Starting Out and Coming HomePosted March 25, 2013 by Barbara Todd http://www.artistscollectiveofhydepark.com
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Fruits of Summer - Carolyn DeMichele
It's spring again and I'm thinking about the cycles of life. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring. Grow up, set out to see the world, grow and achieve some kind of success, and somewhere after years of the rat race, along the way start thinking about the things you left behind or maybe skipped along the way. And then try going home again - if you can.
I grew up in Hyde Park. I feel my roots strongly in the valley and its history. Work brought me to the big city and a very different way of life. And after making it there and finally believing that yes, I really could make it anywhere, I thought about the road not taken. The beauty of home, the truth in the deep woods, the soul of the Hudson River Valley. Whether by chance or fate, a grade-schoolmate happened to look me up last spring out of interest in my online photos of the area and introduced me to a nascent group that excited me: local Hyde Park artists that wanted to promote art in our town.
The timing was perfect. As Marilyn Grieco, who later became President of the Artists' Collective of Hyde Park pointed out, there were galleries in the area closing down, leaving an unfulfilled need for an art venue; in addition, Hyde Park needed to put itself on the art map for the sake of both art and tourism. So in the summer of 2012, the Collective was born.
As a newbie to the art world and a Hyde Parker returning after a long estrangement, I felt out of place and I knew I had a lot to learn; but everyone was welcoming and supportive. The enthusiasm of the all-volunteer group was and remains very inspiring. One of the hardest things to do when bootstrapping an ambitious artist group with no money is getting an actual display space. Once again fortune intervened and our pursuit of possible local venues was rewarded by long-time resident, business owner and land owner John Golden and his art-loving wife Gloria. He offered us the temporary use at low rent of a vacant, elegant old home on Route 9 that needed a bit of love. We threw ourselves into painting, spackling and scrubbing the charming old house and astonished ourselves and the Goldens by making it look wonderful inside and filling it with beautiful art in only a few short weeks. On September 22, 2012, we opened to the public with our first show. We have been going strong ever since.
I grew up in Hyde Park. I feel my roots strongly in the valley and its history. Work brought me to the big city and a very different way of life. And after making it there and finally believing that yes, I really could make it anywhere, I thought about the road not taken. The beauty of home, the truth in the deep woods, the soul of the Hudson River Valley. Whether by chance or fate, a grade-schoolmate happened to look me up last spring out of interest in my online photos of the area and introduced me to a nascent group that excited me: local Hyde Park artists that wanted to promote art in our town.
The timing was perfect. As Marilyn Grieco, who later became President of the Artists' Collective of Hyde Park pointed out, there were galleries in the area closing down, leaving an unfulfilled need for an art venue; in addition, Hyde Park needed to put itself on the art map for the sake of both art and tourism. So in the summer of 2012, the Collective was born.
As a newbie to the art world and a Hyde Parker returning after a long estrangement, I felt out of place and I knew I had a lot to learn; but everyone was welcoming and supportive. The enthusiasm of the all-volunteer group was and remains very inspiring. One of the hardest things to do when bootstrapping an ambitious artist group with no money is getting an actual display space. Once again fortune intervened and our pursuit of possible local venues was rewarded by long-time resident, business owner and land owner John Golden and his art-loving wife Gloria. He offered us the temporary use at low rent of a vacant, elegant old home on Route 9 that needed a bit of love. We threw ourselves into painting, spackling and scrubbing the charming old house and astonished ourselves and the Goldens by making it look wonderful inside and filling it with beautiful art in only a few short weeks. On September 22, 2012, we opened to the public with our first show. We have been going strong ever since.
Save A Heart Event
Save A Heart Event (Photo by Barbara Todd)
Each show has all new art - oils, watercolors, pastels, photo art, sculpture, stained glass, mosaics, ceramics, and more. Our members are dedicated to the community and we have raised funds for and/or donated art and supplies to the American Heart Association, the Hyde Park Food Pantry, families affected by AIDs, the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce and others. We now have monthly Open Mic events with very talented musicians and poets and a number of fun and varied events planned for the coming months.
Working Together
Portrait by Drew Miller (Photo by Barbara Todd)
When we talk about our group, everyone remarks that it is like a family - an "art family". I've watched some initially reserved artists relax and bloom over time in the warm and welcoming space of the gallery with the nurturing camaraderie and creativity that permeates the group. Repeat visitors say the shows keep getting better and better. It is so very fulfilling to see the creative energy of the group born as art and shared with our community and with visitors from all over. Thanks in large part to the talent of our Vice President and Gallery Director, Elizabeth St. Leger, the whole of each show is greater than the sum of its already beautiful parts, and each new piece is an inspiration to all the artists in our group. The flexibility and skills of our core group have made it possible to weather the unexpected and any obstacles thrown at us thus far. So I am no longer surprised when I arrive to find Kraig Kallmeyer way up a tree in the yard pruning, or building a patio out of bricks; or to discover visual artists that also play guitar or upholster furniture or create email blasts or a thousand other tasks we will need as we forge our path forward.
Having said all that, we are still new, and like all newborns we need to grow to survive - and pay our bills. Increasing public awareness is key. We are proud to have gotten, for the first time, by partnering with the Poughkeepsie art community, Hyde Park on the well-known Art Along the Hudson map for the forthcoming 2013 brochure and web site. This step will help bring recognition and visitor awareness of art in Hyde Park, benefiting businesses as well as the community of artists and art lovers. There is much more to be done, and we deeply appreciate the support of our patrons in the local community and elsewhere; but to paraphrase a popular song by Phillip Phillips, now we know we're not alone - and we're gonna make this place our home.
ACHP Member Artists, Opening Day;
Photo Courtesy Linda Marston-Reid
