Yogawood's Window Decorations Brighten up Riverton

Yvonne Chen wouldn’t call herself an artist, but people who drive by in Riverton might beg to differ.

Chen is the driving force behind Yogawood’s now locally famous window displays—drawing much attention and many compliments from people downtown, said one yoga teacher.

“It surprises me,” Chen, of Merchantville, said of the attention. “It’s just gotten a really positive response.”

Last year, Chen—a student and sometimes substitute at Yogawood—was talking to the studio’s owner Beth Filla about the windows.

“What if during the holiday season, we can come up with some neat-looking displays?” she remembers suggesting.

So, Chen went with a fall theme for the first window display, onto a Christmas theme in December and a love theme for February.

Butterflies adorned the windows in the spring and most recently, there were yarn rainbows placed so perfectly, it looked painted on.

Using only clear fishing wire, tape, nails and several feet of colored yarn, the decorations were pulled across Yogawood’s huge windows facing Main and Broad streets.

“It’s one of my favorite idea so far,” Chen said. "We're trying to generate some interest about Yogawood too."

Yoga instructor Maiga Milbourne said she overhears people who watch the windows on their daily commute try to figure out what materials have been used. Milbourne even said they’ve caught a few dumpster-divers trying to find items Chen may have used.

The windows are bare now as Chen continues to jot down ideas for the next display in her notebook. She said she’d probably do a fall theme—the bright sun on the windows during the summer limits the mixed media she can use now.

Check out the windows in a few months for the next idea from Chen.

“It’s definitely crafty,” she said, “and I like doing it.”