Sometimes muses come in the unlikeliest of forms. For Karen Teskey, a longtime Sunnyside resident, inspiration came to her door (repeatedly) in the navy-blue uniform of a City of Calgary bylaw enforcement officer.
Teskey is a professional props builder originally from Millarville. She lives in a tiny bungalow mere metres from the Sunnyside C-Train station, where she’s always felt it was her civic duty to beautify the street. For many years, Teskey defied the local law that prohibits planting anything on the city-owned boulevard in front of one’s house. “I had half-barrels full of annuals there for a while,” she says, “and then somebody complained, I guess.” Rather than fight city hall, Teskey was inspired by the officer who knocked on her door. She found a creative loophole. Enter the 1963 Pontiac Strato Chief, currently sporting a giant woolly hat in keeping with the season.
When Teskey put the word out that she was looking for a car with a really big trunk, a friend offered up the clunker that had been sitting in her field for nearly a decade. Teskey bought it for $5. “I drive it two or three times a year, but mostly it’s used as a big planter box for my flowers,” she says. And so, for the past three summers, passersby have been treated to a profusion of colour spilling out of the back of the old Pontiac. Last season, the display included a folk-art fountain made out of a wheelbarrow, and last summer the annuals poked out of an inflatable raft perched on the back of the car.
This year, Teskey decided to extend her efforts to liven up her street into the winter months. “I spent all my evenings for the past three months piecing together old thrift-store blankets to make this tuque,” she says. “It doesn’t actually keep the car warm, of course, but it makes it look loved.” More important for Teskey, it makes the neighbourhood look loved. In her opinion, what makes a community nice “is if it looks like somebody cares.”
Lest you mistake Teskey’s whimsy for naiveté, she’s quick to mention that the tuque is secured to the car with a padlocked aircraft cable woven right into its constituent blankets. “It helps protect against impulse theft”—perhaps of the variety she fell victim to last summer when somebody drove away with the flower-filled Pontiac before abandoning it a month later. You can hardly blame a thief for trying.
Originally published in Swerve Magazine on Dec.10.10.
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K
4:15 PM
that’s a frickin’ eyesore. Glad it’s not anywhere near my house. And isn’t there some kind of rule about having to move a vehicle every 48 hours, not just leave it in the same spot for ever ‘n ever?
steveo
7:51 PM
i live across the street from this, see it everyday on my way to and from work, and let me tell you, this little gem literally makes me smile every single time i see it! Im glad its in my neighbourhood, and not wasted in some cookie cutter suburb. this city could use a heck of a lot more creativity like this. as for the impassioned pleas to cite by-law infractions, maybe you people should focus your attention on actual important issues affecting our city like; in-adequate public transit and lack of infrastructure etc etc etc.
Sprank Frederich
4:26 PM
How can I complain to the City bylaw office about this infraction?
steveo
7:58 PM
out of curiosity, do you live in Sunnyside?
Greg
7:05 PM
I think the toque is hilarious, and if she moved the car all that would happen is that some brainless goober from the ‘burbs would use the spot to grab the train. Good for you lady, I smile everytime I pass by on the train.
M
8:39 PM
(a) That thing is hideous, and (b) most municipalities have regulations limiting the length of time a vehicle can be parked on the road. If Calgary has such a regulation, she almost certainly violates it considering she admits to driving the car only “two or three times a year.”
Neighbour
8:55 PM
We lived next door to this house a decade ago. good for her! The view out of the front window was onto the side of a large warehouse, just by the sunny side rail crossing. I’m so thrilled to see such a unique way of brightening up the block. And as for the loser who complained about her tubs of annuals…I’m speechless! Embrace the variety that life offers, or move to the burbs, where everything and everyone looks the same!
Perian
2:03 AM
I’m all for the display of public art and things like it, but that car toque is ugly and I wouldn’t want it in my neighborhood. Gotta agree with Bylaws on this one. Sorry.
Neighbor Also
7:13 AM
Very creative, inspired work. Thrilled with the thought of a new installation each year. Variety is the spice of community. More private/public installations welcome.
Lala
2:07 PM
Love the creativity. It’s nice to see something different for a change.
Train rider
3:11 PM
This car brings a smile to my face every time I pass it on the train.
Calgarian
6:04 PM
Those of you who are pulling out the “bylaw” card must live in (or need to move to) Pleasantville or some other Calgary suburb where every house looks like a cookie-cutter version of the rest. Good for you, Karen, for a creative and tactful addition to our city.
Allison
8:04 PM
It is so sad to read the first few comments above. Seriously? people take offence to this? What is the big deal? A tea cozy for a car? THAT gets your knickers twisted? It’s nice to see people coming out of their houses and engaging the street. Being part of the public realm. So the cozy isn’t your thing, is that a crime? Relax, share the planet, one day you will be inspired to create something that others may not appreciate. Don’t use By-Law as a weapon—it’s nasty. Let’s not hide behind legislation—it sucks the breath out of diversity, creativity, originality and connectivity.
Oh ya, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. xox
Phil
9:25 PM
I’ve been a fan of Karen Teskey’s contributions to urban art for years. A lot of us in Sunnyside look forward to see what she’ll do next, and I hope she keeps bringing smiles to our faces for as long as inspiration strikes. Thank you for helping make Calgary and Sunnyside a more interesting place to live, Karen!
Sydney
10:41 AM
Yay Horray! Thanks Karen for making Calgary more colourful. I love the flowers in the summer, and the tuque is fantastic! It’s things like this that make the world a more interesting place.
John Frosst
5:52 PM
Seriously?
Bylaws and their enforcement in this city are a farce.
To wit: Bylaws are only enforced when someone complains;
The city hypocritically enforces lawncare orders while growing illegal grasses and gardens on its own medians and traffic circles, especially in Hillhurst/Sunnyside.
Et cetera. I can’t stand this nonsense.
Carina
2:31 PM
@ John – you’re wrong, actually. Those grasses are not illegal. According to Bylaw 5M2004, it states:
Subject to subsection 45(3), no owner or occupier of a Premises shall allow grass or grasses on the Premises to exceed a height of 15 centimetres.
This Section shall not apply to:
(a) golf courses;
(b) parks and natural areas under the direction and control of Calgary Parks; or
(c) areas under the direction and control of Calgary Roads including boulevards adjacent to major roadways, areas subject to naturalization efforts and sound attenuation berms;
and for greater certainty, shall apply to vacant lots within residential areas and the grass on any boulevard that lies directly between the boundary of a parcel of land and an adjacent highway, road or alley.
John Frosst
7:26 PM
Carina;
I don’t want to belabour this – I’ll take my lumps over the technicalities in the Bylaw, the broader point is that it is hypocritical of the city to ask property owners to treat their land differently than the city treats its own.
The even broader point is that the Bylaw system is broken, for which our grass bylaw serves as an example. Other examples include snow removal, building material storage, shed size and number. . .
Carolyn Lora's friend
12:56 PM
Sunnyside is a funky community and it beckons creativity. Glad to see the that those who are familiar (or like minded) with Karen’s efforts are very supportive. Delightful comments! For those one dimensional morons who don’t even know where it is, can’t read properly, or put things in context… How sad!! Her joy and intention celebrated in this article have completely eluded you, and I’m glad (hope!)you’re not my neighbours either. Kudos Karen!!! I LOVE IT!!
Kate
2:35 PM
Excellent!!I LOVE this and love that she cares enough to be different.
Those that want to call bylaw? BAH HUMBUG
Carina
2:25 PM
I always wondered whose car was filled with flowers, as I passed by on the C-train. It was something to look forward to as I watched out the window. Thank you Karen!
I think the toque is hilarious. It’s a nice bright spot in the middle of an ordinary street.
As for those of you wanting to report this to Calgary By-law officers, first google “Calgary Parking Bylaw”. There’s nothing in there that says Karen can’t cover her car, or have it parked for long periods of time. It’s there legally!
Nelly
7:35 PM
I have to say. I was having the WORST week of my life when I walked by on my way home one day and saw this car. It completely brightened up my day and I think it is amazing. Anything that can make someone stop and smile is truly a gift. Great job, I think the giant pom pom was a nice touch
Jennifer Brazil
7:40 PM
Hey all!
I think this is amazing. I live in the Sunnyside area and I love this sort of expression of creativity. We need more creativity and less complaining in our society. For those of you complaining about this expression of self, you need to get a life of your own. I love you all but sometimes people really need to just stop complaining about everything in their life. Merry Christmas!! Keep up the good work
Ester
11:08 AM
She should be commended for adding colour to our dreary winter, for sharing her work and effort with all of us. Risking having all that work walk away (hence the chain)just to interact with her community. Marketers and politicians are always trying to concoct this artificially. It only happens by happenstance like in this instance. Coming out of the lovely creative heart of a human being sharing this planet close to us. By embracing it and making it our own together with other’s contributions we create the very fabric of a nourishing and healthy urban centre. Thank you for printing this article. Would be nice if all areas had this kind of creative self expression.
Tim
9:05 PM
LOL Way to go Ms. Teskey
Can I order a cover for my garden tractor?
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Sharon
6:23 PM
Diversity, colour, personality, fun, quirkiness … all great things for a community. I hope more Calgarians celebrate a “live and let live” attitude like most of the folks commenting here. I love this!!
Ginger
5:37 PM
FABULOUS! Glad to see that art (in whatever form) is alive and well in Calgary.
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