Hammondsport, N.Y. — Now in its fifth year, “Palettes of Keuka” – a creative fundraiser that puts colorful art on display for the summer all around Keuka Lake – is still going strong.
For the project, about 40 local artists painted murals on large wooden canvases in the shape of a palette. They are on display at shops around Hammondsport’s Village Square, and at restaurants and wineries all around the lake.
On Sept. 10, the palettes will be sold in a live auction in Village Square, with half the proceeds going to the artists and the other half going into a fund to support the arts in the Keuka Lake area.
What began on a whim five years ago has grown into a unique tradition, said “Palettes of Keuka” organizer Brett Steeves, a Hammondsport artist and gallery owner who participates himself.
“Every year, we think, ‘OK, are we done?’ And every year we’re surprised,” Steeves said. “We’re not even close to done. There’s too much excitement. This year, we didn’t even solicit for artists or sponsors. They all came in the door before we had a chance to go out and look. Everybody wants to be part of it.”
This year’s artists include Jaime Green, Lennolee Spraker, Andrea Thompson, Bruce Baxter, Rafael Feliciano, Marcia States, Sharon Wittier, Cindy Scheepsma, Angel Hess, Susan Wake, Jim Burns, Stefanie Weaver, Rich Musso, Barbara Radigan, Simon Sananas, Diana Bell, Dennis Howard, Eli Thomas, Susan Covert, Svetlana Baldwin, Courtney Wilcox, Andy Clark, Brian Buckley, Tambi Schweizer, Mike Moretti, Lori Beck, Colleen Yale, Bonnie Gustin, Linda Bailey, Morgan Vanderwall, Lucretia West, Beverly Falvey, Ron Dixon, Cejae Scotchmer, Verna Beck, Dave Walczak, Scott Graham, Dan Dugo, Suzy Bresser and Marc Rotman.
Maps showing the palette locations are available at the Hammondsport Chamber of Commerce, 47 Shethar Street.
Each palette has a “clue” in the form of a letter that folks can use to fill out a puzzle on the back of the map and be entered for prize drawings.
The Sept. 10 auction will feature a preview beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a live auction at 1 p.m.
The palette auction brought in $17,000 the inaugural year and has raised $12,000 to $14,000 annually since, Steeves said.
Half of that money goes into a fund that supports things like community theater productions and art programs.
This year, it will fund a weekend-long storytelling event on Sept. 23-24 in Hammondsport. Free and open to the public, it will feature storytellers at various locations throughout the village.
The students at Hammondsport Central School have also gotten involved in “Palettes of Keuka.”
About 40 students painted mini-palettes which are on display in the window of the Hammondsport Visitor Center. Also, 10 high school seniors painted full-size palettes which are hanging outside the school.
Last year was the first time the Hammondsport students took part, and this year, they began asking about the project months ahead of time, according to art teacher Gina Pfleegor, who painted a palette herself.
“It’s really been an exciting event for everyone and has been a wonderful artistic avenue for all kinds of young people, from those with a natural talent to others who are just beginning, to see how enriching the arts can be,” Pfleegor wrote in an email to The Leader.
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