First Official NYS Merry-Go-Round Gifted To The Farmers' Museum

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.

:The Farmers' Museum recently received a major gift from the board of directors of The Empire State Carousel Museum and will soon be the new, permanent home for the Empire State Carousel, a unique, handcrafted merry-go-round based entirely on the history and culture of New York State.

"We are thrilled to receive this wonderful addition to The Farmers' Museum's Country Fair," said Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of The Farmers' Museum's board. "The Empire State Carousel is, quite literally, a museum you can ride on!"

"We invite our museum members, the public, the many volunteers who helped to create the carousel and representatives of communities from across New York to come to our grand opening celebration on Memorial Day weekend 2006 and enjoy a ride," added Stephen Elliott, president of The Farmers' Museum.

The Empire State Carousel, a full-size operating merry-go-round, was begun in 1984 and completed in 2003. Created by 1,000 volunteer carvers, quilters, painters and woodworkers from all over New York state, it features a variety of original carvings, paintings and quilts, each of which has been specially designed for the carousel. The carousel offers a comprehensive survey of New York State's cultural history as well as provides excellent examples of contemporary folk art.

The Empire State Carousel is composed of 23 hand carved animals, indigenous to New York state, portrait panels, folklore panels, historical murals, quilted banners, regional frames, cloth pennants from the state's 62 counties and a custom-built military band organ.

Board spokesman Gerry Holzman, a retired educator and the project's head carver and executive director, said that the decision to choose the Cooperstown location and to donate the carousel to The Farmers' Museum was made with "...a mixture of sadness and joy. Sadness, because Long Island has been the carousel's base during the 20-year process of creation and has brought forth many volun-teers and donors whose enthusiastic support and friendship will be forever cherished. Joy, because the carousel has finally found a permanent home where it will be maintained and exhibited by museum professionals who are intensely appreciative of its educational and cultural value."

As Holzman explained the board's decision to go to Cooperstown, "personally, it brings us great comfort to know that the artwork of so many dedicated and generous people will be forever preserved. With the donation of this carousel to The Farmers' Museum, the board and I have fulfilled a self-imposed obligation to our fellow artists and to all those other folks who share our love for this beautiful and inspiring place we call the Empire State."

Plans are underway to integrate the carousel into the museum's operations for the 2006 season. The carousel will introduce the rich heritage of New York to students and families through unique programs that tie the museum's on-going exhibits with the magic of an operating carousel. Program plans for the carousel include tours of the carousel, carving workshops, evening ice cream socials and school programs.

Architectural plans for a new carousel pavilion in Cooperstown are nearly complete and a formal groundbreaking took place during The Farmers' Museum's annual Harvest Festival on September 17.

For information, 888-547-1450.