Coop Art Association Preps for Spring Cleaning Event
By MARIA GRISWOLD
COOPERSTOWN
The Cooperstown Art Association is currently gearing up to host its popular Spring Cleaning Art Bazaar from Saturday, March 7 through Saturday, March 28, with an opening reception on Friday, March 6. The spring cleaning event is considered by organizers to be an “art yard sale,” featuring fine arts, crafts, and gently used or new art materials donated by community members. Everything donated is sold at heavily discounted rates, officials said.
Daniel Francis, CAA gallery manager, told AllOtsego that the mission of the spring cleaning event is to “facilitate the practical redistribution of unused, forgotten, or unwanted fine arts and craft items, as well as art supplies and materials that would otherwise be destined for a dumpster.”
The donation period for this event is Monday, February 23 through Friday, February 27, during which the CAA will be accepting donations of lightly used original fine arts and fine crafts, framed prints and posters of sophisticated quality, and new or good condition art supplies and materials. Once all of the donations are collected, CAA employees and volunteers will sort through them and organize the contributions to be sold in March.
“The CAA has hosted the Spring Cleaning Art Bazaar on a biennial schedule since 2005,” Francis explained. “[It] started as a result of the CAA being the recipient of Harold Birch’s estate, a gift that included all his watercolors. He was very prolific, with a distinct style, and we decided to incorporate it into a sale, combining his work with other work donated by the community, parceling out his watercolors bit by bit every other year.”
Over the past few years, the CAA has recognized a growing importance in the service that this fundraiser provides for purchasers seeking original fine art at discounted prices as well as generous donors who wish to participate in the cyclical redistribution of their artwork. Due to the surplus of donations received, the CAA has made the decision to host the bazaar annually moving forward.
Francis said that CAA Executive Director Janet Erway, the organization’s board of directors, its staff and volunteers have been the driving force behind this fundraiser’s success.
He also outlined the three main goals and motivations of the event, the first of which is that all proceeds of the fundraiser benefit the CAA and its Prize Fund for Artists. This fund has helped provide prizes to the Regional and National Juried Art exhibitions, Francis said. The second goal is to facilitate the redistribution of fine arts, crafts, supplies, and materials so they stay in circulation of appreciative artists and away from a landfill. Finally, the event provides a unique space for the community to buy original pieces and supplies at discounted prices.
These aspects “work well together to create a multifaceted, sustainable model for maintaining and promoting appreciation and participation in the arts,” Francis explained.
Donations for the Spring Cleaning Art Bazaar have varied over the years, but the CAA always carries over a base of materials from previous years upon which to build. Those wishing to donate this year are encouraged to “start your donation pile, deliver donations to the CAA from February 23rd to 27th, and return for the spring cleaning sale from March 7th to 28th!”
The Cooperstown Art Association is located at 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. To learn more about this event, visit https://www.cooperstownart.com/spring-cleaning.html.
