TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Dozens of colorful, whimsical elephants will be decorated by local artists and placed around the city of Tampa during the Republican National Convention.
    
The elephant is the symbol of the Republican Party, which is holding its convention Aug. 27-30 in downtown Tampa.
    
The Tampa Tribune (http://bit.ly/Mu6VKl) reports that about 30 local artists will decorate the fiberglass elephant sculptures. They are designed to hang on interior and exterior walls. The elephants are mounted rather than free-standing to cut down on costs and reduce the risk of being vandalized.
    
Each sculpture is sponsored by a person or business at a cost of $1,500 to $2,000, which includes the artist fee. Sponsors can keep the artwork or donate it after the convention.
    
The project has been dubbed "Herd About Tampa Bay."

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)