Armonk Has Heart (and New Public Art)

By Michelle Falkenstein

Stamford had its pigs. Irvington had its bulldogs. Ridgefield had its sneakers. And now, for the first time, Armonk will have its hearts.

What hearts, one may ask? Twelve fiberglass hearts, three feet wide and four feet tall, that have been painted by artists in a variety of styles, from fanciful to representational to abstract. These hearts, standing on spindly legs and bluestone pedestals around Armonk.

“Armonk Has Heart” is a new program of Armonk Outdoor Art Show weekend, a juried show that relies on 300 volunteers and draws nearly 10,000 visitors from the tristate area and beyond. The show, running this year on September 27 and 28, benefits the Friends of the North Castle Public Library, Inc., a nonprofit organization that supports North Castle libraries with educational programs, entertainment, furnishings and upgrades, as well as The Armonk Players theater group.

An online auction for the hearts, sponsored by local Armonk businesses, will run throughout the month of September with proceeds benefitting North Castle libraries.

According to Nancy Rosner, managing director of the Armonk Outdoor Art Show, which is now celebrating its 63rd year: “’Armonk Has Heart’ is something new to get excited about, get the community into the art mindset, and promote local sponsors.”

The heart project began in February, when Rosner and her team began researching fiberglass sculpture manufacturers. They chose the Chicago-based, woman-owned Cowpainters, who were able to work with their short timeline. “We thought of using eagles, like the one on the Armonk sign, but none of the sculptures were really great,” Rosner said. “Hearts were perfect for the artists, with their smooth surfaces.”

This year’s art fair received a record 640 applications, and 160 were selected for the show. Rosner and her team then chose 12 exhibiting artists to paint the hearts. After the artists had worked their magic with acrylic, oil and spray paint, the hearts were clear coated at North State Custom Auto Body in Bedford to make them impervious to the elements.

Artist Carol Luz of Lake Carmel, who paints dogs doing human things, got the inspiration for her heart by walking around Armonk taking pictures. “I wanted to see what people would do there,” she said. Luz’s design features her Jack Russell Terriers, Judy and Elroy, enjoying a sandwich at Country Kitchen on one side and shopping in Armonk Square on the other.

Pepa Gonzalez Ramos had applied twice to exhibit at the fair, and the third time was the charm. Gonzalez Ramos, who divides her time between Madrid and Manhattan, had just returned to Spain after a month in New York when she got an email announcing that she had been selected for the heart project. She flew back to the States three weeks later and painted the heart in her apartment.

“It’s a nice way to promote my work,” says Gonzalez Ramos, who sells signed prints of her original oil paintings at Museum of Modern Art gift shops. “I’m very grateful that they selected me.” Her heart, she says, is a declaration of love for the places that are meaningful to her—European on one side (Sevilla, Madrid, Copenhagen, Rome, Venice and Paris) and American on the other (New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New England).

Rosner stresses that this community project was embraced by community support – citing integral collaboration with the Armonk Chamber of Commerce and the Town of North Castle and town officials. Sponsor Venture Photography took pictures of the hearts and Al’s Moving will provide free delivery to the auction winners. It was, in true form, a community effort.

“It has been an amazing experience,” says Rosner.

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This article was written for and first appeared on ArtsNews, an arts and culture news site published by ArtsWestchester. For more articles about the arts in Westchester County, visit: https://artswestchester.org/ar...