Coaster Designer Kurt Pivots To Toys, Shows Work At Hoboken Museum This Weekend

HOBOKEN, NJ — Kurt Gardiner has been selling his coasters and AI-enhanced photos around Hoboken for several years. A former software developer in New York City, he began staying closer to home in 2019 after a stroke.

Now, he's expanding his operations, selling toys as well. And his art will be featured at the Hoboken Historical Museum through the end of the weekend.

Recently, Gardiner has been selling squishy toys on Washington Street, calling himself Big Kurt Toys. The name is a nod to the former Big Fun toy store in Hoboken, and also a reference to Gardiner's 6-foot-8 stature.

His art has been displayed at the Hoboken Historical Museum at 1301 Hudson St. since Aug. 9. This weekend is the last day to view it, and Gardiner said he hopes to be on-site on Sunday for the final day.

Big Kurt's Origin Story

Gardiner used to commute to Manhattan each day. He also became a licensed real estate agent in New Jersey.

Everything changed on April 24, 2019. In the wee hours, after a night of drinking, he woke up and realized he had had a stroke.

He was 52 years old.

"I was drinking that night very heavily," he acknowledged in an earlier interview with Patch. "I woke up at 4:30 a.m. I immediately noticed my right side didn’t work right. I was able to go to the mirror and I was horrified when I saw my face droop. At that point I knew I had a stroke."

Gardiner believes a slew of health issues that include Diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as his alcohol consumption, contributed to the stroke. But he had also been under recent stress.

He'd temporarily left his job a few months earlier to help take care of both of his ailing parents.

"I resigned to watch my father die, and then to help my mother with her stroke, heart attack, and dementia," Gardiner said. "I suffered my stroke almost exactly three months after my mother died."

Learning To Walk, And Make Art

Gardiner spent a week at Hoboken University Medical Center, where he received rehab until his insurance insisted he move on to a professional rehab clinic.

"It was long and hard and my right side is still affected, but I am alive," he had said.

He began turning his most iconic Hoboken photos into coasters and selling them in places like Bwe coffee shop.

Gardiner is often spotted around town, lugging a wagon full of his coasters and magnets to festivals, farmer's markets, and businesses on the main drag, Washington Street.

The Exhibit

The Hoboken Historical Museum said, "His photos of Hoboken are a loving tribute to our city. We thank him for showing us the power of creative expression as a path towards healing and wellness."

More information about his exhibit is here.

Stroke Recovery

While some may believe strokes are just for senior citizens, a quarter of stroke victims are under 65.

"The deaths of John Singleton and Luke Perry have been a wake-up call for many," noted a cardiology practice in Manhattan. Find out more about that here.

Find more of Kurt Gardiner's art here.