DREAM HOMES: Emily Bicht
ON DISPLAY: November 4 - December 29, 2024
Croton Friends of History presentation on the homes that inspired the exhibit: November 14, 7-8:30pm
Reception: November 23, 2-4pm, Ottinger Room of the Croton Free Library
Artist’s Statement
This exhibit is the culmination of almost a decade of work. In 2015, the artist started making paintings inspired by 20th century kit houses. She was drawn to their aesthetics and thoughtful designs that reflect the Arts & Crafts Movement belief that our lives can be improved through design. The artist was also satisfying her own desire for ‘home’ while living in a small two bedroom apartment in Queens and redefining what ‘home’ means. This work anticipated our current housing crisis, and was created in response to anxiety about homeownership. These paintings are aspirational, dreamy and illustrative of the promise of the “American Dream”.
Emily will present 'Northern Westchester’s ‘Kit’ Homes’ with the Croton Friends of History on November 14. In the early 20th century, kit homes were an affordable answer to a growing country’s housing needs. A “house” would be ordered through the mail, and would arrive by train car with all the materials and instructions. You could build it yourself or hire a contractor. Financing was available which made home ownership accessible to families hoping to achieve the American Dream. We are fortunate to have many of these homes in our area. Emily will discuss the history of kit homes and show images of existing kits homes in Croton and Ossining.
Biography
Emily Bicht is an artist and educator living in Peekskill, NY. The domestic space is a recurring setting for her work. She employs painting, sculpture, printmaking, and installation to explore underpinning social constructs and structures. Her functional ceramic work is created for use in everyday rituals. Emily has been an active artist for over twenty years and a member of several artist groups, including The Exhibitionists and Open Ground. She has been awarded residencies at Byrdcliffe and Arts, Letters, and Numbers. In 2020, she received a Queens Council for the Arts New Work Grant. She teaches ceramics at Cedar Lane Arts Center, Garrison Art Center, Peekskill Clay Studios and the Kroll Ceramic Arts School. She is currently renovating her own almost-century home with her partner and two cyclones.
Visit her website for more information.
Pen and Ink Drawings by Theodore Cornu (1885-1986)
Don't miss this rare opportunity to view the original pen and ink drawings by local artist, Theodore Cornu, now on exhibit in the Gallery space of the Croton Free Library. Drawings from Cornu's sketchbooks depict life along the Hudson River in the years before European arrival on the continent. They are paired with published print versions from his newsletters.
An ardent historian and conservationist Theodore Cornu researched and documented the forested landscape and habitants on the land. During a period living in the Ferry House at Van Cortlandt Manor, Cornu chronicled the activities along the Hudson River and published a newsletter to inform conservation activism, inviting people of the river towns to take responsibility for the care of the natural treasure that is the Hudson Valley. Cornu enlisted pledges by citizens to commit to ecological protections. He was a great hero of the Conservation movement. We are reminded what the force and energy of one individual can have to affect positive change.
All material in the exhibit belongs to the private collection of Cornelia Cotton and is stewarded by Cornelia Cotton.
The exhibit will be on view through January 2025.
Inquires about the exhibit should be made to Emily Phillips, ejwphillips@gmail.com or 914-271-6469
