Herstory

Anita Smith felt that an artist’s work is only as important as her understanding of life. From her early days as a budding artist she sought to dig below the surface of conventional thinking. For example, she felt that she could not paint the Catskills without knowing something of their history. Smith wanted to know why the fields were where they were and why certain fence posts were located where they were. This quest led her to speak with local farmers, to travel the land by horseback and foot and to thoroughly research local books and historical papers.

She noted that in editing Woodstock History and Hearsay she eliminated uninteresting and irrelevant details. Smith used her taste and interests to guide her editorial eye. Nothing was included through carelessness—for all elements were employed to build a picture. In addition, she noted that she purposely and emphatically tried to write from a community standpoint. By boring into the minutia of facts she gathered small details and through the aggregate of fragments built the story of Woodstock, NY.