Please, please, please tell me we are going to hear more about the rubber ducks of Middletown! Although an avid supporter of the arts, and a fan of punditry everywhere, I could not stop laughing over the Middletown Township Cultural Arts Center’s "Duckoration 2002" campaign for the Banfield Arts Center. Ducks! They had to be kidding. These were not the cows of New York City fame nor the pigs of Chicago (or Seattle, or whatever). These were decoys of the rubber variety, rife with witty puns and political satire.
Alas, when I actually saw the enthusiasm with which so many local residents and schools undertook this project, I was astounded. Some silly, some puny, and some just plain ridiculous, but all created with true zeal. These were not the satirical comments on the state of Middletown I had envisioned (like Daumier, Picasso and so many others), but an outpouring of creative spirit, however parochial, by many locals, big and small, in our midst. I tell you, dear editors, this did swell my contemptuous heart to 10 times its true size.
These duck decorators did not so much poke fun but had fun, lots of it. They were energized to create in the name of fun and community. Just think what could happen if these creative folks had a place to come together and celebrate their efforts. You go, you "duck-doers"! May these creative juices continue to grow throughout the township and spur others to fund the arts here in Middletown.
Dana Flynn
Middletown