Field Notes: How an Octopus Ended Up in Peekskill (Kegs Were Involved)
An octopus, a collection of beer kegs and Signs Ink might seem like an unlikely combination. Together, they became The Hoptopus Garden.
Artist Maximilian “Max” Beachak envisioned an octopus rising beside the Hudson River. Commissioned by Peekskill entrepreneur Louie Lanza, the 2017 sculpture was fabricated at Signs Ink under Max’s direction. Max is the son of Signs Ink owner Matthew Beachak and the nephew of owner Tim Beachak.
The first challenge was space.
With a head measuring roughly 7 by 12 by 7 feet and a tentacle destined to reach 20 feet, the sculpture needed more room than the shop could give it. Fortunately, the work took place in summer, so the crew extended the welding and fabrication area outdoors. It solved the space problem, although welding a giant metal octopus beneath the summer sun turned up the heat in more ways than one for the crew.
From Kegs to Kraken
The photos below show the sculpture coming together in sections. Shaped metal forms the sweeping head and tentacles, while beer kegs donated by Captain Lawrence Brewing Company become the suckers along the arms. The finished pieces were secured for transport and positioned at Charles Point, where the creature appears to rise from the landscape.
Those kegs tell a local story, too. Captain Lawrence founder Scott Vaccaro partnered with local restaurateurs to launch River Outpost Brewing Co. inside The Factoria at Charles Point. River Outpost brews its beers on site along the Peekskill waterfront. Max turned a material connected to that destination into one of the sculpture’s most memorable details.
An octopus doesn’t belong in the Hudson River, and that’s part of its charm. At 7 John Walsh Blvd, Peekskill, NY, The Hoptopus Garden brings a little waterfront folklore to a place where people gather. Look closely and you’ll spot the kegs. Step back and you’ll see the scale of Max’s idea—and the work it took to build it.
Artist: Maximilian “Max” Beachak. Fabricated at Signs Ink under Max’s direction. Commissioned by Louie Lanza. Selected installation photos: Peekskill Arts Council.
