The Knickerbocker Ice Festival, celebrates Rockland Lake’s history as the 19th century world’s ice-harvesting epicenter on January 29th and 30th, 2011 at Rockland Lake State Park in Congers, NY.
For the third year Artists in the Parks will be plein air painting and exhibiting at this event. These Artists will be bravely painting outdoors ,enduring the elements while capturing the essence of the landscape.
Hudson Valley Artist and AIP Vice President Bruce Thorn,e with awesome hat, painting at Rockland Lake in 2009.
In the 19th century painting outdoors gained its popularity. Just like Monet and Van Gogh, AiP members have to deal with paint freezing up on them in the cold. Luckily, now we have Columbia boots, hand warmers, portable easels, and squeezable paint tubes. “There is a mindfulness that happens when you look and feel and respond to the environment, being uncomfortable melts away and the process in front of you is all that is important.” stated Hudson Valley artist Janet Howard-Fatta.
The exhibit will be displayed in the main building at the north end of Rockland Lake. Some of the works will have been completed that weekend. A percentage of all the work sold will benefit the Palisades Interstate Park Conservancy, which Rockland Lake is a part of.
In just five years this community centered tribute to local history and art has become the largest special event in Rockland County, turning a sleepy Rockland Lake into a winter wonderland, and generating much needed tourism activity to the region.
Activities:
- See breathtaking eight block Knickerbocker Ice Sculptures by internationally recognized sculptors completed and ready for your People’s Choice vote by midday Saturday
- Venture down to the ruins of Knickerbocker Ice House #3 and see festival co-founder Robert Patalano’s 40 block sculpture “Blessing Our Sacred Waters”, his largest yet.
- Visit the ruins of the 19th Century Knickerbocker Ice Company and learn how the “pros” harvested ice
- See the history of Rockland Lake pictorially preserved in blocks of ice in the Knickerbocker Ice Gallery
- See “New York” art of famous Nyack-born painter Edward Hopper frozen in ice in a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the Edward Hopper House Art Center
- Crawl inside an authentic igloo and have a ball in the KIDZ Ice Park
- Dance to the music, a great chill breaker
- Heat yourself at warming stations, by the bonfire, and in Knick’s Canteen food court
Rockland Lake State Park is part of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, which administers 28 parks, parkways, and historic sites for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in New York as well as the Palisades Interstate Park and parkway in New Jersey. For more information about New York State parks and historic sites, please visit www.nysparks.com and for more information about the Palisades Interstate Park parks and historic sites, please visit www.palisadesparksconservancy.org
Sat: 11:00 until Dark, Sun: 11:00-4:00 Ages: All Ages
Address: Rt 9W – 845-268-3020 Congers , NY 10989
For more information visit www.knickerbockericefestival.com