When this publication first began, we received several requests to “print something positive.” People were tired of hearing negative things about the area in the local media and they wanted to see something that showed parts of their community in a positive light.

Within the last month Ellenville has appeared in several area publications — from weekly newspapers, to dailies to monthly magazines — all due to the village’s attempts to redefine what people inside the community and outside the community think of when they hear ‘Ellenville’. Art is the reason.

People who do not like art or the kind of art that appears in local windows have observed (correctly) that the village’s arts initiative has not created an immediate wealth of jobs. To be fair, ‘job creation’ is far too vast and complex a problem to be solved by any one idea, artistic or not.

But ‘the arts’ have certainly increased the area’s visibility in other parts of the region that, historically, have not cared for us. The establishment of a community that welcomes art to its streets has created a feeling that Ellenville is changing.

Now some might not like the direction of that change but the reality is that any area resident has as much right (and responsibility) to change that direction if they want. But in the absence of any other significant ideas and volunteers, area artists have risen up to work for the betterment of the area. Why find fault with that?

For years, Ellenville has had a reputation for its community spirit, its industry, its poor economic fortunes and its alleged dangers. Some of the area’s reputation was earned, some of it was given to us by people who never took the time to know us.

But the current crop of artists are earning their reputation for reaching out to a community in need and helping establish a different way to talk about Ellenville and Wawarsing. Indeed, what is wrong with writing a new chapter in the area’s history that calls Ellenville ‘artistic’?

The Shadowland Theatre, the 10x10x10 and now the E6 have pushed the envelope of what can be expected. This is just the beginning but there is a core of dedicated professionals and volunteers who are working to re-imagine the future of a 20th century industrial town for the 21st century. Not an easy task but perhaps a mix of entrepreneurs and artists is just the right mix to accomplish such a feat.

Regardless of your chosen line of work, whether your job requires you to pick up a hammer or a paintbrush, let’s work together to make the area better.

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