ARTiculture, a collaboration between Liberty View Farm in Clintondale and Unison Arts outside New Paltz, brings together two of the most vital and engaging aspects of life in the Hudson River Valley: art and agriculture. A day of festivities showcasing local musicians, painters, photographers, sculptors and dancers has been planned for this Saturday, July 18 for the purpose of promoting both regional agricultural efforts and the creative arts practiced here. An art exhibit in the Barn Gallery and an Orchard Sculpture Show, with pieces interspersed throughout the rows of organic apple trees, will feature the works of established and emerging artists, while music and dance will be provided by David Kraai and the Saddle Tramps with their special blend of “totally danceable new country,” and A Perfect Gift: All That Is Jazz Dance Ensemble with choreographer Clyde Forth.
“I’ve been doing ‘art in the orchard’ for a few years now,” says Billiam von Roestenberg, resident farmer and co-owner (with Rene Hronek) of Liberty View. “Last year we did a benefi t for a little boy with cancer. I’m trying to cross-pollinate artists with farmers, and I came up with the idea of utilizing the farm and orchard to create a sustainable art show, usually tied into fundraising. Stuart Bigley and Kitty Brown contacted me about doing a show here to raise awareness of farmers and the art world. Here, people experience artwork in a totally different way.”
Once an eager New York City weekender, von Roestenberg renovated the dilapidated farmhouse and installed artfully designed gardens that now surround the barn and henhouse. What started out as a passionate hobby those fi rst few years became an equally passionate vocation. Now ten years down the country road, he’s become a farm activist, generating an alternate farmers’ market in New Paltz last fall and generally promoting locally, organically grown produce in the region. His résumé as architect and artist lends a particularly aesthetic fl avor to his farming activities. “Life has not slowed down; I’m involved in community events (we basically have an event every weekend), and in running a farm with animals, the orchard, the gardens.”
Walking through the heavily mulched beds, he explains, “This is what I call edible landscaping: beets, chard, cabbage, kale, cukes, fennel, stevia. Instead of having a plain, boring lawn, why not eat from it? I’ve always thought of gardens – flower or vegetable – as the ultimate in Nature’s artwork. It’s three-dimensional, with all the five senses involved. With this art show, I want to help artists and bring awareness to farms. A lot of farmers are very creative; they’re almost like artists and not businesspeople. So when farmers come here, I try to help them make more money with packaging and the way you present your farm. Everything helps.”
According to Stuart Bigley, Unison’s executive director, the project is made possible in part through the support of the Ulster County Cultural Services & Promotion Fund, administered by the Dutchess County Arts Council. “Unison has never been able to present performances in the summer because our space is in continuous use for children’s programs,” says Bigley. “This grant will help showcase dozens of Ulster County artists on the beautiful grounds of Liberty View Farm.” Thirty-five percent of the proceeds of all sales will go to Unison Arts.
ARTiculture at Liberty View Farm, located at 340 Crescent View Drive in Highland, will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. on July 18. Farm tours will be conducted every hour, leading visitors through the picturesque gardens and orchards where free-range chickens, sheep and goats provide their own bucolic sounds. Sunshine the Clown will paint faces and organize games with her giant multicolored parachute. Food will be available, but guests may also bring picnics; however, no alcohol or glass items are permitted. Bring your blankets and shade umbrellas, and get acculturated! Admission is $10 per person, and carpooling is encouraged at $25 per carload. For more information call Unison at (845) 255-1559 or stuart@unisonarts.org. For directions see www.libertyviewfarm.biz.