High Line putting on first-ever Pigeon Impersonation Pageant

New York Post

a day ago

She's got beauty, she's got grace. She's got feathers on her face.
East Village artist Miriam Abrahams is one of seven acts competing for the crown at the inaugural Pigeon Impersonation Pageant on the High Line, an event aimed at reinvigorating love for the city squabs amid a surge of shocking hate and crime against them.
The 34-year-old has had plenty of practice cooing along in her beloved paper mâché pigeon costume — but Saturday will mark the first time she'll take the stage dressed as one of the iconic city birds.
7 Miriam Abrahams is one of seven acts competing in the High Line's inaugural Pigeon Impersonation Pageant.
Stephen Yang
'They're the underdogs, but they're brilliant and intelligent animals,' Abrahams, 34, told The Post.
'I feel like I want to give them a moment and just kind of show them off a bit.'
The first-ever pigeon pageant is expected to be the highlight of the High Line's day-long Pigeon Fest, which will include games like pin the tail on the pigeon and pigeon corn hole, as well as panels educating visitors on how to make the Big Apple friendly for birds.
Each act — some of which include multiple contestants — will have two minutes to coo, squawk and waddle in front of the crowd, Project Runway style.
7 The East Village artist first made the costume for Halloween in 2022.
Stephen Yang
The lucky ducks who make it to the second round will have to soar to new heights for their chance at the title by either dancing, lip synching or some other form of creative storytelling, even if it means taking their pigeon impersonation to fantastical levels.
Several awards will be given out to the contestants, but only one will be crowned the first-ever 'Top Pigeon of New York City.'
As whimsical as it sounds, the pageant is also very serious — each contender was plucked for the event after submitting an audition.
Abrahams is confident, however, that she has the pageant in the bag. The England-born artist has slipped into 'Pigeon,' a simply, but aptly named persona, on numerous occasions over the years and has perfected her bobbing.
7 Abrahams adopts the 'Pigeon' persona whenever she dons the costume.
Stephen Yang
7 'They're the underdogs, but they're brilliant and intelligent animals,' Abrahams said of the fowl.
Stephen Yang
7 The pageant winner will be crowned the 'Top Pigeon of New York City.'
Stephen Yang
'It's become my New York City persona. When I put it on, I become 'Pigeon' and I take on those traits — they're so intelligent, silly. They're wonderful creatures,' explained Abrahams, who crafts plenty of costumes and statues as a member of the Pussypaws Puppetry troupe.
Abrahams offered The Post an exclusive sneak peek at how she slips into Pigeon, a chicken wire and paper mâché ensemble she originally intended just to be part of a Big Apple-themed Halloween foursome that also included a rat, cockroach and exterminator.
But the English-born artist fell in love with the costume and has donned it several times over the last few years, popping up throughout the city to hang out with her fellow flock and even square up with confused canines.
'In the past year, I had someone come up to me with a piece of bread and I ran over to them and started pecking,' said Abrahams, calling the live performances 'magic.'
Her typical performance included bobbing and playing cooing noises from a speaker hidden inside Pigeon's massive cranium — but she promised that her pageant act will involve much more 'pizzaz.'
'I'm going to be accompanied by some very wholesome New York accompaniment with the sounds and the music that's going to be involved in this,' Abrahams teased, opting to keep any further details close to her wings.
Other than her love of performing, Abrahams was drawn to the pageant for her deep love of animals — especially for the birds who are derogitarily referred to as the rats of the sky.
'I really do believe they get a bad rep with a lot of people and in the city and a lot of it is lack of knowledge,' said Abrahams, a longtime volunteer with the Wild Bird Fund.
7 'People often think that they are dirty and diseased, but it's actually the cities we built and all the trash and stuff that they eat that makes them that way,' said Abrahams.
Stephen Yang
'People often think that they are dirty and diseased, but it's actually the cities we built and all the trash and stuff that they eat that makes them that way.'
That sentiment — and a splash of the look-alike contests that were sweeping the city — is exactly what inspired the pageant and Pigeon Fest in the first place.
The day-long festival centers around 'Dinosaur,' the massive Pigeon sculpture by Iván Argote that has been guarding the railroad garden since the summer.
'I think it's key that there's no more iconic bird in urban centres than the pigeon, but it's simultaneously maligned and marginalised, and that makes it a really powerful symbol for exploring all of these related themes,' said Taylor Zakarin, the associate curator for High Line Art.
7 Pigeon Fest will center around 'Dinosaur,' a massive sculpture of a pigeon by Iván Argote.
Stephen Yang
Despite the heavy themes, Zakarin promised the pageant would be all in good fun.
The Top Pigeon of New York City is the award to win, but the Best Plumage, Coolest Moves, Fiercest Flapper and Avant Garde Avian awards will also be up for grabs.
There will even be an audience participation award, Zakarin teased.
'We certainly wouldn't be mad if people showed up in costume to watch the performance because they might just win an award for themselves,' she said.