Art Along the Hudson kicks off 8th year

What began as an endeavor to boost tourism in the Hudson Valley riverfront cities of Beacon, Kingston, Newburgh and Poughkeepsie has attracted more municipalities, as well as some off the beaten path.

Art Along the Hudson, now in its eighth year, invited artists, officials and supporters to the Paramount Theatre in Peekskill June 2, where they had an opportunity to meet and strategize plans for making this year”™s event one that will invigorate tourism.

This year the venues will also include Cold Spring/Garrison, Hudson, New Paltz, Peekskill, Rhinebeck/Red Hook and Woodstock to promote their offerings, from galleries, restaurants and outdoor art shows, as well as stores that will become art venues.

Although Woodstock and New Paltz are off the beaten path, with no waterfront to attract tourists, collaborators from those villages feel they offer much in the way of art, eclectic restaurants and stores and have generated plenty of tourism without being part of Art Along The Hudson.

Carl Van Brunt of Woodstock told the audience, “The Woodstock Artists Association and Museum has been in existence since 1919. Our only problem is telling people if they”™ve come looking for artwork on Jimi Hendrix, they”™ll have to go 60 miles west to Bethel. We”™ve been an integral part of the arts community for over a century.”

It is also a first for the city of Peekskill, said its mayor, Mary Foster, who welcomed the audience to the Paramount and said the city”™s growing arts community is excited about the prospect of becoming part of the studio tours and special Saturdays set aside to promote art within its borders.

Carinda Swann, executive director of the Garrison Arts Center, relayed some interesting statistics she culled from 2009 reports, one year into the Great Recession: “Nationally, there is $166 billion spent in this industry; $63 billion is generated by art venues and $103 billion spent by organizations, creating over 5.7 million in jobs. We paid $13 billion in federal and $17 billion in taxes to the state and county.  Interestingly, the study did not include New York City or Los Angeles ”“ so imagine the possibilities.”

Benjamin Krevolin, executive director of the Dutchess Arts Council who will be leaving to take a position at Vassar College, will still be involved in the arts community. He told the audience of the need for the arts to take a proactive approach.
“The arts community was faced with a 40 percent cut in 2010. Nineteen-thousand emails to Albany did no good at all. Luckily, we only got a ten percent cut. Governor Cuomo is a Westchester resident. We need to make sure he knows the word, ”˜art.”™ And our state senators need to start carrying the water to Albany.”

Mark Sarazen, president of the Ossining Arts Council, came to the opening night of Art Along The Hudson to hear more about the program. “Right now, I”™m on a ”˜listening tour.”™ This is a great way to promote tourism and artists in local river communities and I believe it would be a real boost to the town of Ossining.

To learn more about where and when you can find Art Studio Tours, what Saturdays cities and towns will be holding events and places to stay and to visit, visit artalongthehudson.com.