Artist Talk & Book Signing with Philomena Marano

Visual artist Philomena Marano details the chaotic, collaborative history of the Coney Island Hysterical Society during a presentation at Art Center Sarasota. Marano discusses her recently published art memoir, Hysterical Coney Island, co-authored with Richard Eagan, which chronicles the collective's efforts to preserve the decaying aesthetic of the legendary amusement park through massive, subversive art installations in the 1980s. The talk explores the intersection of preservation, pop culture, and guerrilla art, highlighting how the group utilized the boardwalk's forgotten architecture as a canvas. The session concludes with a Q&A and a book signing.