Bear right by rotary?
Four-month Easthampton arts project may give some pause
Friday, June 12, 20091
2
3
EASTHAMPTON - What's with all these logs?
That's the question Easthampton residents might be asking as they pass tree stumps and logs throughout downtown. They have a purpose.
Early Saturday morning, 35 nearly life-sized bears, assisted by organizers, will take their seat on the logs for a four-month public art event that has been in the works for more than a year.
From one end of Cottage Street to the far side of Pleasant Street, the fiberglass bears, adorned and painted by local artists, will hold court in the city.
City Planner Stuart Beckley visited the City Council early this month holding a smaller version of the bears decorated with bumblebee antennae and black and yellow stripes to offer a formal invite to the public.
"This is bumblebear," he said.
Beckley said the bear are a sight to behold. "I can personally say they are amazingly creative and beautiful," he said.
Organizers hope that the bears will draw people to the city and provide a boost to local restaurants, cafes and other businesses.
Fest's origins
The Easthampton Bear Fest was organized by Easthampton City Arts, created in 2005 with the help of a community development block grant secured by the city.
Bears were chosen for their distinct relationship with Easthampton residents, who report black bear sightings every spring and summer, organizers said.
The public is invited as artists, elected officials and others gather Saturday at 2 p.m. in the municipal parking lot on Cottage Street to officially kick off the bear fest. There, organizers will pull a sheet off of "garden bear," one of the 35 full-sized bears created for the event.
The crowd will stroll down Cottage, Union and Main streets, following bright-orange bear prints painted on the sidewalk to each bear along the way.
Bears will be perched on logs on Cottage Street - at the Holyoke Street bend, in front of several shops and at Nashawannuck Pond; on Union Street - in the Movie Gallery plaza parking lot, the Council on Aging Enrichment Center garden, in front of stores and on the Pascommuck Club lawn; on Main Street in front of Shop Row, the old Town Hall and in Pulaski Park; and on Pleasant Street on Pleasant Green, in front of Notre Dame Church and the Eastworks Building.
The unveiling parade's destination will be a celebration party at 3:30 p.m. behind Easthampton Savings Bank, one of the event's sponsors, complete with a beer garden, food, bear fest merchandise and live music from the Beau Sasser trio, The Valley Jazz Divas and Humblestreak.
Opa Opa Steakhouse and Brewery in Southampton recently created Bear Country Ale especially for the fest.
Other businesses have also decided to get creative to welcome the bears. The Manhan Cafe on Union Street now has two bear-themed blends and Mt. Tom's Homemade Ice Cream on Cottage Street will announce a specialty flavor at the ceremonial unveiling on Cottage Street.
Salute to collaboration
City Grants Coordinator Ellen Koteen said that it has been heartening to see businesses and artists work together to make the bear fest a reality.
"It really has been a very collaborative effort," Koteen said. "When we started this project, our hope was the community would come together with support and enthusiasm, and that's happened."
Between a $4,000 grant from the Cultural Council and sponsorships from businesses, City Arts has raised $55,000 for the event.
The organization that since 2005 has created an online artists' directory, opened an office in the historic Town Hall and hired a coordinator is working with a $110,000 budget this year, up from $25,000 at its inception four years ago.
"It's quite a leap," Koteen said.
Organizers are not only trying to bring a public art event to Easthampton. They are hoping the bears draw people from the surrounding area and beyond.
"Our hope over next four months is that some shops on the main streets will be able to document for us an increase in business," she said.
If other animal-themed art festivals around the country are any indicator, it just might work.
Businesses in Belfast, Maine, and elsewhere have all reported increased sales following animal-themed events. Belfast featured a bear-themed event in 2000 through 2003.
Silas Kopf, a woodworker who has been in the city for 30 years, said that he is enthusiastic about the bear fest.
Kopf created "Aloha Bear," which will be stationed in front of Riverside Industries on Cottage Street.
Easthampton has been drawing artists for some time, he said, as evidenced by events and venues that have surfaced this decade.
"The Art Walk has been a success. There's PACE and there's Flywheel and things happening here that were not happening 10 years ago," he said. "I hope people in the region come and experience Easthampton and come and have a beer or a meal."
Artists stand to make some money, too. Those who were awarded a large bear got $500 for supplies. A number of smaller bears decorated by local students each netted $250. Those bears will be on display in storefronts around the downtown throughout the festival.
In October, City Arts will auction the bears, large and small, at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke.
Artists will receive 25 percent of the price, if their work sells. The rest will be divided among arts programs at Riverside Industries and the local schools and City Arts.
Matt Pilon can be reached at mpilon@gazettenet.com.
