Supporting the ARTS!

I spoke with my friend Maria today and we were both discussing our work. She is an opera singer connected to Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice and I am connected to Stella May Productions. Our conversation got around to supporting the Arts. We both agree, she as a performer and promoter and I as a promoter and Gallery/Theatre owner that local support is key to what we do in the Arts. Sometimes by just calling up or visiting and with a friendly smile finding out what is going on in the neighborhood could result in finding small treasures. I never want anyone to feel that the new kids on the block are trying to manifest a new approach to taking over and pushing people away. The more we work together the better off we all are. People who visit want a vast diversification of venues to pick from. They in turn tell their friends and more people come into the area. We pride ourselves in our culture, the number of artists in the area and we should also pride ourselves in the number of venues we have. My words are not intended to provoke but instead promote the willingness to share the richness we have in the Arts right here in the Hudson Valley. Thanks for listening.