How moose inspired Cat’n Around Catskill

CATSKILL―Some are whimsical. Some are colorful. Some are downright unusual. And all of them began as a blank canvas awaiting an artist to bring them to life.

This year marks two decades since Cat’n Around Catskill has transformed the summer streets into an outdoor gallery with litters of locally sponsored cat statuettes.  

And according to the woman who started it all, the project almost didn't happen.

Cat’n Around Catskill was the brainchild of Linda Overbaugh, former executive director of the Heart of Catskill Association (HOCA) who later served as a county legislator.

The idea came to her in 2004 after a trip to Maine. On her way home, Overbaugh and her husband took a side trip to Bennington, VT, where she encountered something that immediately caught her eye.

“They were huge,” Overbaugh recalled. “They were life-sized moose statues.”

Bennington had filled its streets with enormous moose sculptures that had been decorated by artists and sponsored by local businesses.

Overbaugh began wondering whether Catskill could do something similar.

She contacted CowPainters, the Chicago-based company involved with the Bennington project that creates fiberglass animal forms.

There was only one small conundrum: Catskill doesn’t have any native moose. But CowPainters had another suggestion.

“They told me that they had cats that would be perfect for Catskill,” said Overbaugh.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

The idea was brought before the Catskill Chamber of Commerce, that agreed to get behind the project.

“When I first tried to get this off the ground a lot of people thought that I was crazy and that this wasn't going to take,” Overbaugh said.

That first year, 50 fanciful fiberglass felines made their debut in and around the village, ultimately raising around $95,000.

That money comes from the annual Cats Meow Auction, where feline lovers bid thousands to get their claws on a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

This year's auction, held Saturday, September 19 at the Historic Catskill Point, brought out an estimated 350 people. HOCA raised $136,000 through the auction alone—a figure that approached $140,000 when merchandise sales were included.

“It was a success,” said Tina Annese, chair of HOCA’s Cat Committee.

The event had a particularly lively atmosphere, bolstered by auctioneer extraordinaire Angela Lanuto.

Annese described it as the most fun the committee has ever had at an auction, with bidders interacting with one another throughout the afternoon while still remaining competitive when it came time to put their money up.

“There was a lot of laughter,” she said.

Annese had hoped the anniversary auction might reach $250,000 in honor of the nation’s Semiquincentennial. And while the final number fell short of that ambitious goal, the auction nevertheless proved just how much enthusiasm Cat’n Around Catskill continues to generate 20 years after its creation.

As for the cats, now off to their forever homes, they aren't all staying in Catskill.

According to Annese, people from around the country have become interested in purchasing the now-famous felines, with sculptures being shipped to places as far away as Florida, Illinois and California.

Some buyers aren't simply looking for a decoration for their homes or businesses―they're looking for a particular artist.

“There are people who show up to these auctions specifically because they are fans of the artists and purchase their cats to collect and keep as if they were sets,” Overbaugh said.

Over the years, certain artists have developed especially dedicated followers.

The late Jim Cramer, a plein air landscape artist from Greene County, was one such talent. His sculptures could generate fierce competition at auction, with collectors driving up the price simply because they wanted to own another Cramer cat.

**And this year's auction had a particularly dramatic finale. Forest Feline, by artist Meryl Learnihan and sponsored by Lenora Freese LMT PLLC, sold for $7,800, delivering a climactic finish to the day's bidding.

In profound appreciation for the work done by artists, they receive a 30% share of the gross amount that their cat brings in at auction. Net proceeds are then divided among local non-profit organizations, animal welfare groups, food pantries, scholarships, and to HOCA for future projects that promote Catskill.

And what started with cats in Catskill has inspired communities throughout the region to develop their own public art traditions featuring their hometown mascots. Cairo has bears. Greenville has ducks. Coxsackie has owls.

When asked how she feels about seeing the idea spread to neighboring communities from Saugerties to Saratoga, Overbaugh had a simple response.

“I like it, I think it's great,” she said.

For visitors, who come from around the world, the sculptures turn a walk through downtown into something of a scavenger hunt. For businesses, they provide an unusual piece of eye-catching art right outside their doors, helping drive both tourism and economic development. And for artists, each sculpture represents a large, three-dimensional canvas that can be―and has been―transformed into virtually anything.

In 20 years, there have been a total of 1,113 cats, Annese noted. And while she estimates that maybe six of those statues have had duplicate themes, each and every cat is unique.

“So many people come to our town to see these every single year,” said Overbaugh. “And now here we are, 20 years and close to $2 million later.”