Community Day and first Last Saturday

Wassaic — The Wassaic Project kicked off its second summer of Last Saturdays with a Community Day Parade and other activities on Saturday, May 31. Last Saturdays is a series of free, monthly Wassaic Project events that run from May through October. Each Saturday features different attractions. 

Last Saturdays was first introduced in 2013, but Wassaic Project Co-director Jeff Barnett-Winsby said it will have greater prominence this summer due to increased efforts surrounding the program. 

The May 31st event began with Wassaic Artist Residency open studios.

Artists in residence invited guests into their studio spaces in Luther Barn. Works included origami art by Locke King and dust drawings by Sally Bozzuto.

King and Bozzuto were impressed with the Community Day Parade that immediately followed open studios.

“It was pretty awesome, that band is amazing,” Bozzuto said. 

The artist was referring to the What Cheer? Brigade, a 19-piece  brass band from Providence, R.I., that marched with others in a promenade co-produced by the Wassaic Fire Company.

Barnett-Winsby said the Wassaic Project works in partnership with the fire company, and that all proceeds from the day’s activities — including a cake walk, pig roast and concert — went to benefit the latter organization. 

King commented on a dragon float hoisted by the residency program Director Charlotte Caldwell and Wassaic Project member Lauren Was, both adorned in gold outfits. The piece was created in the Wassaic Project’s wood shop and Locke said it was “cool to see it come to life.”

The parade started at Luther Barn, taking a left on Furnace Bank Road, right onto Main Street, left on Old Route 22, left onto Firehouse Road and then a right back onto Furnace Bank to complete the loop to the barn.

The Wassaic Fire Company was joined by firetrucks from Amenia and Dover Plains plus Sharon and Kent, Conn.

Other marchers included artists in residence donning masks created by Mark Rowntree and Julia Sedlock from Cosmo Design Factory in Hillsdale.

The duo constructed the architecturally dynamic masks with students from the North East (Webutuck) Central School District during their residency at the Wassaic Project over the winter.

Wassaic resident P. Damian Gutierrez said it was “great to get the hamlet all together, both the people that are here for the art project and the full-time residents.”

Gutierrez also said that recognizing the volunteer fire company was an important part of participating in the day.

“I think it was incredibly successful,” said Barnett-Winsby after the events. “We’re really proud to live in this town and be in this community.”

The director said he was also proud of the organization’s association with the fire company. Barnett-Winsby doubles as a fire commissioner. 

“We’re looking forward to doing more things and making this an exciting and fun place to live for everyone,” he said.

The Wassaic Project’s summer festival is scheduled to take place from Aug. 1 to 3. 

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