Art or awful mess?
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- June
- 24
A psychedelic storefront in Nyack has the usually liberal, artsy community divided over the definitio of “art.” The newest renter of the space on North Broadway that was the former home of the Ben Franklin Bookshop is Carol McIlmurray, who has been painting and repainting the facade.
Some are defending McIlmurray and her artistic creations, like this reader:
People have to stop being so uptight. Leave the hippie chick alone. Let her paint all day long!
While another wrote:
Jeeez, it’s Nyack; whaddya expect — haven for the artsy crowd and their culture of ….well, culture, I guess. If you don’t find it all so amusing, stick to the Starbuck’s at the mall.
Others think that McIlmurray is painting the store to draw attention to her new business:
Talk about free advertising!
one person said of the story in the paper, while another added:
Obviously this woman did this to bring attention to the new store she is opening, creating controversy is a great way for free publicity.
Another reader wrote:
Personally I think it looks dumpy and sloppy, bordering on childish with perhaps a tweak of mental queerness. I can see how upsetting it could be to some. Then again, Nyack could use a little odd attention.
Someone else turned to poetry:
Since we’re talking about artful expression I’ve decided to offer a haiku to describe how I feel:
Broadway in summer
Pointless eyesore masked as art
Annoying person
Finally, one reader summed up the controversy this way:
What one considers art, others consider graffitti. Personally, in a year no one will remember the store or her.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 at 11:24 am by Tracey Princiotta.
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How interesting that a community that was determined to save the Helen Hayes Theater (now Riverspace Arts)in order to preserve local access to an array of performing arts can be so vitriolic about one artist’s self expression. Van Gogh only managed to sell one painting in his lifetime and his art was publicly panned by critic and citizen alike. Look how it all turned out. Carol McIlmurray may not be the next Van Gogh but wouldn’t it be great if her window ends up in some patron’s collection? You just have to enjoy someone willing to poke her paint smeared finger in the public’s hypocritical eye. You go, girl.
Does anyone have pixx of this?? I don’t get to Nyack that often.
Look it’s can’t be that out there??? Just look at the wild pink and Puple restaurant in Brewster! and the woman has a gallery in Katonah as well! Pink still sells! LOL!! let it go, they’re bigger fish to fry!