Ohio artist offers legless Santa and crazed tree
12/3/2008OBERLIN, Ohio A northern Ohio artist known for envelope-pushing holiday displays is back with Santa Claus in a wheelchair being pushed down stairs by a crazed tree.
The Santa in Keith McGuckin s installation at the Oberlin Public Library has no legs because of an accident involving alcohol and some power lines. An accompanying narrative explains that the tree later goes off to a strip club with money from Santa s Salvation Army kettle.
McGuckin s holiday creations have been raising eyebrows for years. His 2006 gingerbread Nazis drew so many complaints he was forced to remove them from a hardware store window.
Library director Darren McDonough says the latest display is staying. He jokes that if a library doesn t have something that offends, it s not doing its job.