Jennifer Herrema and the Case of the Fake Banana

Artist, musician, and all around badass Jennifer Herrema is participating in the New Museum Store's She's Crafty  series of holiday window installations this week. The basic thesis of the endeavor, co-produced with Ken Farmer of Nuit Blanche, is to have a slew of creative lady types reinvent the window displays. Our dear Maggie Lee set up a zine shop a few weeks ago. Soon Arielle DePinto will be customizing jewelry and Audrey Louise Reynolds will be organically dyeing. It's like an all stars art version of a Bust Craftacular up in there. The whole gender specific thing seems kind of weird, pigeonholing the interactive wares event to ladies, but it's rad to see such a solid list of female names all grouped together. Everything that is incorporated into the displays is supposed to be for sale.

I went down yesterday to check out how JJ's set-up is going along, and to check out the wares that were being sold. I arrived during the official lunch break so I downed a couple of bloody marys with Jennifer and her pals, artist/musician Lizzy Bougatsos and artist/director Jess Holzworth. After a leisurely gossip session the gals got back to work setting up shop. Faces were made, hijinks ensued, there was talk of window nudity, and I got a great view of some cute butts.

One of the coolest things for sale is a one-off blanket Jennifer had made featuring a basically life size photo of her from her white haired days. It's called Sleep With Me.

The whole concept behind her set-up is to recreate a slice of her home. The result is a Virginia Slim Menthol-accented, fur-filled, textile party.

The banana is a contribution from neighborhood artist DJ dude Spencer Sweeney. Jennifer bit into it; I guess that makes it a collaboration.

I swear to god Jennifer told me to take this picture. A couple of cute butts never hurt sales.

While looking for something to show me, something else was found.

Maggie Lee made this for the other participants to add too. Three cheers for Maggie Lee.

Another thing on the list of awesome things available in Jennifer’s installation are these whistles.

I scored one and a purple rabbit foot. If I could insert the heart emoticon here I would.

The installation will be up through Friday, December 7th. Jennifer will be serving all of your rabbit foot, foxtail, sexy blanket, and fake banana needs.

She’s Crafty runs through January 20, 2013 in the window of the New Museum Store.

235 Bowery, New York.

Also, that’s not actually Royal Trux playing at St Vitus on Saturday. It’s a bunch of kids that Neil put together and is playing with as a tribute act. But, Jennifer says we should all check it out and that it’s gonna be rad.