By Stefan Yablonski
The arts scene is alive and well around Oswego County, according to Michele Southgate, retired educator, past president of Art Association of Oswego, former executive director of Arts and Culture for Oswego County and co-founder of Lakeside Artisans.
“Yes, believe it or not, there are an awful lot of people who are involved in the arts in Oswego County. There are all kinds of groups — Art Association in Oswego and there is the Pulaski Art Association, Fulton has one as well,” she said. “So it’s the entire county, not just the city of Oswego. The whole county has a lot of artists that are involved.”
It’s not just visual art, she added.
“You’ve got performing arts — The Oswego Players. We’ve got music — Oswego Opera Theater at SUNY Oswego. There are a lot of different types of arts that are available to people here in the county,” she said.
There are a lot of different organizations in the county; at one point, there was even a poets’ group that met at the Coffee Connection in Oswego, Southgate said.
“I’m not sure that most people are aware of what is available to the general public in terms of the arts. I think the Players do a pretty good job of advertising their stuff. And you see the exhibitions from the Art Association,” she said. “Right downtown in Oswego in the Canal Commons, you’ve got the Riverside Artisans. It’s a big window area so that you can see what they have to offer. And the college does a lot too to advertise its stuff.”
She also mentioned the Central New York Arts in Fulton, musical groups like Concinnity — a diverse group of women who join together in song “united by a love of music, harmony, humor and humanity.”
According to SUNY Oswego’s theatre department’s current season website, the only production for spring is “Addams Family.”
Also, you can find the performing arts schedule for other main spring performances on the Artswego page: ww1.oswego.edu/artswego/
Oswego Players
Established in 1938, The Oswego Players is one of the oldest continuously operating community theater organizations in the country.
Formed by a group of Oswego residents interested in presenting theater productions in Oswego, the organization staged its productions in Robinson Auditorium in the old high school and other venues where a play could be staged.
In 1963 the group obtained a lease for Building No. 30 in the Fort Ontario Park complex that would ultimately house the Oswego Civic Arts Center and on March 20, 1964, the Oswego Players was granted a Provisional Charter by the New York State Board of Regents for the purposes: “to advance cultural activities of the community through theatrical productions and through stimulating interest and participation in activities relating to the drama; to render assistance, advice, and service, to other community organizations and individuals in drama-oriented projects; and to sponsor an education program of children’s theater including periods of instruction for children, and presentations by and for children.”
Over the years the Oswego Players, Inc. has continued to fulfill its charter obligations and on April 25, 1969 was granted an absolute charter by the Board of Regents. The Players now operate out of the Frances Marion Brown Theater in the Civic Arts Center. They stage six major productions a year, all with volunteer participation and no paid staff.
