Co-creating a collectible: third in a series

Functional and beautiful instrument valued at $5,500 to be raffled

By SANDY LONG

HONESDALE, PA — The body is crafted from alder wood, the neck from locally harvested maple and its electronics are the best to be had—handcrafted by Voodoo pickups craftsman Peter Florance. From Florance’s hands, the instrument passed to artist and designer Jeff George, who conceived and executed its meticulous design atop a slate blue base, with sides that sport a two-toned effect creating a hand-tooled look. It is functional art at its finest. And one lucky person will leave the Honesdale Roots and Rhythm Music and Arts Festival carrying this sweet prize.

Its creators are longtime friends, and both have been involved with the festival from its beginning. Florance, a resident of Honesdale, has crafted a new guitar for each of the three years since the festival’s inception. He enjoys seeing the town center transformed into a temporary performance space. “It becomes a vehicle to showcase other art forms,” he said.

George, who lives in nearby Dyberry, has painted the last two guitars, while local artist Roger Hill painted the first. George became involved in order to be a part of the festival’s development, and said it has grown so quickly that the committee has begun discussing strategies to modulate that growth. Both agreed that the festival’s “cool and classy” atmosphere is one of its chief characteristics and should be maintained.

Florance has built and dealt in vintage guitars for more than 30 years. His company, Voodoo Pickups, purchases and authenticates guitars, performs restoration work on vintage electric guitars and manufactures high quality pickups for companies around the world. He describes a lifelong interest in guitars, and laughingly attributes that to singer and cowboy actor Roy Rogers: “the guitar, the girls, the guns, the horses and the pants with the stripes down the side!”

George, an artist and graphic designer, works on a wide variety of projects ranging from logo design to industrial and building design. George designed the Roots and Rhythm logo and related materials, and was recently recognized for his extensive community work with the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Award. The artist is currently illustrating a map of Honesdale and Hawley.

“In a small town like this, you’re asked to do a great variety of things, which I like,” said George, who began drawing as a child with his grandmother and learning other art skills with his sculptor grandfather. George is also developing a logo for artist Daniel Brinkerhoff, who plans to bring Crooked Crown Drive-In, his self-powered popcorn machine and a new device that unfurls a movie screen, to the festival.

The festival has become a gift to its community in that the music is free and the acts, including blues, folk, R&B, roots, rock and roll, country and rockabilly, are not commonly heard here. Area businesses and organizations foot the bill so that everyone from toddlers to elders can steep in the good grooves that emanate throughout town from a variety of venues. The main stage in Central Park delivers music from 1:30 to 10:00 p.m. to those who arrive with chairs, blankets and picnics. Other Main Street venues offer performances from 10:00 a.m. onward.

Flanking the park will be Artists Row, where 33 artists will set up along Ninth Street, displaying a wide range of tantalizing offerings. Festival foods and a Kids Tunes and Tales Arts Tent round out the event.

Raffle tickets are being sold for $5 each, or six for $25 and can be purchased at area merchants and the Wayne County Arts Alliance (waynecountyartsalliance.org), or during the festival. Only 5,000 will be sold. A variety of other prizes will be awarded. See page 5C for more information about the event, or visit HonesdaleRootsAndRhythm.com.