It started with “Cat’n Around Catskill” in 2007. Then the hounds of Hudson showed they were “Best in Show.” Now, this summer, the streets of Saugerties will feature a creature of their own.
The Ulster County community is hosting “Hors’n Around Saugerties,” a public art exhibit consisting of carousel horses decorated in the spirit of the Quadricentennial. Following the model established in Catskill and Hudson, Saugerties asked local artists to submit sketches for the 28- and 34-inch fiberglass figures, and invited businesses to sponsor the design they liked best. The town decided to use horses, says town board member Nancy Campbell, because of its association with horse show organization HITS on the Hudson.
Saugerties will display the 46 figures, the majority of which will sit on the sidewalks of Main Street and Partition Street, from May 23 through September 12. The horses will then be auctioned off to benefit the artists who created them, the Saugerties Area Chamber of Commerce, and local food banks. Assuming the experiment matches the success Catskill and Hudson experienced, there’s no telling what town-animal combination could be next. (“Gone Fish’n in Fishkill,” anyone?)
