The Butternut Valley Alliance will hold its fifth annual “On the Trail of Art” festival June 14 and 15. This year’s event will take place in the Basswood Pond State Forest in the town of Burlington.
According to a BVA news release, the half-mile trail will feature student artists from Edmeston, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton and Morris central schools, as well as a new addition, Laurens Central School. Local artists with a connection to the Butternut Valley will also exhibit their works.
About 125 public school and homeschool students have pieces in the plein air exhibit. They were assisted by their art teachers and used materials provided by BVA, with the help of a donation of acrylic paints and other materials from Golden Artist Colors in New Berlin.
Strolling musicians, art demonstrations and “participation art” opportunities will be part of the festival, according to the release. As new components this year, there will be a poetry reading by poets from the Bright Hill Literary Center, and the Gatehouse Fiber Guild will hang fiber works in the forest. A treasure hunt for crystal balls will continue this year, on a “finders-keepers” basis, according to the release.
“By organizing the outdoor art festival, BVA seeks to integrate visual art with the natural environment, promote Butternut Valley artists, bring visitors to public lands and build community within the Butternut Valley,” the release stated. Located in western Otsego County, the Butternut Valley comprises the watershed of the Butternut Creek, which flows from the town of Exeter to its confluence with the Unadilla River in the town of Butternuts.
Admission to the event is free, but reservations are encouraged and may be made at www.ButternutValleyAlliance.org. The reservation site closes 24 hours in advance of the event, but last-minute arrivals will be accommodated as spacing is available.
Visitors will be provided with a map and program listing participants and artwork locations at the welcome tent. Volunteers will be onsite throughout the event to assist visitors as needed. Footwear appropriate for trail-walking is recommended. The trail head may be accessed by googling “Basswood Pond State Forest Conservation Rd parking area.”
Butternut Valley Alliance is a not-for-profit organization serving the Butternut Valley watershed, the release stated.