Spotted: Deer in Boerum Hill

Deer Spotting in Hoyt Street Garden

When I happened upon these deer in the Hoyt Street Garden on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Hoyt Street, I laughed with delight and was grateful that they were not real. Real deer are cute and lovely to see, until they eat your garden. The statues, made by local artist Julie Ann Mann, are surreal and stunning and I love how they contrast with the shady garden.

From the press release:

“There will be four serene and stately white deer in the Hoyt Street Garden. No, they will not be nibbling on the flowers or shrubs. They are actually sculptures created by Boerum Hill artist, Julie Anne Mann. Last year, Mann proposed an unusual concept, “Deer Garden” to Margaret Cusack, president of the Hoyt Street Association. Mann wanted to install life-sized deer sculptures in the Hoyt Street Garden (located at the southwest corner of Hoyt Street and Atlantic Avenue.) Cusack, an artist herself, was intrigued with the idea of using the Garden as a backdrop for artwork.

Mann applied for, and later received, a 2008-2009 grant from the Hoyt Street Association Community Funding Project (HSACFP). Julie Anne Mann’s statement included: “Deer are considered internationally as a symbol of kindness, grace and renewal, while albino deer sometimes referred to as ‘ghost deer’ are regarded among some Native American tribes as a sign of ‘the coming of great change.’” Mann spent many months creating the deer and the result is very intriguing.

The public is invited to an opening reception of “Deer Garden” at the Hoyt Street Garden from 6:00 - 8:00 PM on Friday September 18, 2009. The deer will be on view from September 7 to October 5, 2009.

“We are delighted to support the arts and this individual artist, Julie Anne Mann,” said Cusack. “Our HSACFP goal is to put back into the neighborhood some of the profits from our annual Plant Sale (held each Spring).” The HSACFP committee members awarded grants to several groups and individuals, but thought that Mann’s proposal was one of the most intriguing applications. Hoyt Street Association treasurer, Alice Wong, was pleased that it fit the HSACFP criteria of:

• Encouraging cleanliness, orderliness, beautification or preservation
• Improving public safety or quality of life
• Supporting educational or cultural activities for the residents
• Promoting harmony between diverse elements of the neighborhood

“

The photo is by the artist Julie Ann Mann.