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Three of Austin’s biggest (and strongest) residents have escaped one last mash.
That summer, the owners of the Austin’s Couch Potatoes furniture store announced their statues of three giant potatoes – resting on a huge couch that is a must-see from Interstate 35 that sits outside the company’s North Austin store needed new homes at the end of the year. The owners announced the destination of the potatoes on Friday: COTALAND, a new amusement park planned for the Circuit of the Americas.
The parade was scheduled to begin Friday, and a representative for the Potatoes said they will be ready for photo ops at the circuit in time for the United States Formula One Grand Prix, October 22-24.
Previous reporting:One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, yours? This huge Austin landmark needs a new home
“We are excited that our Couch Potato will stay in Austin and, even better, at COTA’s new amusement park – where it will be viewed and enjoyed by thousands of guests year round,” said Brian Morgan, co-owner of Austin’s Couch Potatoes in a statement.
According to a press release, COTALAND is to open next summer “with over 18 rides and attractions for children and families, including three roller coasters”. It will be located in the large square of the racetrack complex.
The owners of Austin’s Couch Potatoes recently lost their lease in the original Potato Statue House at 10500 N. I-35, prompting the owners to seek public proposals to move the installation.
What became a “giant statue of the sofa gods,” as Morgan called it in a July interview with the American Statesman, began as the furniture store’s out-of-the-box marketing ploy. In just under a decade, it became a roadside attraction for highway travelers. The structure sits 22 feet high and 34 feet long. Morgan estimated the project cost around $ 70,000.
The potatoes (named after the store’s co-founders Brian, Travis, and Dan) were designed by artist Andy Davis, who used to work on amusement park props and made the move to COTALAND appropriate. Artists Faith Schexnayder and Ryan Day worked with Davis on the project, and Jerry Fryer directed construction. The potatoes and their sofa frame are constructed from plywood, cement, foam, wire mesh, and mastic. The spuds were painted with weatherproof paint.
The whole installation won’t make the move, however. Austin-based matriarch Metalwork is designing a new sofa for the Spuds to move around the amusement park, according to a press release. That means that the owners of Austin’s Couch Potatoes are still looking for a new owner for the original giant sofa. Interested parties can send an email to bigmove@austincouches.com.
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