Does the dilemma regarding the future of the Pine Plains Free Library building come down to the difference between the words “can’t” and “won’t?” That’s what Odd Fellow Past Noble Grand Mike O’Neill seems to believe. O’Neill said the town has the ability to buy the new library building with the Odd Fellows (the fraternal organization that donated the land on which that building was built upon in exchange for 1,000 square feet of space into perpetuity) remaining as tenants — despite Town Board statements to the contrary.“Article 7, Section 8 [of the state Constitution] spells out what we can’t do, and that’s pretty much what it says. It says you cannot use a building dedicated to private space maintained with public money,” explained town Councilman George Keeler. “It’s not our doing … We’re just following the law. It’s not a law but part of the state Constitution and also the opinion of the state comptroller and attorney general.”Semantics, and the threat of eviction“That’s permeated the community,” said O’Neill, “the idea they can’t buy it. Really you have to substitute the word ‘won’t.’ There’s really no reason for us to go. Why would we leave?”The Odd Fellows have stated their intentions to remain in place before and they’re doing so again, despite threats from The Bank of Millbrook that an eviction looms in their future. In fact, the Library Board of Trustees have arranged for the library to move from the spacious new building to the cramped former library building up the road to facilitate that eviction. Board President Jim Mara has gone on the record stating that with the library gone the bank will be able to do what it needs to do so that ultimately “the building will be clear for the town to buy it.”And that is exactly what negotiations have led to: a deal between the town and The Bank of Millbrook (which bought the 2009 building in early 2013 at a foreclosure sale) to purchase the library for $1 million. The town was given approval to do so through a public referendum, so long as the building remains a library.The planHere’s how the town and the bank plan for events to unfold: The library will return to its former abode (it was planning to do so in mid-February, but didn’t quite make that deadline). Librarian Marguerite Hill said last week there’s no definite moving date and the schedule is “day-by-day,” but assured the move will happen soon. Once moved, the building will be clear of all tenants (except the Odd Fellows). O’Neill pointed out there was nothing said about others who used the building forced out in anticipation of the sale.“Nobody got any bad publicity for chasing away all of the groups that were here,” he said. “The Red Cross, the Brownies, the seniors, Zumba — they were all pushed out for the intent of chasing out the Odd Fellows. Call it a sham. Legally I don’t believe you can empty a building, evict us, and then come back. This whole thing is absurd and serves nobody.”“And it’s a whole lot of expense,” added Odd Fellow Ed Casazza.That said, once the building is clear, the library, the town and the bank have stated the Odd Fellows will be served an eviction notice. With the Odd Fellows gone, the town plans to buy the building and then reinstall the library.“At this point the Odd Fellows either have to voluntarily leave or I have to evict them,” said bank President George T. Whalen III when previously asked about the matter. “There’s no indication they are going to voluntarily leave so we’re going the eviction route. I need to empty the building out in order to sell it.”The deedWhile that might make sense, the Odd Fellows contend if the town is they buyer, why not leave them right where they are? After all, they said, they are written into the deed. And while Whalen notes “there’s an easement within the deed that says if it’s no longer used as a library and community center, or for another public purpose, their tenancy ceases,” Odd Fellow Noble Grand Ken Meccariello said it’s important to read that section of the deed in totality. It follows below:“Excepting and reserving to the party of the first part of a tenancy in the building to be constructed on the premises by the party of the second part for no rent. The party of the first part shall use approximately 1,000 square feet on the second floor of the eastern end of the building for the purposes of its ordinary course of business. Said tenancy shall be in full force and effect for as long as the party of the first part is in existence and the said building is used as a community center and library or other public purposes.”Meccariello said Odd Fellows attorney David Rankin has told the organization that means they have standing. “We’re not a tenant; we’re part of the deed and it isn’t as easy as they’re telling people it is to get rid of us,” said the Noble Grand, adding the town and bank want the Odd Fellows to sign off on the deed, but the Odd Fellows have no plan on doing so. “That’s why we hired an attorney.”Compromise or court“The biggest thing for us is we’d like the community to realize the town can find a way to buy the building with us in it,” said Casazza.“It’s not an obstacle,” agreed Meccariello.But if the town cannot do so, O’Neill acknowledged, the issue may head to the courts.“This could have to be decided by a judge at a fairly high level, and we may have to be compensated,” he said.After all, during the last assessment the Odd Fellows’ building (which was torn down to allow for the new library building) and its half-acre lot — which was donated to the Foundation for the Pine Plains Community Center and Library to allow for the project — were valued at $220,000.The whole thing could be settled easily, said O’Neill, if only the town would allow the Odd Fellows to remain in their 1,000 square feet of space (it’s actually 800 square feet, according to the group).“This could be fine,” O’Neill said. “I can’t see anybody that’s bruised if they just left us alone.”Meccariello even said the Odd Fellows would be willing to invite community groups to use their space, if necessary. Their two rooms are cozy, carpeted spaces decorated with rich, aged wood furniture and adorned with photographs from the past.The three Odd Fellows agreed the community seems to support the organization, certainly more than the Town Board does. Community supportAnother proponent is local attorney Rick Osofsky, who has been trying to advocate for a solution that would work for all parties involved. Osofsky asked why it would have been OK for the Odd Fellows to remain in the building “if that building had been gifted to the town, but illegal if the town purchased the building.” Keeler addressed the point.“It would be a different thing, our attorney told us, if it was gifted and we didn’t have to spend any public money,” he said, adding as buyers the town is spending public money and therefore can’t legally put the Odd Fellows on their list of expenses. “We wouldn’t have had much choice in the matter but that’s not what happened.”Osofsky, however, said the issue is creating “divisiveness within the community” and stressed that “everyone understood the agreement between the Odd Fellows and the library foundation from the beginning.”He also said moving the library to its former space with the intent of moving it back to its newer space is an unnecessary expense, and asked “can cooler heads prevail?”Osofsky even tried to start a commission to facilitate an agreement on the issue, but that “went nowhere,” according to Casazza.What’s all the fuss about?O’Neill, for his part, said he’s “clueless” as to why the town is being so obstinate about removing the Odd Fellows from the building. He said the solution is simple and straightforward.“Buy the building and leave us alone,” he said. “It can’t be any clearer than that.” He added the hesitancy only arose once the town started to think it would have to pay for the property.But that should have no bearing, he said. After all, the three agreed, the Odd Fellows are a fellowship organization. They aim to help the community in ways big and small.“Our mantra is ‘to improve the condition of mankind,’” said O’Neill.One example: donating the property for the library.“But we’re not a big organization with a lot of resources,” said Casazza.The Odd Fellows organization has fewer than 20 active members.Hollow gesture, steely determinationAs far as the town’s past offer to let the Odd Fellows use the former library space, Casazza said that was unworthy of being called an offer.“They offered it to us for a short period of time. The building was for sale so there was no way of knowing how long we would be there for, and we couldn’t stay more than five years,” he said. “We’d have no lease. We didn’t consider it a real offer.”“We never got to the stage where we considered it and turned it down even,” added O’Neill.Additionally, the Odd Fellows have never had the opportunity to talk about their situation with all of the players involved at the same time, they said. It’s been either meetings with the bank or meetings with the town, but never with the bank and the town simultaneously.“How can you negotiate if you don’t have all of the parties?” asked Casazza. “There are so many different angles to this thing.”“And this is not a done deal,” added O’Neill with determination.
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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.
“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.
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
Matteo works as the ever-enthusiastic auctioneer, and he puts on a real show. In just a few hours, he presents and sells hundreds of items, from antique furniture and rugs to art and decorative items, even taxidermy, jewelry and other odds and ends you probably wouldn’t expect. Community is part of the show, with Matteo joking around with regulars. Attendees congratulate each other on their purchases, and even educate each other about the items as matteo keeps the momentum going. If items aren’t moving, Matteo will remind the room that he’s got alimony to pay, and it’s up to everybody in the room to help him raise the funds.
For the past 15 years, this has all happened in that highly visible building at the main intersection in North Canaan. Now, Mattea, Kolbacher and their Stateline Auctions crew have moved off the beaten path. For some frugal bidders, this might seem like a good thing. After all, the fewer people who know about the auction, the fewer people they have to bid against when their lots come up.
Hundreds of items at Stateline Auctions, including a candy-apple-red Crosley pickup truck.D.H. Callahan
Unfortunately for those who consistently show up, the competition these days is less in the room and more online. Stateline has been running simultaneous auctions through the real-time auction website and app LiveAuctioneers.com, where the entire event is streamed live. Throughout the eight-hour event, the online viewership rarely, if ever, dips below 600 individual users. This technological development creates more potential buyers for Stateline and also allows busy bidders to keep an eye on their lots while out and about.
The new space, still in North Canaan, just barely south of the Massachusetts border, is a sizable warehouse packed to the ceiling with precious finds. It’s bigger, brighter and has ample parking.
The auction on Oct. 11 featured all kinds of lots, including three cars. A candy-apple-red Crosley pickup truck grabbed every eye in the room and even more attention online. Amid all the enthusiasm, it was heartwarming to witness the entire audience erupt in applause as young bidder Molly Seitz burst into tears after winning the truck. The beautiful vintage vehicle had belonged to her grandfather, who had given her driving lessons in it before he died.
Between resellers, collectors and the casually curious, the performance that is a Sunday at Stateline Auctions is a delightful way to breathe new life into old items. There’s rarely a set date for the next auction, but it generally takes about six weeks before they’re ready with their next round of goods. This time, Matteo predicts a sale after Thanksgiving, but if you want to be safe, follow their auction on liveauctioneers.com.
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