Despite a history of badgering Brookline residents, turkeys in the town are being honored with 10 new “slightly larger-than-life” sculptures in hopes of attracting tourists, a town official said Tuesday.
“The turkeys own the town, the residents are just living in it,” said Aaron Norris, economic development planner for the town, in a phone interview as he recalled a recent comment from a resident.
Brookline will install 10 fiberglass turkey sculptures in 2024 using COVID relief funds with the goal of adding a “touch of whimsy and charm” to the town and bringing economic benefits, according to Norris and the town’s website.
“Our goal and our main force behind trying to get these sculptures out is not only artistic, but financials,” Norris said. “Hopefully, when all is said and done, Brookline and the business community will benefit from these gracing our town streets and commercial areas.”
Turkeys were killed off in Massachusetts in the 1850s, and then 37 birds were reintroduced to the Berkshires in the 1970s, according to the state’s Division of Fisheries and Wildlife website. Now, about 30,000 to 35,000 birds roam Massachusetts, according to the website.
Brookline Animal Control Officer Brian Bridges said a couple of years ago the turkeys were a problem, but now “everyone has gotten used to them.”
Still, on a busy month, he might get 20 calls from Brookline residents about aggressive turkeys, turkeys blocking traffic, or injured turkeys.
The town of Brookline allocated $225,000, from federal funds received in the American Rescue Plan Act, in 2022 to four public art initiatives run by Brookline Art Makes Community, a town steering committee, according to Norris.
“The town, through its participation in the local rapid recovery plan identified public art and placemaking as ways of helping our business and arts community who were disproportionally impacted by the COVID pandemic,” Norris said.
“Turkeys Around Town,” one of the four initiatives, will pay “tribute to the unofficial mascots of Brookline,” the town’s website said.
“Every time we’ve asked the community what types of public art they want to see, every time we’ve asked them the types and categories and the themes within the public art, every single time, Brookline turkeys has come up,” Norris said. “‘The turkeys, the turkeys, you’ve got to include the turkeys.’”
The public art initiative is modeled off of the Chicago CowParade in 1999 which installed over 300 life-sized cow statues and brought in close to $200 million in additional tourist revenue, Norris said.
Five of the “slightly larger-than-life” turkeys will be installed around July 2024 at the Brookline Village MBTA Stop, Coolidge Corner Plaza, Washington Square MBTA Stop, St. Mary’s MBTA Stop, and Washington & Walnut, Norris said.
Norris said the goal is for the five other turkeys to be seen at Centre Street Lot, FRR School Green, Brookline Village Library, Coolidge Corner Library, and Putterham Circle Library, by Thanksgiving in November 2024.
The town is looking for artist’s proposals to design and decorate the “avian canvases,” as well as asking residents to participate in an online poll, according to the town’s website.
A couple dozen proposals have been submitted since the plan was announced, Norris said, and each artist will receive an $1,000 “honorarium award.”
The deadline for submission is Friday, March 29 at 12 p.m., according to the town’s website.
Ava Berger can be reached at ava.berger@globe.com. Follow her @Ava_Berger_.