By Lisa Green Two years ago, Dorit Straus, an art and insurance advisor, attended a dinner for collectors at Henry Klimowicz'sRE Institute in Millerton. The part-time Hudson Valley resident was taken with the intimate setting and interaction between the artist and guests over a meal composed of Hudson Valley-grown food. Having worked with art collectors (she was the worldwide fine art specialty manager for the Chubb Insurance companies), she was inspired to bring art investors to the countryside to see the works of local artists. “It’s hard to get art buyers to come here, what with Art Basel and auction weeks," Staus says. “I thought, what’s my hook to draw New York City collectors to the country?" Weaving together the inarguable assets of the region, she created Art Hudson Farm To Frame, an event “Promoting Artists, Preserving Farmland and Rejuvenating the Economy," with two days of farm and artist studio visits, group discussions with artists and lunches provided by a local restaurant. Straus is partnering with Scenic Hudson, a non-profit organization that promotes and restores the Hudson River and its landscapes, and $100 of the ticket price goes to that cause. "Farm To Frame has all the elements of farm and art tours and the farm-to-table movement," Straus says.
_300.jpg)
PET scan by Guy Walker.
“One of the challenges of being in a rural area is finding an audience," says Klimowicz, who is opening his gallery for the lunch (prepared by Red Devon in Bangall featuring local ingredients from Sky Farm and Sol Flower Farm) and the discussion with participants and the artists lead by Brook Mason, U.S. correspondent for The Art Newspaper. “People get to interact with the art and artists over food in a true ‘farm at table’ experience," he says, adding that the menu will include his own recipe of pickled ramps. Artists in the exhibit include Ryan Frank, Guy Walker, Sara Nesbitt, Henry Klimowicz, Paul Chaleff and Susan Wides. On June 7, the day begins with a Carolee Schneeman exhibition at the studio Tspace and Steven Holl Architects in Rhinebeck. After lunch, it’s a tour through the show called “PLACE" at the Re Institute, which focuses on the influence of an artist’s surroundings on his or her work, followed by a group discussion. (“Place" also relates to food, a component of the program.) On June 8, the day starts with a visit to Judy Pfaff’s studio in Tivoli and mirrors the format of the previous day. Participants can attend one or both days. A fall Farm to Frame event is being planned. “It’s a work in progress, like everything here," says Klimowicz. But Straus is firm about one thing: Artists can always use more exposure. Art Hudson Farm To FrameJune 7 and 8 $250 per event ($100 of the ticket price is a tax-deductible contribution to Scenic Hudson)
