BIG STORY: Lewiston Council of the Arts not slowing down

Irene Rykaszewski, left, and Eva Nicklas, right, of the Lewiston Council of the Arts meet with Marie Hare of Key Bank, which helps sponsor the Chalk Walk.

Eva Nicklas raises her head high and giggles, half-mocking her own image and realizing as part of what's considered one of Western New York's preeminent arts groups, she's automatically considered something of a snob.

That's just the way it is in the arts biz, especially when the group you help run — the Lewiston Council on the Arts — has one of the area's signature summer events. The Lewiston Arts Festival will hit its 44th birthday this August, and under the tutelage of Nicklas and Executive Director Irene Rykaszewski, it isn't showing any signs of slowing.

The council itself is approaching its golden anniversary and has a jam-packed slate set for summer that includes Blue Mondays, Old Sanborn Days, the Chalk Walk, and a series of Marble Orchard Ghost Walks, all on top of the arts festival.

The schedule keeps Nicklas busy, but she said one of the most invigorating parts of her job is the way the group consistently reinvents itself.

"It does get overwhelming sometimes. But the best part about this organization is that it's always changing. We don't do the same thing every year. Even the ghost walks, we're changing the characters, changing the stories we tell," she said. "If something's getting tired an old, then let's put away and do something new. We're a passionate group of artsy people."

Course, keeping busy is nothing new. As long as Nicklas can remember, the council has tried to get as much out of summer as possible.

"We had a week, way back when, when we had the Taste of Lewiston, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, a blues event, all in one week. Over time, each one turned into a festival itself," Nicklas said. "We were run by all volunteers. It's not a volunteer organization any more. We've gained a lot of respect all over Western New York for the way we do history.

"And the art festival has gotten better and better and better."

The mission statement of the council says it all:

The Mission of the Council is to promote the humanities, the visual and performing arts, and to develop an understanding of various art forms within Lewiston and the surrounding communities for the enjoyment, enrichment and education of residents and visitors of all ages.

Our organization, now 43 years strong, continues to define the artistic identity of our community while providing cultural experiences to visitors and residents alike. Our year-round schedule of events provides tens of thousands of people the opportunity to commune with art and nature.

But where it was once a challenge to fill big gaps in the calendar, Nicklas has seen the openings disappear. The group still has plans to hold a series of international concerts on top of blues and jazz, but if events start running into one another, the group feels its job is complete. As a mother whose kids grew up in the area, Nicklas felt the addition of a robust arts schedule was vital to her children's development.

"There's music nearly every night of the week around here. If it gets to a point where there are so many concerts here, we'd gladly pull back. We're always going with the flow," she said.

"Kids will always remember going to hear music with mom and dad. My own kids, when Artpark was in its heyday, teeming with artists every single day, it was free. Glassblowing, metalworking, stone, story telling, music, theater. My kids went all the time. And they all grew up to be artistic and well-rounded because they had the opportunity to see so much and all right in our backyard."

In the end, Nicklas said she's been happy to witness the area's emergence, even if it hasn't been as easy as it looks.

"After 15 years of hard work, Lewiston has become an overnight success," she jokes.