LORDVILLE, NY — “I was surprised so many people wanted to show and perform,” said Boris Kheyman.

He, along with Gail Tyles and other dedicated volunteers, organized the 2023 Lordville Art & Music Festival, which was held Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2, in the history-rich riverside hamlet named after the Lord family.

“I made a couple of phone calls, and suddenly—boom,” he said.

And then the word was out that there would be a festival featuring art, music, folk dancing, folkorists and food.

Kheyman, a noted artist who specializes in “functional art and design… I like to repurpose materials,” came to the hamlet several years ago.

He had been living in an urban art commune with 200 fellow artists until “they kick us out because real estate got so expensive.”

He put down roots in Lordville a few years ago, and has since transformed the otherwise-sleepy community into an artist’s haven.

Now you’ll find a series of unique structures, including a yoga studio, exhibition spaces and a work in progress, a one-of-a-kind double-decker bus.

Kheyman is also raising a herd of alpacas, giving rise to the name AlpaKastan—perhaps in homage to his native birthplace of Kiev, Ukraine.

Asked to comment on the seemingly never-ending bloody war in the Ukraine, Kheyman, replied. “It’s really shitty—very, very bad. I watch it every day, even though it’s far away.”

Maybe because he “can’t believe there is a war going on in Europe in this time; it’s horrible,” he noted that in the Lordville festival, “We have Ukrainian and Russian folklorists and dancers together on the stage.”

The popular two-day event showcased the art of Callicoon’s Eva Drizhal, and the “Three Graces” (Ruby Gerlach, Sam Green and Mary Grace Yanashot) in a show curated by John Bromberg of Lakewood, PA.

Commenting upon the current situation of the Russian invasion of Kheyman’s native land, Bromberg said of the way the local art and music festival bridged the gap, “This is a Russian and Ukrainian community. It’s a beautiful thing that happens here; why can’t it happen all over?”

The artist-curator called the flow of munitions into the conflict “horrible,” and added, “I don’t feel comfortable supplying weapons; we need more diplomacy. Weapons are not the right thing. The show of force never works for me.”

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Other scheduled highlights from the festival included Roman Partizanov, reading from his new book of poetry; Lisa Wunovich, reading from her “Fire Tale Poems”; and several musical performances.

Those included the Poison Love Band, which features Dan Brinkerhoff and Joanne Wasserman Brinkerhoff, a duo from Milanville, PA, noted for their brand of acoustic Americana.

Workshops included rock painting, weaving a giant fluorescent dreamcatcher, making dumplings, and learning how to make soap with alpaca fiber.

Of special note was a display introducing an infographic map of the history of Lordville and neighboring Equinunk—two hamlets separated by the Upper Delaware River—created by Richard Kish and Keo Kirschner, residents of Lordville’s Bouchouxville Road.

According to Kish, 23, and Kirschner, 22, they teamed up during the pandemic to conduct research into local history, reading “historical literature and engaging with some descendants of the Lord and Joyce families over Facebook.

“We became inspired to document the history of Lordville and Equinunk into an infographic map utilizing information from available sources.” They collected information for a comprehensive encyclopedia on the history of the villages, they added. “This was kind of like our sideline passion project… we hope to get younger people into history more, and connect to the older generation that is around us,” said Kirschner.

For information about their project, visit their website www.lordville.net in the cartography section, or email lordvillecontact@gmail.com,

Asked about future plans for his expanding artistic expression, Kheyman responded, “My goal is to have a sculpture park along the river. When you’re taking a canoe ride along the river, don’t be afraid; they’re only sculptures!”