New Lebanon Site of 'Living Museum'
 Behold! New Lebanon is about connecting with the mostly town's rural roots by approaching New Lebanon as a living museum. |
BNL is billed as a one-of-a-kind "living museum of contemporary life" set in the bucolic New York town that borders Berkshire County.
From July 4 to Sept. 26, visitors are invited to a summer long series of workshops and tours at various farms and other businesses in the town.
"We are doing this together because we understand what our homesteaders know," BNL founder Ruth Abram said in prepared remarks read on her behalf at the event. "The goat eats the plant and fertilizes the field, which nurtures the goat, which gives the milk which makes the cheese which feeds the family. Our fates are entwined.
"To succeed as a community, we need to create the economic and social environment which makes that possible. To that end, to one and all, we extend an invitation to 'Behold! New Lebanon."
Abrams, a social activist, historian and New Lebanon resident, was detained out of town by a family emergency. Her remarks were read by Dolores Meissner of Meissner's Auction Service, one of more than three dozen "exhibits" in the museum, which includes a piggery, a weaver, a reptile center and a sausage maker — in all, 60 different tours and workshops that show the town's heritage and diversity.
"New Lebanon is a small, rural town," Abram wrote. "But, like many others, it is not a sleepy town."
It certainly isn't sleepy on those nights when Lebanon Valley Speedway roars to life.
The town's best known attraction will be part of the museum with tours on July 4 and Sept. 5.
Track owner and promoter Howard Commander hosted part of Thursday's media event and talked about his venue, which attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators each year.
"All of us have one mission — to keep racing alive and well," Commander said.
"People love auto racing. Some our neighbors aren't in love with it, but people love auto racing. It's about taking in a little money, but it's really about keeping the sport alive."
Commander said he had some thoughts on how Behold! New Lebanon could make more money, and he planned to share those with the organizers.
"Behold! New Lebanon is very unique because we have a lot of things in New Lebanon that will help," Commander said.
According to beholdnewlebanon.org, tickets to each of the museum's events are $15 (more for workshop materials at some venues). A season pass is $95. A family pass (up to four members) is $250. A couples pass is $160.
On Thursday, two of the museum's "rural guides" gave a preview of the experiences at their exhibits.
Heather Naventi, who makes jewelry and raises miniature horses, will do workshops on the latter on Aug. 1 and the former on Aug. 29.
On Thursday, she showed off one of her horses and talked about its care, just as she will with visitors in August.
Last year, Naventi said, she hosted a few workshops as organizers gave Behold! New Lebanon a trial run, and the attendance was strong.
Peg Munves, whose July 4 exhibit is titled "Making Friends with Your Dog," described herself as a "full-time people and dog trainer."
Munves trains dogs for print and television advertising for a firm in New York City. Locally, she spreads the word that a good relationship with your dog begins by understanding the animal's needs.
"I talk about how dogs can be incorporated better and easier into your life," she said.
That is especially difficult in today's society, where most of the population is urban or suburban and most of families don't have anyone home during the day to provide companionship for the family dog, she said.
 Heather Naventi will hold workshops based on her miniature horses during Behold! New Lebanon. |
Making connections to nature is part of what Behold! New Lebanon is all about. It also is about promoting the rural economy.
"There's been a lot of interest," said Dave Colby of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, who attended Thursday's event. "People are coming from all over.
"The most important thing is this is really big for economic development and tourism in Columbia County. I've been involved in community development for more than 20 years. And it's rare that you see a group come together with the passion and vision like you see here."
Abram articulated that passion.
"In connecting with Behold! as rural guides, many of New Lebanon's citizens are answering a national yearning for contact with authentic rural life — the hard work, the problem-solving, the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, the connection to the land and mostly to take a rural guide tour with Behold!," she wrote. "You are challenged to examine the myths about 'quaint' country living.
"We are doing this together. This is a museum of the people of Rural America. To succeed as a community, we need to create an economic and social environment that fosters collaboration — collaboration between the long-standing generational families and new residents who are drawn here. To that end, to one and all, we extend an invitation to Behold! New Lebanon."
Program dates and ticket information are available at www.beholdnewlebanon.org.
Tags: historical museum, museum,
