NORWICH – Despite Mother Nature’s attempt to confound festival goers with Saturday’s midday downpour, patrons and vendors alike left the 18th annual Colorscape Chenango happy. The dark clouds looming above Norwich Saturday morning weren’t enough to keep Colorscapers at bay at first. Once the rain hit at approximately 1:20 p.m., most ran for the hills, though several Colorscapers determinedly wrapped themselves in their raincoats and listened to Roosevelt Dime on the East Park stage. After the storm, about half of the artist booths opened back up for the remainder of the day and the music resumed, said festival director Peggy Finnegan.
Sunday, on the other hand, was magnificent all around. “I think a lot of people stayed home Saturday and planned to come out Sunday,” said Finnegan. It was a “great day,” said Colorscape board chairman John Knapp. “Sunday absolutely made up for Saturday,” he said. Everyone that Finnegan talked to was smiling, she said, which in her estimation is always a good sign.
The coordinators were not alone in their optimism. Artists were out in force producing an array of diverse works that impressed even the most critical of patrons. “This year is better set up than any other – the artists are impressive, the music is great, and the weather is good,” said one such critic on Sunday.
Local resident Christopher J. Dushko said he is drawn to Colorscape every year because “it is really nice seeing all of the great artists exhibiting their talents.”
Jill Jordan from Slingerland, outside of Albany, said it was her first time attending Colorscape and she was in town because of her high school reunion. “I love it because there were so many very talented arists,” Jordan said.
One local said she comes every year with the goal of buying gifts for others, but ends up loving what she buys so much they almost always turn into gifts for herself. “The quality of the arts is getting better every year,” she said.
“I try to come every year if I am in town,” said Marjorie S. Brunton. “Colorscape is phenomenal this year and it is a really wonderful event for the whole community,” she said.
Joyce Stewart, a painter from Vestal, returned this year for the fifth time. “I enjoy it very much, it’s a nice show to do and everyone’s really great,” she said.
Third year vendor Vic Rosenberg, a Plymouth resident, said that even though sales were good, what he really loves about Colorscape is the “interaction with the people.” Rosenberg displayed a variety of photographs depicting the diverse wonders Africa. Many of Rosenberg’s photos were of African animals. “The kids like to see the wild animals up close and in their natural habitat,” he said. Rosenberg spent days bouncing around in a Land Rover all throughout African game parks to get the pictures he displayed this Colorscape. “I’ve been to a lot of places, but Africa was the best,” he said. Last year Rosenberg’s pictures of Martha’s Vineyard brought him home a good deal of prize money.
Michelle List of Herkimer said she “comes every year and visits the same vendors every time.” She said she “loves how Colorscape just feels happy every year.”
Lisa Cutler of Chester, New Hampshire, set up her Two Sons Jewelry booth for the second year this weekend. Last year on her drive up, Cutler was subjected to a series of detours caused by the flooding. “Last year I saw ‘lakes’ all over the Southern Tier,” she said. So this year, with no other frame of reference, she got scared Saturday when the tornado warnings were announced. But Sunday she unpacked and had a good day. Colorscape is “so well organized,” she said. “Nobody takes better care of us; they buy us lunch. which is unheard of, and they do everything to get people to come,” said Cutler. She felt that overall sales had been good despite Saturday’s weather.
Matt Horner’s display of stone carvings for the second year won a judge’s prize. “I am happy with this year’s festival. I go to a lot of them and I am treated the best at this one,” he said. “I am definitely coming back next year. The way the organizers treat the artists is impressive and I wish that more were like this one.”