Artist paints ox statue with scenes of Carlton
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Members of Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association get a close look at the ox Carol Culhane painted for them in her basement. From left are John Richmond, OONA president Ken Martin, Culhane, Martin’s wife Anne, Sally Leonard and Cheryl Giacherio. The ox is expected to go to the Orleans County marine park on Route 98.
POINT BREEZE – In her illustrious career as an artist, Carol Culhane has painted wildlife, landscapes, airplanes, horses, murals, portraits and vehicles. Now she has turned her talent into painting oxen, chosen last year as the mascot for Orleans County’s bicentennial celebration.
A request from the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association to paint an ox sent her on a historical journey to trace the area’s landmarks from its early years to now.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The ox was on display on Saturday at Carlton’s Hometown Days festival outside the Carlton Rec Hall.
Her hand-painted work of art chronicles the story of the Oak Orchard River from Lake Alice to Lake Ontario back centuries to the current time.
On the left side of the animal, the river is depicted as it may have appeared long ago, before the construction of Waterport Dam and creation of Lake Alice, then known as the “Waterport Pond.”
There is also the Waterport Trestle, Point Breeze Hotel (originally known as the Orleans House) on the east side of the river, the Oak Orchard Inn on the west side and the original lighthouse at the end of the pier on the west side of the harbor.
On the right side of the ox are the “today” features – boating, fishing and kayaking; the hydroelectric site; charter boats and marine activity; breakwalls; the modern lighthouse; and wildlife.
Culhane incorporated wildlife into the design on both sides, to create interest by children. A great blue heron, turtles, lily pads, wetland vegetation and more represent the wildlife which has long depended on the Oak Orchard River ecosystem.
To be sure she was historically correct, Culhane visited Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper and read several publications, including Arad Thomas’s Pioneer History of Orleans County and Dee Robinson’s Historical Amnesia.
Members of OONA recently visited Culhane’s basement to see their finished ox. This included OONA president Ken Martin and his wife Anne; Cheryl Giacheriz; Penny Miller, president of Orleans County Marine Park, through whom the Go Art! grant was received to fund oxen for OONA and Orleans County Legislature; John Richmond; and Sally Leonard, both Point Breeze residents.
“The ox has a lot of interesting historic details,” Martin said of the OONA ox. “It came out well.”
In addition to dedication of the OONA ox, several visitors came to view the work, including the builder of the fiberglass oxen, Patrick Keough and his wife Gaye from Nebraska. They deliver the oxen throughout the country, in addition to other animals they build. He was going to deliver an ox to Kendall that day, also.
Culhane said the oxen took many hours of work, but she is honored she was asked to do them.
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Carol Culhane shows an ox with portraits of pioneers to Isabella Zasa, digital content creator and tourism assistant for the Orleans County Tourism Department, and Catherine Cooper, the county historian. This ox is expected to go in the historian’s office in Albion.
Orleans County historian Catherine Cooper, left, and artist Carol Culhane hold historical reference books Culhane referred to when painting bicentennial oxen for the county and Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association.
HOLLEY – Previous columns have highlighted Orleans County ladies who braved the conditions of war to serve as teachers or nurses:
