By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
Each summer, thousands of individuals compete at the New York State Fair in categories ranging from arts and crafts and cooking, to cattle, antique tractors and agriculture.
This year, Cazenovia residents Elizabeth Koennecke, Cindy Bell Tobey, Sarah Peckham Sack and Beth Duffy showed off their talents in the Fair’s Artistic Design Flower Shows.
All four members of the Belle S. Woods Memorial Garden Club were awarded for their table-settings.
The overall theme of the 2019 artistic design shows was “Performing Arts in New York State.”
The Cazenovia residents participated in the first two of the three shows.
“We choose not to compete against each other,” Sack said. “We think that’s important.”
Show One (Aug. 22) – “Broadway Bound” results
The Belle S. Woods Memorial Garden Club (led by Duffy) won first place in Class 1, “That’s a Wrap – Cast Party”
Bell Tobey won second place in Class 2, “Elphaba Vs. Galinda – Wicked”
Peckham Sack won third place in Class 3, “Dinner with Tony – Awards After Party”
Koennecke won fourth place in Class 4, “Between Scenes – Intermission”
Show Two (Aug. 26) – “Beyond Broadway” results
Duffy won first place and the Table Artistry Award in Class 7, “Gathering of Clans” – Finger Lakes Celtic Fest
Koennecke won third place in Class 8, “As You Like It” – Bard Fest in Buffalo.
Bell Tobey won second place in Class 9, “The Bluenote” – Saratoga Jazz Festival
Sack did not compete in Show Two
In Class 1, the group competed against garden clubs from across the state to create a table setting based on a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.
Duffy led her team in the creation and setup of the club’s first place “My Fair Lady”-themed table.
“I came up with some ideas, and they came over to my house and said ‘there’s too much glass, you need this, you need that,’” Duffy said. “They changed it all up and they were right. It was a real team effort. We shared a lot of materials [and ideas] back and forth.”
Bell Tobey and Koennecke founded the Belle S. Woods Memorial Garden Club in 2013 with the intention of competing at the fair.
“Cindy and I were biking and talking about what we like at the fair,” Koennecke said. “Simultaneously, we said, ‘I like the table settings.’ So we said, ‘let’s try it.’”
Sack joined the pair soon after, and Duffy was accepted in 2018.
“It’s a lot of work,” Duffy said. “It’s really a lot of fun, but I think people would be surprised how much work it really is.”
The competitors typically start preparing for the event in June, as soon as the theme and classes are announced.
According to Koennecke, the preparation begins with an initial meeting, during which the members select their classes.
During the next meeting, the club reviews the official “Handbook for Flower Shows” to figure out the specific rules of each class.
All competitors must adhere to a set of strict guidelines.
“If it’s called ‘American tradition,’ that’s a certain type of setting, and if it’s called ‘contemporary,’ that’s a certain type of setting,” Bell Tobey said. “Every single word in the rules means something. There are a ton of different definitions that you have to learn.”
By the end of July, the competitors begin creating mock-ups of their designs and meeting on a weekly basis.
“Sarah makes most of her own glassware, so she starts that process [early on,]” Bell Tobey said. “She’s very talented.”
Using glass-fusing techniques, Sack created a number of custom pieces for this year’s competition, including vases, plates, votive holders and a special piano plate for Bell Tobey’s jazz-themed table setting.
“I get a little driven by the glass,” Sack said. “I love to work with glass and I try to pick [classes] where I know I can maybe do something with glass.”
After the club members share their ideas with the group, they start collecting materials for their displays.
According to Bell Tobey, the teammates regularly visit each other’s mock-ups, offer critiques, and share materials that they think might enhance a design.
Once installed in the Horticulture Building, submissions are judged based on their adherence to the class guidelines and based on the judges’ personal aesthetics.
Rather than get caught up in the judges’ determinations, the Belle S. Woods Memorial Garden Club members make a concerted effort to focus on the fun they have preparing for the events.
“I think what I’ve enjoyed most about [the competition] is that you keep learning,” Duffy said. “You learn about the different themes and rules that you have to research . . . and about all of the different flowers and what goes with what.”
For Koennecke, the competition is a welcome distraction from the stresses of her demanding job.
“For the months of July and August, I get to think about flowers — what colors they should be and where I should put this or that,” she said. “It’s a delightful distraction . . . I get to do design and think about fabrics and colors.”
According to Bell Tobey, one of the best aspects of the competition is the experience of watching a design transform from an idea into a reality.
She also appreciates the fact that their creations have the potential to inspire awe in viewers.
“The other day . . . a couple came up and they were looking at my [table setting] . . . they were just amazed that I could do [something like that],” Bell Tobey said. “It made me feel really good.”
To learn more about the New York State Fair competitions, visit nysfair.ny.gov/competitions.
