Croton's Grouchy Gabe's Features Collaborative Artwork

Grouchy Gabe's is featruing an unusual kind of artwork in its restaurant that features a collection of unrelated ideas. Croton-on-Hudson artist Erin Koch has put together three collaborative, community murals inside the restaurant. To create the pieces, she placed a box next to the restaurant's cash register. Patrons were asked to write what was on their mind and then place the piece of paper, with their idea on it, into the box. Koch took the ideas on paper and translated them into the three separate murals, which have been placed together.

Some of the scenes and images in the mural include marriage equality, yoga and even the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.

"The common response when they walk in and see the artwork is 'What the heck is this?' said Grouchy Gabe's Grill Owner Gabe Boivin. "But when you explain it to them, that the ideas were all written by the customers, then they get it."

Koch works as an event planner for the Garrison Institute in Garrison, NY. She says her artwork is greatly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. Koch also takes part in local dharma art projects with other Buddhist artists.

In the near future, Koch plans on adding a fourth panel to her mural at Grouchy Gabe's.