Bust Of 'Warm, Lovely' Harry Chapin Sculpted By His Former Long Island Neighbor

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Harry Chapin once sang "All my life's a circle."

It's fitting, then, that the life of a girl he once inspired when they were neighbors in Huntington Bay, Long Island, has come full circle. Decades later, the girl Chapin helped encourage down an artistic path was commissioned — coincidentally — by Long Island Cares to create a bust in the late singer-songwriter's honor.

Susan Bahary grew up in Huntington Bay in the 1970s with Chapin as a neighbor. Chapin was an award-winning musician and hunger activist at the height of his power. Bahary was a teenager with dreams of pursuing singing or art.

Bahary went to Chapin with the hope of discussing her ambitions with him. Chapin, who knew Bahary had a penchant for art, encouraged her, she said. Chapin invited Bahary to create a logo for WhyHunger (then "World Hunger Year"), an organization he co-founded with Radio DJ Bill Ayres with the belief that access to nutritious food is a human right and hunger is a solvable problem in a world of abundance. Bahary's logo was not used, but she appreciates the fact that Chapin asked her to try her hand at it.

"The feeling that stayed with me forever was how giving he was, how he thought about helping young people, and how positive and encouraging a person he was," Bahary, now in her 60s and living in California, told Patch. "In that discussion, I realized that there is somebody there who believed in my ability."

Bahary said her family always supported her artistic endeavors.

"But to have an outsider who is also a talented artist recognize my potential and also want to be that helpful is what stayed with me," she said.

Chapin not only helped Bahary but also her brother, Gordon Bahary, who has become a singer, songwriter and voice actor.

"It was very interesting how much music and art came from whatever quarter of an acre was between the two households," Susan Bahary said. "There ended up being quite a bit of art that ended up emerging from Huntington at that time, in that place."

Chapin and his family, Bahary said, were "welcoming, warm, lovely people."

Bahary spent time trying to figure out which artistic direction she wanted to take. She eventually chose sculpting, which she had first experienced during her high school days.

Bahary has since crafted many sculptures. Her monument of Sully, the service dog of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, impressed Katherine M. Fritz, chief development and communications officer at Long Island Cares.

Fritz, who then worked for America's VetDogs, was the one to commission Bahary to craft the monument of Sully. Fritz has made a career of connecting philanthropists to organizations that they care about, and she eventually wound up with Long Island Cares — which was founded by Chapin.

The Hauppauge organization, which runs the Harry Chapin Food Bank, was looking to commission a sculptor to create a "larger-than-life" bronze bust of Chapin himself as part of the “Harry Chapin Legacy Celebration,” which is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday.

Fritz reached out to Bahary, who was the only sculptor she had worked with, unaware of the mark that Chapin left on the blooming artist. Fritz did not know if Bahary even made human sculptures.

"When I called her, it was such a wonderful surprise," Fritz said. "It really just made me think this was what Susan was supposed to do. With her reconnecting with Harry in a way, and the family being able to reconnect with Susan."

Sandy Chapin, Harry's wife, and the rest of the Chapin family were so excited that the sculpture would be done by "Susan next door," Fritz said.

"It feels like this is a full-circle career moment for me," Fritz said. "I’ve spent a long time connecting philanthropists, and now I’ve been able to connect an artist to something that really meant a lot to her. I know for her, this was a work of love.”

Bahary admitted she was stunned when Fritz called asking if she could do a bust of a man who impacted her so.

"‘Absolutely, I would really, really love to do that!’" Bahary recalls telling Fritz. "I said, ‘Wow, he was my next-door neighbor!’ I told her, ‘Oh my God, I loved him, his music, and he was my next-door neighbor.’ [Fritz] goes, ‘You’re kidding,’ and I say, ’No!’"

Bahary was always impressed with the personal expression that Chapin made evident in his work. She jumped at the chance to express her own art form and honor the man who helped foster it.

"It’s amazing how it came full circle, like Harry’s song, 'All The World Is A Circle,'" Bahary said. "This experience of doing his bust has just made it feel like everything has come full circle in a beautiful way."

Bahary, who appreciated Chapin as a "human being, humanitarian, an incredible artist, and such a giving and energizing person," said her being commissioned to sculpt his bust was meant to be.

Working on Chapin's monument was also "healing" for Bahary.

Chapin was killed in a traffic collision on the Long Island Expressway while he was heading to perform at a free benefit concert at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow on July 16, 1981. Chapin's car was hit from behind by a tractor-trailer in Jericho, the New York Times reported. He was 38.

"I think Harry meant so much to everyone I’ve ever talked to who knew him or even in the short period of time they knew him," Bahary said. "When he was taken from us so quickly, everyone I know was devastated. I’m not sure a lot of us ever got over it. I listen to his music, and it always makes me feel good."

In her memorial sculptures, Bahary said she aims to portray something about the subject matter that will be healing to people.

"I hope this entire beautiful event planned by this great organization honors him, helps their work continue, and also has a positive healing effect for those, when they look at his sculpture, they’ll feel some of his beautiful essence and remember who he was for generations to come," Bahary said.

All of Bahary's sculptures are like her children, she said. They each emanate their own beauty, character, and importance to the artist who created them. But Bahary had a special connection to this piece, as the subject had a more "personal effect" on her.

Bahary says with any sculpture, she wants to capture the heart and soul of their likeness — whether it's Sully or Harry Chapin.

"It’s really my hope that this piece will have that effect I described where people will feel [Chapin's] hope, his sense of humor, and his positive energy," Bahary said. "See him looking up in the sculpture as if he’s thinking to the crowd and he’s maybe looking to a higher place. That’s why I have him looking up; because I think he was always looking to bring humanity to a higher place.”

The Chapin bust came out "absolutely beautiful" and is a "wonderful portrayal" of him, Fritz said.

"I think fans who saw Harry perform are going to love it," Fritz said. "It certainly is an impressive piece that is going to help talk about his legacy on Long Island.”

Long Island Cares is an organization that has a vision of “A Hunger Free Long Island.” The food bank strives to help the hungry and food insecure on Long Island.

“We’re extremely excited about Susan Bahary’s artwork to celebrate Harry’s work in the fight to end hunger in our region,” said Paule Pachter, CEO of Long Island Cares.