Page "Palenville, New York" Paragraph 12

In 1982 the Bond Street Theatre from New York City came to recreate the home of America's first arts community as the ' Palenville Interarts Colony '.

The Colony had a day named in its honor by NY State and received the prestigious Genius Award from the MacArthur Foundation, the first time an organization ever won this honor.

The programme, led by Co-Artistic Directors Joanna Sherman and Patrick Sciarratta was generally called Interarts.

As creativity attracts creativity, thus the Palenville Interarts Colony was born.

Start-up funds came from the State of New York Legislature, who thought it a good idea to bring a major new arts center to a small town.

This helped us to revitalize broken down buildings and create studios out of old walls.

The vision and enthusiasm of a few initiators must be mentioned: painters Francis Cunningham and Allen Barber, director Torben Bjelke, Dave Brubeck and sons ( who gave us two benefit concerts ), Kevin Kennedy ( who owned the camp ), and, of course Bond Streeters all: Mary Dino, David Feder, Stephen Ringold, Luanne Dietrich, Fred Collins, Marlene Abraham, Michael McGuigan, and Directors Joanna Sherman and Patrick Sciarratta.

Lasting 12 years, the Colony was a feather in their personal, creative caps – for which they received the prestigious MacArthur Foundation (“ Genius ”) Award in recognition of theior groundbreaking work.

The award consisted of $ 50, 000 for three years – and it is not a grant but a gift for, well, ‘ genius ’ work and service ..