Dancers, painters, musicians, writers and actors from around the world made their way Saratoga Springs this past weekend for the second SaratogaArtsFest, the showcase of culture held throughout the city.
The festival, which included a variety of art encompassing the entire creative community, ran from Friday, June 13, through Sunday, June 15.
[The ArtsFest] was started by various people in the community including local civic and political representatives, people from Skidmore College and people from major arts organizations, all of whom felt Saratoga had enough arts and cultural attractions to support an event of this nature, said Deborah Miles Czech, a member of the festival’s board of directors and one of the primary organizers. `Last year, they formed an organization committee and, with wide-ranging volunteers, they put together SaratogaArtsFest. This year, we’ve expanded considerably.`
The festival featured several primary attractions from all over the spectrum of art. On Friday, the Martha Graham Dance Company, one of the nation’s longest-running and most-established dance organizations, gave a performance at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Also, popular jazz pianist Gerald Clayton gave a performance at the Universal Preservation Hall. Clayton, at 23 years old, has already performed at Steinway Hall in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and won second place in the Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Piano Competition.
Saturday featured more unique performances, as acrobatics group, Wire Monkey Dance, which uses platforms and scaffolds to provide mesmerizing, circus-like performances, gave a show at Universal Preservation Hall. Also, Sara Gruen, the New York Times-bestselling author of `Water for Elephants,` `Riding Lessons,` and `Flying Changes,` as well as author of the upcoming `Ape House,` gave a lecture and book signing at the Payne Room of Tang Museum at Skidmore College.
Sunday closed the event with several major performances, including one by highly lauded troupe The Equus Projects: Dancing With Horses, at Saratoga Polo Grounds. The troupe mixes dance with equestrian stuntwork, creating an eclectic fusion of human and equine choreography. In addition, a cappella group, the Bobs, gave a performance at Saratoga Music Hall, combining unique vocal work with their own special sense of humor.
SaratogaArtsFest also featured what has become one of its biggest traditions, with artists from all over the state converging on the town’s streets for the annual `Paint Out.` Artists painted the city’s varied architecture as passers-by looked on, giving them the opportunity to see a canvas become a work of art.
`I love doing this, it’s what I do,` said Stu Eichel, a Paint Out painter and another member of the festival’s board of directors. `It’s something to do and that’s an unusual experience for me ` painting outdoors is great for me.`
`I have found that there are so many beautiful things in Upstate New York that call me back,` said Marsha Comell, a California-based painter and Saratoga native. She echoed Eichel’s enthusiasm: `I have a great attachment to Saratoga Springs and I’m just really drawn to returning here.`
`I think being part of Saratoga, you have to get involved,` said Frankie Flores, who gave a painting presentation at his gallery on Broadway. Flores, a native of Michigan who works out of Saratoga, is well known for paintings that mix his two loves: jazz music and horse racing. `I feel it’s my duty to join a committee and help as much as I can.“
