I started thinking about murals back in the fall of 1995 when Mr. Ed McMahon came to speak to the residents of Red Hook. Mr. McMahon is the director of the American Greenways Program from Washington D.C. His focus is on the revitalization of the small town in America. He has worked with small towns from NY to California and he has his hand on the heart beat of this country. He talked about a lot of things that you can do to revitalize a town and one of them was murals. They bring a renewed interest to the town not only by its own residents but by outsiders as well. Something else he said which stuck in my mind was that when you homogenize the small town into the bigger picture you loose a sense of identity, you loose your sense of place. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN... It means that people who feel disconnected to the place that they live in become disenfranchised with it; they don't have a real sense of belonging to there community. This is a phenomenon that is all to familiar in the transient society we live in today. Maybe if we instilled a sense of pride in the place we lived in we wouldn't want to leave it for someplace else or someplace better. If a person had roots in a place he would be more inclined to care about it and take care of it. When a person has a sense of history he knows where he came from and therefore has a better sense of where he is going. A person can then develop a feeling of appreciation for the great legacy in the documentation of the historical events and people who made this place Red Hook what it is today.
Red Hook has two very valuable assets: It has its natural beauty and it has a long incredible Historic Heritage. I think this is the real wealth of Red Hook and if can preserve these two things we can preserve our future. The Red Hook Mural Project is dedicated to bring quality works of art to the man on the street, so that he may connect with his heritage. Man's creativity is the link between the mind, the heart and the soul, through public art it is available for all to experience.
In the fall of 1995, a lecture presented by American Greenway director, Edward T. McMahon, brought to light the significance of murals to the revitalization of small towns. That got me thinking about what I could do to help Red Hook get back on its feet especially after the down sizing of IBM in the early 1990's. I began talking to civic groups in the area detailing my plans to paint historic murals in and around Red Hook. After I received the green light from Town and Village officials, I began looking for sites. I painted the first mural in August 1996 with the help of another artist from Rhinebeck. The project was funded by local merchants. That mural entitled "Harvest Past", located in the Village of Red Hook, was awarded the 1996 County Executive Award for Art in Public Places. It tells the story of the early Dutch settlers in the 1600's. The second mural entitled "The History of the Tobacco Factory" was installed in March of 1997. That mural was made possible by a Decentralization Grant, administered by the Dutchess County Arts Council, and by private donations. The second mural won the Heritage Award from the Egbert Benson Historical Society, it is a narrative mural depicting the story of the oldest, longest running privately owned business in Red Hook. The third mural entitled "The Sunken Garden" was completed and installed in July, 1997. This mural was made possible by corporate donations from Stewarts, The Rhinebeck Savings Bank and by Chamber Member sponsors. The mural brings to life a beautiful Victorian Garden which existed in the 1940's, until it was filled in by developers and a gas station put in its place. The fourth mural is now complete and was made possible by a grant from the Hudson River Improvement Fund. This mural will be located in the Village of Tivoli as part of the Tivoli Bays, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Tivoli is a hamlet in the Town of Red Hook. This mural will focus on the Steamboat developed by Robert Fulton in 1807 which docked just north of Tivoli at Clermont Landing. What makes the Steamboat relevant to Tivoli Bays is that after this maiden voyage, of August 17th 1807, the boat was overhauled and made into a luxury liner right there in Tivoli Bays.
The uniqueness of this project rests on the fact that these murals have helped reconnect people who live here to their past, and re-established their sense of place. The murals remind us of our 300 year old history. When all 12 murals are completed, The Red Hook Area Chamber of Commerce, coupled with the local Historic Society, and the Red Hook Greenway Committee will create a walking tour to highlight the murals and other historic points of interest. This tour will appeal to hikers, bicyclists, historians, school children and all visitors who want to experience rural America. The murals will be factual, educational and entertaining. The strength of the project rest on the impact of all the murals together, which will be drawing card to attract visitors from all over.
Gloria Cigolini · 249 W 261st
Street, Riverdale, Bronx, NY 10471
E-mail: Depietro33@aol.com
Telephone 718-549-2464 · INQUIRY FORM
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