Dale Stewart reports from Martindale, NY. An intimate crowd gathered to celebrate and bid on art for two good causes at "A Summer Celebration of Art," a co-benefit for the Claverack Free Library and Community Center and the Columbia County Council on the Arts on Friday, July 26, at the Martindale Farm of Bob Laurie. Work by nearly 40 accomplished artists with local connections, such as Thomas Locker, Dale Payson, and R.O Blechman, was the centerpiece of an auction, much of the proceeds from which went towards the goal of $2.8 million for re-purposing the old A.B. Shaw Firehouse as a new library and community center. As the night’s emcee and auctioneer, actor/writer/Columbia County resident Christopher Eigeman, pictured left with Johnny Pym, stole the show as he presided. Patrons snacked on a summery selection of gazpacho shooters, local cheeses, and antipasti provided by Carlucci Simons. CFL's Jennifer Post spoke fondly of the joint effort, saying, "for nonprofits, collaborating is the thing to do these days."
CFL's capital campaign chair Jennifer Post and CCCA executive director and artist Cynthia Mulvaney; Thea Schoep and Paty Day.
Event host and artist Robert Laurie with Annette Cammar; artist Gretchen Kelly and her mother Liz Kelly.
Friends of a farmer founder, Tessa Edick with Tony Jones and Nancy Ginsberg of Ginsberg Food Service, an event sponsor.
Claverack Library President Wendy Wilde and Susan Roberts; Wendy Capeluto and Stan Heilbronn.
RealtorsIan Nitschke and Peggy Lampman; CCCA’s Maria Kolodzi-Zincio and Marty Davidson.
CFL board member Alice Platt and Kitty MacKey; Local 111 owners Linda Gatter and Max Dannis.
Lisa Laurie, Andrew R. Kovac, and Amy Laurie.
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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
