The Coney Island Hysterical Society
Philomena Marano and Richard Eagan
Richard Eagan and Philomena Marano founded The Coney Island Hysterical Society in 1981, leading the first wave of artists and performers seeking to preserve and build on the traditions of Coney Island’s historic amusement area. Through a handmade newsletter they attracted a following of Coney Island fans, which grew to over 500 members. Early Hysterical Society art projects included the Coney Island Spookhouse, a ride-through gallery in the dark; Photo Board Walk, an interactive exhibit of artist-created souvenir photo boards; and Steeplechase, Come Back, a 2500 square-foot mural evoking Coney’s past glory. Along with sister organization Coney Island USA, the Hysterical Society is considered to have played a major role in the eventual revival of the Coney Island amusement beach.
Richard Eagan
has been working in mixed-media constructed painting for over 40 years. His architectural portraits of Coney Island have been shown at The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The WAH Center, and La Mama Galleria, and many other galleries. In the 1980s, Richard worked in Coney Island as a show talker, game and ride operator, and age & weight guesser (“Stump the Guesser, Fool the Professor”). He appeared annually for over fifteen years as “Miss Kay Sera”, co-host of the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade. He is the only Coney Island show veteran known to have fed sharks by hand for a living. His active years in Coney Island are captured in his solo-voiced “theater of the mind” audio play Alive on the Inside.
Philomena Marano
grew up in Brooklyn spending endless summers in Coney Island. A return to a declining Coney in the late 70s compelled her to begin a decades-spanning series of papier collé and limited editions known as American-Dream-Land. Marano had earlier mastered the cut paper technique working as an assistant to pop artist Robert Indiana. She was a prime mover of the CIHS; Coney Island art projects in the 1980s after spending several seasons there as a sign and ride painter. She is represented by Tabla Rasa Gallery, Brooklyn, and has exhibited widely in and around New York including: ACA Galleries, Bridgewater Fine Arts, the Coney Island Museum and the Childrens Museum of Manhattan.
Artist resume
Solo Exhibitions
2009 • Obscured Offerings: Constructed Paintings, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2007 • Inside Out: New Constructed Paintings, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2006 • Bursting Out: New Exploded Mixed Media Work: 440 Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2005 • Alive on the Inside: Diesel Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2004 • Constructed Painting: Tri-County Arts Council, Cobleskill NY
2002 • National Salvage: Recent Paintings, Hope & Anchor, Brooklyn NY
2000 • Beneath the Surface: Fairleigh Dickenson University, New Jersey
1998 • Constructed Paintings: Long Island University, Brooklyn NY
1998 • Coney Island: Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn NY
Selected Group Exhibitions
2009 • Obscured Offerings: Constructed Paintings, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2007 • Inside Out: New Constructed Paintings, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2006 • Bursting Out: New Exploded Mixed Media Work: 440 Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2005 • Alive on the Inside: Diesel Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2004 • Constructed Painting: Tri-County Arts Council, Cobleskill NY
2002 • National Salvage: Recent Paintings, Hope & Anchor, Brooklyn NY
2000 • Beneath the Surface: Fairleigh Dickenson University, New Jersey
1998 • Constructed Paintings: Long Island University, Brooklyn NY
1998 • Coney Island: Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn NY
Projects
Coney Island Hysterical Society, Co-Founder and Director:
Community-based membership arts organization. Developed and executed arts projects throughout the Coney Island amusement community 1982-1987, 2007- present
Coney Island Spookhouse, “Ride-Through Gallery-in-the-Dark”
A traditional amusement ride, transformed into an art venue. Included the work of over twenty artists and young community members. Opened to the public as an amusement ride, 1985 season.
Commissions
1983 • Nathan’s Famous, Inc., Steeplechase, Come Back… 2400 sq. ft mural, Coney Island, NY
1983-89 • Coney Island: Art, photo boards, game booths, signage, and facades.
1983 • Ward Realty Co., Welcome Back to Coney Island, 1200 sq. ft. banner Mural
1982-89 • Fund for the Borough of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Trivia Booth, multi-media Installation/Performance.
Collections
South Street Seaport Museum, NYC; Coney Island USA; WAH Center, Brooklyn; Nathan’s Famous, Inc.; John Perreault, NYC; Victor Elmaleh, NYC; Carol Brightman, Camden, ME; Stan Mack, Los Angeles CA; Emme Levin Deland, NYC; Herman and Rhoda Krawitz, NYC; Charles VanHorne, NYC.
Publications / Media
Teaching
1999-2000 Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ- Fine Arts Department.
History of Women’s Art; Alternative Art. (Adjunct Professor).
