This month, the Community Foundation of Otsego County Nonprofit Spotlight features Klinkhart Hall Arts Center, a community arts organization based in Sharon Springs, and its partnership in bringing The Big Draw to Otsego County, an international celebration of drawing that invites people of all ages and skill levels to slow down, look closely, and connect through shared creative practice.
Klinkhart Hall Arts Center is a nonprofit organization working to preserve and restore the historic Klinkhart Hall building at 191 Main Street in Sharon Springs, New York, with the long-term goal of establishing a permanent, accessible home for arts and culture in the region. While restoration continues, the organization produces public programs throughout the area to ensure that arts participation remains active, visible, and community-centered. These programs include the Sharon Springs Poetry Festival, an annual, free public festival founded by poet Paul Muldoon that brings nationally recognized poets to Sharon Springs for readings and workshops, as well as the Sharon Springs Dance Festival, a day of performances, demonstrations, and master classes designed to be welcoming to all ages.
In addition to festivals, Klinkhart Hall Arts Center presents a free summer music series in Chalybeate Park Sharon Springs, offering outdoor concerts that bring residents and visitors together in a relaxed, intergenerational setting.
The Big Draw programming in Otsego County has centered on drawing as a welcoming, low-barrier art form, one that can be practiced anywhere, by anyone, and that naturally encourages conversation across generations and backgrounds. To ensure true accessibility, all drawing materials were provided at no cost to participants, allowing community members to fully engage regardless of experience level or financial circumstance. With support from the Community Foundation of Otsego County, this international initiative was brought to local audiences through events that emphasized curiosity, observation, and human connection.
Recent activities included “Lines of Connections: Life Drawing at the Old School,” hosted at the Cherry Valley Old School, where participants gathered for a day-long drawing experience. The project also extended to older adults through the Otsego County Office for the Aging’s Connections at Clark Sports Center program, where participants engaged in creative, social exercises that used drawing and observation as tools for community building.
For more information about Klinkhart Hall Arts Center and upcoming community programs, contact the organization at info@klinkhart.org or visit the Klinkhart Hall Arts Center website at www.Klinkhart.org
Content provided by Klinkhart Hall Arts Center.
