Creativity swarms Hunt Library for insect artmaking workshop

Creativity swarms Hunt Library for insect artmaking workshop

Noah Sher created custom insect artwork at the David M. Hunt Library workshop Wednesday, July 2.

Copey Rollins

FALLS VILLAGE — Artist Erica Crofut led a bug sculpture workshop on the lawn of the David M. Hunt Library Wednesday, July 2.

About half a dozen children participated.

Crofut came prepared with bug shapes cut from plywood and painted a neutral color, assorted acrylic paints and brushes, and a box full of old shirts for smocks. (A Brooks Brothers label was attached to one of them.)

Crofut told her young artists that they had options. “We’ve got some happy bugs. We’ve got some grumpy-looking ones.”

She encouraged the children to try for realism with their bugs.

“Bugs hang out where?” Crofut asked.

The answers came back. “Leaves. Bark. Awnings. Your face.”

“They try to camouflage themselves,” concluded Crofut. “So design your camouflage for your bug.”

Eli Sher created custom insect artwork at the David M. Hunt Library workshop Wednesday, July 2.Copey Rollins

Crofut was assisted by Alesia Curletti of Housatonic, Massachusetts, and a student at the Berkshire Waldorf School in Great Barrington. Curletti said she has been helping Crofut on a major piece of sculpture destined for the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge.

Crofut and Curletti watched carefully as the artists got down to business, painstakingly painting their bugs one color at a time, in order to keep the process orderly.

“I don’t care if you get paint on my drop cloth,” Crofut said. “That’s what it’s for.”

At one point the entire group paused at the sight of a couple of fawns messing around in a grassy area across the street from the library lawn.

“Where’s the mama?” wondered Crofut.

Everyone held their breath as a car approached, and let out a collective sigh of relief when the fawns fled into the woods instead of wandering into the vehicle’s path.

Latest News

Cornwall board approves purchase of two new fire trucks following CVFD recommendation
CVFD reaches fundraising goal for new fire trucks
Provided

CORNWALL — At the recommendation of the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department, on Jan. 20 the Board of Selectmen voted to move forward with the purchase of two new trucks.

Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, located in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, was chosen as the manufacturer. Of the three bids received, Greenwood was the lowest bidder on the desired mini pumper and a rescue pumper.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robin Lee Roy

FALLS VILLAGE — Robin Lee Roy, 62, of Zephyrhills, Florida, passed away Jan. 14, 2026.

She was a longtime CNA, serving others with compassion for more than 20 years before retiring from Heartland in Florida.

Keep ReadingShow less
Marjorie A. Vreeland

SALISBURY — Marjorie A. Vreeland, 98, passed away peacefully at Noble Horizons, on Jan. 10, 2026.She was surrounded by her two loving children, Richard and Nancy.She was born in Bronxville, New York,on Aug. 9, 1927, to Alice (Meyer) and Joseph Casey, both of whom were deceased by the time she was 14. She attended public schools in the area and graduated from Eastchester High School in Tuckahoe and, in 1946 she graduated from The Wood School of Business in New York City.

At 19 years old, she married Everett W. Vreeland of White Plains, New York and for a few years they lived in Ithaca, New York, where Everett was studying to become a veterinarian at Cornell. After a short stint in Coos Bay, Oregon (Mike couldn’t stand the cloudy, rainy weather!) they moved back east to Middletown, Connecticut for three years where Dr. Vreeland worked for Dr. Pieper’s veterinary practice.In Aug. of 1955, Dr. and Mrs. Vreeland moved to North Kent, Connecticut with their children and started Dr. Vreeland’s Veterinary practice. In Sept. of 1968 Marjorie, or “Mike” as she wished to be called, took a “part-time job” at the South Kent School.She retired from South Kent 23 years later on Sept. 1, 1991.Aside from office help and bookkeeping she was secretary to the Headmaster and also taught Public Speaking and Typing.In other times she worked as an assistant to the Town Clerk in Kent, an office worker and receptionist at Ewald Instruments Corp. and as a volunteer at the Kent Library.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rafael A. Porro

SALISBURY -— Rafael A. Porro, 88, of 4 Undermountain Road, passed away Jan. 6, 2026, at Sharon Hospital. Rafael was born on April 19, 1937 in Camaguey, Cuba the son of Jose Rafael Porro and Clemencia Molina de Porro. He graduated from the Englewood School for Boys in Englewood, New Jersey and attended Columbia University School of General Studies. Rafael retired as a law library clerk from the law firm of Curtis, Mallet Prevost in 2002 and came to live in Salisbury to be nearer to his sister, Chany Wells.

Rafael is survived by his sister, Chany Wells, his nephew Conrad Wells (Gillian), and by numerous cousins in North Carolina, Florida, Wyoming, Arizona, Cuba and Canada. He was the eldest of the cousins and acknowledged family historian. He will be greatly missed.

Keep ReadingShow less