It was in 2008 that the first Wassaic Project Summer Festival was staged in the old mill by the railroad tracks in the hamlet of Wassaic, New York. Since that debut, each year has attracted more and more visitors for the three-day event, as well as increased engagement with the local community that has seen this once condemned but historic structure transform into a contemporary arts magnet.
Wassaic
[Sponsor] The Wassaic Project Summer Festival, Aug 5-7, 2011
The Wassaic Project Summer Festival is a FREE, annual, multi-disciplinary celebration of art, music, and community in the hamlet of Wassaic, NY. This year’s festival will feature over 100 artists, 23 bands, poetry readings, dance performances, film screenings, and much more. For more information visit wassaicproject.org.
Unexpected Artistic Wonders in Upstate New York
Lost in a Metro-North commuter train daze, I watched the Wassaic Project pass by the train window without recognizing it. But the giant slingshot and makeshift teepees that decorated the lush green grass next to a towering grain elevator hinted that artists and their ilk may be nearby. Inside, I would find works by Eric Fischl, Agnes Martin, Gary Hume, Richard Prince, Dieter Roth, Rebecca Horn, Gerhard Richter and Imi Knoebel … among others.