It was an artistic stampede at the Muddy Cup last Saturday, May 16, as ponies painted by local kids and designed by local artists helped usher in a weekend of horse-art in Saugerties.

Dubbed "Ponying Around Saugerties," the installation is a kid's version of the town-wide "Hors'n Around Saugerties" full-size carousel horses recently installed throughout Saugerties for the quadricentennial summer. Sponsored by SAGE (Saugerties is About Growth Experience), the ponies were based on a design by local artist Carol Zaloom and carved out by local artisan Skip Arthur. Twenty-five ponies, in all, were put on display.

"Ponying" organizer and director of Prevention Connections Heather Ohlson, said the art showcase was part of a larger project called Hors'n Around Saugerties, a summer-long event featuring art in the form of colorfully designed fiberglass horses, currently running along sidewalks throughout the town and village.

"We decided to have an activity so local youth created ponies just like the local artists were creating horses," said Ohlson.

The ponies sported fun and colorful designs that came in stripes and plaid, feathers and flowers, and in all colors of the rainbow. Many had three-dimensional designs, including a collage by Saugerties high school student Hershlyn Siojo, who affixed actual wildflowers to the torso of one pony.

Kristy's Kreative Kids, a private art school located in the village, put together a pony collage that included 21 separate miniature designs. Each image was inspired by photographs of horses that were given to the children, who then painted their own interpretations onto the wooden canvas. Owner Kristy Bishop, who writes a column for this newspaper, said that the children carefully choose where to place their work.

"They placed their paintings in areas that corresponded to neighboring designs," she said.



Ten-year-old Sophia Foster, who helped paint a pony whose tummy seemed to be full of apples, became involved with the project through the Saugerties Home Schoolers group.

"The glue was stinky," she said.

Now that the ponies are out of the gate, their next stop will be the display windows of village businesses like the Tango Café, Taco Juan's and Saugerties Cycles. Organizers hope that the ponies will draw enough attention to sell at a silent auction at the Merry-Go-Round Gala, due to take place at HITS in September. Proceeds from the sales will go back to SAGE, a grassroots organization that promotes the well-being of area youth and families.

Ponying's parent project, Hors'n Around Saugerties, was sponsored by the folks on the Town and Village of Saugerties Economic Development Committee, who, in turn, borrowed the idea from the successful Cat'n Around Catskill exhibit, which is currently underway within the town of Catskill.

Co-sponsored by the Saugerties Area Chamber of Commerce, the art project showcases the work of local artists, displaying an historic quadricentennial theme, while at the same time reinforcing the town's association with horses.

Committee member and artist Nancy Campbell said that the quadricentennial theme helped to incorporate some great ideas into the exhibit. "The theme really inspired artists to be very creative," she said.

Among some of the designs that reflect the historical nature of the event are Henry, Horse of the Hudson by Christine Margolias (located on the east side of Partition Street), and A Native American Painted Horse by Deborah Joyce (donning traditional Ojibwa artwork and located on Main Street in front of Mother Earth's).

Some of the contributing artists include sculptor and furniture designer Steve Heller, and Isaac Abrams, well known to psychedelic art aficionados, whose work has been featured at the Whitney Museum, the Tate Gallery in London and the legendary Studio 54.

All of the horses are sponsored by local businesses or organizations. Each paid $550 to cover the associated materials and transportation costs. The horses will also be sold at the Merry-Go-Round Gala. This auction, however, will be live. The price of admission at the gala will be in the range of $20-$25, including food, drink and a bidding paddle, said Campbell.

The philanthropic spirit of the entire project is reflective of an altruistic trend that seems to be gaining steam in the region. Campbell said that the Saugerties community has always been generous in times of need.

"Saugerties has always had a lot of civic-minded people who really believe in the community," she said.

Examples of such philanthropic events include the recent Saugerties Relay for Life, which raised over $40,000 toward the cure for cancer, the upcoming Secret Gardens of Saugerties Tour, which will donate proceeds to the Boys and Girl's Club, as well as Make a Difference Day, due to take place in October.

While all the of the funds raised by the sale of the ponies will go to SAGE, proceeds from the horse sales will be divvied out among several recipients. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of the horses will go to the Saugerties Food Pantry, which has seen an increasing demand for foodstuff in the past year. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds will go to the artists. The remaining 25 percent will go back to the Saugerties Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Hors'n Around Saugerties exhibit will run throughout the summer until Labor Day. The Merry-Go-Round Gala will take place on September 12 at HITS. For information, visit the HITS website at www.hitsshows.com. To learn more about the Hors'n Around Saugerties public art project, visit www.horsnaroundsaugerties.com. To inquire about purchasing a pony, call Heather Ohlson at (845) 338-0338.