The Dr. Pepper and Pabst Blue Ribbon flowed on Friday, October 9, as ArtsWalk in Hudson got off to a festive start with the gala opening of a one-man show of works from private collections by the outsider artist Earl Swanigan at Basilica Industria . At least 300 people crammed into the smaller of that venue's spaces and drove into the mountains of hushpuppies made for the occasion by chef Danyell Ray of Georgia Ray's Kitchen. Highpoint of the evening: when the artist himself (at left in a photo by Roy Volkmann) turned up, pushing a furniture dolly with some new work, all of which sold on the spot. Normally, a non-emotive sort, Earl was, as one observer put it, "wagging three tails at once."
Catherine Dodge Smith and Dan Turk of Count Turkofsky's Department Store; Peter & Paula Superti & Roscoe
Kitty Mackey, the show's co-organizer, and Paul Hamann
Michael Belanger and Jeff Hayenga; Skip Mooney
Face Stockholm ownersGun Nowak and her daughter Martina Artwidson with Christian Lofgren; Robin Vachal, James Male, the show's co-organizer, and Suzanne Snider
In the larger space at the Basilica, which is most often occupied by Walking the Dog Theater, Arthur Price's enormous paintings, reminiscent of the Prerafaelites, were astonishing. All agreed the space had never looked more spectacular.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
