Art sale to benefit land conservation

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Buy art, save farms – that is what your purchase at Landscapes for Landsake will do.

Since 1990 the Agricultural Stewardship Association (ASA) has worked to accomplish a singular mission: protect the farms and forests, rich soils and agricultural landscape in Washington and Rensselaer counties for future generations. In that time, ASA has managed to conserve more than 30,000 acres on 170 properties.

For the last 21 years, a significant source of funding has come from Landscapes for Landsake Art Sale and Exhibition, a celebration of the land by our community of local artists.
Landscapes for Landsake is the region’s largest art-buying event of the season and ASA’s largest fundraiser of the year. Participating artists generously donate 50% of their proceeds to support ASA’s conservation work. This year’s exhibition features the work of 68 artists. Some 300 works of art will be displayed in the barn at Maple Ridge and over 650 works will be available on www.LandscapesforLandsake.com.

Many of the artists will be on hand to discuss their work during the in-person event on Saturday, Oct. 7, from noon to 5 p.m. in the historic barn at Maple Ridge (172 State Route 372 in Cambridge). Admission is $10. Drop-ins are welcome or you may reserve a time slot with an advanced ticket at https://www.agstewardship.org/events/. The gallery is also open from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8, free of charge. For those ages 21 and up, wine will be available for $5 a glass on Saturday only.

The online sale will be available Oct. 7 through 31 on www.LandscapesforLandsake.com. The website features elegantly designed collections from each artist, bios, videos and so much more, accessible from the comfort of your home.

This year’s featured artist is Eden Compton. Her painting, Spring Evening in Easton is featured on this year’s marketing materials for the event.

“While my extensive travel has sparked an interest in different types of subject matter ranging from rural landscapes to rainy cityscapes to market scenes, my work is an attempt to synthesize memory painting based on observation with my plein air studies,” Compton said. “It begins with sketches and drawings done on location and then completed in the studio where I can spend more time developing the concept of the painting. I prefer visual expressions of poetic concepts rather than literal interpretations of a scene. I am currently exploring a more contemporary expression of traditional subject matter in my work”.

Compton is currently based in Saratoga Springs where she owns and operates a fine art gallery and has a teaching studio where she offers private classes and a variety of workshops in pastel, oil and gouache. Spring Evening in Easton is 6″ h x 6″ w and is a gouache.

“This event celebrates the connection between the art and the landscapes we are working to protect,” said ASA Executive Director Renee Bouplon. “It’s what makes Landscapes for Landsake so special. The success of this event has had a tremendous impact on ASA’s ability to protect local farms.”