In the summer of 2022, the “Farmstead Artists, a select group of community, non-represented artists, started the Farmstead Barn Art Shows.

The Farmstead Barn has a long history in the Town of Sullivan, dating to 1803 as a milk farm on the shore. In the late 1800’s the structure was moved to the other side of what is now Route 1. The Barn functioned in the 1940’s and 50’s as a Tea House for simple food and fortune telling. For forty years, until 2012, it housed summer theater and children’s arts programming organized and run by Ginia Davis Wexler who ownedI the Farmstead. Ginia herself was an internationally renowned operatic performer activist in the New York performance scene. From 2012 the barn was closed and silent until 2018 when Judy Ashby and Ray Weintraub purchased the property with the hope of opening the Farmstead Barn as an event center.

In the Winter of 2022, Bonnie approached Judy and Ray to ask if Hugo, Mavis Davis, and some other local artists might use the barn for summer art shows. They graciously agreed. The first year was successful beyond our hopes. So many people came to the shows and shared their childhood memories of the barn from when Ginia offered summer programs, and many guests purchased art. The second year was a continuation of community goodwill, good memories, good art, and sales. And thus it all began.