,000 pounds of cheese will cover the home, inside and out.

Welcome to the Wyoming Cheese House, the latest project for an artist who lays claim to having covered a hotel room and the model Twiggy in cheese. Now he's set his sights on a bigger target.

Cavallaro explains his interest in cheese this way: "It's milk. It's life."

Sharon Earhart, the executive director of the Powell Chamber of Commerce, sees the project as fun, a bit silly and reason enough for a parade. She's involved in "Cheesefest" scheduled Oct. 27, which will feature a parade and a cheese king and queen.

Other residents are, well, cheesed.

Jim Montoya, a neighbor, sees it as a nuisance that could attract not only mice and birds but also more people to what he says is a normally quiet neighborhood.

And Bob Mueller sees the project as a mistake that could make this north Wyoming farming community of 5,373 a laughingstock.

Besides, he said, "I don't consider painting something with food art."

With some help, Cavallaro began Tuesday to melt down the cheese. He and his helpers cut off chunks -- whitish-yellow and dotted with red and green -- that were placed in barrels surrounded by heated water.

Cavallaro said he planned to use about 12,000 pounds of cheese, which aides said was not suitable to eat.

A pump sent the warmed cheese through a hose, spurting it into the house. As it hit the brown walls, floral-print curtain and furniture, the cheese gave off a warm, pleasant aroma.

Cavallaro's vision through art, he said, "is beauty."

Mayor Jim Milburn was one of a number of people who stopped for a peek. "It looks like a work in progress," he said. "I didn't really have a concept of what to expect. The color gives it a nice texture."

Earhart said Cavallaro's project and resulting media coverage gives city leaders a chance to showcase Powell as a possible attraction for families and new businesses.

Demolition of the house, which has been vacant for some time, is scheduled to begin about Nov. 1, Milburn said.

That may not be soon enough for Montoya. "It sure doesn't look like art, and I have a feeling it's going to smell," he said. It may not have been so bad, he said, "if it was not 12 feet from my bed."

Copyright © 2001, The Associated Press

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

Answers

Ewwwwww! What are the temps in Wyoming today? LOL Made me hungry, though. Off to breakfast!

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

Cheesy story.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

"Demolition of the house, which has been vacant for some time, is scheduled to begin about Nov. 1"

Wonder how they intend to dispose of this glop. What if the local C&D landfill won't take it? Maybe it's (or about to turn into) hazardous waste that needs special handling.

Idiot. Makes me appreciate my low key neighbors more.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

oooooooooooooooooooooo! Pictures!!!!!!! ROTFL~!!!!!

If you go to the link, there are photos there!

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2001