My office is on New York City’s Halloween street. We’re expecting 3,000 – 5,000 trick-or-treaters. Everyone decorates their brownstones and flower beds. This year, I made 3 displays with my friend, Lauren.
Display #1: Ghost of Lily, the Central Park Zoo Polar Bear (1987- 2004)
“Lily was the beloved companion of Gus, a 700-pound polar bear that mesmerized tourists. He swam lap after lap in figure-eight patterns, pawing his way through the water with powerful backstrokes. He did this for as many as 12 hours a day. Every day. Every week. Every month. Lily would grin and bear it.
Materials: I used office shreddings, a dollar store mask, masking tape, plastic Chinese Restaurant soup containers, bubble wrap, a plastic serving bowl (belly), a Dollar Store child’s tutu, and newspaper to make her!).
Inspiration: I had no plans to make this bear until I received a package that arrived with pink bubble wrap. I couldn’t stop wondering if I could make a tutu using it!
Display #2: The Amy Wine “Haunted” House Twins:
“Rockstar Amy Winehouse died too soon
She misused hard drugs
drank too much booze
Maybe a lesson for October
is to remember you can make great art even when you’re sober”
Materials: I used Diet Coke bottles (shoes), hangers, newspaper, Dollar Store masks, pipe cleaners, Target (dress), water bottles, 1-gallon water jugs (heads), styrofoam balls, takeaway food serving utensils (hands), yarn, shower loofa (flower), yarn (hair), masking tape, and office shredding to make these beauties).
Inspiration: I adored my friend Catherine Schuller’s beautiful fascinator made out of water bottles that she wore for Halloween a few years back, so I challenged myself to build something out of my recycling pile.
Display #3: Real-Life Van der Voort Sister Ghosts. These beauties will make their debut later today! When I googled ‘Central Park Ghosts,’ I found a few articles about the two Victorian sisters, Janet and Rosetta Van der Voort, who haunt the ice rink in Central Park. Their story has such Gothic overtones that I got carried away. I produced a short audio story (with the help of Lorraine Brooks, Wendy Radford, Verna Henry, and Lauren Ricks), designed an art installation, and recruited my boyfriend, Joe, a found art sculptor, to create an additional display. I can’t wait to share it with you! Happy Halloween!
