Third Governor’s Island Art Fair Offers Rustic Diversion

Details

Parent Category: Travel Info

Category: Travel Feature

Published on Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:16

Written by Marion DS Dreyfus

Locals to the New York City metro area, and art aficionados who want a quick ‘cruise’ and a refreshing walk around the rustic lanes and pathways of Governor’s Island, will find much to marvel at and even smile over at The 4heads Collective's devised Governor’s Island Art Fair.

 Founded by Nicole Laemmle, Jack Robinson, Ernie Sandidge, Antony Zito, The 4heads commandeer and beautify unused spaces and develop these unique environments for exhibition, installation and performances so that artists from all over the world can make good use of under-utilized areas. Formed in early 2008 this New York-based arts crew's mission is to forge new opportunities for the growing community of artists in New York and beyond. 

A short 10-minute ferry ride — free! — from the ferry slip at the very tip-end of Manhattan, the quirky and engrossing art fair runs annually -- now in it's 3rd season -- Saturdays and Sundays which started September 4th, 2010, and runs through the 26th, 11 am - 6 pm.
 
Although the island is just about 600 seconds away by the very pleasant ferry, once you alight from the ferry with skateboard, bike or feet, you feel enveloped in a past era, perhaps the late 1950s.
 
Stately brick homes and more rickety, shingled two-story or three-story structures greet you. Dotted around the lush green swards and gentle berms are sculptures in bronze, steel, wood and alabaster. Many of the small wooden homes in slight disrepair invite passers-by inside to view the many installations that occupy a room each — many in photography, gesso, oils, charcoal, waxy paper, light and wool — as well as weirder art materials and substances best left unexplored in a family medium. (Hair? Fingernails? Gunk? Who knows?)
 
Outside the windows, skiffs and larger ships sail, ferries pass every half hour, and parents and children in helmets  pedal by in a mini-vacation that interferes with no cars or traffic — there are none on these pathways, though there are little pedestrian toot-toot trains seating about 16 or so; it is all easy on the pocketbook. Just walking about scenery-drinking is delightful, all by itself.
 
On one gentle hill, a huge trapeze, and accompanying nets below, is set up, so even the out-of-shape can climb the ladder and, fully harnessed, swing out and do amazing and gasp-inducing feats of derring-do, heads-over-heels and lifts and whatever the acrobat-in-harness decides he or she can dare. There are professionals at top and on the ground to hold the ropes and guide the novice for the exhilarating experience. Even the heavyset tried it, in our viewing.
 
My companion joked that, just outside the perimeter of the catch-all netting, there should be a table set up with lawyers, just in case.
 
For the hungry, many bring picnic baskets. Al fresco eaters without foresight or baskets can purchase ice cream and snack foods here and there about the grounds.
 
Grab a chum or a family member or two and skip over to the Battery Park ferry slip. There seems to be no downside to the experience, unless you forget your visor and sunscreen.
 
Closing party is 26th September going til 5 pm.

For more info and a list of artists go to: http://www.4heads.org

• < Prev
• Next >