By Robert Brune
ROXBURY — The Roxbury Arts Group hosted its Holiday Dance on Saturday evening in a joyful celebration that blended community spirit, artistic camaraderie, and the merriment of the season. The hamlet of Roxbury, framed by a blanket of fresh snow, added a magical glow to the night as guests gathered at the Old Mill restaurant for this festive fundraiser. With close to forty supporters, longtime friends of the organization, and several new faces from the Delaware County arts community, the room felt warm, lively, and full of purpose.
White holiday lights glistened from every corner, decorations curled gently around the columns, and June Vetter’s DJ strobe lights added a bright pulse to the room. The evening encouraged conversation among artists. Many spoke about ongoing projects, shared ideas, and reflected on the importance of a creative network in a rural valley where collaboration often grows into lasting partnerships. The tone of the night was one of discovery and renewed connections.
Roxbury Arts Group plays a unique and central role in Delaware County as a hub for New York State arts funding. This year RAG holds a pool of two hundred seventy seven thousand dollars to distribute to local arts initiatives, making events like the Holiday Dance not only celebratory but essential in supporting the organization’s mission.
During the festivities, newly appointed executive director Patrick Barnes addressed attendees with gratitude and enthusiasm. He spoke openly about stepping into the role after only a couple of weeks on the job, describing how meaningful it felt to return to an organization he has long admired. Barnes shared his appreciation for the decades of impact RAG has had on area communities through public performances, exhibitions, classes, and its support of working artists. He reminded the room that tonight’s fundraiser directly supports year round programming, accessible arts education, and stewardship of the Delaware County Arts Program through NYSCA’s Statewide Community Regrants initiative. He also encouraged artists to note the upcoming grant deadline of January sixteenth.
Barnes highlighted upcoming seasonal happenings including ornament making workshops, creative gift card sessions, and the December twentieth holiday celebration at Headwaters in Stamford. He also noted exhibitions currently on view, among them the community photography show at Headwaters Gallery and the Artemis exhibition featuring work by Jody Isaacson at the Roxbury Arts Center.
He concluded by thanking the Old Mill’s owners and staff for donating their space and food and expressed appreciation for Esther de Jong and Steven Tedaldi for their festive decorations.
Roxbury Arts Group president Bill Berg closed the announcements by commending Barnes’ early efforts, saying that while Barnes modestly claimed he was “getting his feet wet,” though President of RAG Bill Berg declared, “he is soaked by diving into the deep end straight away.”
As the music carried on and conversations deepened, the night served as a reminder of how vital shared creative spaces are in rural communities. The Holiday Dance not only lifted spirits, it strengthened the bonds that keep the arts thriving in the Catskills.
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