Stuck in Vermont: Meet the Artist Duo Behind 'Frankenstein Castle' in Essex Junction | Stuck in Vermont | Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice

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Stuck in Vermont: Meet the Artist Duo Behind 'Frankenstein Castle' in Essex Junction 

Episode 596

by

Published October 31, 2019 at 6:00 a.m.


Niki Frankenstein and Jim DuVal have been bonded in a creative partnership for the past 13 years. Six years ago, they fell in love with an unusual abode on West Street in Essex Junction. The garage has a two story addition over it, and the pieces seemed to be Frankensteined together. Much like the tattooed pair, the home stood out in this residential neighborhood full of split-level houses. 

The couple moved their three kids into the home and transformed it with their combined artistic flair. Jim is a tattoo artist who has been working in the Burlington area for over 22 years. Both are painters, and the walls are adorned with their artwork, as well as pieces made by their friends. The couple decorates for multiple holidays, but Halloween is a particular favorite. The dining room table is a tableaux of mannequins and skulls, the kitchen is a wonderland of kitsch, and the front lawn has been taken over by a sea monster. We stopped by to get a tour of their haunted house on a Saturday evening. 

Shooting date: 10/26/19

Music: Sir Cubworth, "Magical Dirt"

Jeremy Blake, "Heaven and Hell"

Drone Photography: James Buck

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New England Federal Credit Union
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