CORNWALL — A forum to look at the perceived pros and cons of resurrected passenger rail service here was held April 5 in the Cornwall Consolidated School gym.Nearly 100 people came to the much-anticipated opportunity, sponsored by the Cornwall Association. Housatonic Railroad Company (HRC) is seeking to upgrade track on the Berkshire Line between Pittsfield, Mass., and Danbury to provide direct service to New York City.The panel included First Selectman Gordon Ridgway, Northwest Hills Council of Governments Community and Economic Development Director Jocelyn Ayer, Todd Shearer (a founder of the Facebook page Restore Rail Service – NW Connecticut) and Mark Wilson, who lives in West Cornwall village and presented research and personal experience that spoke to the possible negatives of passenger trains here.It was a much-needed first conversation and primarily a chance to voice concerns and ask questions. However, there were few real answers since Colin Pease, director of special projects for HRC, was unable to attend as planned.The last half hour of the forum was devoted to enjoying pizza from the Berkshire Country Store and continuing the conversation more casually. Many residents expressed their disappointment that there was no firsthand information about plans and costs. There is a fear that, without local control, the project could move forward suddenly without a chance for the public to be heard.Residents of the center of West Cornwall have rallied to the point of a petition to the Board of Selectmen to let them know there is pretty solid opposition to passenger trains. Upgrading the tracksFreight trains rumble through the gated Route 128 crossing at a steady clip. They crack plaster walls and foundations, residents said. They are imagining greater impacts with passenger trains, as well as lowered property values.Ridgway spoke first, urging open-mindedness about a complex issue. While trains may not stop in Cornwall, an influx of younger people could be a positive result. Freight service takes a tremendous amount of truck traffic off roads, he said. Passenger service or not, he is concerned for the regular derailments blamed for track that is about a century old for most of the line.Ayer gave a slide-show presentation of a feasibility study by Market Street Research conducted about five years ago. It shows things such as an estimated one-way ridership of two million annually.It looks at an influx of residents; however, there are no predictions as to when population and development might increase to the point that the area will lose the rural character that attracts people.The study looks at subsidies — tax dollars used to underwrite railroads. The Metro North New Haven line currently receives about half its operating expenses from public funding. HRC has said its line will be financially self-sufficient.Ayer noted that in Massachusetts, the governor put $113 million in the state’s budget to upgrade that section of the Berkshire Line. It was cut to $35 million. Nothing has been allocated by Connecticut.She displayed Pease’s contact information on one of the slides, and gave people a chance to write it down. His email address is fcpease@comcast.net.Pros and consShearer spoke of an online petition signed by about 3,000 people favoring passenger service. He has been speaking to a lot of groups and businesses, and said they are mostly supportive, but realizes there are two sides to consider.He summed up the negatives as safety and the intrusion on homes along the track, and spoke about seamless rail that would eliminate track noise and failure points. The character of towns would change, but change is already needed in the way of younger residents. “I believe the train is the best way to attract those young families.”Shearer said he hears a lot that HRC is a “bad neighbor,” and noted he lives near the switchyard in the center of North Canaan, which can be very noisy.“I don’t mind the train or the noise,” he said, “but absolutely, they have some work to do. I suggest you talk to your legislators to address the problems. This is the perfect time. They want to expand their business and should want to repair relationships with the communities.”As positives, Shearer listed safety with improved rails, less wear and tear on roads, a draw for people east of here for whom the Wassaic, N.Y., station is too far and a plan for the future of small towns here. Shearer answered a question about plans by HRC to not use Canaan Union Station as a stop, saying he would fight for it.Wilson noted he lives about 100 feet from the tracks and knows firsthand how it can damage homes. He lost some credibility when he claimed freight trains travel through the area at up to 70 mph, but made a good point when he referred to Wassaic, and asked what economic development passenger trains had brought to towns there. Costs and funding remain big questions. One resident criticized the report Ayer presented as “barely a business plan.” (It was, in fact, a market and feasibility study, done as a first step). The only cost mentioned is a $200 million estimate to upgrade the tracks. That is, as Ayer noted, less than the annual subsidy for the New Haven line.Perceptions and concernsWilson referred to the 2009 Oxford Review of Economic Policy that shows costs on a national average for projects are underestimated by 44.7 percent and ridership by 51.4 percent.Comments from the audience included travel time from Pittsfield to New York City (about three hours) and the fact that it still won’t be a direct line. There were concerns that the railroad won’t respect complainst about impacts from the line, that attractions along the route would not be promoted and there was a query about fencing that might be installed where the tracks abut developed properties. According to Shearer, the rail corridor will remain unfenced, as it is now. Ridgway responded to a question about what happens to freight transit while the line is upgraded. He said he saw a video that shows track replaced at walking speed, and guessed it would be done a section at a time in between train runs. Compensation for those whose property values may drop was another question.Ridgway said he didn’t think it was likely and noted the village centers are there because of the railroad.It was also noted that the state owns the tracks and leases them to the railroad company. No local regulations factor in.Ayer offered a clarification that the study done by HRC does not look at feasibility primarily as a way for people here to get to New York City, but more as a revenue source of riders who want to come here as tourists or to second homes.Meanwhile, at the DepotHRC owner John Hanlon spoke to The Lakeville Journal this week about Canaan Union Station. A higher platform is needed for handicapped accessibility to trains. That adjustment is a possibility there, but parking is the real issue.The northerly site has the needed acreage. Adding a second stop in town is not a good plan.“We usually plan for at least 10 miles between stations so the train can get up to speed,” he said, but added that a stop there can only work if more parking can be found close by.
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Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.
L. Tomaino
“I was always drawing as a child,” Justine recalled. Victor dreamed of illustrating magazine covers like those of the “Saturday Evening Post.”
Victor studied design and illustration at Rochester Institute of Technology, then received a fellowship to study painting and printmaking at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne. He graduated in 1967. The following year, he received a grant from the Tiffany Foundation to study printmaking in Paris at Atelier 17, an experimental graphic arts workshop founded in 1927.
“What a great experience that was!” he recalled.
Returning home after the Paris uprisings of 1968, he discovered that the magazine covers he’d hoped to paint had largely given way to photography. His agent suggested trying record covers, which he pursued along with illustration and graphic design.
He also began teaching at Kean University in New Jersey.
“Kean had a wonderful graphic design and illustration department. I loved teaching Graphic Design, even though I never thought I would.”
He later taught at Syracuse University and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
In the late 1980s, he decided to stop teaching and concentrate on his own art. He moved to Falls Village, to a house on the corner of Minor and Prospect Streets.
“I used to call the studio ‘Minor Prospects Atelier,’” he said.
He continued working in illustration and graphic design, creating book covers for stories by H.P. Lovecraft and other authors, along with magazine covers, logos, advertising and murals.
Justine and Victor Valla in their studio with a painting of Victor’s,”Jonah and the Whale.” Robin Roraback
His local commissions include the green and gold Noble Horizons signage and wall murals for the Stockbridge Inn, the Spa at Norwich Inn, Orchards Hotel in Williamstown and the David M. Hunt Library’s children’s section.
Justine grew up in the Bronx and studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduating, she took on whatever work she could find, including designing toys and novelty items for Russ Berrie. But her true calling was textile design.
She moved to Los Angeles to pursue that calling, where she learned silkscreen printing from 1960s design icon Corita Kent.
“I was in her program at Immaculate Heart College. All fabric design at that time was silk screen. My first job in textile design was in L.A., creating wallpaper for Bob Mitchell Design.”
Justine returned to New York City, where the advent of computers required her to learn new design techniques. She enrolled at Parsons School of Design, studying Photoshop, Illustrator, Lectra U4ia and Kaledo.
Around this time, she met Victor online and moved to Falls Village.
A recruiter found her a job in Arkansas at Dillard’s, a department store chain operating in 30 states and known for its exclusive designer collections.
“They had the best equipment I’d ever seen,” she said.
She became a senior computer-aided design designer there, designing fabric and preparing purchased designs for production.
The Vallas left Falls Village for Little Rock.
“It was a big move,” she said. “It was a different culture, but Little Rock was very progressive.”
The originally planned to stay in Arkansas for five years but ended up remaining for nearly 10.
Then Justine was hit by a car. She suffered injuries to her leg and head and required four years of rehabilitation.
“I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.”
The Vallas returned to Connecticut, this time settling in Salisbury, where they’ve lived since 2013.
After leaving Dillard’s, Justine had planned to sell her work through Printsource in New York City, an international showcase for surface and textile design. But after the accident, she no longer had the mobility or energy to travel back and forth to the city.
Instead, she began selling her work locally at craft shows, including clothing, hand-printed tea towels and floorcloths.
She is currently working on selling her collection of textile designs.
In December, Justine will have a show of her tea-themed watercolors at the NorthEast-Millerton Library.
Victor recently exhibited “The American West: A Pictural History” at the NorthEast-Millerton Library. The series, created in the early 1990s, was part of a commission from the Postal Commemorative Society for which he completed 100 paintings in two years.
He hopes to place the series in a museum and has created books from its images, complete with text. Over the years, he has designed many other books that are ready for publication, including “Looking In, Looking Out,” a cosmic view of the universe.
Reflecting on his career, Victor said, “It’s about doing what you love”.
Justine agreed.
To see, purchase or commission work, contact Justine at justinevalla@gmail.com or Victor at victorvalla@comcast.net, or call 860-596-4282.
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Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.
Provided
Cornwall ceramicist Jane Herold explained that there’s quite a lot of enthusiasm for Clay Way among the region’s ceramic artists.
“We all need work space, which is hard to find or afford in urban areas. The wood-fire crowd needs lots of wood and outdoor space. This area is great because it’s rural enough for us, but has a wonderfully enthusiastic and supportive population of pottery [patrons].”
While many of the artists are returning from previous years, the loose collection of unofficial organizers likes to keep the event manageable for the public, limiting the number of artists and studios each year. A direct drive from the southernmost point at Ann Heywood’s studio in Wingdale to Herold’s big barn in Cornwall is under 40 minutes. But if you want to catch it all, plan for a full day’s worth of art exploration along some of the most beautiful roads in New England.
Starting at its northernmost point, Herold’s studio will host Matin Malikzada of Afghanistan, whose polished, modern interpretations of traditional forms are instantly recognizable. They’ll be joined by wood-fired ceramicists Steve Johnson, with his raw, organic forms, and Harry Levenstein, whose works relate closely to Johnson’s while making even more direct references to nature.
Herold herself creates work that is both beautiful and utilitarian. Her prolific output of objects is intended to be used by everyday people as part of their daily lives.
Moving south is Todd Piker of Cornwall Bridge Pottery. Piker has been making pots in his giant wood-fired kiln since 1971. The kiln looks more like an ancient blast furnace than something designed to transform clay into ceramics, but over the years, he’s mastered its intricacies and produces an impressive amount of fine work.
A ceramic vase by Kathleen Heidemann.Provided
Piker will host Sanah Peterson, who works at Cornwall Bridge Pottery and draws inspiration from both her time with Piker and her time traveling the globe as a child. They’ll be joined by Stephanie Haines, whose vibrant, eye-catching work features underglaze illustrations of birds, fruit and the bounty of nature.
Further along in Warren, Jessica Dubin’s pieces will be on display at the studio of Christine Owen. Both artists seem to appreciate the chaos and unpredictable nature of clay but find ways to refine it all using their own unique methods.
Heading east to Washington, Conn., Will Talbot’s creates intricate work while allowing for the unpredictable nature of clay to play a role. His studio will house Tom Knox and his wide variety of textures and forms, as well as New York City-based Alex Lebedev, who lets music and the nature of improvisation guide his work.
There will be two studios participating in South Kent. Alison Palmner, whose page on the Clay Way website states she “strives to achieve a lighthearted meld of human forms, animals and the vessel.” Her studio will host Ben Eberle, who trained under the guidance of legendary potter Toshiko Takaezu; James Guggina, whose intricate work can appear both deliberate and whimsical; and Paula Shalan, who blends rough, unrefined surfaces with polished precision in individual pieces.
Joy Brown’s delightful ceramic sculptures.Provided
Nearby is Joy Brown, whose work have become a staple of the area, with her figurative sculptures dotting the Northwest Corner. Brown’s studio will also feature Bonnie Levine, who taps into the beauty of chaos and destruction in her work, and Brendan Moore, whose more utilitarian forms are perfect for everyday use.
Finally, the tour crosses the border into Wingdale, New York, where the studios of Drew Montgomery, Ann Heywood and Amy Brenner will host Jackie Sedlock, Lynn Behrendt,and Kathleen Heidemann.
Brenner creates some of the most colorful and vibrant pieces on the tour, while Behrendt’s work is among the most studied and precise. Heywood creates carefully considered, intuitive forms, while Heidemann moves from simple minimalism to intricate textures. Montgomery and Sedlock both find new ways of playing with traditional forms, producing delightfully distinctive pieces.
To learn more about the artists and download a map of participating studios, visit clayway.net
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