Friday, July 18, 2025

2025 Summer Arts at the Library




Youth (and adults) in Allegany County can join in on FREE Art! Check out the listings below at the Angelica Free LibraryWide Awake Club Library; Fillmore, NY, Steps Dance Studio, Fountain Arts Center, Angelica Lavender Festival, Whitesville Public Library, Boliver Free Library, Friendship Free LibraryCuba Circulating LibraryDavid A. Howe Public LibraryRushford Free Library, Genesee Library and Canaseraga Essential Club Free Library. July and August.
Find this schedule on facebook here 





 














Calling all artists! It’s time to MAKE YOUR MARK!

Enter the Make Your Mark Bookmark Contest with your most colorful, creative, or silly bookmark design. Kids, teens and adults can all participate. Your artwork could be featured at libraries across the Southern Tier!
🖍️ Draw it. Doodle it. Shoot for the stars. Just make it yours!
📅 Deadline: July 31st
📍 Pick up a form at your local STLS library

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Unfinished Objects Day - Save the Date

 

SAVE THE DATE 

Unfinished Objects Day resumes 

May 29th 1-4pm 

at the Belfast Town Hall. 

No registration required. 

Kathy launched this event to bring our talented community of creators together in a local safe social space. 

BYO supplies and works in progress.





OTHER ARTSY NEWS FROM THE BELFAST PUBLIC LIBRARY

Each month, get Crafts for Kids when you stop in the Belfast Public Library Annex to pick up a free take-and-make craft kit.

"Art Workshops are back at the library. Starting April 29th, join every other Tuesday from 5-7 pm for some creative fun. These workshops are for adults and teens 16 and up, all materials are provided and yep, you need to register to save your spot! Click the link to sign up now. Come and make some art (and maybe a mess)." https://forms.gle/4ius9oWxYWxcs8Yi8 




Thursday, October 17, 2024

Amanda Nicole Curcio; a birthday

 Remembering Amanda on her birthday and every day.

 Our lives have been irrevocably enriched by her.



[BOFA UPDATE 10.17.2024 For social media and email, online messages are monitored on Tuesdays and Thursdays. More Studio Contact details are here:
https://sheilalynnkart.com/contact.html ]

A charitable project of SheilaLynnK Art Studio, this volunteer organization is funded by the private contributions of its founding members, funding through fiscal sponsorship, affordable membership fees, my patrons, and anonymous donations.
All funds received are directly applied to the cost of materials, marketing, and local creative projects and events.
If you would like to make a Tax-deductible contribution to this and other future Charitable Art Projects and Events at SheilaLynnK Art Studio you can find out more about that and my Fiscal Sponsor here:
https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/sheilalynnk-art...
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Founder, Creator, Page Admin - Sheila L. Kalkbrenner
Events Coordinator, Founding Member, Artist - Kathy Garrison


Though it's free to follow, subscribing patrons get the most art.

Select a membership tier. Increase, Decrease, Cancel anytime.
https://www.patreon.com/c/SheilaLynnKart
(Patreon subscriptions are not tax-deductible. Please use my fiscal sponsor's link if you'd like to make a tax deductible contribution.)

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SCHOLARSHIP 
The Amanda Nicole Curcio Scholarship has moved to the Allegany County Area Foundation
This Perpetual Scholarship still "benefits Belfast Central School students who reflect Amanda’s care and concern for others and display a solid academic record, with special consideration given to applicants showing an interest in creative writing and/or intent to pursue this at the college level.
BCS seniors and graduates may apply for the scholarship through ACAF’s regular online application, which will open on November 1.
This scholarship was originally created in 2007 and school-based before being moved to ACAF in Summer of 2022.
https://alleganycountyareafoundation.org/make-a-donation/

Saturday, October 12, 2024

BOFA educational exhibit at September Bicentennial Antique Doll & Toy Show

Featured Details from the Belfast Bicentennial Doll Show Event at the Belfast Town Hall 

In September, working with the Western NY Penn Doll Club  BOFA cosponsored the Antique Toy and Doll Show and Sale. Vintage Finds Treasured Memories displayed and sold antique toys at the show. BOFA members Cecy Curcio, Kathy Garrison, Andrew Struckman, Brenda Sisson, Wende Kenyon, Marie Nix, Leah Burgess, Sharon Beiter, and Dylan Mattina generously contributed to the show and/or helped with setting up. 

Belfast Organization for Artists (BOFA)

presents

The Art of Collecting

by Kathy Garrison 

As with all art, the creation of something can be an inspiration for future creativity in many directions.  The “something” created can take many forms, including acquiring a collection of objects.  Today’s exhibit includes collections of old and new dolls and toys, and even antique tools (see Joe Foley’s collection).  Collections can be started from inherited pieces, from a piece that intrigues the passerby, from interest in a deliberate study or research, from a gift, or possibly, from an example to be studied for creation of other items. 

Toys:

1)    The large toys in this exhibit are a fleet of trucks and tractors from the 1950s.  The 4 children who owned them acquired most of them from their grandfather who was a long distance trucker.  These children are now grandparents themselves.  This is a nostalgia collection and inspires fond memories of the people involved.

2)    The doll houses have examples of ½”, 1:12, and larger scale furniture (scaled to the size of the settings) and fall into 3 categories:

a)    Play inspired by the series of classic books of the small Madeline having various adventures in Paris, France.  The Madeline series is available through the Belfast Public Library.  This house encourages the player to think of further adventures for Madeline.  The Belfast Public Library, through interlibrary loan via the Southern Tier Library System (STLS), found all of the Madeline books for this exhibit.

b)   A very creative set of boxes that become a doll house or 2 doll houses.  Furniture and people are added by the player and can take any form.  This doll house is all about creation of scenes, stories, and anything else the player can think of. 

c)     The dollhouse player does not need walls or a roof to create scenes and stories.  The third setup is a sitting room with appropriately sized dolls to inspire the player.  The setting is defined by a paper square that has a wood floor printed on it.

The Dolls in this exhibit fall into several categories of collecting:

1)    International – some of these dolls were inherited pieces.  They became core pieces in growing collections of travel souvenirs.  Some of the dolls were acquired for costume study purposes and eventually inspired a doll couture business, some of the dolls just appealed to the passerby and were acquired and kept.  This exhibit involves multiple individual collections.

2)    Novelty – This is a miscellaneous collection of folklore and fantasy dolls, toy bears, and other stuffed animals.  Some of these items fall into the comfort category for small children.  Some are designed to lean against a pillow on a bed and wait for bedtime.  Some of the folkloric and fantasy pieces are inspired by literary genres.  There are also several dolls that survived the childhoods of some of the collectors and fall into the nostalgia category!  There are also several example dolls who were immensely popular over the last 60 years and became part of a whole franchise of associated items (alternate clothing, doll houses, cars, stories, movies, and many other play aids.)  One example is from the Barbie franchise (Barbie and Ken) and the other is from the Story Book Dolls series (Cinderella).

3)    Couture and fashion dolls – Some of these dolls were acquired for their costumes.  Some were acquired because they pleased the collector.  Different eras of couture are represented.  Many of these dolls were acquired for display and were not suitable for casual play.  

PICTURES COMING SOON! 

Friday, August 30, 2024

Belfast NY ~ Bicentennial Art Show (2024)



For the Annual Art Show this year, BOFA partnered with the Belfast Historical Society to collect and display historical art work beside the works submitted by local modern creators. We are thankful to the library staff for their continued support in making these works accessible to the community.

Including photographs, illustrations, paintings, poetry, fiber arts, and Victorian hair art; there is still time to stop in to see these wonderful Little Things at the Belfast Public Library during regular library hours. 




The show will be up until September 4th. Belfast Public Library, 75 Main Street, Belfast, NY 14711

Phone: 585-365-2072 Email: belfast@stls.org

Hours: Monday: 10:00 -1:00, Tuesday: 3:00- 7:00, Wednesday: 10:00- 1:00 & 3:00-7:00, 

Thursday: 3:00- 7:00, Saturday: 10:00-1:00

Belfast Organization for Artists' Events Coordinator, Kathy Garrison reports, "The modern artists in the August show include: Brenda Sisson, Wende Kenyon, Kathy Garrison, Susan Doran, Daniel Fox, Denise Atherton, and Patty Atherton. The Vintage artists include: George Fritz, John Ritson, Gerald Lane, Faith Gleason, Otto Mix, Kathleen O'Dea, S. Mary Norton, and Margaret Coughlin."

An easy to print pdf of Kathy's detailed show guide including behind the scenes information, historical references, and educational content about the artists and their work can be found with this post in the free sheilalynnkart activity feed on Patreon. 

After the exhibit ends, BOFA friends will be able to view photos from the show in the 2024 Album on our facebook page.

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The Belfast Organization for Artists is a charitable project 

of SheilaLynnK Art Studio created in 2009 to unify and uplift the work of local creators.

Patrons make art happen.

Thanks so much for being here!

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If you'd like to send 

Direct Support for Belfast Organization For Artists
BOFA Level A $15
BOFA Level B $35
BOFA Level C $45
100% of your support will benefit the Belfast Organization for Artists

Patreon subscriptions and direct support are not tax deductible.

If you would like to make a Tax-deductible contribution
to this and other future Charitable Art Projects and Events
at SheilaLynnK Art Studio you can find out more about that HERE.

 

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Summer 2024 Belfast Bicentennial

 SUMMER 2024 EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES IN BELFAST, NY

JULY 


Belfast will be celebrating it’s 200th anniversary in August of 2024. Upcoming meetings and events are posted on their facebook group page and in the digital calendar.




AUGUST ~ CALL FOR ARTISTS FOR THE 2024 ANNUAL ART SHOW COMING SOON




"The upcoming Bicentennial Celebration on August 8-11 is a momentous occasion that should not be missed. This historic event marks 200 years since the founding of our town, and it is a time to reflect on our past, celebrate our present, and look forward to the future. The festivities planned for this four-day celebration are sure to be unforgettable, with parades, fireworks, live music, food vendors, craft vendors, historical reenactments, and much more."