Student exhibition fills art spaces, rejuvenates Catskill

Empty buildings line Main Street in Catskill, N.Y. The town has a rich history, as beautiful 19th-century façades grace each building's exterior, and less than a mile away is the former home of Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School. No longer will these buildings be empty, however, as a new project, Masters on Main Street, plans to fill these vacant spaces with art. The project consists of 10 student art exhibitions, one of which will highlight the work of Vassar's Art Department.

Masters on Main Street came about in October 2010 with the help of Vassar graduate Purcell Palmer '62 and Fawn Potash, the Visual Arts Director for the Greene County Council on the Arts (GCCA). The GCCA devotes itself to promoting art within Greene County, which includes Catskill. Potash contacted Professor of Art Harry Roseman, and he brought up the project to students at the bimonthly studio art major's critique.

Russell Webner '11 volunteered to be the student liaison who would work with Potash and Palmer to involve Vassar student art work with the Masters on Main Street project.

The project provides a rare opportunity for students to display their works in an environment off campus, in a real gallery setting. In this case, the gallery is located in a two-story, historic, naturally lit building. In fact, this is the first time in his four years at Vassar that Webner recalls there being any significant off-campus show featuring Vassar students.

"I think in many ways it's something students are uncomfortable doing because they don't have that confidence, but I don't think that they're right," Webner said. "I think the work people are making is great and they should be excited to show in this setting," Webner explained. Student work will primarily be sculpture and painting, though some will show off larger installations. Students will share the space, set up the exhibit by themselves and self-curate. "As an art major at Vassar you show work in different settings all the time, but this is exciting," Webner said. Webner decided to help with this exhibition partly because of his experience at home. As an Ohioan, he is from the Rust Belt, and witnessed the economic devastation of formerly vibrant areas. He sympathizes with the project, as it aims to turn around Catskill's empty and depressed Main Street. "Catskill is a little more down on its luck," Webner said. "They lost a lot of business and this is going to help revitalize their Main Street." Potash noted the troubles that have hit Catskill as well. There is a reason, after all, for the empty buildings that dot Main Street. "Part of this was to attract more interest in our Main Street and part of it was to enlarge our art audience for the exhibitions already there," Potash said. Potash hopes that the project will attract people to Catskill. "I think that the participating artists and institutions will see that this town is supportive of its artists and want to live here and create here," Potash said.

In addition to benefiting student artists, Palmer has also been running the Catwalk Artist Residency program to attract, promote and assist artists in Catskill. For the program, Palmer allots property as studio space for artists to work in and develop their art.

Students from Vassar have been making trips to Catskill to set up their exhibit. "It's going to be a dynamic space for painting and sculpture," Webner said. "It's going to take some work to inhabit it, but it's going to be really worth the effort." Potash too feels confident in the project. "I think people will start patronizing the town a little more," Potash said. "I think the buildings that are vacant won't be vacant in a year." Currently, 15 students plan to exhibit their artwork at Masters of Main Street. The artists involved with the project are all in college or recent graduates. Masters of Fine Arst students and Bachelors of Fine Arts alumni of the School of Visual Arts, a Bard graduate student, SUNY New Paltz alumni, College of St. Rose Master of Arts alumnae, and School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Vassar alumnae will be there in addition to current Vassar students.

"I don't doubt we'll be able to go in there and hold our own against graduate programs even though we're just undergrads ourselves," Webner said.

The project launches on Saturday, Feb. 22 and will be accompanied by festivities from 5 to 7 p.m. Vassar students will exhibit at 396 Main Street, Catskill, N.Y As well as gallery openings all along Main Street, the project's first day will also feature the local radio station, live from 2 to 6 p.m. and assorted community activities like food and live music. A dance party will follow from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Brik Gallery on Main Street. The project will run from until May 31. "Vassar's confidence and cooperation were a big help to us," Potash concluded.