Sidewalk installation at Oblong Books & Music

MILLERTON — Shoppers walking village sidewalks might want to take a gander at the secondary entrance to Oblong Books & Music, which is kept closed. That’s where they’ll find a miniature installation of a whimsical garden set up next to concrete steps.

While the artist responsible for the tableau remains unknown, Oblong Books & Music owner Dick Hermans said the installation started with a little door, which appeared by the steps almost 10 years ago. Previously attached to the door was a QR bar code that, when scanned, allowed people to access the website for Tiny Doors ATL, an art project designed to bring “big wonder to tiny spaces,” according  to the website.

While the code is no longer on the door, Hermans has set a goal this summer to create a QR code and establish a link on the store’s website that relates to the Tiny Doors project.

Since its first appearance, the mystery behind the installation has changed with the seasons. Just last winter, a miniature wreath was hung on the door for the holidays. By spring, the door was repainted and the scene was revitalized with other additions, including a frog figurine and a pair of miniature potted plants.

Suffice to say, the installation has been the subject of several photo shoots, catching the eyes of various admirers and shoppers walking through the village of Millerton.

“We do get a tremendous number of questions and comments about it,” said Lisa Wright, a bookseller at Oblong Books & Music. “It’s wonderful when people notice it and they do a double take.”

“It’s sort of quirky and a little unusual,” Hermans said with a laugh. “If we had a legend, it adds to our legend.”

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