Celebrating Our Stories: Paintings in Words and Wool, Honoring Grandma Moses in an art and oral history program on Saturday, May 13 that is free and open to all.
[private]Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses (1860-1961) rose to world-renown as a self-taught artist when she resided in Hoosick, New York. Inspired by her life and work, Hoosick Falls’ community arts non-profit CiviCure (Civic and Cultural Restoration) wants to spark a new generation of artists and story tellers by reconnecting the community with the deeply artistic roots that have grown alongside the agriculture that has flourished in this rural village.
The program will open with a day of events on Saturday, May 13 at the Historic Barns of Nipmoose, 59 Sherman Lane, Buskirk, NY.
An art-making workshop from 10 am to noon will celebrate the earliest art work of Grandma Moses—her worsted wool pictures—which she described as “painting in wool.” Everyone from kids to elders are invited to participate in this hands-on workshop led by local artists who will encourage originality in the creation of your own fiber art picture. All materials will be provided at no cost. Participants are invited to bring a photo or other image to serve as inspiration. The location for the event will also serve to spark the imagination as we enjoy the beautifully restored Historic Barns of Nipmoose. The German and Scottish barns and corn crib represent the diversity of agricultural architecture in the region and the careful preservation and interpretation of these buildings is the work of our hosts, The Persistence Foundation.
At the same time on Saturday May 13, CiviCure invites anyone who knew Grandma Moses (or knew someone who did) to share stories of her so that they may be preserved for the future. We welcome these and any others that inspire you and help others make connections to the community. Please join Moses family historian and ‘raconteur’ Ken Gottry in recalling Grandma Moses and the greater Hoosick of her time. CiviCure will record and archive these stories for future generations.
At 3 pm Bennington Museum Curator Jamie Franklin will present an illustrated talk on “Grandma Moses and Modernism.” The Bennington Museum holds the largest public collection of the work of Grandma Moses and will host the exhibition “Grandma Moses: American Modern” in their galleries from July 1 to November 5.
Celebrating Our Stories is made possible by a grant from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Arts Center of the Capital Region. [/private]