East Branch Fire Officer Dies In Line of Duty

HANCOCK – On July 17, 2025, at approximately 9:30 p.m., East Branch Fire Department Third Assistant Chief  Jason McGlone, 51, was responding in a rescue pumper to a report of a vehicle that had struck a utility pole on state Highway 30 in the town of Hancock. A preliminary investigation determined that a low-hanging electrical wire was in contact with the top of the fire truck. When Assistant Chief McGlone exited the vehicle and made contact with the metal door and the ground, he was electrocuted, according to a press release from state police.

Life-saving measures were performed at the scene but were unsuccessful. Assistant Chief McGlone was pronounced deceased.

The original crash involved a pickup truck operated by  Joseph E. Bellows, age 54, of Downsville according to the release. Bellows veered off the roadway, striking a guardrail and utility pole. He was transported to Delaware Valley Hospital for evaluation and treatment of injuries. Following an investigation, Bellows was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated. He was issued appearance tickets and is scheduled to appear in Hancock Town Court on Sept.8,.   

The investigation into the firefighter’s death remains ongoing.

On July 18, Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement on McGlone’s death: “Just weeks ago, we mourned the loss of one of New York’s bravest. Today, we grieve again over the loss of Assistant Chief Jason McGlone of the East Branch Fire Department, who tragically lost his life while responding to a motor vehicle accident.

“Chief McGlone’s 25 years of service within East Branch, including 15 years as an assistant chief, embodied the courage, commitment and selflessness that define New York’s volunteer firefighters. He represented the very best of what New Yorkers give to their communities in the name of public safety.

“My heart is with his loved ones, his fellow firefighters and the entire East Branch community during this difficult time,” she said.

The Delaware County Emergency Services Department also issued the following statement: The Delaware County Department of Emergency Services is deeply saddened by the death of East Branch Fire Department Assistant Chief Jason McGlone, killed in the line of duty.

The Delaware County Department of Emergency Services extend our deepest condolences to Assistant Chief McGlone’s family, friends and colleagues.

According to his obituary, McGlone leaves behind his wife of 21 years, CaroleAnn Gilmore McGlone, a daughter Addaleen McGlone and a son, Michael McGone, along with other relatives

Visitation will be held Saturday, July 26 from noon to 2 p.m. in the East Branch Fire Hall followed by a funeral and Firematic services at 2 p.m. at the fire hall.

 

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Middletown Man Arrested for Alleged Criminal Tampering

DELHI — Sheriff Craig S. DuMond announced that a Town of Middletown resident has been arrested on a Criminal Tampering charge following an investigation of illegal dumping of waste that occurred in the Town of Delhi.

On Tuesday morning, July 15th, 2025, Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a complaint pertaining to illegal dumping that had occurred on private property in the Town of Delhi. During the course of the investigation, it was found that Michael A. Anair, 67 years of age of the Town of Middletown, had illegally dumped waste into a dumpster intended for private use, which was located on privately owned property. 

On July 21st, 2025, Anair was arrested and charged with Criminal Tampering in the Third Degree, a class B Misdemeanor of the NYS Penal Law. 

Anair was released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Town of Delhi Court at a later date.

 

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Terry Radigan to Perform at Pine Hill Community Center July 26th

PINE HILL — Pine Hill Community Center is excited to announce the return of Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Terry Radigan on Saturday, July 26th from 7-9pm as part of their bimonthly concert series.

Terry Radigan mixes her gritty Brooklyn girl sensibility with a deep respect for classic American roots, country and soul music. Her clever and heartfelt lyrics evoke so many feelings and her songs have been covered by artists such as Trisha Yearwood and Patty Loveless, among others. Terry Radigan’s unique voice and musical style always make for an unforgettable evening.

This performance will also feature special guest Maia Sharp, a singer and songwriter who in addition to her own solo career has collaborated with country and pop artists including Cher and Bonnie Raitt.

Pine Hill Community Center is located at 287 Main Street, Pine Hill, NY 12465. The concert will run from 7-9pm and is free with a suggested donation of $10. All are welcome!

Pine Hill Community Center is dedicated to enriching the lives of the people in the Central Catskills Region by providing community-building activities that nurture creativity and lifelong growth. Information about this and all upcoming events can be found at pinehillcommunitycenter.org.

 

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Get to Know Your Hospital Board Members - Steve Finch

By Matthew Avitabile

MARGARETVILLE — Steve Finch has been on the Margaretville Hospital Board since 2021 after a significant period of interest in the hospital and its operations. Finch said that he was working part-time and wanted to get more involved and spoke to then-Board President Arnie Schwartz and “throw in my two cents.”

Finch is “one of the very fortunate few” who were born in the original Margaretville Hospital and was raised and lived his entire life in Halcottsville and went K-12 at Roxbury before joining the RCS school board at 21.

“That was quite an education,” he said. The experience on the school board allowed him a chance to want to be on local boards and get more involved civically.

He raised two children here and worked a family business out of high school between lumber, Brookside Hardware, and has been involved with the fire service since 14.

Being in the fire department was his “true passion” and he became fire chief at 21 and was chief at Halcottsville Fire Department for 26 years. He became significantly involved in the Delaware County Fire Advisory Board. The Advisory Board helped advocate for creating a 9-1-1 system in the county and he sat on the county 911 committee and helped to bring 9-1-1 to the area. He became the county’s first 911 director, causing him to leave the family business. After almost 10 years as the 9-1-1 director and working with local communications companies, Steve joined Margaretville Telephone Company as the plant manager.

“The 911 job was a wonderful job,” he said. The commute to Sidney was “not desirable.”

He retired full-time in 2019 right before COVID and is still the President of the Halcottsville Fire Department and is a consultant at MTC.

Finch had a significant concern in wanting to keep the hospital open. A hospital closing would have been “devastating,” he said. “I’ve always only lived here and we need the hospital.”

This was an opportunity to use his “passion for the local community” and experience to aid the hospital.

The last four years have seen a significant improvement, including recent promises of increased primary care. The board members have contributed substantially to its improvement.

“If you’re going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk,” he said.

Finch is especially involved with emergency services in the Town of Middletown, including a strong desire to keep the ambulance service going that serves Margaretville and Fleischmanns.

“It was vitally important to keep the ambulance service open, to keep it staffed, to keep it in the community,” he added. This happens at a time when there is difficulty gettting enough volunteers for local emergency services. 

Finch said that he cared about primary care and he is “very happy” that Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley and Westchester Medical Center is bringing in additional staffing for the primary care office.

The board member credited the administrator in helping bring a local focus. Michael Hochman is local and it “hugely important to have someone who understands the local community, understand the local challenges, understand what the hospital needs,” he said.

“That’s been a really positive move at the hospital,” Finch said.

Finch said that the hospital is looking to improve local services and to improve lab services once again.

WMC is working to increase their local knowledge and assist in local health care, Finch said.

His largest struggle has been to increase focus on “local healthcare.”

“We’re making headway there,” he said. This includes having an excellent board. “The board is really a cohesive group with the same mission in mind: keeping the hospital going and making it thrive.”

As an advisory board, the group has a responsibility to be “vocal” and be a “squeaky wheel” for the community.

 

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Short-Term Rentals Top Margaretville Meeting

By Mary A. Crisafulli

MARGARETVILLE - The Margaretville Board of Trustees discussed issues related to short-term rentals following a request for representatives to serve on a committee established by the Town of Middletown.

The town board elected to reestablish a short-term rental committee at its regular meeting on July 9. Town officials had paused the committee in spring after Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to establish a statewide short-term rental registry. Additionally, the town had included the issue in its goals for the comprehensive plan outline. However, officials now believe the situation needs to be addressed immediately due to concerns about housing and safety.

Although Margaretville already has legislation in place for short-term rentals, officials agreed it is worth a review.

Mayor John Hubbell anticipates buyouts of local short-term rentals by a few major corporations expanding across the states. Shandaken has placed limits on the number of rental properties. He noted, "Shandaken has done well, but it took a few years to put in place."

"We don't want to lose all our homes to vacation homes," Trustee Jeff Warren said. He later added that it would be preferable to address the issue without restricting people from using their property as they see fit.

Trustee Sarah Hubbell, who serves as Middletown Clerk, said the town is struggling to identify and register short-term rentals. "We can't force registration at this point," she said.

Delaware County entered into a contract with Granicus to identify unregistered short-term rental properties to ensure compliance with occupancy tax. Many rental owners are registered with the county, but not the town, explained Sarah Hubbell. Town officials would like Margaretville to be involved in the discussion as it mainly concerns code enforcement, which is a shared service with the village, she explained. She added that the town supports the village legislation on the issue, which will be reviewed by the committee.

Mayor Hubbell asked residents and councilmembers to consider volunteering for the committee.

In other business

The board approved using Barton & Loguidice, a consulting firm, to work on the joint comprehensive plan for roughly $90,000. The firm was recommended by the Comprehensive Plan Committee, which included representatives from both Middletown, Margaretville, and Fleischmanns. Middletown and Margaretville were each awarded a $50,000 grant to update their 2012 plans. A comprehensive plan is a policy document that guides the growth and development of a jurisdiction, unifying common goals and objectives.

The five-year easement contract with New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was renewed. The easement permits access over DEP property to the village park off Main Street. The initial contract was for $400.58.

Trustees agreed to contract with the County for foreclosure services regarding a tax-delinquent property located on Walnut Street. The village is owed roughly $17,000 in taxes since 2002. The property will be put up for auction, and if purchased, monies will be split between the village and the county. County claims are usually settled first.

Trustees are expected to set a public hearing regarding legislation regulating food trucks. The board agreed to model legislation after that of Hancock.

Health insurance increases of 4.1% were accepted.

Village homeowner flood insurance rates are expected to decrease by 5% following the code enforcement office's achievement of a new rating.

Trustees accepted the revised agreement with Middletown to share code enforcement services. The agreement runs until 2027, with a $1,000 increase, bringing the total to $12,000.

The 150th Margaretville anniversary celebrations are scheduled for Saturday, July 26, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. along Main Street.

After a Delaware County Mayor's Association meeting, Hubbell announced that the members will approach the County Finance Committee again in August, asking for a share of the sales tax revenue.

Department of Public Works Supervisor John Paul Beers achieved grade 2B water treatment plant operator certification. The certification will enable Beers to treat for hazardous materials, such as arsenic. Hubbell anticipates new regulations requiring identification of PFAS levels in drinking water. He believes having a certified plant operator will help in the process.

 

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Woodchuck Lodge Wild Saturday Presentation Aug. 2 in Roxbury

ROXBURY — As part of the Wild Saturday presentations at Woodchuck Lodge, Join us on August 2nd, at 11AM, as Ron Knapp presents Trekking Through The Rugged Catskills in the Late 18th Century. 

Take a virtual hike with Ron Knapp in an illustrated talk about New Englanders who trekked through the Catskills to central NY's “wilderness.” Knapp is the co-author of "Theodore Burr and the Bridging of Early America in which the Catskills." Ron is a noted expert in covered bridges and a requested speaker at many history centered venues. He is a Professor Emeritus at SUNY New Paltz.  

Free program and refreshments in the beautiful Catskills. Woodchuck Lodge 11AM. 

Woodchuck Lodge

1633 Burroughs Memorial Road 

Roxbury, NY 12474

jbwoodchucklodge.org

 

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Upstate Art Weekend Showcases Local Talent

Last weekend was the sixth edition of UPSTATE ART WEEKEND (UAW), a regional art celebration including 158 participants in ten counties in the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley. Open studios at 386 Taylor Road in Stamford showed the work of five artists — Michele Araujo, Larry Greenberg, Adam Simon, Jude Tallichet and Mark Tribe — presented in a spectacular barn. Sculptor Jude Tallichet, in the orange dress gives a tour and shows her work to a group of visitors to the barn. Photo by Scott Keidong.

 

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Whittling Away with Dick Brooks - Diets

I’ve decided to get serious about losing some excess weight.  I have thoroughly and thoughtfully researched this topic and have come to the conclusion that most diet plans are written by the staff at “The Daily Inquirer”.  I would love to write for them but my imagination just doesn’t stretch that far.  I envision them gathering at the start of the work day for a little creative brainstorming and coming up with topics like—Brittany Spears Eats Paris Hilton’s little dog—Man discovers a potato in Ohio that looks just like a potato—Proof found that Andy Rooney was an alien—Wife has taxidermist stuff deceased husband, places him in his recliner with TV on, says it’s been two months and the kids haven’t noticed that he’s passed on yet.  They then go to their little cubicles and write the articles for the paper.  If they finish early, they write diets, a very talented and creative crew.

I know this sounds a little far fetched but how else can you explain things like; The Pregnant Woman’s Urine Diet, The Grapefruit Diet, The Cookie Diet, or The Kibbles and Bits Diet.  Some don’t have silly names but just don’t logically make sense.  I’ve had success with Dr. Atkins Diet but just the idea that you could consume the whole carcass of a cow while passing up a serving of beans or a slice of bread really doesn’t make sense.  

A lot of diets ask you to keep a journal of all the foods you eat during the course of the day.  It seems to help, I guess the hope is that the bookkeeping keeps you out of the refrigerator.  I’ve looked at a couple of different people’s journals.  When I finished looking at what they ate during the day and then looked at the person who had written the journal, the discrepancies were apparent.  Their bookkeeping could have gotten them a CEO’s position at any number of large lending institutions.  Most looked like they had “forgotten” a carton or two of “Little Debbie” products and three or four cheesecakes (which I’ve recently, sadly, discovered weren’t classified as dairy products), a couple bags of chips and a case of Pepsi.  In fact, I think one should keep a food journal for a week, then be locked in a room for the next week and fed only what they had recorded in their journal.  My bet is at the end of the week there’d be a goodly weight loss if the person hadn’t died from malnutrition.

All my research and pondering has led to the disappointingly logical conclusion that if you’re fat and want to do something about it, you had to consume less food and increase your activity level.  Nothing magical, nothing mysterious, nothing I haven’t known for years, nothing I want to do.  Our diet is already pretty healthy but even green leafy veggies consumed by the bale will add to your bulk—case in point, cows, horses and water buffalo.

Less food, more activity and reasonable expectations, I forgot the reasonable expectations part.  I have in the past, eaten less, exercised and gotten on the scale at the end of the first day and been disappointed by the lack of downward activity.  The idea that a weight loss of fifty or more pounds in the first week really isn’t going to happen is a reality I know I’ll have to face.  I’m shooting for a pound or two a week—fifty pounds a year is a reasonable expectation.

Well, I think my mind set is now proper and reasonable and I’m going to start tomorrow.   Tonight I’ll finish off the carton of ice cream in the freezer, the left over Pizza and that stray box of Girl Scout cookies, just so I can start with a clean slate.

Thought for the week—Some people are like Slinkies, they’re not really good for much but they do make you smile when you push them downstairs.

Until next week, may you and yours be happy and well.

Whittle12124@yahoo.com 

 

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THE CATSKILL GEOLOGISTS BY PROFESSORS ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS - The Bluestone Sculptors – Part One – Harvey Fite

Sculptors have been around for millennia. They go back at least to stone age times and are still around and still going strong. We have, in recent history, had a few very good ones - right here in our Catskills. Classical sculptures are carved into stone. All types of rock have been used throughout history but the one you are most likely to think of is marble. But we have no marble at all in our mountains. What we do have is bluestone and we have a lot of that. That’s why our region’s sculptors worked with it. Bluestone is a form of sandstone. That sand accumulated in today’s Catskills between 350 and 400 million years ago. It washed out of the Acadian Mountains which back then lay where the Berkshires are today. The bedrock of those mountains weathered and then they were eroded, turning into a quartz sand mixed with silt and clay. These sediments were deposited in stream channels and those deposits hardened into good sculpture quality stone. The quartz would have made the rock white; it was the silt and clay that made it a dirty “blue.” Do you think bluestone looks blue? We don’t either, but the word brownstone had already been claimed by people in New York City. (Brownstone is actually red but no matter.)

                                                                   

We understand that bluestone is tough stuff to sculpt; it puts up a fight so it’s hard to shape. Well, our local sculptors dealt with that problem by finding other ways to sculpt. The first of these was Harvey Fite (see our first photo, courtesy of Opus 40) who started out as a professor of art at Bard College. In 1938 he purchased 12 acres of old bluestone quarries near Woodstock. He designed and built a home there and moved in with his wife. A remarkable and influential event followed when he was invited to travel to Honduras in order to do repair work on some Mayan sculptures. He came to be impressed with what is called dry-stone construction.  Shaped stones are laid down, without cement or mortar to form a building or a work of art. Harvey must have quickly realized that he was sitting on quarries filled with just the right materials and he could do what the Mayans had done – form art from those materials. His life’s work had been inspired!

                                                                                                  

Harvey set about to commence a planned 40-year task – shaping his main quarry into a work of art. He did the work by hand and by himself. He fashioned terraces, staircases and hoisted up a remarkable stone monolith. It was all dry-stone construction. He never reached those 40 years but fell victim to a fatal accident in the quarry at year 37 and at age 72. Still, he had fashioned a truly remarkable sculpture. Today it’s a park or a preserve called Opus 40. That is something that you can go and see today. We have visited a number of times and written about it as well. It’s one of the best exposures of Devonian age rock in all the Catskills. Maybe you can come along sometime when Robert is leading a geology walk there. He’s doing four of them this summer. See https://opus40.org/education-environment/nature-walks/

Contact the authors at randjtitus@prodigy.net. Join their facebook page “The Catskill Geologist.” Read their blogs at “thecatskillgeologist.com.”

 

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A Conversation about … Contrails and Chernobyl Spiders

Contrail

Grass spider web

By Jean Thomas

Often as I walk with the dog, I notice things and they inspire stray thought trains. On this particular day, I noticed a spider web woven in the grass and a contrail dissipating in the sky above it. Both inspire diversions. The spider web, first: I once had a neighbor who was fond of conspiracy theories and shared them with anyone too slow to slip away. The theory was born in 1986 amidst a flurry of similar misguided observations. Chernobyl was the site of the worst nuclear accident known so far in our history. It was the result of human error and laid waste to a region of Ukraine almost forty years ago. The theories have spread and grown in that period, but the one about the spiders is my favorite. This neighbor was of the opinion that the round, mostly flat webs we see on the lawn in the early morning, usually after a dew, were a result of the escaped radiation from the Chernobyl meltdown that had drifted around the globe and arrived on our grass. Obviously she had never noticed these before the catastrophe in Ukraine. I will admit that I had never observed them closely before she pointed it out. Frankly, the actual natural history story about these clever little guys is more interesting. These spiders  in North America are members of about fourteen species that inhabit lawns, fields and woodlands. They are smaller and daintier than the scary wolf spiders, and not really a risk for bites. Their lifespan is never longer than a year, and they are pretty bashful. We see their webs, which look like a small plate that slopes down into a funnel where the spider waits discretely. For those of us who like to look closely at things like spiders, the grass spiders have a distinct pair of “spinnerets” that they use to make their webs into intricate traps. The webs aren't sticky, just tangly, I guess. The spiders are very quick and inject the victim with venom to subdue them before they eat them. They eat ants, small insects including an occasional mosquito, and flies and beetles. They are not at all dangerous and serve as food to lizards, birds and larger insects... including wasps. 

This same neighbor had the contrail theory in her repertoire of conspiracies. This one is more widespread than the spider one. It goes like this: those stripes left behind as jet planes fly overhead are an intentional dispersal of chemicals meant to harm a population beneath the flight path. Each conspiracy enthusiast will happily tell you who these evil agencies are and sometimes what chemicals are being sprayed and why. I live where I can observe traffic from the Albany airport. Contrails are frequent and I have always enjoyed seeing the ways they fall apart and merge with whatever clouds they pass through. I remember the eerie lack of contrails during the times after 9/11/01 and the Covid pandemic. No planes droning above and no trails in the sky. Contrary to theory, the contrails are vapor emissions from the planes, much like exhaust from a vehicle. I have always been of the opinion that those who would dream up such elaborate schemes are rarely capable of bringing them into reality. Okay, that's what I hope, anyway. Penn State has a great site about the spiders at: https://extension.psu.edu/grass-spiders and the EPA has a good site about contrails at: https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/Contrails.

 

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A Sanctuary for Creation: Open Studios at Byrdcliffe’s 2025 Artists-in-Residence Program

Artist In Residence Clark Stoeckley

Becky Yazdan, Clark Stoeckley, Camilla Taylor. Tintype by Courtney Robertson 

By Robert Brune

WOODSTOCK — On the final Sunday of their five-week stay, the artists-in-residence at the Byrdcliffe Guild in Woodstock opened their studios to the public, inviting visitors into the intimate spaces where creativity had taken root and flourished. The event marked the culmination of a deeply personal and professionally generative time for nearly two dozen artists across disciplines, in what is now the longest-running artist residency in New York State.

Founded in 1902, Byrdcliffe has served as a cradle for American artists for over a century, with its current residency model taking shape in the early 1990s. Today, the program continues to attract an international roster of painters, writers, composers, ceramicists, and multidisciplinary artists, all drawn to the historic colony's blend of solitude, inspiration, and community.

Among this summer's standout participants was Clark Stoeckley, a professor of art at American University in Kuwait. Stoeckley’s vibrant, abstract geometric paintings are directly influenced by the architecture of Middle Eastern mosques, a motif that came alive in his Woodstock studio in luminous color and pattern. A well-traveled muralist known internationally, especially in Taos, New Mexico, Stoeckley is also recognized for his global photography project documenting feral cats, which was recently exhibited in New York City (@feral_feline_photography).

“My studio overflowed with vibrant energy, color, and connection,” he shared, calling the Byrdcliffe experience a “sanctuary to explore, reflect, and dive deep.” He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Milton and Sally Avery Foundation and to his fellow residents, whose camaraderie added profound dimension to his time in the woods of Woodstock.

Three-time Byrdcliffe resident Freda Shapiro returned this summer for a more extended stay, over three months, residing in a cottage and working in one of the historic studios on the property. A Boston-based painter working in acrylic and gouache, Shapiro reflects nature through a deeply personal lens, emphasizing themes of resilience, decay, and memory. “The trees here feel like sentient beings,” she said. “They’re history’s witnesses.”

Her process balances direct observation from hikes around the Hudson Valley with memory and photographic references, resulting in rich, evocative canvases that honor nature’s overlooked details, the fallen branch, the tenacious sprout. “Each residency has its own flavor,” she added. “They are all delicious.”

Ceramicist Erika NJ Allen used her time at Byrdcliffe to experiment with immersive installations. Her work explores form, texture, and space, challenging the boundaries between object and environment. With support from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and the Byrdcliffe Ceramics Fellowship, Allen pushed her practice forward by considering how audiences navigate the gallery experience. “The installation I created for Open Studios allowed me to reimagine how I can build immersive experiences. This experimentation became the ‘homework’ I’m taking with me.”

Byrdcliffe, she emphasized, not only provided time and resources, but a deep connection to artistic lineage. “My mark now lives inside the ceramic studio, a place rich with history.”

For Becky Yazdan, the monthlong residency became an incubator for clarity and growth. Known for deeply psychological, layered paintings that draw from memories, media, and everyday color associations, Yazdan found herself rising before dawn to paint, returning to a life rhythm where art was front and center.

“Color, form, and pattern combine to become conversations, expressions, and events,” she explained, likening her paintings to dreams—unpredictable rearrangements of memory, emotion, and daily experience. Her recent works, such as Shrinking Violet and Exit Strategy, merge abstraction with narrative intimacy, providing windows into subconscious storytelling. “By the end of the month, the residents were thick as thieves,” she said, “and I left with a solid body of work and a deeper understanding of my practice.”

The open studios buzzed with visitors engaging thoughtfully with the work, surrounded by tall trees, wraparound porches, and the echoes of a storied legacy. For many of the residents, Byrdcliffe offered not just a place to work, but a place to listen, reflect, and evolve.

As artist Freda Shapiro put it, “Without a doubt, the original intent of this colony lives on.”

And on this summer afternoon, with studios brimming with paintings, ceramics, installations, and conversation, the proof was in every brushstroke, every shared meal, every footstep taken in quiet forest paths toward inspiration.

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Upstate Art Weekend Welcomes Varga Gallery in Phoenicia Through New Open Studios Initiative

By Robert Brune

PHOENICIA — As part of this year’s expansive Upstate Art Weekend (UAW) 2025, Christina Varga opened the doors of her eclectic and imaginative Varga Gallery to the public, joining the newly launched Upstate Open Studios (UOS) tour. This more accessible tier of participation gave individual artists and small studios an affordable way to become part of New York’s largest and most celebrated upstate art event.

Hosted in her long-running space in the heart of Phoenicia, Varga transformed her working studio into a vivid solo exhibition of her provocative and playful collage work, original paintings, and wild visual assemblages. The event doubled as a behind-the-scenes experience and a showcase of new works, including handmade Varga Gallery tank tops she produced over the weekend.

“This was as organized as I ever get!” Varga joked. “I got to show my studio to people I’ve been wanting to bring in for a while. It felt amazing to meet so many curious and supportive visitors from all over, Brooklyn, Queens, Jersey, Philly, Baltimore.”

While Upstate Art Weekend has grown significantly, this year featuring over 150 participating artists, studios, and galleries across a vast swath of the Hudson Valley and Catskills, the introduction of Upstate Open Studios marked a significant step toward inclusivity. Designed for artists priced out of the standard UAW fee (reported at $400 by some previous participants), UOS allowed entry for as little as $50 via a sliding scale. The tradeoff: artists like Varga received less promotional coverage and weren’t featured as prominently on the official UAW website and maps.

Still, Varga emphasized the value of being involved. “I’m incredibly grateful for the chance to be part of something this big. It’s the biggest art weekend in New York, and I got to share my work and studio with new faces from near and far.”

Beyond showcasing her art, Varga used the weekend to share a vision that extends far past a single event: she’s now actively promoting plans to transform her building into a multi-generational arts center, a community hub in Ulster County dedicated to arts education, youth programming, and supporting contemporary artists.

“People were excited when I talked about building an arts center here—something that could offer physical and digital art education, cultural events, and resources for artists across all stages,” she said. “The feedback was 100% positive, and it only makes me more excited for what’s next.”

That next step includes organizing the 3rd Annual Phoenicia Festival of the Arts, which Varga promises will be bigger and brighter than ever. She’s also preparing to unveil Ulster County’s first Community Mini Golf Course, a whimsical, interactive public art installation that will debut at the festival.

As both artist and community catalyst, Christina Varga’s participation in UAW via the Open Studios program exemplifies the spirit of inclusion and creativity that the weekend strives to cultivate. With plans for a new arts center and a growing festival under her wing, her studio may soon evolve into a central force for the arts in the Catskills.

 

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