Folk Artists Spotlighted in HSM Exhibit

MIDDLETOWN — The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown (HSM) will shine a light on two folk artists whose work will be exhibited at the Middletown History Center this year.

Basket maker Karl Amor (1906-1992) and metal sculptor Joseph Schoell (1907-1993) practiced their crafts just a couple miles from each other in Dunraven. Both had escaped oppression and upheaval in their home countries of Estonia and Hungary, and both found peace and inspiration in the Catskills.

Their lives and art will be on display at the History Center, 778 Cemetery Road, Margaretville on the first Friday and Saturday of each month May through November from 10 to 2, as well as afternoons of scheduled programs. 

The first opportunity to see the exhibit, and to visit the Nicholas J. Juried Archives, will be May 2 and 3 from 10 to 2, as well as during the Kids Kingdom reunion Sunday, May 4 from 2 to 4.

Karl Amor baskets, woven from willow shoots, grapevines and spruce roots gathered by the artist along roadsides and streambanks, have been highly sought by local residents as well as folk art collectors. The HSM display features baskets recently donated to the historical society by folklorist Mary Zwolinski. A selection of these baskets will be sold at silent auction in October.

Joseph Schoell, once a sheet metal worker in Hungary, is remembered for his dynamic creations in metal. A castle, a knight, a space shuttle and a striking Statue of Liberty were among the works that went from being traffic-stopping lawn ornaments to museum pieces in the 1990s. 

HSM is planning spring and summer programs and events that include the May 4 Kids Kingdom Reunion, a talk on the Delaware & Northern Railroad by John Duda on June 8 and a program on the history of Margaretville July 13, part of Village Sesquicentennial festivities. An “Armchair” version of HSM’s popular Living History Cemetery Tour will be held August 23 and 24 at Open Eye Theater.

For more information on these and other HSM activities, visit mtownhistory.org.

To make an appointment for a research visit to the archives, call 845-586-2400.