Crafting "Cheesey" Patriotism - atriotic-themed Sculpture to be
Carved from 5,000-pound Mammoth Cheese

In celebration of Independence Day, Sarah "The Cheese Lady" Kaufmann, a nationally recognized cheese carver and Wisconsin native, will be sculpting a 5,000-pound mammoth Wisconsin cheddar cheese at SAM's Club 7050 Watts Road, Madison, WI. Sarah will carve a patriotic-themed scene featuring popular Wisconsin icons in a "Spirit of '76"-style parade. Famous Wisconsin characters like Bucky Badger, Musky (the state fish), a dairy cow, a cheesehead, a bottle of milk and more will be marching around the 15-foot circumference of the "big cheese." One might even see a carving of the SAM's Club store manager.

The public is invited to view the initial cutting and preparation on Tuesday, July 1, and the carving on July 2, 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Onlookers can also taste the cheese and purchase their own piece of the 5,000-pound mammoth cheese.

"This is a unique opportunity for people of all ages to see and taste a cheese of this mammoth size - 54 inches tall and 60 inches in diameter offered during this special promotion in SAM's Fresh departments," states Kaufmann.

The added perk of seeing the carving come to life is why so many flock to see Sarah "The Cheese Lady.

"This isn't the first time cheese was used for a patriotic reason. In 1801, Elder John Leland of Cheshire, MA, collected milk from members of his congregation to create a 1,200 to 1,600-pound, four-foot wide, 15-inch thick mammoth cheese. The cheese was presented to Thomas Jefferson on January 1, 1802 as a political statement of support for Jefferson. This later inspired President Andrew Jackson's supporters to order a mammoth cheese in 1837. Although Kaufmann's cheese sculpture won't be nearly as partisan, it does come with some precedence.

A mammoth cheese is defined as any artisan, handcrafted cheese larger than 75 pounds. The mammoth cheddar cheese Sarah "The Cheese Lady" will be carving is provided through DCI Cheese Company, a leading supplier of domestic and imported cheeses.

"Folks are amazed at the sizes and can't believe the cheese is real," Kaufmann explains about the mammoths. "They stop dead in their tracks and love to have a taste just to ensure it's real cheese!"

"The Cheese Lady" has been sculpting cheese since 1981. For the past 12 years, she has been commissioned by SAM's Clubs across the nation to carve "big cheeses." She currently carves in her studios in Cincinnati and San Diego, as well as at various venues nationwide. Although Cheddar is the most common, she loves using a variety of cheeses including Provolone, Asiago, White Cheddar and Gruyere. She has carved cheeses as small as two ounces - the F-18 fighter jets she sculpted to land on a six-foot-long 640-pound USS Ronald Regan aircraft carrier - and as large as a 12,500-pound cheddar mammoth inscribed with a fierce dragon. Other notable creations include a 120-pound Mickey Mouse and several personalities (Jay Leno, Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, Mario Andretti and Wisconsin's own Bret Favre).

For more information, please see her website at www.sarahcheeselady.com.

Sarah Kaufmann
Kaufmann, nationally known as "The Cheese Lady," has received hundreds of commissions for her cheese creations, which have captured countless media impressions in print, on radio, and on television newscasts, talk shows, food shows and sportscasts. Kaufmann creates some sculptures in her studio and also appears in person to sculpt cheese at a variety of venues: food & wine festivals, supermarkets, tradeshows, state fairs, sporting events, civic celebrations and other special occasions.

Although Kaufmann loves to incorporate a number of cheese varieties into a sculpture, she most often works with mild golden or white Cheddar, in a range of shapes and sizes. She has carved from ten and forty-pound blocks to 500-pound wheels and a whopping 12,500-pound cheddar mammoth!

Sarah has created many memorable sculptures: corporate and college logos, bigger-than-life trophies, popular cartoon characters, still-life vignettes, detailed city skylines, and life-size busts of celebrities. For example, she has carved likenesses of television personalities (including Jay Leno, Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, Al Roker and Ann Curry, and Marc Sommers), sports stars (Bret Favre and Mario Andretti), and a menagerie of sports mascots (for instance, an amazing six-foot-long Cheddar Gator for the University of Florida football team, many snarling Bucky Badgers, Notre Dame's Fighting Irish and the Chicago Bears). Her carvings have been featured on NBC's The Today Show and Food Network's "Unwrapped," among others.

Kaufmann's unmatched ability to create excitement with her cheese carving has proved to be an effective publicity and education tool for clients of all types and sizes. She enjoys working with small private parties, but she also loves to appear at major public events. In fact, talking with the public as she carves her imaginative cheese creationsis part of the fun for the energetic and outgoing artist.

Traditionally, if you want someone to smile, you ask them to "say cheese!" Another sure way to get a crowd to smile: Show Sarah Kaufmann at work. When people see the sensational cheese carvings created by "The Cheese Lady," smiles just naturally occur.

For information on Sarah Kaufmann Sculptures: www.sarahcheeselady.com