Nyack Presents ART WALK On June 17

From the Nyack Chamber of Commerce: Every Father’s Day weekend since 2006, art-lovers gather in the Village of Nyack for ART WALK. The village-wide, juried arts festival transforms retail venues into mini-art galleries where visitors can meet the artists and enjoy, discuss and purchase fine works of art.

Artists take up their in-store residencies:

• Friday, June 16th from 7:00 - 9:00 pm
• Saturday, June 17 from 12:00 - 7:00 pm
• Sunday, June 18 from 12:00 -5:00 pm

Inspiration for ART WALK 2017 draws from the music and artistry of Bob Dylan, who was recently awarded the Nobel Prize in literature for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” The message from his 1964 song, The Times They Are A-Changing, is this year's ART WALK theme.

“Change occurs throughout our lives. Whether negative or positive, it acts as a catalyst for our growth --- and art is a perfect medium for expressing this change,” said ART WALK founder and director Paulette Ross. “This year, we salute our veterans. As we honor all of the brave women and men who have defended our country, let us take a moment to reflect on the 100th anniversary of WWI.”

The artist selected for this year’s ART WALK poster is Walt Nygard, former Corporal, USMC, and a Vietnam veteran. His featured piece, titled “Change,” is a linocut printed on combat paper, made from the uniforms of our brave veterans.

An original linocut of the ART WALK poster will be donated to Nyack Village Hall by Nygard on Saturday, June 17th at 12:00 noonin Veteran’s Park on Main Street.

Nygard is a member of Combat Paper NJ, a non-profit organization whose specialty is the transformative process of creating handmade paper from military uniforms. Through their public workshops, Combat Paper builds a much needed discourse between veterans and society. The first phase is to “deconstruct” veterans' uniforms, and then “reclaim” the pieces, beat into pulp, and dry into paper. The final phase -- “communicate” -- is where the dried sheets become a platform for veterans to communicate their stories through the language of papermaking and art.

“Under the crush of the post-modern world,” said Nygard, “groping for connection with our Mother Nature, looking for direction in the spaces where spirit dwells, I mark symbols for you to ponder. Change is a sign for us to read, a statement, a plea, a speculation…perhaps the word is command.”

This year’s ART WALK also features the debut of an interactive public art piece in Veterans’ Memorial Park on Main Street entitled Traveling Wall of Hope by Scott Fine. The project embraces passion, empathy, politics and history, and invites the public to express these fundamental elements of their lives. By writing a wish, hope, or dream on a piece of colored paper and placing it into one of the many openings in the wall, people come together in a quiet, spiritual way, co-creating a unique, colorful display of light, shadow -- and meaning.

“With so many issues swirling around us, Fine's Traveling Wall of Hope can give us some common ground of inclusion and reflection,” said Ross.

Nyack’s ART WALK is the first stop on the Wall’s journey. A permanent replica of the Wall will be donated by Fine to Nyack Village, and will be exhibited on the second floor of the Village Hall.

Photo via Pixabay