THERE’S NOT MUCH BETTER THAN BUTTER

A black and white minimalist illustration of a city skyline with tall buildings.

Large yellow butter sculpture of a train with animals, including a rabbit, bear, and a horse, displayed behind glass.

In case you weren’t aware, the State Fair of Texas features a vast creative arts exhibition every year, showcasing the many talents of the many, many Texans. Among these creations is the annual butter sculpture. Yes, butter sculpture. What began as a means of celebrating Texas agriculture and showcasing the importance of dairy farming to the Texas economy, has become a beloved spectator tradition.

A block of butter and a loaf of slightly burnt bread on crumpled aluminum foil, with a butter knife spreading butter on the bread.

A young woman sitting outside a rustic house, reading a book, with a small dog nearby, and a barrel and a basket on the ground next to her.

Butter Sculpture Beginnings

The first known butter sculptor was actually a butter sculptress, Caroline Shawk Brooks. A farmer’s wife, Caroline was no stranger to churning and working with butter. She tried her hand at sculpting it in 1867. Despite Caroline’s early fame, butter sculpture didn’t have its heyday until the 1930s when refrigeration became widely available and the butter could be kept cold. It became so popular that it was adopted by the American dairy industry as a marketing tool to promote real butter over butter substitutes like margarine. Some might say that butter has been enjoying a moment again recently with the popularity of butter yellow in fashion and brands like Bose paying homage with its butter shaped speakers.

There’s an Official Butter Sculptor

The butter sculpture has been a tradition at The Texas State Fair for 25 years. Austin native Tom Roberts is the reigning butter sculptor in residence at the State Fair. His standard medium is bronze “for the longevity,” but he says sculpting in butter gives him “a chance to be a kid.” His larger than life butter sculptures are crafted in a refrigerated room on the fairgrounds, which is typically kept at a frosty 22 degrees. The creations are typically made from around 1,000 lbs. of butter, though they can contain other base materials such as fabric, cardboard, pvc and styrofoam.

Yellow neon sign that says 'BUTTER' against a dark background with metal scaffolding surrounding it.

The People’s Art

In 2021, the State Fair of Texas created an amateur mini butter sculpture competition, in which amateurs can compete using 1 lb. of butter or less. They’re displayed in a refrigerated case alongside the official creation.

We Know What You’re Thinking

What kind of butter is used, and what happens to the butter once the Fair is over? The unsalted butter used for the main sculpture is provided by the exhibit’s sponsor, Southwest Dairy Farmers. When the Fair concludes, any salvageable butter is scraped into five-gallon containers and stored for next year’s display.