Massachusetts town using COVID relief money to pay for 10 turkey statues
BROOKLINE - There is no hiding the fact that one Massachusetts town has faced its fair share of turkey troubles.
They are known to take over sidewalks, front yards and even fall out of trees in Brookline. Yes, that's a thing.
"I didn't realize that they slept in trees sometimes, so I have been walking home at night and they have just sort of fallen out. 2 a.m. when you're walking home after a long shift, it's terrifying. The turkeys own Brookline. We are just living in it," said Meaghan Murphy.
Earlier this month, the town announced it would lean into its turkey dilemma by creating ten larger-than-life fiberglass turkey art installations and placing them in popular areas.
Brookline's "Turkeys Around Town Initiative" is part of a bigger push to create more public art.
The town says its Brookline Art Makes Community program is the result of the American Rescue Plan and will use COVID funding designated for public art initiatives and will be heading up this operation.
The town is asking for the public's input on themes for the turkeys and proposed locations.
The town plans to install five turkeys this spring and the others in the fall.
Right now, they are taking applications from local artists who have an interest in helping design and paint the birds. The town said it plans to pay each artist a thousand dollars.
"I think that is a very fun and cool idea," said Murphy. "It is taking something that inherently lives in Brookline and is inherently apart of people who live in Brookline's lives and gives it some fun an energy."
"I love it and I think it's really cute," said Victoria Simons. "Turkeys are what make Brookline what it is. The pandemic taught us that people outside is healthier, it's good to be outside and anything that brings people together and outside is only going to be good and healthy."
Applications for artists are open until March 29.