NORWICH – The Chenango County Historical Society is in the midst of planning its annual summertime event, this year centered around the Chenango Canal and the rich history of folk art in the area.

The excitement kicks-off from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 4 at the CCHS museum on 45 Rexford St. in Norwich, with a special canal exhibit dedication at 2 p.m.

“There’s a lot more activity at the museum this year than in the past,” said CCHS Director Alan Estus, citing efforts of Meghan Molloy, curator, and educator Sarah Mahan. “Each year, our summer event is growing and getting better and we keep finding low-cost or no-cost activities that are family oriented and educational for everyone.”

For nearly a year, CCHS volunteers have worked to refurbish a storage building out in back of the Chenango County Historical Society building, making necessary repairs and alterations to convert the building into a new permanent museum exhibit to house the organization’s canal boat replica – named the Lilly – and highlight the heritage of the Chenango Canal and the path it made through the county.

For months, the non-profit organization has been working with Golden Artist Colors of New Berlin, local artist and educator Tina Thorp, and art students from the Greene, Oxford, Norwich, Holy Family, Bainbridge-Guilford and Sherburne-Earlville schools in a collaborative effort to educate students of how the canal impacted their hometowns and create murals depicting the canal as it went through each town. CCHS used $3,300 in funding awarded through the New York State Local Capacity Building Grant and an additional $1,800 from the Decentralization Grant, administered through the Chenango County Council of the Arts, to help in the process. Murals were made possible thanks to donated art supplies from Golden Artist Colors.