Cat’n Around Catskill

The village of Catskill, NY is located in the upper Hudson Valley, the midpoint between Albany and Kingston, directly on the banks of the Hudson River.  Catskill is the county seat, and has had a long history of involvement with the arts.  It is the historic home to the Thomas Cole Estate, as well as the setting of the Rip Van Winkle folklore, and has seen many artists of both the past and present live and work in and around it.  It was a focal point of the Hudson River School of Art.  Today, many of the historic residences and classic Victorian homes have been restored by local artists, writers and other professionals. 

The village of Catskill itself is steeped in history, with many of the storefronts on Main Street, the hub of the exhibition, often being restored to their original turn of the century facings, provides a backdrop to the installation.  For the last five years running, the art installation “Cat’n Around Catskill” has been a Main Street fixture, running from May through mid-September.  

 

The installation is presented by the Heart of Catskill Association and the Catskill Chamber of Commerce, and enjoys the support of a number of community sponsors, including both individuals and local area businesses.  Many of the cats feature artwork inspired by the area.  Some explore Hudson River School styled landscapes, local folk art, or Henry Hudson’s famous voyage up the river on “The Halfmoon”.  Some of the cats promote activities that this area is famous for, such as skiing the Catskill Mountains.  Some of the cats have a more political message, some are quirky or silly.  All of the cats promote pride in the community.

 

Sixty cats (made from fiberglass) are purchased at $500 per cat by the sponsors, while any local artists are encouraged to submit up to two design concepts to the Cat’n Around Catskill Committee for the selection process.  The approved artists are then invited to a Sponsor/Artist Reception, where the sponsors select the artist they will partner with to create the installation.

The installation runs through the summer, culminating in a final “Cat’s Meow Auction and Gala” in early October, where the cats are auctioned off.  The proceeds of this auction benefits the participating artists, local non-profit organizations that work to provide the community with programs that support the arts, youth programs, senior programs, animal welfare, and the Heart of Catskill Association and Catskill Chamber of Commerce for future Catskill promotions.  The 2009 auction of 59 cats grossed $80,000.  

The 2011 Cat installation won’t be in place and unveiled until Memorial Day weekend, but many local businesses and collectors opt to display cats auctioned from 2006-2010 installations year-round in their storefronts.  I had the opportunity to talk to several of the local business owners about the cats they had on display, and all of them had nothing but positive feelings about the entire project.  Many of them felt that the installation has boosted tourism, which in turn has given exposure as well as a boost to many local businesses.  Others felt that the project really helped bring attention to all the work that people in this community have been doing to promote the arts and sharing them with the community, through public installations, through programs for children and seniors.  I grew up in this area, but it took moving away for five years and moving back for me to truly start to see this area as it is, and to appreciate just how much history is here.  The continued and growing success of this event, and others like it, truly reinforce all of these things.  The positive public reaction to these installations continues to build a feeling of community pride.  Although similar installations have been seen in other cities in the United States, Catskill was the first in this area.  The excitement generated over this project was clearly contagious, as similar installations have been put on by several neighboring towns, including the dogs of Hudson and the carousel horses from Saugerties.

There are many groups, cooperatives, and individuals who work to build and share the rich history of this community, many of whom also donate their time and expertise to promoting this exhibition every year.  Less than fifteen years ago, Catskill was not so keenly in tune with its heritage.  It was generally accepted that certain areas were “bad neighborhoods”, and that they were spreading out.  But through hard work and programs such as this and others like it, these “bad areas” are minimized and growing smaller every year it seems.  These efforts have helped teach us that the spirit is indeed alive and well.  Fostering a sense of community, and pride in that community have become integral elements of this installation.  The exhibition grows a little each year, and attendance has as well.  Many local people credit efforts like these to drawing in new talent to the area, which has long been a favorite locale for artists, writers and professionals from all over, particularly New York City.