The Tioga Arts Council (TAC) and Experience Tioga held an open house and ribbon cutting on June 29 at the TAC located at 179 Front St. in Owego, N.Y. The open house brought together local artists and business owners, representatives from area organizations as well as elected officials, to celebrate the launch of a new initiative, the Tioga Arts and Agriculture Trail.
The Tioga Arts and Agriculture Trail is a new event made possible by a partnership between the TAC, Tioga County Tourism and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), a regional economic development agency.
Christina Di Stefano, executive director of the Tioga Arts Council, shared, “The new program shines a spotlight on the extraordinary culture within our region, specifically agriculture and the arts. We have a significant artist community which gives our county a unique character.“
The Tioga Arts and Agriculture Trail is a self-guided tour of the area’s finest farmlands and art studios and will provide visitors an opportunity to explore Tioga County’s beautifully rich region. The TAC and Experience Tioga will work with artists and agriculturists living in Tioga County to join them in showcasing and selling their artworks, crafts and products.
The open house and ribbon cutting included brief speeches by Rebecca Maffei, Tioga County Tourism director; Margaret Ball, Cornell Cooperative Extension Agriculture Development specialist; Stephen Carpineta, director of the Tioga County Progressive Committee; and Jen Gregory of the Southern Tier East Regional Planning Development Board.
Gregory commented, “We’re proud to support this project and help highlight the hidden gems within Tioga County.”
Ball explained that there are more than 500 farms within the county, and noted, “Agriculture is essential to the health of our land and people. Similar to the arts, agriculture is an important function that links the social fabric of our community. The Trail offers very exciting opportunities to highlight the assets within the county, and we’re happy to work with the Arts Council and Tourism office to highlight these farms.”
The inaugural Tioga Arts and Agriculture Trail will take place on two Saturdays this fall. The scheduled dates are Sept. 23 and Oct. 7, and the tour hours are 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
For questions, call the TAC at (607) 687-0785 or visit the Arts Council at 179 Front St. For additional information, find the Tioga Arts and Agriculture Trail on Facebook or visit www.tiogaartscouncil.org/trail.
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