Village group encourages a creative vibe

Metal sculptor and Liberty High School graduate Zac Shavrick stands beside his 10-foot-tall piece, Ed outside his Ferndale workshop. The artwork will be installed in Liberty on Sunday.CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Published: 2:00 AM - 09/14/13

LIBERTY Can the Village of Liberty become the new cultural hub of the Catskills?

The former Sullivan County resort mecca may have a few empty storefronts.

But this village flanked by the green Catskill mountains also has a colorful palette of two-story shops offering everything from Mexican, Chinese, Italian and health foods to gourmet coffee and cutting-edge art.

"Why not Liberty?" said Ellie Ohiso, publisher of another thing Liberty has Green Door magazine, which calls itself "A Journal of Comfortable Living."

"Liberty has the potential to be like a Saugerties, with its mom-and-pop shops and art. It can be anything it wants to be," Ohiso said.

Ohiso and a group of business owners calling themselves ArtLib hope this village of some 4,400 residents takes a major step in that direction at 6 p.m. Sunday, when it unveils a giant sculpture that's sure to attract lots of attention.

It's called "Ed" and it's a 10-foot-tall fabricated, welded steel rendition of a big guy with a giant head made of such found objects as an ax and a bicycle tire.

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Liberty builds an artsy image