On “Gossip Girl,” the hit television show (right) inspired by a series of young adult books, Brooklyn is often misrepresented. Neighborhoods — DUMBO and Williamsburg — are used interchangeably and characters have been known to walk to the Upper East Side of Manhattan on a whim. On two recent episodes, however, they got one thing just right: showcasing the work of Park Slope sculptor Martha Walker in the collection of the fictional Bedford Avenue Gallery.
“I hadn’t previously seen the show,” Walker told GO Brooklyn as she was about to board a plane, “but my 14-year-old daughter is a huge fan. We got to visit the set at Silver Cup Studios, and it was a huge thing for her.”
And since the episodes aired, Walker herself has been receiving attention not unlike what’s lavished on a teen starlet.
“I have a show coming up at Union Temple [on Jan. 19],” she said, and just this week “Hope” (far right), a piece that was on “Gossip Girl,” was donated by a patron to the Anne Frank Center in Manhattan.
Walker said that while she appreciates the television exposure, she’s really looking for success in the gallery scene. Although if pressed to continue down a Technicolor path, she said, “I love ‘Ugly Betty.’ I can’t help but notice the art in the offices on the show, but I understand my work is much different.”
“Gossip Girl” airs on Monday nights at 8 pm on Channel 11, and reruns are available at www.cwtv.com. For more information on Martha Walker, visit www. marthawalker.net.
