Remarkable art hangs throughout Staples High School.
Paintings, photos and sculptures by Westport and internationally known artists (sometimes one and the same); murals and other pieces by students; faculty works — they’re on the walls and in the halls, everywhere.
Recently, Eric von Schmidt’s spectacular 7-piece series, “Giants of the Blues,” returned to the auditorium foyer, after its loan to MoCA\CT.
But the newest addition is — literally as well as figuratively — “remarkable.”
Last week, Miggs Burroughs hung “The Remarkable Man” on a wall between the arts wing and the cafeteria.
The 8-foot tall, Edward Gorey-inspired figure danced for decades on the front of the Remarkable Book Shop. The cozy, eclectic pink store was a Main Street icon, at the corner of Parker Harding Plaza. (Today it’s the Eleish Van Breems design store.)
The Remarkable Man, on the front of the shop. (Image/Ellen Harvey)
After Remarkable closed, the figure was stored at the former Westport Historical Society.
For the past few years, the Remarkable Man lived, fittingly, on the wall of Cold Fusion — the gelato shop across the street.
When Cold Fusion owners Eric and Kelly Emmert decided to concentrate on online sales, they wanted the figure to find a new home. They asked “06880” to help.
Mark Kramer — son of the store’s owners (“Remarkable” serendipitously includes their last name, backwards) — and I reached out to Steve Zimmerman, town-wide arts coordinator for the Westport Public Schools.
He leaped at the idea. He made it happen. And as soon as Miggs Burroughs — Westport’s multi-talented, energetic and always-giving arts volunteer — finished hanging the Remarkable Man this week, Steve’s instinct proved right.
Miggs Burroughs at work …
He says, “Within an hour of his installation at Staples, I saw our photography students taking pictures of him and posing with him.
“I love knowing that our students will continue to create their own interpretations, make their own memories, and become part of the story, carrying on the bookstore’s legacy of celebrating the arts, culture and humanities.”
Next: a plaque and/or QR code, describing exactly what the Remarkable Man is, for all the students and visitors who will admire him.
… and the Remarkable Man’s new home. (Photos/Steve Zimmerman)
As for Miggs, who was so instrumental in making sure the figure hangs in exactly the right way — well, he’s got more than a passing interest in passing on history.
Miggs says: “Installing the Remarkable Man in Staples with Steve Zimmerman
was a joy on so many levels.
“I am a 1963 Staples grad, so it was a particular pleasure to help install him in the hall behind the theater, where I spent a lot of time as a member of Staples Players. The Remarkable Man is quite a player himself, and feels right at home in these hallowed halls.
“My family and the Kramers were great friends — and my mother Esta
worked for Mark’s mother Esther at the book shop from beginning to end.
“The Remarkable Man represents a beloved store that was also a
gathering place for conversation, gossip and reading an entire book
sitting cross-legged on the floor if you wanted to.”
Staples students are more likely today to sit cross-legged on the floor with their laptop, rather than a book.
But they always feel comfortable in that part of the school. Now they’ll be able to talk, scroll and — perhaps — read, as a remarkable piece of art smiles down at them.
(To learn more about the Remarkable Book Shop, click here.)
Kathy Jakobsen’s “Main Street, 1993” shows the Remarkable Book Shop on the right
“06880 reports often on Westport’s past, Staples High School, and the arts — and, like today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)