( Column 19 / 2002)

          "A commentary about creative people living in the small communities scattered through the hills and valleys of Central New York"
          Published in The County Review

          All art starts with an idea, filtered through, or reflective of, the feelings of the artist.
          Performance Art is intriguing. Though not generally appreciated in mainstream society, it often defines the essence of creativity....The spontaneous expression of the views of the artist! It is the most direct connection between the idea, and the resulting artwork. Performances are unique, usually revolving around current subjects, they are likely to never have been seen before. For all these reasons, finding audiences for such work needs to draw on a large population, so until now, has been centered in cities.
          Performers can involve the audience, not only visually and audibly, but also physically. A performance can reach out and touch all the senses.....Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, and Touch. The artist may pick and choose to touch whichever senses they feel best communicates their message, and entice the audience into the performance. You might view it as multi-dimensional poetry in motion.
          Because individual performances are usually brief, gatherings of these artists to share their work, both with the audience and each other, are generally the rule. I would like to bring performance art out of the cities, and introduce it to rural culture, to enrich both the community and the artists. I am working with some people on an idea for creating a Performance Art Festival in Central New York. It is in the very early stages of planning. If it is to come to fruition, a number of things will have to come together. Local interest and support for this idea will determine whether it comes to be, so if you are interested in encouraging such a festival please reach me at www.lostvalleys.com