OWEGO, NY (607NewsNow) – The Tioga County Arts Council (TAC) is honoring a famous street musician with area ties.
On November 20, TAC, artist Michelle Schleider, and project partners will officially unveil a mural of the likeness of musician, poet, instrument maker, and avant-garde composer Moondog.
Louis Thomas Hardin, aka Moondog, was best known for performing original compositions in New York City from the 1940s to the early 1970s – in full Viking regalia. Hardin, who inspired a broad spectrum of musicians including Charlie Parker, Frank Zappa, and Igor Stravinsky, also maintained a home in Candor and had connections to downtown Owego.
The mural consists of three panels totaling 8′ x 12′ at 72 North Avenue in the Village of Owego. of Moondog during a ceremony tomorrow in Owego.
“Since his Viking helmet and spear were part of his signature look for a while, I thought it would be wise to include more than just a head and shoulders portrait,” said Schleider, who grew up on Long Island and has over 30 years of painting experience. “My hope is to capture some of his stoicism.”
Schleider currently lives and works in Upstate New York. Her artwork has been including in several exhibitions, and she is currently represented by Ocean Galleries on the southern coast of New Jersey, and the Arden Gallery in Boston.
“Featuring Moondog’s music prominently in the mural felt very important to me,” added Schleider. “He’s holding on to a troubadour harp. I read that the harp he played was specially made for him by a group of NYC musicians. I also included some of the other instruments he invented in the musical notes around his head, including the trimba, triangular drums, and round gourds – similar to maracas.”
The mural was made possible in part through Governor Kathy Hochul’s Cultivating Havens for the Arts through Regional Murals (CHARM) program.
The unveiling starts at 11 a.m. on Thursday at 72 North Avenue in the village.
