On April 13, nearly 100 people attended an opening reception at River Valley Arts Center in Wappingers Falls for the Community Streetside Artist Exhibit. Alex and Allyson Grey, noted visionary artists and founders of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, were in attendance and spoke about importance of art accessibility for all ages.
"We're thrilled with the cultural rising of Wappingers," Allyson Grey said. "We are becoming more inventive in the spiritual, creative life of an interspiritual community. Art is a spiritual path and creativity of all kinds uplifts people."
The artwork is not on gallery walls, however, but hanging on lampposts all over town. The exhibit is the latest effort by grassroots marketing effort Wappingers Rises to showcase their village. Founded in 2017 after a devastating fire ripped through the downtown, seriously damaging a handful of buildings, Wappingers Rises was formed by local residents to promote their home. The group's latest endeavor is encouraging residents and visitors alike to keep their heads up—literally—to view the works of 43 local artists adorning lamp post banners lining the village's winding streets.
"Wappingers Rises started with the intention to build and unite the community after another fire struck the village, which has a history of building collapses and fires," explains founder Courtney Urciuoli Kolb. "When we got those new black lamp posts a few years ago, I thought about how neat it would be to rotate art seasonally."
After placing a call to artists, Kolb says they received more submissions than they were able to include. "In just two weeks we received over 50 pieces," she says. "We wanted to make it as inclusive as possible. We chose Wappinger artists first, then did a lottery." Artists featured in the exhibition include Mariekien Cochius, Erica Hauser, Laura Golben, Alex Grey and Allyson Grey, Pamela Herbst, Paola Bari, Elizabeth Castagna, Adam Lauricella, Taylor McLeod, among many others, including students and seniors.
"The village has certainly had its hardships, but the people who run small businesses, live here, and work here are so special," Kolb says. "Everyone bounces back." The Community Streetside Artist Exhibit will be on display in downtown Wappingers Falls through November 1. Follow @wappingers.rises on Instagram.
