ST. LOUIS — For 14 years, the Mannequins Project turns Delmar Boulevard into a walking art installation from Earth Day through the beginning of June. The community art project aims to bring awareness to the importance of sustainability by using recyclable materials to bring the mannequins to life.
But the mission reaches further. I caught up with a few of the artists and business owners participating this year to find out the meaning behind the mannequins.
At the corner of Delmar Boulevard and Berick Drive sits House of India. The University City restaurant paired up with artist Kayla Kemp for the 2023 Mannequins Project.
Business owners like Kumar Khurana and artists like Kayla collaborate on the best way to capture the mission and message behind the business through their mannequin.
"Kumar said he wanted to represent unity, people coming together, stopping the violence," Kemp explained.
"There is so much of negativity going around in the world. Indian culture is basically a culture of peace. And I wanted Kayla to come up with something where there is more to love, respect and humanity than hate," Khurana said.
Kayla dove into research on Indian culture and Hinduism as she began to conceptualize her mannequin. She named the finished piece Unity.
"The henna design on her arms...the OM symbol that he (Kumar) told me about. That's up here at the top of the neck and on the back. So, I just kind of took all that and put it into her. I had a lot of fun doing it, and their culture is amazing," Kemp said.
The relationship between Kayla and Kumar proves that the meaning behind the mannequins is community, connection and collaboration. And the lessons learned through the partnership extends past the finale of the project later in June.
"It brought a tear to my eyes because you really wake up and realize we've got to get on the other side of things." Kemp said.
And there are more mannequins to find along Delmar! Just a few doors down from House of India is Jilly's Cupcake Bar and another mannequin, named Peace, Love and Cupcakes. Jeff Briggs and his wife Dana are the artists behind this creation.
"We cut all these cupcake wrappers into fourths. We did sprinkles for the shoes and the upper bodice all covered in sprinkles for cake. She's got a cherry on top of her head," Briggs said.
You do not want to miss this unique outdoor art installation! The mannequins will be on display until June 11. Voting for the audience favorite is open until June 9. You can cast your vote for your favorite mannequin click here.
If you would like to learn more about the Mannequin Project, click here.
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