Women and the Arts

Delaware County is home to some fantastic women artists and women who run organizations that bring art to the community. From those programming for children, running art studio tours and much more, we are highlighting some of the wonderful women artists of the Great Western Catskills.

We asked these artists a few questions to get a better understanding of the arts community in Delaware County and how these women have contributed to it. Here is what they had to say:

Jayne Parker– Owner, Hawk + Hive
“We opened our gallery in 2021, with the intention of creating a gathering place for creative people and those interested in the arts in Delaware County and the Catskill region. We endeavor to show local artists as much as possible, alongside established artists from further afield. We work hard to collaborate with and help promote other creative and entertainment businesses in our area. We run the Andes Community instagram account. Our gallery and art show receptions are open to the general public and are free to all.”

Hawk + Hive 
61 Main Street
Andes, NY 13731
Instagram

Tabitha Gilmore-Barnes– Artist, tapestry weaver and recent coordinator for AMR Artists Open Studio Tour
“I am a tapestry weaver, using locally sourced Shetland wools that I dye and hand spin.  Consider tapestry weaving as ‘drawing in wool’. My involvement in the arts in Delaware County comes from both entering and being invited to participate in art exhibits, and in grant writing and coordinating arts programs  for the Catskill Mountain Artisans Guild and AMR ARTISTS, INC. As the coordinator for AMR ARTISTS, INC.’s annual Open Studios Tour and for Catskill Mountain Artisans Guild’s summer CRAFTS FOR KIDS at Pakatakan Farmers’ Market, I saw many visitors (both first timers and repeats) and second home owners very appreciative of seeing art being made in an artist’s studio and of providing youth with hands on creativity experiences.”

AMR Artists, Inc hosts an Annual Open Studios Tour that showcases the work and studios of over 30 local artists in Delaware County. With a thorough studio map and directions, patrons can take themselves on a self-guided tour through-out the Great Western Catskills.

AMR Open Studios
P.O. Box 443
Roxbury, NY 12474
info@armopenstudios.org

Tabitha’s work is presented alongside artist Liza Oesterle at the Headwaters Arts Center in the show “Bold and the Beautiful”  from March 10 through May 6.

Headwaters Arts Center
66 Main Street
Stamford, NY 12167

Christina Hunt Wood photo by Adrianna Newell

Christina Hunt Wood– Artist and organizer with Get Woke! Catskills, Living Archives Project and Bushel Collective
“I am a founding member and the manager of Get Woke! Catskills, which is an organization founded in 2017 that uses the arts as a vehicle for conversations about race and identity. In my role, I organize film screenings, book discussion groups, and artist talks. Most recently, I produced a podcast called ‘From Here’ which profiles members of our creative community with a focus on people from historically underrepresented groups.”

“I am also the Lead Artist for the Living Archive Project, which is funded by a Creatives Rebuild New York Grant. I organize and teach workshops, conduct interviews, and other programs that focus on documenting the lived experiences of people in the Northern Catskills. And I’m a Bushel Collective member…many hats.”

“I grew up in this area. I went to high school just over the Delaware County border in Jefferson. I think my first group show was probably the one for high school kids at the Cyr Center at the Rexmere (Stamford) in the early 90s.”

“In my art practice, I focus on themes around everyday expressions of power and ways the status quo is maintained using various cultural tools. The theme overrides formal medium for me, so I use whatever makes sense to communicate the ideas I’m trying to convey. Currently, I’m using photography, video, and beer cans in my work. The cans (‘road soda’ litter) are found in ditches throughout rural Upstate NY and are deconstructed and reimagined into material for my art. The cans act as evidence of the collective impact of many small aggressions on the land. They are a metaphor for microaggressions in general.”

Attend upcoming events by these three arts organizations:

Get Woke! Catskills
Website
Instagram

Living Archives Project
Website
Instagram

Bushel Collective
106 Main Street
Delhi, NY 13753
Website
Instagram

Caroline Fay–  Artist, teacher and owner of Big Little Art Studio
“I am a Walton based artist from Ireland. I’m trained in Fine Art from DIT in Dublin and studied painting at the Art Students League of New York…I paint predominately in oils but also work in other media from large scale murals to small lino prints.”

“As well as being an artist, I own and operate a studio in Walton called BLAS (aka Big Little Art Studio). Originally an old general store, the studio is a mixed use space; my own personal painting studio, a gallery and a welcoming workshop space where people can unleash their creativity while connecting with other art loving folk..”

“Both on a professional artistic level and on a community level, I am passionate about encouraging people to take an active role by enhancing the arts in Walton and Delaware County. One way I can do this is by creating opportunities for people to engage in creative processes and events through workshops, exhibitions, community murals and most importantly, to me, through my art!”

Caroline Fay Art
Big Little Art Studio
51 North Street Suite 4
Walton, NY 13856

Other amazing women running the arts in Delaware County:

Jenny Rosenzweig– Executive Director, Roxbury Arts Group
Roxbury Arts Group (RAG) hosts classes, workshops, performances and much more. They are proud to administer the Delaware County Arts Grant, a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts. RAG has been proudly participating in this re-grant program since 1986. Attend an upcoming show or workshop at one of Roxbury Arts Group’s two locations.

Roxbury Arts Group and Walter Meade Gallery
5025 Vega Mountain Road
Roxbury, NY 12474

Headwaters Arts Center
66 Main Street
Stamford, NY 12167

West Kortright Centre

Saira McLaren– Executive Director, West Kortright Centre
Siri Bertelsen– Assistant Director, West Kortright Centre
West Kortright Centre hosts workshops, summer programs and performances in a beautiful, historic church in East Meredith.

West Kortright Centre
49 West Kortright Church Road
East Meredith, NY 13757

Patricia Buckley– Executive Artistic Director, Franklin Stage Company
Franklin Stage Company produces professional, admission-free theater that brings together audiences and artists to create community and celebrate the enduring power of stories. Attend one of the many performances they are hosting this summer.

Franklin Stage Company
25 Institute Street
Franklin, NY 13775

Beatrice Georgalidis– Executive Director, Bright Hill Press and Literary Center for the Catskills
Bright Hill Press is dedicated to increasing audiences’ appreciation of the writing arts and oral traditions that comprise American literature. They encourage and further the tradition of oral poetry and writing in the Catskills and beyond.

Bright Hill Press
94 Church Street
Treadwell, NY 13846