1963 Beacon Jubilee Parade

In May I was invited by the Howland Library in Beacon to create a piece of art for the exhibition 'Envisioning Dutchess' at Barrett Art Center in Poughkeepsie. In honor of BAC's 80th year as the home of the Dutchess County Art Association, artists were asked to make work that would reflect the creative vitality of the county, its 'spirit, diverse landscape, architecture, history and communities.' 
I based my piece on a black and white photograph from the 'Beacon Revisited' book on the city's history. This photo of my painting of the photo does not have the same effect as the actual painting, but it's all right. As captioned, it's a scene of the Nabisco float in the 1963 Jubilee Parade on Main St in Beacon, celebrating the city's 50th birthday. The Nabisco box printing factory was an important local industry and there was a great crowd around their float as employees distributed what looks like free cookies. Painting the essence of the crowds was a challenge, but this image so expressed to me the excitement and community feel of that event, I had to try. 24"x24" unstretched canvas panel for the 'story quilt' concept, but when returned to me I will affix it on a support or frame.
The show opened June 3 and runs through the month.