Art in motion: Chicago had cows, Cincinnati had pigs, indy has race-car art all over town. (Opener).

The people at the 500 Festival freely admit that it's not an entirely original idea, but they're thrilled at how well their massive display of public art has gone over. Of course it helps that, in a city not well known for public art on a big scale, their campaign focuses on race cars.

The non-profit 500 Festival organization--which coordinates events celebrating Indianapolis 500, including the annual parade and mini-marathon--this year launched Art in Motion, asking businesses to sponsor publicly displayed race-car replicas downtown and across the city, each decorated in a unique fashion by an artist.

Sound familiar? Think "Cows on Parade," the 1999 Chicago exhibit that featured hundreds of cow statues elaborately decorated by local artists. Or the "Big Pig Gig," in which more than 400 colorful pig statues herded in Cincinnati in 2000. Naples, Florida, did it last year with gators. Other cities have planned public art displays surrounding horses moose and lizards. "We got the idea from other cities," acknowledges Deborah Coons, chief marketing officer for the 500 Festival.

But so what if Indy's race-car art extravaganza isn't a new concept? It might, at least, be a pioneer in featuring something other than an animal. And it's been a rousing success, with 81 sponsored cars displayed across the city, many of which will be auctioned later this month to benefit the festival's foundation and the Herron School of Art. Organizers view the event both as a show of public support for the arts and a way to attract attention to the city.

Some of the entries are, indeed, attention-getting. One designed by cartoonist Jim Davis has Garfield in the driver's seat. One called "Lettermanlapolis" has a New York Yankees cap, a driver with prominent gap teeth and wheels decked out as pies (baked by Dave's mom?). Former driver Johnny Rutherford designed a car, and there's one created by renowned pop artist Peter Max, though most are done by local artists.

"We have one done by two artists who went to school here in Indiana and met here in 1968. They wanted to do a car depicting themselves," says Coons. The result, "Brickyard Bug," shows two hippies in a race car disguised as a Volkswagen.

Art in Motion already has made the American Automobile Association's travel magazine, and Coons says USA Today has expressed interest. She also expects the "Lettermanlapolis" car to get some notice. "Letterman's TV show producers are very interested in featuring it on the show," she says. "I know the other cities' exhibits have gotten national publicity, so we think we will too."

The cars can be seen not only downtown but online at www.500festival.com. The 500 Festival organization's Web site also has a map of locations of the various cars.

MOOSE ON THE TABLE

You've mastered the art of swimming with the sharks, and you're well aware of who moved your cheese. But have you figured out what to do with that moose?

Randall Tobias can tell you. The retired CEO of Eli Lilly & Co. this month is releasing Put the Moose on the Table: Lessons in Leadershp from a CEO'S Journey Through Business and Life, a combination memoir and leadership book he wrote with his son, Todd.

So what's with the moose? It's a phrase Tobias is said to have used frequently when discussing matters with colleagues at Lilly. It has to do with openly, honestly and fully dealing with those big and tough issues that you might rather ignore but are staring you in the face. Tobias apparently used the phrase around the home, too, as Todd picked it up when launching a publishing company, Table Moose Media, to run Indy Men's Magazine.

The elder Tobias has packed the book full of nuggets and lessons from his time running Lilly and, before that, as vice chairman of AT&T. A common theme is that change is not only inevitable, but in fact is changing itself. Change, according to Tobias, should not only be managed but embraced as a competitive advantage: "Responding to the unrelenting pressures of change provides an ongoing test of one's character and values."

Put the Moose on the Table explores Tobias' small-town roots in the Indiana community of Remington, and how his family and mentors taught him values that evolved into business strategies. The seed of his views on succession planning came from his grade-school music teacher, and his belief in management through total immersion was sparked by his experience working after school at Peck's market.

Tobias, in fact, is not shy about giving others credit for many of the ideas he imparts. "Leaders almost always think out of the box," he writes. "They listen, observe, share ideas and shamelessly borrow from the experiences of others."

The book is published by Indiana University Press and hits the shelves this month. Randall and Todd Tobias will be signing copies from 2-5 p.m. June 7 at the Borders store near Keystone at the Crossing in Indianapolis.