Artist Tim Murton has turned the yard of the Elora Centre for the Arts into a Twilight Zoo, a world of monstrous creations that has made the village of Elora a virtual Halloween town.
Now his monsters have done the same for media and home décor mogul Martha Stewart.
“It seemed like an opportunity too good to pass up,” said Murton, who was invited to the Bedford, New York estate of Martha Stewart for a taping of her annual Halloween television special.
Murton and his partner, Julie Denneny, loaded up a trailer with several of his famed monsters, including the Skeleton King, Crow and the Witch and headed south in late September.
“As soon as the monsters came out of the trailer, the crew got excited and we got to setting up,” said Murton, who has been building monsters for more than 15 years, and has been preparing for this year’s Twilight Zoo for the past five months.
“We were overwhelmed with the response to it all.”
Murton credited Denneny’s enthusiasm for the project in getting Stewart’s attention, by sending the celebrity and her producers emails about Murton’s work in the community.
Being asked to put monsters throughout her property was one thing, but being asked to go on the air next to Stewart and teach her the process of building the wire and cloth creatures was quite another, according to Murton.
“I was nervous, and I had to demonstrate the process to her while she worked alongside me.
“But it was a great experience for me and I am glad I did it. She said I was a good guest,” he said with a laugh.
Their mutual monster creations were lit and hung in the trees on Stewart’s property, as part of the television special set to air on Oct. 24 on the Hallmark channel in the United States.
“I’m not sure what exposure we’ll get, but Martha gave Elora a plug, so we felt like ambassadors for the town,” Murton said.
“Ms. Stewart was very taken with them over our two days there. It was a huge endorsement for us and the village.”
Since returning to Canada, Murton’s monsters have earned him television coverage with CTV News and other media outlets. His hope is that this attention to the village’s Monster Month will show the value of economic arts in this community.
“If Elora can embrace it (the monsters and the events) in the same way, we will be a destination for Halloween,” said Murton.
“We know this is viable, because Martha Stewart has endorsed it. We have everything we need in this community to bring in visitors and make this event happen.”
The Twilight Zoo and Elora Halloween Scare Fair take place on the grounds of the Elora Centre for the Arts.
“This is art for everyone, for kids of all ages and it’s universal,” said Murton.
“It’s not about gore or the occult. It’s about embracing the dark and lighting it up.”
His hope is that they will raise money to support the Elora Centre for the Arts and enough to recoup some of the expenditures it has taken to build the Twilight Zoo, a project that has taken tremendous community support through supply donations and volunteers like Chris and Connie Smith of Belwood, who helped paper the monsters in Murton’s absence.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this otherwise,” said Murton. “That’s what this does, the Twilight Zoo and Monster Month – it brings people together and it builds community.”
The Twilight Zoo is located at the Elora Centre for the Arts, open Oct. 13 to 30, from noon to 10 pm Thursday to Sundays.
The Scare Fair runs from Oct. 21 to 23, Friday 6 to 10pm, and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 10pm.
Admission is $7 per person or $25 for a family of 5; children under the age of 5 are free.
The non-motorized Monster March Parade takes place on Oct. 22 at 6:30pm, starting at MacDonald Square and ending at the Elora Centre for the Arts.
That event is free. For more information visit www.twilightzoo.ca.
