The Lady of the Leaf by Lady Pink
What a wonderful display of art and whimsy graces the view on Arch Street in the Hamlet. Robin Hayes, the owner of 129 Main Street, commissioned two local artists to paint murals on her buildings. Both artists are members of GOST, the Gardiner Open Studio Tour, a group of artists from our town.
The first mural, which appeared on the yellow house, was painted by Lady Pink. It is “The Lady of the Leaf.” Robin Hayes met Lady Pink last October when she went on the GOST Tour. She was intrigued by Lady Pink’s work, and Lady Pink mentioned that she would love to do some work in Gardiner. Robin was enthusiastic about using her building to provide the space.
Lady Pink, originally Sandra Fabara, is from Queens, New York. While a student at the High School of Art & Design in Manhattan, she began her street art and writing careers. Lady Pink painted New York subway trains and worked as a street artist until 1985. In 1980, she was included in a show in the New Museum of Contemporary Art. She currently resides in Gardiner and is married to another street artist, Roger Smith, with whom she often collaborates. Her work can be found in the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. Lady Pink and Roger Smith own a mural company called PinkSmith Designs with over 20 years of experience doing high-end commissions.
Wide-Eyed by the Wallkill by Annie O’Neill
Annie O’Neill’s mural, “Wide-Eyed by the Wallkill,” graces the garage building next to 129 Main. Annie O’Neill has been an artist her whole life, attending the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan and then progressing from crafts, to photography, to steel sculpture, to functional clay pieces and, now, mural painting. After Annie and Robin had known each other for a few years, they discovered that they are connected in another way; as a child, Robin spent a lot of time with her Aunt Lottie in the same NYC building in which Annie’s family lived. They were amazed that they were close to the same people as children.
Annie O’Neill and Lady Pink have both been moving forces and participants in GOST, the Gardiner Open Studio Tour, which happens in spring and fall. GOST is the public’s opportunity to visit Gardiner artists in their studios. For more information about GOST, visit their website at www.gostartists.org.