Ask any Iowa native what to see at the Iowa State Fair, and nine times out of 10, the butter cow will come up as a must-see.

Unfortunately, Norma “Duffy” Lyon’s tenure as the state’s official “Butter Cow Lady” has come to a close as of 2006, but Iowa isn’t through with her yet.

Lyon has sculpted a life-sized bronze sculpture of a Jersey cow for Iowa State’s Dairy/Animal Science Education and Discovery Facility.

The new facility is not finished yet – it should open some time in the summer or early fall. The sculpture – nicknamed “Jersey Jewel” – is currently on display in the lobby of Kildee Hall.

In January 2005, University Museums began the process of attaining a new piece of art for the Dairy/Animal Science Facility, and eventually approached Lyon for the job.

Lyon, an animal science alumna, said the commission “sort of fulfilled a dream.”

“It’s just one of those things that happened in my life, and I’m pleased with the outcome, and I think they are, too,” she said.

The artist said she spent seven months on the sculpture – which Lyon refers to as if it were a living, breathing cow.

While working on “Jersey Jewel,” Lyon said she spent approximately five-and-a-half hours a day in a friend’s shed, bringing life to metal and clay.

In mid-July, the university made an appointment for the cow to be cast in bronze. “Jersey Jewel” was then shipped to Polich Art Foundry, in Rock Tavern, N.Y., for her metallic makeover.

The people who cast “Jersey Jewel” made a few alterations. For example, they darkened the feet, eyes, end of the nose and tail switch.

All of these minor touches pleased the original artist. She said they “brought some life to [Jersey Jewel].

“They knew what they were doing,” Lyon said.

Lyon carries a modest self-consciousness at the thought of thousands of young people who had seen her butter creations over the years walking past her bronze sculpture every day on their way to class.

While “Jersey Jewel” is as she said, “the best likeness of a cow I’ve ever made,” Lyon has all the sculpture’s little flaws mapped out in her mind. She speaks of her creation almost as a caring mother speaks of her home – carrying an ever-present mental diagram of all its worry-points.

“Jersey Jewel’s” “worry-points” have to do with the quality of the cow. Lyon is a dairy farmer with her husband, and has been around animal husbandry all of her life.

She looks at her work not only through the eyes of an artist, but the eyes of someone who’s evaluated, fed and milked real cows over the years.

As she discussed “Jersey Jewel,” a flood of thoughts – some very critical, others referring to flaws as mere “trifles” – came out as her mind’s eye went over the entire surface of the sculpture.

All in all, however, she said she’s happy with the outcome.

“I did the best I could,” she said.

Lynette Pohlman, director of University Museums, said there were multiple reasons Lyon was chosen as the artist for this new addition to campus.

Lyon is respected in the state of Iowa not only as an artist, but also as an excellent farmer.

She and her husband, Pohlman said, “have been leaders in the dairy industry.”

Lyon studied with Christian Petersen, whose sculptures grace many locations on campus. Petersen, like Lyon, participated in sculpture demonstrations at the Iowa State Fair.

“She is important to Iowa and she’s important to Iowa State, in both her art capacity and her animal husbandry capacity,” Pohlman said.

“[Lyon is] very unique,” she said.