Today‘Pea' artist designs T-shirt for Jubilee Day
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Kevin Jackson, left, and Jeffrey Van Boskirk, owner of the 2nd Floor Gallery in Mechanicsburg, look over the Jubilee Day T-shirts created by Douglas Koozer, a Mechanicsburg artist. Karissa Zimmer/The Sentinel
Douglas Koozer, designer of this year’s Jubilee Day T-shirt, shows off one of his artworks from his “Gotta Pea?” series. Karissa Zimmer/The Sentinel
Ask Douglas Koozer what he's been doing for the last six months, and he'll tell you: He's been playing with peas.
Green peas, that is.
Actually, it's been a little longer than that since the Mechanicsburg artist hit upon the inspiration for his new series, titled Gotta Pea.
“I wanted to do something that would make people laugh when they walked into an art studio,” Koozer says.
So last November he said he realized that peas - round, green and almost infinitely punnable - were his answer.
“It's a good play on words,” he says. From there the concept sprouted: Prints with titles like “Elvis Peasley,” “Pea-ter Pan” and “The Peatles” now cover an entire wall in his studio.
“Some people don't get it,” he says, grinning. But most do, and the response has been so good that Koozer is preparing for a national marketing campaign.
First there was the Web site, www.gottapea.com, where people could view the perky comic figures and make suggestions for future works. Then there was Hot Pods, Koozer's pea-themed toy that made it to the semi-finals on the ABC show, “American Inventors.”
For arts education
Now, Koozer says, he's working on his celebri-pea initiative, sending personalized prints to celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and David Letterman. He's hoping, he says, they'll like the peas enough to give them a slot on their shows.
“Ellen was my first choice,” says Koozer, explaining that the campaign isn't just about planting seeds for his business. Eventually, he says, his goal is to start a fund called Peas for Kids to help get arts education back into schools.
“I was never really into sports,” he says. But he developed a great appreciation for the creative outlet art provides, and he wants to help others realize how important it is that students not miss out on that part of their education.
Meanwhile, Koozer is helping another cause that he cares about: Jubilee Day. After a discussion with some artist friends earlier this year, the lifelong Mechanicsburg resident got in touch with the Mechanicsburg Area Chamber of Commerce and offered to design the T-shirts for this year's street fair.
The finished product depicts a bevy of whimsical peas working around a large wooden sign reading “JUBILEE.” Sponsors' names are scattered throughout the drawing and on a to-do list adorning the back of the shirt.
Koozer estimates that he spent more than 40 hours on the project, from which he is donating all proceeds to the chamber.
Asked what prompted the gesture, he says simply that he's always loved Jubilee Day - and that he's always wanted to be known in the area for what he does.
Pursuing serious art
On that last goal, however, the T-shirts will succeed only partially. Although the Gotta Pea series has been the most visible part of Koozer's portfolio lately, he says he hasn't stopped creating what he calls serious art. In contrast to the markered pea art, the fine art and interactive art that covers the rest of Koozer's studio is done largely in oils and acrylics.
As for the roots of his success, Koozer says, “If you want something bad enough, you'll get it.” And, he said, support from family and friends is invaluable.
But for now, Koozer says, he's enjoying the pea boom.
“Everyone loves them,” he says, smiling.
The T-shirts will be available for $20 each at the Chamber of Commerce booth in the square on Thursday, or in advance by calling 796-0811 or e-mailing info@ mechanicsburgchamber.org.
