Alien Sculpture Clive Lands in Covington

AlloyFX founder and Clive creator Marc Phelps poses with the alien in progress Photo: Provided by meetNKY

Covington is experiencing its first contact with alien life at the unveiling of the new art installation, “Clive,” Friday.

Clive the alien is landing in Covington’s Midtown Parking Garage at Fifth and Scott streets, where he’ll be among us Earthlings for a limited time. The out-of-this-world sculpture was created by Covington’s AlloyFX and is made out of fiberglass and Styrofoam.

Clive is one of a dozen unique art installations that are part of the city’s Quality of Place grant program. The program aims to enhance the appearance of Covington’s business districts through public art and other creative elements on fixtures like benches and bike racks. meetNKY partnered with AlloyFX to provide additional funding to bring Clive to Earth.

“Our team has been involved in some insane installations and projects over the years, but never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d be bringing an alien to our neighborhood,” AlloyFX owner and partner Marc Phelps said in a press release. “Clive would not be possible without the support from strategic partners and sponsors like meetNKY and the City of Covington. We appreciate doing business in a city that embraces creativity and provides public avenues for artists to share their works in.”

To celebrate the extraterrestrial arrival, a special unveiling was held Friday afternoon. meetNKY also teamed up with Braxton Brewing Co. to create a limited-edition Clive Key Lime Berliner, which was inspired by the alien’s emerald-green skin. Braxton will hold a special release party Friday from 4-8 p.m. Attendees can also get a glow-in-the-dark Clive t-shirt, make tin foil hats and more.

Braxton Brewing Co.’s Clive Key Lime Berliner Photo: Provided by meetNKY

Clive’s origin story

According to a press release, Clive’s origin story is as follows: “In the vibrant galaxy of Artalon, there lived a mischievous green alien named Clive. Clive is a Squizzle, a species known for their love of pranks and exploration. One day, as he was zipping through the cosmos in his interstellar rainbow racer, he caught a glimpse of the shimmering city of Covington, Ky., below.

Intrigued by the rumors of Covington’s thriving creative community and innovative businesses, Clive couldn’t resist the urge to take a closer look. He parked his racer atop a multi-story parking garage and pulled out his trusty magnifying glass. With his emerald skin glowing in excitement, he leaned over, spying on the city’s inhabitants below.

The people of Covington were a kaleidoscope of talent, and Clive couldn’t stop looking as he saw groups of people making creative installations for the community and artists transforming building walls into captivating masterpieces. Inspired by the ingenuity and joyous atmosphere, Clive is deciding to stay for a while.

He uses a magnifying glass to examine the creative brains and report back an explanation for the entrepreneurship and creativity of the beings living and working in Covington. He is still determining how long he will stay but hopes he gets his mission extended. He knows that Covington’s spirit of creativity will stay with him wherever his intergalactic adventures might lead him next.”