SOUTH NEWFANE — Their works have been exhibited in prestigious venues, fine galleries, and public and private collections the world over, but the artists of Vermont's Rock River Valley can been seen together at home just one weekend a year.
Equal parts journey and destination, the 22nd annual Rock River Artists Studio Tour runs Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20, and features 17 artists who welcome friends, neighbors, and visitors from all over the country to their studio spaces.
The tour runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, and is free.
Getting there is at least half the fun, as visitors enjoy navigating country roads to find the studios where artists create their work.
Organizers say visitors can purchase artwork from the artists, discuss works in progress, and “witness the happy intersection of place, passion, inspiration, and perspiration reflected in their work,” which “celebrates not only the beauty of their surroundings but the harder moments as well.”
Rock River Valley stood at the epicenter of the ravages of Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, as flash flooding swept away houses and bridges, ruined roadways, and isolated many sections of the community. Folks are recovering even today.
The river that connected people here threatened to tear them apart but, in the end, “the catastrophe did the opposite and connected us more closely after all,” says Deidre Scherer, fabric portraitist on the tour.
Several of the artists said they couldn't bear to work after the flood. Others have either changed their art form or modified their work in reaction to it. Photographer Chris Triebert made creative peace with the mud, twigs, sand, rocks and debris left on her land, incorporating these materials into a new body of work.
Most of the studios are within a short drive of South Newfane. Visitors are invited to stop at the 19th century Old Schoolhouse for its annual exhibit of the Rock River Artists Tour. This is where you can see all of the artists' work, plan a self-guided tour, pick up maps, buy a ticket to the art raffle, and ask questions.
Whether you plan to stay for a day or for the weekend, the community barbecue in the historic Williamsville Hall that served as a community center in the wake of Irene's flooding is a must. The barbecue, a fundraiser for the hall, starts Saturday at 6 p.m.
In addition to the tour, South Newfane offers a new café, which will be open for lunch during the tour, and Amazing Planet Farm, an organic vegetable farm. You'll also find Olallie Daylily Gardens at Ellen Darrow's studio stop, and the inspiring gardens of many of the artists on the tour.