On Saturday morning the officials and residents of the Village of Washingtonville brought warmth and holiday joy to the Grand Opening of Prizmatica's Art, Decor & Design Studio. It was a perfect blend of something exciting and new at the historic stone facade of the former Chase Bank, right in the Village Center. The Blooming Grove Chamber of Commerce, Village Mayor Tom DeVinko, Town Supervisor Rob Jeroloman, and the Village's very hard-working Event Committee (otherwise currently consumed with 1,000 tasks of preparing this week's Whoville Market and Christmas Parade), got their first look at at its glittering assemblage of collectibles from around the world, including Christmas gifts, decorations, stained glass lamps, and sparkling holiday cards along with jaw-dropping antiques, redesigned furniture and a hundreds of beautiful decor items as well as fun oddities.
The party atmosphere built, while Prizmatica Owner, Dan Sloane, Senior Associate Jorge Ramirez, and Dan's extended family shared their dream of helping Washingtonville reach their "Next Level" of expanding the public's recognition of Washingtonville as an important historic and art crossroad between New York City and art communities like Woodstock and Beacon. Sloane described his hope that Prizmatica evolves in the ways that the Village's residents want, and is eager to connect with them via a series of workshops and said "We should be launching the next phase soon, with things like restoring and embellishing antique and repurposed furniture will happen, and he is glad to help others learn the tools to do that.
A variety of speakers will be helping participants develop unique painting techniques with a variety of prismatic and watercolor "Color Shift", "Vapor Wave", "Perlescence" and other fascinating pigments with shimmering effects. We will also offer some of the increasingly popular resin artwork, from tables to coasters and plaques to, making your own journal and diary covers. And one of the most fun and important things we hope to do is to include a sitting library space, a library gathering corner full of fun learning resources that will function to grow and build cohesiveness in our local Art Community.
Prizmatica Owner, Dan Sloane with Mayor Tom DeVinko emphasizing what a great draw the studio will be to Washingtonville's downtown
and Legislator/BG Chamber member, Kathy Stegenga
Meanwhile, the Village is considering a selection of sites to be included in a "Historic District" if they wish.
Mayor DeVinko welcomed Dan and Prizmatica, saying that "Bringing such a new fresh and unique store to our downtown area is very exciting. It will be a tremendous draw of new shoppers to our downtown area...Wishing Dan nothing but success!" Mayor DeVinko and the Village Trustees were instrumental in helping to guide the studio's development through code requirements in the middle of a few changes just being made as part of its Comprehensive Plan. The installation on Saturday morning of Prizmatica's beautiful new business sign was visible proof that business and leadership can prosper when they work toward shared goals together.
Town Supervisor Rob Jeroloman congratulated Dan on the numerous benefits that Prizmatica offers to people in the area
"We see that Art has been a longtime passion for you, and now you are adding to that with paint supplies for the community. It's a great opportunity for anyone in the Town and in the Village to take advantage of. In addition to coming here to shop, if you have a passion to paint you can come here, go upstairs, and learn how to paint as well. Welcome and congratulations!"
And the offer of a handshake
When Dan spoke to the crowd he emphasized the long years he had worked in the corporate world in NYC, but also developing a love for art and its use in decor. Then he began venturing into it full scale. His eagerness includes growing the offerings of Prizmatica while branching out in various art media in ways the village residents and visitors want it to. Prizmatica is not only precisely in Washingtonville's Village Center, its vehicular and train traffic is legendary, having been a major crossroad between NYC and "Upstate" as the New York City's metropolitan area businesses grew up along the Hudson River. Upstate Agriculture grew along with it to feed the millions of transplants to the "burbs" and beyond.
Children love the spangles and glitter in the studio. Dan's nieces and nephews have visited the shop on several occasions, and always have a good time (and anyway, the sandwiches were delish, along with the other light food offerings)
Quite a crowd filled the studio as it opened, and with many talking about Christmas items they wanted to come back for, and others bought a few gifts.
Among the selections there are some very small items that immediately caught the eye of one small boy just before Halloween, who begged his Mom, PLEASE can we go in? I want to see the skeleton and dragons.
And then there are medium and a few very large items, including a beautiful
carved wardrobe.
Supervisor Jeroloman, quite a knowledgeable history buff, described how the Village Center developed when an Erie Railroad Line boxcar overturned between Tuthill Road and the Washingtonville Train Depot (in fact he said that residents who know this have brought him old postcards and photos, and he now has quite a collection.) Chances are that when the new Lasser Park Senior Center is completed over the next few months there will be a collection of those historic images, enlarged and up on the wall of a Meeting Room. This train line was heavily relied on to get and send supplies to and from both NYC and Newburgh. That included a huge ongoing milk supply from local dairy farms, and the invention of Cream Cheese among other needs. Livestock was also brought back and forth, right in front of the Prizmatica building, from the City and boroughs of New York. While tackling repair of the train tracks and Route 94 after the boxcar accident, the the work included changes in the angle of the intersection of Route 94 and Goshen Rd. (coming from the County Seat). This was when the little red and white building with a police officer was set up to help direct traffic. It was a simple yet an iconic site of officers who would frequently give a wave to passers by, or directions to someone lost. It has been painted and repaired numerous times. The last update changed the colors, (to the dismay of a few old-timers) but on the upside there is talk about possibly adding a new bigger and brighter "Welcome to Washingtonville" sign to greet today's area visitors.
Thousands of vacationers marked the progress of their "Going to the Country" trips by noting, "Oh look, it's the tiny red and white police station". I for one used it as one of my two earliest map markers during trips to my grandparents' country place next to the Angola Skating Rink in Cornwall, and our cottage on the Moodna Creek in Blooming Grove.... When I saw it I knew we were halfway there.
Soon, merely a stone's throw from the Village Center and Prizmatica, the new branch of the Schunnemunk Trail will connect the Heritage Trail and the new County Park at the former LaGuardia site, then through the Town of Blooming Grove and Village of Washingtonville, on to the area of the Salisbury Mills Train Station (seems like a recurring theme), to the Moodna Trestle in Cornwall, the popular Black Rock Forest Parkland and trails "up the Ridge". When the Schunnemunk Rail Trail Northeast branch is complete it will likely bring a whole new cast of travelers who are hikers and nature lovers, and with a new stretch in Woodbury coming as well after the purchase of several hundred acres of open space last year, (and links with the Highland Trail and Long Path), then the Village of Washingtonville will truly be a part of the Appalachian Trail. From original foot trails to horse and buggy travel, to Erie Train travel, it seems the old adage is true...... Now we start all over with trails and trains (and at least one horse farm owner who is hoping for a small offshoot that is horse-and-rider friendly.
The new SRT Trail is expected to be completed in 2027. It will require that length of time to repair a whole series of bridges along the way. But there are a few lengths, such as the one behind Mays Field in the Village, that are already in regular use. With a new customer base soon visiting our local stores, shop owners will be tweaking the supplies they offer to include things their customers want, which we expect will bring even more new customers. The Washingtonville Event Committee is already thinking ahead to offer seminars with expertise in various areas including art venues that reflect the area's natural beauty and wildlife. Prizmatica being literally a stone's throw from the SRT crossing between Sewell Park and Fulton Square, will be ready, and is committed to helping other Village businesses succeed with this new SRT culture as well.
In a spirit of true support and friendship, many of the other Washingtonville business owners left their own Small Business Saturday events on Saturday morning to offer their support and friendship before returning to spend the day greeting their own visitors. The Event Committee continues to grow and find new members as well as a great and very necessary group of volunteers (if you are willing to help, contact Patrick Maiorino at the Event Committee, on FB or at the Guilty Pleasures Shop.)
This was a great kickoff to start a fun and prosperous holiday season, and even the vehicles passing by thought so, giving supportive horn beeps. Legislator and Chamber Member Kathy Stegenga offered her help and support, connecting Prizmatica with the Blooming Grove Chamber of Commerce.
Shopping Local is a great way to support your community, and the biggest event of the year is coming up later this week, with the Whoville Market and Christmas Parade, so let's all show the love for the hundreds of villagers getting ready for a sweet "Victorian Christmas".
Prizmatica's hours are Wednesday through Sunday
from 12 noon to 6pm.
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