Arts Council Plans Peace Pole Dedication, Eyes a Village Art Inventory
At its May 5 meeting, the Arts & Humanities Advisory Council firmed up plans for the May 16 Peace Pole dedication, saw the May 31 Goldee Concert date solidified, lined up workshops at Maple Commons, and moved toward recommending that the village catalog the artwork in its public buildings.
●Advanced plans for the May 16 Peace Pole dedication: a parade with kids and party instruments, a ceremony with readings, and a drum circle, with Garden Club plantings at the pole's base
●Goldee Concert date solidified by two members: May 31, 2 to 4 p.m.
●Agreed to draft a recommendation that village trustees appoint someone to catalog and photograph artworks in public buildings
●Discussed the need for a solid proposal submission and approval process for benches, murals and similar public art
●Lined up a slate of workshops at Maple Commons, which is ready to host them
The Village of Croton-on-Hudson's Arts & Humanities Advisory Council spent its May 5 meeting filling out a busy spring calendar and starting a longer-term push to get the village's artwork counted.
This article is written solely from the meeting's official minutes; croton.news had no reporter present, and no video or transcript of the meeting exists.
The May 16 Peace Pole dedication came together as a full program: a parade from the parking lot singing Give Peace a Chance, with kids and party instruments — kazoos, maracas and tambourines, followed by a ceremony with readings and then a drum circle. The Garden Club, led by Eva, was to handle the plantings at the pole's base. Members divided the publicity work — posting to Croton is Art with a repost to the Croton Community Facebook page, adding activity details to the flyer, and printing and posting flyers at the Black Cow, the library, ShopRite and other locations.
Two of its members solidified May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m., as the date of the Goldee Concert. On a possible youth concert, the audio person from Earth Day, Benjamin from the School of Rock in Briarcliff, is happy to bring equipment to Vassallo Park as long as their band also gets to play, the minutes note.
A longer-range item may end up before the Board of Trustees. The council wants the village to appoint someone — the historian or the council itself — to catalog the art in village public buildings, citing among its reasons the preservation of historical information and insurance. A member agreed to draft a recommendation to appoint someone to catalog and photograph artworks in public buildings including the schools and library; once the council approves it, the recommendation would be forwarded to the trustees. Relatedly, the council discussed exploring ways to preserve important works belonging to the village, noting that the Smath piece on display at Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School is not under UV glass, and that the Sardeau piece sits in an obscure spot at the middle school and could be moved somewhere more prominent and accessible. A member tracked the Smath piece down at the school.
On benches and murals, the council took up Samantha's bench proposal and discussed the need for a solid submission and approval process for benches, murals and similar projects, and noted the Village of Ossining's recently shared public art request-for-proposals process. Members also noted a communication gap: not everyone on the council has access to its WhatsApp group, so information is not reaching all members.
A slate of workshops is in the works at Maple Commons, which Anthony and Valerie visited and found ready to be used. The lineup in the works includes a still life workshop in June, a session on photographing art, a children's fiber and fabric arts workshop, and a knit night, with a certificate of insurance to be obtained from the village for the space.
The council also heard that a reception for the banners will have to wait until June or July, pending word on when they will be hung, and listed future concerts, including a Kristen Andrade concert for September and a summer jam session at the library with young folks before they head off to college.
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Coverage of the Arts & Humanities Advisory Council meeting on 2026-05-05,
Village of Croton-on-Hudson, NY.
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