If you’re an artist…
If you enjoy art…
If you recognize the arts’ impact on the Schoharie County economy…
…you’ll want to be there when CREATE Schoharie County launches a new kind of arts council on October 23 at SUNY Cobleskill.
CREATE—Council for Resources to Enrich the Arts, Technology & Education—is a new name and focus for what’s been the Greene County Council of the Arts.
While Greene County has been handling New York State Council on the Arts grants for Schoharie County—and as CREATE, will continue to do so—the Schoharie County Arts Council disbanded about 10 years ago.
Now, through local Arts Council Advisory Committees, CREATE is hoping to recreate a vibrant local arts community and Lisa Ovitt of Cobleskill and Anne Morton of Schoharie are leading the charge here.
Ms. Ovitt and Ms. Morton joined the GCCA Board of Directors in 2018 and have been part of the efforts to hire a new executive director and come up with a name, vision, and strategic plan for what’s become CREATE.
Under CREATE, it will be up to the Advisory Committees to figure out what their artists and art-lovers need and want.
Ms. Ovitt and Ms. Morton, both of whom have backgrounds in business and the not-for-profit world, have already hand-picked the members of their Advisory Committee:
• Matt Barney, SUNY Cobleskill.
• Concert promoter Sonny Ochs.
• Visual artist Diana Cook.
• Christine Harris, Klinkhart Hall Arts Center.
• Jennie Mosher, Schoharie Library program director and artist.
• Cathy Adams, genealogist, Old Stone Fort, and former SCAC member.
• Georgia Van Dyke, executive director, Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce.
• Bookstore owner and concert promoter Doug Guevara.
• Josh Loden, Apple Barrel.
• Dennis Shaw, CREATE grants coordinator.
Wednesday, October 23, from 6-8:30pm at the SUNY Cobleskill Grosvenor Art Gallery in the Old Gym on the Old Quad, CREATE Schoharie will hold a Meet & Greet from 6-8:30pm.
There will be a light refreshments and a chance to meet the CREATE Schoharie Advisory Committee.
“We want to hear from artists—what do they need, what do they want,” Ms. Ovitt said.
“We also want to hear from people who support the arts,” added Ms. Morton. “What do they want to see? How do they want to support the arts?”
Already, CREATE Schoharie is planning an Art Trail in the spring, an event where artists will open their studios to visitors.
“We think there’s a lot more that we can do, both big and small things,” Ms. Ovitt said.
“This is going to be our organizational year and there will be growing pains, but we’re excited by all of the possibilities. There’s so much art here that people don’t realize.”
Ms. Morton also spoke about the economic impact arts can have on a community; arts are one of the opportunities and strengths identified in Peter Fairweather’s economic strategy for the county.
“The arts can bring millions of dollars into a community,” Ms. Morton said.
“I think it took people longer than we thought to recover from Irene, but now we’re getting ready to move forward. I can feel the energy.”
For more information on CREATE Schoharie or the Meet & Greet, contact Ms. Ovitt at (518) 795-0984 or email her at: Laovitt@nycap.rr.com