As part of the Serious Fun Arts Fest, textile artist Sarah Divi decorated 50 streetlight and utility poles in downtown White Plains with decorative pole cozies made of Astroturf and knitted flowers, recycled plastic and other appliques.
Divi, of Yonkers, calls the cozies “knitstallations.” She creates site-specific fiber art installations from unwanted items rescued from the back of closets, unravels them, and blends them with other yarns, fabrics, or found objects to give life to forgotten or abandoned fabrics.
ArtsWestchester, the nonprofit organizer of the Serious Fun Arts Fest, commissioned the pole cozies as a “Wayfinding” project designed to help guide visitors to this weekend’s street parties on Mamaroneck Avenue and the art fair in the basement of the former Macy’s.
Many of the knitstallations are on Hamilton and Mamaroneck avenues, as well as around the Galleria mall. The knitstallations are a community project because during the summer Divi asked people to create flowers for the utility poles out of yarn, plastic bottles, buttons, bottle caps and plastic flatware.
The Serious Fun Arts Fest continues today with an evening gallery hop and pop-up party. The gallery hop runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at 1 Martine Ave., 31 Mamaroneck Ave. and in the basement of the former Macy’s at Main & Court streets, where artists have set up the art fair.
Photo caption: Sarah Divi’s knitstallations on Mamaroneck Avenue near ArtsWestchester’s headquarters.