Massive cheddar sculpture wows Indiana State Fair visitors
The Indiana State Fair is once again home to an extraordinary dairy creation — a 1,400-pound cheese sculpture unveiled by the American Dairy Association Indiana. Crafted by renowned cheese artist Sarah Kaufmann, also known as “The Cheese Lady,” the sculpture is made from yellow and white cheddar donated by Pace Dairy in Crawfordsville. It is on display in the Agriculture Horticulture Building until Sunday, August 17.
Brooke Williams, Director of Communications for the association, called it “an awe-inspiring attraction at the Indiana State Fair” and praised Kaufmann’s ability to create memorable masterpieces year after year. Visitors inspired by the sculpture are encouraged to stop by the Dairy Bar for a milkshake or grilled cheese sandwich.
Sarah Kaufmann’s journey into cheese sculpting began in 1981 when she worked as a commercial artist for the American Dairy Association of Wisconsin. By 1996, she had turned her part-time craft into a full-time career. She has created more than 4,000 sculptures for events nationwide — from small cheese pets to a 12,500-pound Texas dragon. Her impressive achievements include two Guinness World Records for the world’s largest cheese carvings.
“Cheese found me!” said Sarah Kaufman, a.k.a. “The Cheese Lady”. “I was so busy carving cheese that I had to quit my real job to have time to do my unreal job of carving cheese!” And she’s been sculpting cheese across the U.S. ever since. Sarah has sculpted at supermarkets, tradeshows, conventions, sporting events, hall of fame celebrations, TV network talk and news shows, for social media, blogs, state fairs, festivals, and special events of all kinds – birthdays, weddings, bah mitzvahs, anniversaries, retirements – “You name it, I’ve carved for it.”
After the fair, the sculpture will be taken to BioTown Ag and turned into energy, giving this dairy showpiece a sustainable second life.
Photo Credit: American-Dairy-Association-Indiana