12th Annual Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival
September 9, 10:00am-6:00pm; September 10, 11:00am-5:00pm
East and West Parks in Downtown Norwich, NY

Irish author Declan Hassett put it well. ?Culture,? he said, ?is being yourself.? And so it is that on the 9th and 10th of September, 2006, the 12th Annual Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival will showcase the Norwich, New York, community to artists and art loving visitors. Some come from hundreds of miles away. Others from just over the hill. But once here, magic happens. And not the least of it is the emergence of our best face to the world, and one of the best times to be had in the region all summer.

In the spirit of country living, Colorscape is an outdoor festival. Located on the greens of East and West Parks in the city of Norwich, the event is a two-day immersion in music, fine arts, culinary masterpieces, poetry and skillful crafts of the highest quality. There is something for everyone and lots of it. For the price of your curiosity alone ? admission is free ? you can sway to the rolling rhythms of more than a dozen profession-al musical performances from the U.S.A., Canada and Europe arranged by Ken Millett, owner of the acoustical gem, the Night Eagle Cafe of Oxford, NY.

Ken's gift for staging shows that audiences remember is legendary in itself. Thousands come to the festival for the free music alone. Beginning Saturday morning, the NBT Main Stage becomes a kaleidoscope of sound that harmonizes the two-day musical program from a range of Celtic to jazz and gospel to bluegrass, with hypnotic a capella, gritty rock and singer-songwriters of exceptional quality sprinkled in for good measure.

While gorgeous melodies and playful percussion relax and invigorate, visitors meander along the booths of over 80 artists arrayed in a neat patchwork across the grass. This is seriously impressive work. Uncompromising excellence is a defining quality of Colorscape. Artists are invited to show only if selected by a panel of peer jurors who have the event's best interests at heart.

Many of the artists are regulars to the festival, migrating to the event each year. Some demonstrate their art. Paintings emerge from canvases bleached in Chenango morning sunlight. Digital photographs enchant the imagination. Sapling trees are transformed into graceful woodem baskets that might have held grandfather?s evening dinner, and nearby a country cabinetmaker interprets a table grandfather ate upon.

And not only are the holidays really not that far away, but exquisite hand blown glass and original pottery will vie for that place on the sideboard back home that needs something really special. Yes, all of the art is for sale and many vendors accept credit cards.

As the hours roll by, visitors are certain to feel the contentment of a well-fed belly after dipping into the selection of culinary arts, or they might decide to stroll over to see what the kids have gotten up to. Golden Artist Colors, a long-time sponsor, offers big bright tents of creative activities and children of all ages are invited to enter the Art Zones. Bookworms might reveal themselves through literary arts projects and a Competitive Poetry Slam for cash prizes and priceless moments in the limelight. A Student Art Exhibit showcases the very finest of the area's young artists of the future.

Leave your porch. Park the car. Whether you live in Chenango county, or plan to visit this fall, don?t let this year go by without ?being yourself? for a few days at Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival. There are songs to be heard and sung along to, gifts of human hands to receive, and days to be celebrated before summer’s end.

Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival
PO Box 624, Norwich
607.336.FEST

www.colorscape.org

www.artrainusa.org