PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) — Up until now, all we’ve been able to show you are shots of a 54-foot duck, which visited the harbor in Hong Kong. The one that’s docking here in Pittsburgh is just a bit smaller.
The 40-foot tall yellow rubber duck began floating up the Ohio River earlier this afternoon.
Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman says his Rubber Duck Project takes art to the people, in what he calls a global bathtub.
KDKA’s David Highfield Reports:
“If you go to a museum or a gallery, normally you buy a ticket and you see art. And you know you’re going to see art. And here, you get art,” he says. “You bump into art.”
PHOTO GALLERIES:
The Clemente Bridge was shut down at noon to prepare for stage, shows and other events to welcome the Rubber Ducky as it sails down the river to its mooring place at the bridge.
KDKA’s David Highfield Reports:
The party kicked off at 5:30 p.m.
“We’re going to have 65 vendors – food vendors, local artists, local shops and stores,” said Jen Owen, of Flyspace Productions. “They’re going to set up tents right along here, really fun. We’ll also have a DJ on the stage right here behind and that’s going to help us bring in the duck.”
The party kicks off the Pittsburgh Festival of Firsts, a series of art events and performances sponsored by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
KDKA’s David Highfield Reports:
Each city builds its own duck, and the whole project includes massive pontoons, crews to inflate and deflate the duck, and in Pittsburgh, alerting the Coast Guard to the unusual maritime creation.
The duck will be moored near PNC Park and Heinz Field until late October.
KDKA’s Dave Crawley Reports:
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RELATED LINKS:
Giant Rubber Duck’s Arrival Kicks Off Festival Of Firsts (9/25/13)
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