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Brushes with Nature:  Six Local Artists Take Inspiration from the Shawangunk Mountains to Create a Multi-Canvas Painting

Proceeds to Benefit Sam’s Point Preserve and The Nature Conservancy

Cragsmoor, NY — March 27, 2008 — On Saturday, May 10th from 4-8 pm, six local artists, CRAGSMOOR SIX (C-6), taking inspiration from the natural beauty of Sam’s Point Preserve, will create a spontaneous collaborative painting, comprised of 90 individual canvases joined as one.

As the painting takes shape the audience will be invited to bid on individual canvases, while enjoying refreshments from acclaimed area restaurants and wineries. Following the performance, the painting will be disassembled into individual artworks and presented to the highest bidders. Bidding will start at $50.00. Separate works by the artist will also be on display during the event in the Sam’s Point Gallery.

"We are thrilled that our local artists are donating their talent to produce a unique work of art inspired by Sam’s Point Preserve," said Heidi Wagner, the preserve manager.  "For more than a century, artists have lived and worked in the mountaintop Hamlet of Cragsmoor and visitors have explored the vast wilderness of nearby Sam’s Point. The C-6 performance at Sam’s Point Preserve brings these traditions together with a sensational new twist!"

"Art fueled the land conservation movement historically in the Hudson Valley, and today artists continue to engage people in the beauty of our region," said Cara Lee, director of the Shawangunk Ridge Program for The Nature Conservancy's Eastern New York Chapter. "Coming to Brushes with Nature is a chance to be part of that creative fusion," she added.

For more information about the event, please contact Heidi Wagner at (845) 647-7989 x101, or hwagner@tnc.org

The Cragsmoor Six:

Roger Baker has been working as an artist for 35 years. His work has ranged from custom motorcycle painting to sculpting and painting for an animatronics company. He is internationally known for his large format portraits cut into hayfields, some of which are as large as 500,000 square feet.

Charles Broderson created an industry wide renaissance of the old world craft of the ‘Hand Painted Backdrop’, matte acrylics on gesso prepared canvas (average size: 12 feet high by 18 feet wide). Recent clients include: NBC, Academy Awards, PBS, Saks, Vanity Fair, Saturday Night Live and French Vogue.

Chuck Davidson worked as an advertising art director/creative director and watch designer, prior to reconnecting with his fine arts origins. His fine arts roots resurfaced as assemblages in 1988 with a one man show titled, "Artifacts Americana" at The Fine Arts Gallery SUNY, Valhalla. More recently, the Empire State building exhibited his works in a solo show titled "American Archives", and his "Archeoart" was the featured show at the Yellow Bird Gallery, Newburgh, NY.

Andrew Reed works with traditional fine art media, photography, computers, electronics, plastic, metals and any other materials suitable for the project at hand. His recent work is concerned with commercialization, diminishing intellect and popularized violence within mature capitalism. He has shown extensively in NYC, and has been responsible for large-scale installations on both coasts as well as commissioned public art.

Judy Sigunick, a visual artist and writer, has taught since 1966 and exhibits her work internationally. Her current work, predominantly ceramic, visually binds the human figure together with large endangered or neglected animals – typically elephants – as if to mend the tragic results of dividedness and social greed. Her commissioned public art brings together multiple values by incorporating community artwork into her designs.

Phil Sigunick co-owned an antique shop in Manhattan, played back-up guitar in the West Village, wrote and published songs, invented and marketed "Birdiemaster", a practice device for golfers, and drove a scooter from New York to California. Through it all, he created drawings, paintings and related testimonials to his way of seeing. These works are in galleries and private collections in this country and abroad.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.