The Mayor of Strawberry Fields

The bum you pass every day could be the artist responsible for one of New York's most colorful monuments. THE MAYOR OF STRAWBERRY FIELDS is a moving look into the quirky homeless subculture living in Central Park. Gary, the self-proclaimed "Mayor" of Strawberry Fields, has lived at John Lennon's Imagine Memorial and decorated it with flowers for the past 14 years. Thousands of tourists see his labor of love daily, while he sits on as the "silent" artist. This short documentary delves deep into Gary's euphoric yet dysfunctional life on the streets, and takes the audience into a world only a true rock and roll fan would understand. Whether it's the searing city heat or blistering cold of winter, Gary stands by the memorial with flowers from bodega dumpsters, and gives the world, as he says, "the peace sign it needs." Like any average Joe, Gary has a wife, a dog and a happy job. His unorthodox profession has started to make his artwork yet another landmark of Manhattan, and through his own self promotion, made him a celebrity in his own right. Just Google the words "John Lennon Mosaic" and see over 55,000 examples of Gary's art. Does he deserve money for this? Is he a real artist? Should he be taken seriously? Maybe this "bum" actually has more to say than you'd think...