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In the Spring of 2003, the Sheffield Art League began working with over 25 Upper Housatonic River conservancy organizations and cultural and educational institutions to plan this festival. In addition to celebrating in images the beauty of the Housatonic River, we want to raise awareness of the river’s importance as a connection that links communities up and down its banks. Although the emphasis will be on the river as an inspiration for artists, the summer’s events will also be a demonstration of how non-profit organizations can work together for the benefit of a shared natural treasure.

Historically, the Upper Housatonic, which runs from Pittsfield, MA, to Kent, CT, was considered a place of beauty which, in the 18th and 19th Century, attracted settlers, writers, and colonies of artists. But along with settlers came industrialization; the river was harnessed for its power. Mills, iron furnaces, glass works, and businesses sprang up along its banks–and a century of pollution set in. It was only in the latter part of the 20th Century, after the passage of the Clean Water Act and the work of a few devoted river keepers, that significant river clean-up became possible. Although the clean-up is not complete, the Upper Housatonic River is being renewed. All the artists, environmentalists, educators, and community members who have planned and supported the 2004 celebration of our river hope that this joint project will demonstrate our commitment to the future of the Housatonic River as it moves beyond its spoiled past.

Artists whose work appears on this site (w/contact info)

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