By Robert Burke Warren
The folks behind the inaugural Hudson Valley Arts Festival – October 4th, 5th, and 6th at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck – are aiming high. “We want to be awe-inspiring," says organizer Stacey Jarit. As the director of Artrider productions, Jarit has been producing arts events in the Tri-State area for thirty years, and she’s certain the Hudson Valley is ripe for her carefully curated gathering of visual artists, craftspeople, gourmet food purveyors, music, and interactive activity. (At left, a piece of sculptural wood by Peter Petrochko.) “This year, National Geographic designated the Hudson Valley one the top 20 travel destinations in the world," Jarit says. (The list also includes Crimea, Kyoto, and Memphis, TN.) “We live in such a culturally rich, arts conscious place. Many HVAF artists live in the area, but mostly sell work outside the Hudson Valley, so this is a great opportunity for them and for everyone. People will come to Rhinebeck and their jaws will drop."
The HVAF will feature a special showcase of the Hudson Valley Furniture Makers, including celebrated artisans Michael Leggett, Rob Hare, and Michael Puryear. Puryear’s Shaker and Scandinavian-inspired work (one of which is pictured at right) enjoys particular renown, with pieces in the Museum of Art & Design in NYC and the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, MA. “I infuse my work with shibui," he says, “the Japanese term for simple elegance." According to Jarit, “The Hudson Valley Furniture Makers don't often show because they can't easily schlep their work. We're giving them half of one of the pavilions, and they're creating a whole environment. People will get to meet and talk with the creators. You don't get that in a store or gallery."
Jarit has designed the HVAF to have an eclectic mix. “It’s a coming together of the best in different art forms," she says, “with a strong emphasis on fine craft and visual art." In addition to ceramics stars Cliff and Holly Lee and award-winning hand-weaver Patricia Palson (at left), Woodstock’s own create-your-own-art hotspot Fiber Flame will offer a bustling, hands-on children’s area. Rising Rhinebeck chocolatier Oliver Kita is one of Hudson Valley Arts Festival’s many gourmet food purveyors. Kita is particularly excited about the event, which he sees as timely for both small-scale artisans like himself and an increasingly selective consumer culture. “Artisan chocolate today is where artisan bread was fifteen years ago," he says. “People understand and expect really high-quality product. When I was first starting out eight years ago, it was just me and a couple of others. Now there’s a plethora of people starting businesses, which is great. There’s room for everybody."
For the HVAF, Kita says, “We’ll go from the elegant to the ridiculous. You have to have something at all price points for people because not everybody is going to drop forty dollars on a box of chocolate. We’ll show off our finest things, but we also have items that are more attainable for people who just want to sample it, who don't want to use a credit card." A sampler of Kita’s wares is mouthwatering: “On the higher end, we're going to be promoting the Great Estates Collection, which honors the mansions studding the Hudson River. The tastes come from local farms," he says. “Olana is Moroccan orange, the Boscobel House is caramel apple, and we have Staatsburg strawberry. But I do funky stuff, too, because sometimes people just want a graham cracker. I do s'mores, and ginger snaps with toffee on top."
While patrons’ eyes, hands, and mouths will be alive with sensation, HVAF also offers plenty of ear candy; stages will pulsate with music 'round the clock, from folk duo Mike + Ruthy (left) to funkateers Mambo Kikongo and rock from the Lindsey Webster Band. For something a little different, musician Todd Crowley brings his “Musical Petting Zoo," where patrons interact with dozens of instruments from A (accordion) to Z (zither). Additionally, the HVAF is partnering with the Woodstock Film Festival, offering discount admission to attendees who bring tickets or ticket stubs from WFF. Overall, Jarit’s Hudson Valley Arts Festival seeks to remind attendees of the value of buying direct. “We live in a time of mass production," she says. “Everything is imported. We forget that so many talented people work in the U.S., making amazing things. They have such energy and sophistication in their craftsmanship and design sense. It never ceases to amaze me." Like Oliver Kita, she’s happy about a gradual shift in public perception of homemade goods. “It's a totally different conversation these days," she says. “I've been doing this a long time, and my thirty-year-old daughter is taking over. Five years ago it didn't speak to her, but there's a new crop of young artists who've come in. It's very timely and very important." The Hudson Valley Arts FestivalDutchess County Fairgrounds October 4th, 5th and 6th
