A flock of chicken sculptures is roosting this summer around the Marietta Square.

The "lil' chickens of marietta" is a public art project to benefit nonprofits and charities.

Andy Sharp/asharp@ajc.com/ (ENLARGE)

Carmen Vargas snaps a cellphone photo of son Jonathan, 4, as he poses in front of one of the 'Lil Chickens of Marietta.'

Andy Sharp/asharp@ajc.com/ (ENLARGE)

This one is called 'Good Morning Sunshine.'

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Donors paid $3,000 to $10,000 to place 16 chickens in public spaces in Marietta.

After the exhibit ends in late October, the brightly painted 5-foot-tall sculptures will be sold at an auction.

Local artists painted the fiberglass flock to resemble Marietta's 56-foot-tall landmark, the Big Chicken at Roswell Road and Cobb Parkway. Each mini-chick, though, has a theme.

The "Flew the Coop" chicken at United Community Bank on Cherokee Street has goggles and plane propellers for wings. The bank is sponsoring the bird to help the fledgling Aviation Museum & Discovery Center.

Bank executive Joe Daniell said people are noticing the bird on the lawn and asking to have their picture made with the "plane" bird. Daniell likes the idea of a picture of Chet Austin, former president of Tip Top Poultry, with the chicken.

Tracy Young, one of the leaders behind the project, said folks are excited about the chickens on the Marietta Square.

The sculptures include "Good Morning Sunshine," a bird with a bloom of flowers on its sides and a bluebird nesting on its head; "Strand," which honors Friends of the Strand Theatre chairman Earl Smith and "Past the Big Chicken," a chicken with a sense of the city's history.

Chicken sculptures are also landing in front of the Marietta Museum of History and at a housing and retail development on Roswell Street.

Where the chickens roost

"Flew the Coop," United Community Bank, 200 Cherokee St., Marietta.

"Museum Mice," Marietta Museum of History, 1 Depot St., Marietta.

"Good Morning Sunshine," 218 Roswell St., Meeting Park, Marietta.

"Strand," "Past the Big Chicken," "Newspaper Chicken," "Dr. WellStar," Game Hen" and "Under my Wing" around the Marietta Square.

"Zydeco," the Center for Family Resources, 995 Roswell St., Marietta on July 15

Nine sculptures are already out and seven more will be placed by July 15 including Center for Family Resources chicken.