Art Along the Hudson Celebration at the Paramount
Ten communities along the Hudson River were represented at the Paramount Center as they celebrated the kick off of the 8th Annual Art Along the Hudson.
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Art lovers packed the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill Thursday night as part of a ten-community wide celebration of the arts.
The Art Along the Hudson’s Eighth Annual Kick-Off Celebration yesterday was the first hosted in Westchester and Peekskill's third year as part of the colloaborative effor that focuses on the importantce of art for a community.
Current and former politicians from Peekskill showed up in support of the celebration. Former mayors Fran Gibbs and John Testa were both in attendance, as well as current mayor, Mary Foster.
“We're thrilled to host the kick-off,” said Foster. “It gives us a wonderful chance to show off our city. We are really proud of this gem of a city along the Hudson River. Being an arts community is not something that happened overnight. There were many administrations that focused on how to bring an arts community together.”
Mayor Foster has been supportive of the city's art community, and Art Along the Hudson (AAH) recognizes that. But AAH also pointed out that Forst is a rare commodity in New York. According to Benjamin Krevolin, the president of the Dutchess County Arts Council, the arts in the state were facing a 40 percent cut this time last year. The community ended up receiving only a 10 percent cut in funding, however, Krevolin doesn’t believe they are out of the woods just yet.
“We have our task ahead of us,” said Krevolin, who cited Governor Andrew Cuomo and Congresswoman Nan Hayworth as politicians he hopes come around on the value of the arts. “Nan, sadly, was one of those people who signed up to eliminate funding for the [National Endowment for the Arts], not so good. But I just think it’s a matter of she hasn’t come to an Art Along the Hudson Kick-Off yet," Krevolin said.
Representatives from all ten municipalities made the trip to Peekskill Thursday night to boast about the art in their areas. Many echoed similar sentiments about the importance of art as a way of enhancing the value of a community.
“As the region becomes known as a center for art and culture, the draw from New York City and those other communities will increase and ecotourism will grow,” said Meredith Robinson, a city administrator from Beacon. “Most are looking for more than a place to live, but a community to share experiences with and a place to be connected to.”
Along with Beacon and Peekskill, the other cities represented were: Garrison/Cold Spring, Hudson, Kingston, New Paltz, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Rhinebrook/Red Hook and Woodstock.
"This is truly an artist community and we are proud to be apart of it" said Patricia Braja, executive director at Paramount Center. "We take very seriously our role as a cultural destination and community partner."
Honored at the kick-off was Christopher Marra, an economic development specialist in Peekskill. Chair of the AAH, Linda Hubbard said Marra was a driving force in bringing the annual celebration to the city.
All participating communities chose three pieces of art to represent their community. Peekskill artist Marcy B. Freeman, Linda Winters and Andrew Barthelmes were displayed at the event last night.
All the works were on display and will remain on the second level of the Paramount Center until July 10. All pieces are available for purchase.
Patty Villanova
8:13 am on Saturday, June 4, 2011
Too bad that this event was Chris Marra's last day working for Peekskill. Unlike most of the bureaucrats, Chris was one of the few that actually did his job. To his credit, he really tried. But in the end, the BS was just too much for him. This event was more hype and of course Queen Mary was there taking credit for the work of others. As far as being an Artists Community, sad to say, Peekskill is not. I can say this with absolute certainty after being here for 6+ years as a working artist/boutique owner. The main industry here is Poverty. Just follow the money and the Yellow Brick Rd. Many millions are being poured into this city, not for the creative types, but to service the needs of the "poor" who have found their way here. Their needs are being met, splendidly, by the Health Center, the Preservation Company, Housing Authority, etc. Even art has been co-opted- look no further than the mural projects being funded for the Youth Bureau, or Innovative Arts rotunda fiasco. The Paramount, which is the "anchor" for our Downntown, is dysfunctional. It's a perfect example of why government shouldn't be in the arts and entertainment business. The theater is a huge asset, owned by the city, subsidized by taxpayers. It is being leased to a NFP board (similar to the BID) for $1 a year. In the private sector, this would be a thriving business & bring thousands of people to town. But that's not where the money is for the poverty czars who are bleeding us.