[twocol_one]By 2011, time, weather and circumstance had taken their toll of the venerable Blue Building at the Forksville Fairgrounds. Rot had invaded the wooden doors, rust had ingratiated itself into the light fixtures and several decades of insects had given their lives in a never-ending effort to obliterate the windowsills behind the failed screening.
The total effect somewhat reduced, shall we say, the aesthetic ambience when the Blue Building (hereinafter referred to more intimately as BB) acted as the display area for the Sullivan County Council on the Arts’ annual Fall Art Expo.
The Art Expo, held each year during the Sullivan County Fall Festival (this year, October 13-14), is a serious showcase for artists from across a broad area of north central Pennsylvania and south central New York. With that in mind, what to do to make the place more presentable?
The SCCA approached Chesapeake Energy, a major operator in the Marcellus Shale gas fields, asking if the company could make a donation to cover the cost of materials for the BB’s “extreme makeover.” The Arts Council would assure all volunteer labor.
Chesapeake provided the donation, for which we extend our sincere thanks. The initial SCCA work party concentrated on a hosing down of the interior, plus extensive employment of scrub brushes, mops and brooms.
A follow-up work party employed Naval Jelly to remove rust from the metal window frames, sandpaper to smooth the interior stanchions, and application of primers to all metal surfaces. Later, these metal surfaces were painted in shades of blue and gray.
Next came the replacement of the ancient wall pegboard with a brighter, sturdier version, set within 1 x 6-inch wooden frames. New counters were added to the kitchen serving area and the overhead light fixtures were repainted.[/twocol_one]
[twocol_one_last]
Meanwhile, behind or beyond the scenes, a reclusive artisan was designing and constructing the central display pieces: Eight large (3 x 6-foot), slatted, free-standing gallery frames, hinged to form four pairs. Done in natural wood, they can accommodate virtually any form of two-dimensional (and some three-dimensional) art pieces. M. Mysterious, as we refer to him, refuses to release his identity to the general public.
Last fall, the BB was ready to go, except for one major feature: the replacement of the external doors, held off to be completed during the last month before the 2011 Fall Festival. Then the county was hit with the double whammy of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, which cancelled both the Festival and the Expo.
This summer, however, the doors were finally replaced, and painted in yet another shade of blue. As a result, the BB is now what it was intended to be: a sterling exhibit space for serious artwork.
All of the above is but a clever lead in to the fact that this year’s Fall Art Expo will be the largest, most anticipated and most rewarding ever. The SCCA has increased prizes and expanded its artist outreach almost exponentially. What was always a homey, friendly, intimate place where artists and the public might mingle, has become homier and friendlier, while remaining just as intimate.
During the Expo, there will still be free coffee, tea, cookies and pretzels. There will still be the People’s Choice Award (with the prize doubled). Most important, there will still be a magnificent array of paintings, photography, drawings, sculpture, original jewelry and other artworks. But, we predict – more of it and better.
Artists can pick up an application for the October 13-14 Fall Art Expo at sullivanarts.org/upload/2012expoapplication.pdf. For more information on this and other Arts Council programs, visit www.sullivanarts.org, email info@sullivanarts.org or phone (570) 928-8927.[/twocol_one_last]