Traditional Arts in Upstate New York. Traditional Arts of Upstate New York
53 Main Street
Canton, NY 13617
(315) 386-4289

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Kindred Pursuits: Folk Art in North Country Life

A nonprofit organization dedicated to showcasing the folk culture and living traditions of New York's North Country.


Explore this site to discover the diverse customs and traditions--like storytelling, music, crafts, foodways, and folk art--that make life special in our region, from the St. Lawrence River to the Adirondack Mountains. 



Introducing: The Newberry Cafe at The TAUNY Center

Upcoming Cafe Days:

Wednesday, March 20th: 10am-2pm

Saturday, March 23rd: 10:30a-2:30p - Sugaring Off Party

Every third Wednesday of the month will feature culinary artist Andre bringing Crepes & Coffee. Andre grew up near St Etienne, a former coal and manufacturing hub, and home to the first train line in France! A mainstay was the crepe booths strategically located near tramway stops. Andre is excited to re-create this experience.



Though not formally trained, Andre spends much of his spare time in the kitchen trying new recipes and perfecting classics. As a researcher, he focuses on nudging policy (mostly in the housing and transportation sectors) toward more sustainable practices that strengthen communities and create a more equitable future.


His vision for the Crepes & Coffee project is a warm and welcoming space, a near zero-waste kitchen, and food that showcases local ingredients and invests back in the community.

The name “Newberry Cafe” is derived from the J.J Newberry Co. a variety store the building occupied for nearly 60 years. Newberry’s, founded by John Josiah Newberry in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was a successful five-and-dime store chain throughout the U.S. and Canada through most of the 20th century. It was a beloved store that served generations of Canton residents.



The mission of The Newberry Cafe at the TAUNY Center is to feature local culinary artists who represent the wide variety of foodways and kitchen stories to bring together our community with local, sustainable foods that represent our traditional culture in the North Country.

Changing Places

Now on Display


The Fiberistas 2024 group slice features two pieces from each of the Fiberistas, called “Changing Places”. Each participating member made two pieces, one being a reversal of fabrics as a mirror image. The ‘switch’ creates interesting contrast and gives the viewer a new perspective on how a fabric or other material changes the way we view an object or scene. There were no restrictions on size or content so each member has created their own interpretation.


This annual exhibit at TAUNY will be the first opportunity for the public to view their work.


The Fiberistas are a North Country group who explore and expand the boundaries of fiber arts by creating textiles made with both traditional and innovative skills and fibers.


The Fiberistas: Kathy Burns, Donna Hastings, Ann Heidenreich, Sonja Jensen, Melanie Kimbler, Susan McAvoy, Rebecca Muir MacKellar, Adele Lunan Vandenburgh, Leah Zelkowitz

Building A Lap Dulcimer Success!


TAUNY staff and Creatives Rebuild New York artist Dan Duggan had a great time building these lap dulcimers together with new students students and had a chance to try learn a few songs at TAUNY.


All of these students will play a few songs to open the Jamcrackers concert at TAUNY on April 12th at 7pm.


This workshop is made possible by the Nancy Wilder Palmateer Memorial Fund. This fund was established by the Palmateer and Wilder families in 2015 to honor the creative side of Nancy Wilder Palmateer, to recognize her work with children, and to encourage hands-on engagement for young people.

TAUNY Welcomes New Members to its Board of Directors

Carol Coakley grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and moved to Canton in 1978. She is well known for her involvement in the family hardware business in Canton and Saranac Lake. Her early career was in nursing, and she worked as a prepared childbirth instructor. Over the years she has been on the board of the Friends of the Canton Free Library, Canton Day Care Center, and Grasse River Heritage. She enjoys gardening, travel, and keeping up with her daughters and granddaughters.

Jane Desotelle has a longtime affiliation with TAUNY through her holiday wreath and craft projects and more recently, through a 'grow and tell' project. She grew up in Plattsburgh, where she helped her parents raise and sell gladioli and berries from their garden. She is the founder of Underwood Herbs in Plattsburgh as well as the Plattsburgh Botanical Sanctuary, an educational garden with hundreds of plants. She also is involved with the Adirondack Farmer's Market Cooperative.

LeAnn Holland of Pierrepont is Assistant Professor of Education and the Coordinator for the Graduate Leadership Programs at St. Lawrence University. Born into a family of talented seamstresses and craftspeople, she learned textile and fiber arts as a child. Her first teaching job was as a Community Education art instructor in Minnesota at age 13 which launched her lifelong research interest in environmental and informal learning experiences from painting to distance hiking and recently knitting.

Romeyn Prescott, Keeseville, works for SUNY as an Information Technology administration and support professional. He moved back to his hometown of Keeseville after living many years in Potsdam where he held several non-profit board memberships. He has a B.A. in English Writing from SUNY Potsdam, is a board member of the Keeseville Free Library, and volunteers at the Anderson Falls Heritage Society Museum. As a musician he enjoys practicing piano, banjo, guitar, and trumpet.

Valerie White grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania and lived in Maine and Colorado before setting roots in the North Country. She has been the youth services specialist at the Canton Free Library for over two decades, is an avid Nordic skier, gardener, food preserver, and a newly impassioned ice dye artist. Over the years she has been involved with TAUNY through her garden projects and her presentation of children's literature.

Peter Wyckoff grew up in the Finger Lakes area of New York, came to Canton in 1971 to attend St. Lawrence University, and decided to stay. He lives with his wife Kathy near the Waterman Hill area in the town of Pierrepont. Pete ran his own residential carpentry business for 35 years, and still uses those skills to volunteer at his church and other not-for-profits in the Canton area. Pete and Kathy own a camp on Lake Ozonia where Pete can often be found on the water with a fishing rod in his hand.

View full list of Board Members here.

Sugaring Off Party Coming Soon!

March 23rd, 2pm

People of all ages are invited to a musical celebration of maple sugaring season! This free interactive concert will be presented by The Madstop Fiddlers of Potsdam, a multigenerational group of fiddlers, under the direction of North Country Heritage Award recipient, Gretchen Koehler. This popular family-friendly event will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2-3:30pm at The TAUNY Center in Canton.


The Madstop Fiddlers will present a variety of toe-tapping old-time fiddle tunes that have been played in the North County for many generations. Throughout this fun, educational event, listeners will learn to play spoons, hear stories of French Canadian “sugaring off” parties, learn some Ottawa Valley “step dance” moves, as well as traditional folk dances.



Local maple producer Art Hurlbut of Hurlbut’s Maple will also be at the party to make wax-on-snow (a seasonal favorite) to share with guests. This event is free, but donations will be gratefully accepted.


The Newberry Cafe will be open from 10:30a-2:30p on March 23rd.


The Cabin Fever Concert Series Continues

Announcements

TAUNY Seeks Bookkeeper


TAUNY seeks a motivated, experienced Bookkeeper to work at The TAUNY Center in downtown Canton, NY. The part-time (20hrs/wk) Bookkeeper will be responsible for general accounting & billing, maintaining financial record keeping and policies, and support budgeting for the organization. The position pays $20-25/hour dependent upon the candidate’s background & experience.


Learn more and apply on our website here.

Space Available for Rent


Artist Studio or Office spaces available at The TAUNY Center, located at 53 Main St. Canton, NY.


Studio space available during TAUNY business hours: Monday-Thursday 10a-5p, Friday 10a-6p, Saturday 10a-5p


Contact TAUNY Executive Director Joshua Vink for more information.



315-386-4289

executivedirector@tauny.org

Spotlight Artist: Virginia Burnett


Virginia has always been “irresistibly drawn to textiles and to things that sparkle.” As a young girl, she developed an appreciation of handcrafts from watching both of her grandmothers create a variety of beautiful textile art. She took weaving as an independent study in her senior year in college, but ultimately became fascinated with beadwork. Beadwork led to silk dying, and then to Shibori, quilting, embroidery, felting, crocheting and yarn dyeing. 


The TAUNY Folkstore’s collection of Virginia’s work represents both her textile art and bead jewelry. Her “Garden Companion” necklace won first place in Interweave’s Bead Embroidery category for 2023.

New and Noteworthy Arrivals to the Folkstore


Ceramics by Linda Petroccione, Scarves by Kimberly Bleau, “Upcycled" Wool Sweater Mittens by Tina Charbonneau.

Square on Point earrings By Kathy Lehandro.


Shop the New and Noteworthy collection online here


(Psst. Shop the Folkstore in person for first access to our latest arrivals from the 200+ artists showcased at TAUNY. A great way to catch new pieces before they go online for all to see.)

See what else is new in the North Country Folkstore! Stop by the Folkstore or shop online at tauny.org/shop to find unique products made by North Country artists and makers.
SHOP ONLINE
Gift certificates for our online store are now available here.

Introduction to TAUNY



 


Visit The TAUNY Center and North Country Folkstore

Monday-Friday 10a-5p

Saturday 10a-4p

Sunday Closed

Shop online any time at tauny.org/shop. Curbside pickup is available.

  

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Your gift makes a real difference. Join us in celebrating the unique culture of the North Country by making a tax-deductible gift to TAUNY today.


TAUNY is the North Country's only non-profit organization dedicated to identifying, recording, and preserving the rich, living cultural heritage of our region. For over 30 years, community members like you have been contributing their time, money, and talent to help us accomplish our mission.



Note: All images, text and other material found in this website © 2024 TAUNY. All rights reserved.