What do you get when you bring almost 50 artists—painters, illustrators, musicians, and promoters-- together in one space?
Creativity and ideas.
That’s what happened Wednesday when CREATE Schoharie County held a Meet & Greet in the SUNY Cobleskill Grosvenor Art Gallery as a way to introduce the Council for Resources to Enrich Arts, a new name and focus for what’s been the Greene County Council on the Arts, and gather ideas and input from local artists.
“We really need to hear from you,” Anne Morton, who with Lisa Ovitt is heading up CREATE Schoharie County efforts.
“Shows, education, connections…tell us what you need.”
What artists need isn’t necessarily glamorous: a couple asked about insurance, while others suggested a common calendar of events.
Still others remembered the days when the Schoharie County Arts Council had a gallery, shop, and offices in Cobleskill—something that went away when state arts funding dried up.
While that might be the ultimate goal, others are also stepping up; Jeff Tufano who owns the Mann Building in Cobleskill said he has three floors of gallery space and even an artist in residence.
“Jeff has done as much for visual arts as anyone in Schoharie County,” said Dennis Shaw, who administers the local Decentralization Grants.
“I don’t necessarily know what I’m doing, but I’m learning,” Mr. Tufano said.
Mike Van Dow, a former SCAC director, said one problem arts here always struggles with is its insularity, with different communities feeling like they’re “competing” against each other.
That’s been changing, others in the crowd said; “It’s all about the relationships that we form as we go along,” Ms. Morton added.
After the event, Ms. Ovitt said they were pleased with the turnout and with what they learned about the history of local arts.
“Our biggest take-away was the artists’ desire to see their work displayed and enjoyed and available for sale,” she said, with shows several times a year at different venues throughout the county.
With that in mind, CREATE will be exploring some sort of event to showcase local talent; maybe an Art Trail, Ms. Ovitt said, or a show in one of the many barns offered up at Wednesday’s event.
“CREATE will also be identifying and exploring other programs and activities that support education while enriching our lives and advancing economic growth,” she said.

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For more information on CREATE, keep an eye on the Times-Journal, “friend” Schohariegrants on Facebook or become a member of CREATE at Greenearts.org.
Ms. Ovitt can be reached at (518) 795-0984.