If you’ve spent free time walking around Colgate University’s campus, you may have spotted a hidden gem: small frogs wearing a number 13 jersey. These stickers have been tucked into signposts, walls and other unexpected corners. While many students have spotted these small frog stickers scattered around campus, few students know the story behind them.
These charming frog stickers were created by junior Lauren Widdowson while she was taking ART 131: Public Art and Public Space, taught by Professor DeWitt Godrey. In this class, students learned about how street art impacts public spaces, and they were tasked with coming up with their own contributions to Colgate’s art scene. Widdowson was inspired to explore how her own art could impact Colgate’s campus.
As the class came up with their designs, Widdowson settled on what is now the ubiquitous frog wearing a number 13 jersey. After designing the initial character, she made new designs with outfits inspired by sports including football, basketball, soccer and cheerleading. Widdowson said that, while Colgate does have a vibrant art scene, it often goes unrecognized, and she emphasized how she wanted to add a fun twist to on-campus art, hoping that it might add some extra spontaneity to people’s day.
“Someone could spot a frog and then be on the lookout from there on out … I put them all around campus for people to find throughout their day,” Widdowson said.
Widdowson shared that she was grateful for the support her project received across campus.
“I was hearing positive feedback throughout campus, and I’ve heard many stories of people talking about how much they wanted one,” Widdowson said. “Specifically, my cheerleader frog was popular among the faculty, and I was told professors were calling it the ‘cheer frog.’”
Widdowson mentioned that her inspiration came from seeing frogs interact in the natural world and how that draws parallels to the way students and faculty engage with life on campus.
“I really like how frogs move through the world. They hop happily from place to place, often going unnoticed,” she said.
Growing up on the Chesapeake Bay, Widdowson often saw frogs and toads moving through her yard during the summer months.
“When I was younger, I loved watching them travel through my yard. So when I started thinking about a symbol I could place around campus, frogs felt perfect,” Widdowson said. “My stickers could represent a secret frog hopping around Colgate’s campus — something only people who are looking for it might notice.”
With the recent surge in the frog’s popularity, Widdowson started making more frog stickers and sold some at the Colgate Muse pop-up sale. She is interested in selling more and spreading them throughout campus.
“I create new designs all the time whenever I get the chance. I’ve made a science frog, a frog in [pajamas], a Santa frog and many more,” she said.
Widdowson plans to minor in art, and hopes to incorporate design and art into her career and everyday life.
“I think creative aspects in day-to-day life really pull people in. I’m so happy to see Colgate students loving the frog, and I hope people keep looking for them around campus,” Widdowson said. “It just makes me so happy that something I made in my art course has had such a long-lasting, positive effect.”
As the semester reaches its halfway point and we rush to finish strong, it’s worth slowing down long enough to spot a frog. What started as a class assignment has become a meaningful piece of Colgate campus life. As noted in the class, art doesn’t have to be in a gallery to be important. Keep your eyes open, and, if you happen to come across a frog posted up in a secret nook on campus, enjoy the discovery.
