Today I was running a work errand that took me to the Arsenal in Central Park. They have free art exhibits on the third floor (also the employees' break/lunch room) and right now it's their annual Wreath Interpretations. The lobby of the Arsenal is a piece of art itself.
There were traditional wreaths, fun wreaths, funny wreaths, and serious wreaths made out of every type of material imaginable. One was made out of zip ties and another called I ❤️ Coffee was made entirely of the flattened coffee cups sleeves. There was one made of CDs and a crocheted wreath. Another made of sharpened pencils called Wreath, You Have a Point! Some were painted – inside a frying pan or on wood. There was a digital print and another of beads made to look pixelated. Lots of metal wreaths and others of natural materials. And a map of all the parks in the NYC Parks Department drawn/painted in the shape of a wreath.
Here are some of them:
Coquito Dreams by Debbie Quiñones: Wire base, ribbon, coquito bottle, coconuts, plastic flowers, cinnamon sticks.
Stickball Stories by Alexis Sabater: Foamboard base, small stickball bats, something made to look like Pensy Pinkies (or Spaldeens but Pensy Pinkies say NYC to me), chalk, ribbon, toy cars. I love the sewer plate on this. We used the sewer plates to denote home and second base. First and third were usually the fenders of parked cars.
Hope for a Healthy America by Shira Toren: Pharmaceutical plastic pill bottles, ribbon.
To BEE or Not to BEE by Randall's Island Park Alliance: Bamboo, wood blocks, twigs, flower stems.
Seasoning's Greetings! by Patricia Clark: Seasonings (parsley, fennel seed, bay leaf, wasabi, ginger, coriander seed, pink peppercorn, turmeric, Reshampatti chili powder, star anise, allspice, mustard seed, celery seed) on cardboard with glue.
I BELIEVE YOU #metoo by Eileen S Remor: Ornaments, foam wreath, labels, feathers.
Oscar Owl by Judith Hoffman Corwin: Vintage fabric, colored thread, buttons, hand-embroidered details, wooden coffee stirrers, twig nest.
The Splendor of New York's Native Flora by Crista Carmody, Ellen K Hartig, Jessica Murray, Joanna Szmuc, Danica Warns, Desiree Yanes (NYC Parks Forestry, Horticulture, and Natural Resources): Evergreen leaves, pine cones, seed pods, acorns and berries native to the Northeast including: American holly, bee balm, blackeyed Susan, cone flower, Eastern hemlock, Eastern red cedar, Eastern white pine, goldenrod, groundsel bush, mountain mint, pin oak, pitch pine, sweetgum, switchgrass, white oak, winged sumac.
Let Nature Take Its Course by Athea Bullard-Young, Jennifer Matsuki, Catherine Miranda, Linda Saw-Aung, Estella Yu (NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene): Cardboard, glue, metallic acrylic paint, pine cones, sticks, pine needles, wire, NYC condoms.
Going Home by Larry Hagberg: Steel.
Accumulations #7 by Jaynie Crimmins: Shredded household mail, thread, mounted in a shadow box.
Maternity Leaves by Terese Flores: Packing paper, acrylic painted footprints stamped using dry foam.
Sierra Nevada by Christina Massey: Acrylic and enamel paint, paper wire, aluminum from craft beer cans.
Toora Loora Brooklyn by Audrey Zeidman: Board, laser copy, tulle, paint, objects.
The Spaghetti Incident by Elizabeth Meggs: Yarn, styrofoam, paint, wire, fork, spoon.
SPARKLING by Lisa Noelle Brownlie: Retro plastic champagne glasses, clear serving tray backing, black and white vintage photo, crystal icicle adornments, gold curling ribbon, silver and gold glitter.
3 Muses by Barbara Wallace: Paper, cardboard, wire, acrylic paint.
Out of 42 wreaths, only ten were by men. Even the wreaths made by a group were all women. Crafting as/is art is one of my favorite subjects.
By Carene Lydia Lopez
