While it has been more than a year, the Historical Society of Woodstock (HSW) will open its doors and welcome friends and neighbors back with a remarkable exhibit starting May 8. Titled Works in Wire: A Retrospective, the exhibit will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. It runs through May 30 and features the work of sculptor Alison Eriksen (1964-2019).
Although Eriksen established her reputation as a sculptor in Portland, Oregon, she was a child of Woodstock. Married to Robert Eriksen, she was the daughter of HSW’s longtime board member and friend, Jean White. Descended from a Woodstock family whose history dates back to the 18th century, her frequent visits to Woodstock were spent in art galleries, seeking out the latest acquisitions at Twine’s Catskill Book Shop and striking up lifelong friendships with townspeople. Alison spent her final months near reminders of her family’s Woodstock roots, including The Red Barn Antiques, once owned by her great-aunt Louise Bolton, and the one-time boarding house The Homestead, operated by her great-grandmother, Sarah MacDaniel Cashdollar.
Eriksen worked three-dimensionally, first creating figures in clay and transitioning to wire. She once stated, “I became interested in the interior line which shaped the moving form. Steel wire, strong and flexible, enabled me to create volumetric figures through which the animating lines were visible without the density of clay.” Her clay sculpture is included in the exhibit.
The public is invited to experience Eriksen’s work at the Historical Society of Woodstock at 20 Comeau Drive on weekends through May 30. Admission is free. Please note that Covid protocols will be in strict effect, including social distancing and limited occupancy; masks will be required.
For more information on the Historical Society of Woodstock, visit www.historicalsocietyofwoodstock.org, call (845) 679-2556 or e-mail Olivia Twine at otwine12@gmail.com.
Join the family! 
