Joanne Pagano Weber wanted to capture the spirit of her community—and make it visible for everyone.
Inspired early in her career by the intersection of art and literature, and influenced by local poets—including her husband, Bruce Weber—she discovered a way to portray the heart of Saugerties through portraits.
Now, Weber’s project of life-sized portraits displayed in storefronts across Saugerties has brought together art, poetry, and community engagement. Her work not only celebrates local faces but also highlights the town’s creative identity during National Poetry Month.
Weber’s community portrait series began when she entered the Susana Myer Creative Arts Award, sponsored by Shout Out Saugerties. Although she didn’t win first place, she received an honorarium covering her art supplies, enabling the project to move forward. Sketchpad in hand, she began walking the streets of Saugerties, striking up conversations and sketching people she met.
“I had this idea way back,” Weber said. “I even thought of it while I lived in Williamsburg in the ’90s. I thought it would be so cool to do portraits of the people where I live. I would call it ‘Portraits of Williamsburg’ or ‘Portraits of the North Side’ or something like that. I just never did—it never came together.”
Weber and her husband bought a house in Saugerties in 2006, spending weekends hiking and enjoying the region until making the move permanent in 2020. Before relocating, Weber spent more than 20 years as a textile designer in New York City before transitioning into teaching. Throughout her career, she remained closely tied to the poetry community, organizing events in the city—a tradition she continues in Saugerties.
In 2017, Weber began working with cardboard, a medium she had never used for portraits, while creating sets for her husband’s annual New Year’s Day poetry marathon. This experimentation evolved into her current artistic process.
For this project, Weber started by photographing community members around town. Using black acrylic paint, she traced their forms onto cardboard, layering in details with charcoal to highlight the uniqueness of each face.
Some portraits feature people alongside their pets or holding pieces of art. Altogether, Weber created 25 distinct works, first exhibited in 2023 at the Jane Art Center. This April, in celebration of National Poetry Month, 23 of the portraits are displayed in storefronts throughout downtown Saugerties.
“I had to understand the unique forms of every human being—the faces of people,” Weber said. “There was an endless abundance of form and creation that came from this project. I was studying them so closely, I was falling in love.”
Her subjects include local cashiers, business owners, artists, a pastor, an active-duty soldier—even New York Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, who represents New York’s 103rd Assembly District. Weber met each person organically, whether through local shops or simply by crossing paths on the sidewalk.
“This project defied my preconceptions—it challenged me,” she said.
Weber hopes to expand the series in the future, potentially incorporating children and transforming it into a more interactive installation. Her goal remains consistent: to reflect the vibrancy and individuality of the town she loves. Through art and poetry, she’s bringing that vision to life.
Olivia Sippel is a contributing reporter. Send correspondence to reporting@theoverlooknews.com.
