October 12, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Much ado about a duck
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

Ed Feldman makes a statement on censorship with his AbZOOlutely duck, named Lil’ Quacky.

Daffy Duck and Donald Duck’s lack of coordination and sensibility might cause a lot of trouble to the cartoon world, but only in the drama-loving community of Chestnut Hill could a duck named Lil’ Quacky cause so much turmoil.

Ed Feldman, AbZOOlutely artist and Chestnut Hill Community Association executive committee member, has kidnapped (for a lack of a better word) the duck he painted for the Chestnut Hill Business Association’s public arts event, AbZOOlutely.

Feldman claims the kidnapping – and subsequent handcuffing of the duck to himself – is his reaction to the business association’s attempt to censor him. Censorship is the same motive that inspired him to add black-painted stitches over the duck’s eyelids and mouth (… or beak) in the first place.

But Bob Previdi, the director of CHBA, and John Levitties, chair of the Hill’s Business Improvement District, said they are not that concerned about Feldman’s theatrics. They just wish Feldman would refrain from using the AbZOOlutely event to make his statement.

“I do not approve of the exhibit being highjacked for political expression,” said Levitties on Friday.

The mallard-inspired drama began before the AbZOOlutely unveiling on Sept. 16, when rumor got out that Feldman was planning to adorn the duck, sponsored by the CHCA, in a cap and gown with the words “Duck U” on its body. When the rumor got to the business association, they asked him not to do it because the AbZOOlutely planning committee decided it was inappropriate to event, which is geared toward kids, said Previdi.

Feldman said he continued to contemplate the “Duck U” idea until he discovered his duck, named Lil’ Quacky, would be placed “on the edge of town,” in front of the 24-hour flower shop beyond Cresheim Valley Drive, which, he said, he believes was done purposefully.

Because of the distant placement, he painted the duck in “the most unnatural colors to attract the eye,” said Feldman, and had a friend add stitches to the duck’s beak and eyelids to illustrate the censorship he believes was placed upon him.

Because he received the duck only a week before the unveiling, Feldman said he painted and lacquered the fiberglass animal on his own. The other animals were lacquered by Magarity Ford and Roxy Auto Body. While the business association was bolting in the other animals along Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike, Feldman took Lil’ Quacky to the end of Chestnut Hill’s stretch of the avenue and bolted the duck to its base.

The name on the plaque – Base Canard, which Feldman said is a play on words – was spelled incorrectly. “Canard” is the French word for “duck,” and it’s on a base, plus the phrase “base canard” is English slang for “a lie,” said Feldman.

The duck was a statement of censorship, but was allowed to stay on display at the entrance to Chestnut Hill.

About a week after the unveiling, Feldman’s duck and two other ducks were vandalized and broken at the legs.

Feldman was told that Lil’Quacky was sat on and broken, and the business association asked him to repaint the duck after it was fixed. Feldman at first fought the request to repaint the duck, arguing that it had been broken on the CHBA’s watch and he had already spent his own money on the supplies to paint the animal. Most of the artists were paid a stipend for supplies through their sponsor’s payment on the animal, but Feldman bought his own. However, Levitties said Feldman’s buying of his own paint just meant the sponsor was charged less, not that the CHBA got the extra money.

But Feldman realized that the repainting gave him the opportunity to make another statement. “Here’s my chance!” Feldman thought, and he took it.

The legs were repainted as before, but Feldman added to the sides of the duck the words, “Duck Snowden,” another play on words. The phrase is Feldman’s reaction to the large red and white signs, which announce that its vacancies are available to discount stores and check cashing businesses. The signs were placed on Bowman-owned vacancies along the avenue (assumingly under the direction of part-owner Snowden) the day of AbZOOlutely’s unveiling of the animals.

Feldman unveiled his newly-altered mallard at the AbZOOlutely booth during the Fall for the Arts Festival on Oct. 1. When CHBA’s Previdi saw the animal, Feldman and he exchanged words.

“Mr. Feldman was acting inappropriately,” said Previdi. Feldman said he and Previdi were arguing because Previdi was demanding that Feldman hand over the duck.

“I was yelling ‘This man is trying to take my duck,’” said Feldman, and responded to Previdi’s request with, “You can take this duck when you pry it out of my cold, dead hands.”

After the exchange, Feldman put the duck away and the cops showed up, called by Previdi because of Feldman’s behavior. The police officers apparently got a good laugh out of Feldman’s rendition of the story, and walked away. “What a slap in the face [to the CHBA],” Feldman said of their reaction.

Feldman said his duck is now a challenge to the business association. “I want to see how far the association will go to get the duck changed versus the Snowden signs,” said Feldman, adding that he believes the association is not doing enough to have the signs removed. Or at least they are trying harder to silence his duck.

BID’s Levitties said Feldman’s assertions that the BID is doing nothing about Snowden are untrue. He said “conversations are being held” about the sign issue, though initially the BID and CHBA’s reaction to the signs was to ignore them.

“[Feldman is] suggesting he’s the only one who cares and no one else is doing anything,” Levitties said.

Levitties and Previdi both expressed disinterest in the duck issue. “Ed is vastly overestimating his importance to me and the BID,” said Levitties. He added that Feldman’s perception of Previdi and Levitties as his enemies is largely a product of his imagination.

Both agreed that they deem the duck’s message inappropriate because they don’t want the AbZOOlutely event used to make public statements of any sort.

“The phrase makes reference to a situation that I would prefer remain distinct from AbZOOlutely, as difficult as that may be,” Levitties said.

Previdi explained his immediate request for the duck and delayed response to the signs as, “I have control over the AbZOOlutely event; I don’t have any control over Mr. Snowden.”

Though members of the CHCA have pointed out the CHBA can do something. Because the firm owes more than $36,000 in BID fees, the business association could put a lien on the company’s vacant properties and stop Snowden from leasing them, or get the properties placed on the list for Sheriff’s sale.

Feldman claims that he can raise more money for the duck by handcuffing it to himself and making appearances than the business association can make at the AbZOOlutely auction, scheduled for Nov. 18.

“I will match my duck against any of AbZOOlutely’s small animals,” said Feldman, adding that controversy sells.

He plans to auction the duck off himself on the Internet, and give all the proceeds to the business association to distribute to AbZOOlutely’s financial recipients, the Chestnut Hill Community Fund, the preservation and beautification of the Chestnut Hill District and The Philadelphia Zoo.

Levitties did not deny that Feldman might raise more money, but he said that didn’t make abducting property that belongs to the CHBA correct. “If I thought I could direct traffic better, I wouldn’t take down a traffic light and stand in the intersection myself,” said Levitties. “It’s the same reasoning.”

At Thursday’s executive committee meeting, Ed Budnick, the interim community manager for the CHCA, will ask the committee to make a decision about returning the duck since the CHCA is the sponsor.

Feldman also wanted to add that he is available to host the Nov. 18 auction.

Contact staff writer Kristin Pazulski at 215-248-8819 or Kristin@chestnuthilllocal.com.