To the Editor:

We hope this finds you well and that you and your loved ones are safe. Life has been turned upside down for so many of us these past months. With strong ties to family, friends and neighbors we are finding new answers to new challenges every day. As we begin to return to some degree of normalcy in the North Country we’re writing to update you and ask for your financial support as we begin a new chapter in our history.

In compliance with state directives, and out of a sincere desire to do what's best for our community, The TAUNY Center closed March 16 and normal operations were suspended. Since then, we have stayed in touch through regular social media postings, including digital video tours in our exhibit gallery. TAUNY’s Board of Directors stepped up to assume responsibilities of furloughed staff and to keep the TAUNY light burning until staff could return.

We’re very pleased to report that this week staff returned to work and we reopened the Folkstore on June 8. As we welcome visitors, we will follow best practices for safety as outlined by the CDC and will be able to accommodate small groups only for the foreseeable future. For now, all of your favorite annual events and programs will move online. In addition, we will soon unveil several new initiatives, including a project to collect stories of North Country residents’ experiences during the pandemic and a new digital exhibit presenting recipients of TAUNY’s North Country Heritage Awards.

Times of crisis clarify what is most important. At TAUNY, we’ve been touched and comforted by all the ways people have turned to family, community, and tradition to remain connected and maintain a sense of hope in these difficult and dispiriting times. We’ve heard from families who’ve dusted off the family recipe book and begun cooking big meals together, knitting groups moving online to meet weekly, friends playing music together online, neighbors challenging each other to art projects, and lots of people making a garden for the first time.

At TAUNY, we’ve always believed in the power of creative human connection to sustain a healthy society. Our commitment to bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together from across the North Country to share what is most important about their lives with each other, to learn more about the diverse living traditions of our region, and to experience the richness of North Country culture will not change in the days ahead.

Donor support has made a lot of incredible experiences and connections possible at TAUNY. Please help us move into the future by making a gift online here or by mailing a check to 53 Main Street, Canton, NY 13617. Thank you.

Alan L. Hersker, president

Jill Breit, executive director

TAUNY