Delaware Valley Arts Alliance Celebrates 50 Years

Nonprofit arts organization hosts gala at new Sullivan County airport terminal

Mar. 21, 2026 at 1:36pm

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The Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a gala event on May 16th at the brand-new terminal building of the Sullivan County International Airport in Swan Lake, New York. The event will feature art installations, performances, a locally-sourced menu, and a curated auction to raise funds for the organization's 50 Forward Fundraising Campaign.

Why it matters

The DVAA has played a vital role in advancing the arts in Sullivan County, New York for the past 50 years. This milestone anniversary celebration highlights the organization's longstanding commitment to supporting local artists and arts programming, as well as its plans to secure the next 50 years of arts initiatives in the region.

The details

The 50th anniversary gala will take place in the modern, floor-to-ceiling windowed terminal building of the Sullivan County International Airport, which was completed in late 2025. Guests will enjoy cocktails, art installations, live performances, a locally-sourced menu, a curated auction, and dancing under the stars. Proceeds from the event will go towards the DVAA's 50 Forward Fundraising Campaign, which will fund anniversary programming and establish an endowment to secure the organization's future.

  • The DVAA was founded 50 years ago, when Elaine Giguere and Tom DeGaetani gathered a group of residents to produce a production of 'Our Town' that appeared at the Tusten Theatre and Harmony Hall in Callicoon.
  • The 50th anniversary gala will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 5pm.
  • The new Sullivan County International Airport terminal building, which will host the gala, was completed in late 2025.

The players

Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA)

A nonprofit arts organization that serves as the arts council for Sullivan County, New York, presenting year-round programs in the visual, performing, and community arts and providing resources for artists and arts organizations throughout the region.

Ariel Shanberg

The Executive Director of the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.

Dan Hust

The Board President of the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.

Oscar Vargas

The Chef at Flavor Cult, who will be preparing the locally-sourced, seasonal menu for the 50th anniversary gala.

Thornton Wilder

The Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright whose 1938 play 'Our Town' will be performed as part of the DVAA's 50th anniversary programming.

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What they’re saying

“We have been on an incredible journey ever since Elaine Giguere and Tom DeGaetani gathered a group of residents to produce a production of Our Town that appeared at the Tusten Theatre and Harmony Hall in Callicoon.”

— Ariel Shanberg, Executive Director, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance

“Fifty years ago, a dream took flight. It was a small dream but a focused one: to gently lift local artists and their work into public view, to raise a river valley's consciousness, to free eyes, ears and minds from their earthbound restraints. Today, that dream has become far more than imagined: elevating an entire region and its economy, celebrating the soaring spirit and spectacle of art, constantly rejuvenating body and soul with the fresh air of new thought and perspective.”

— Dan Hust, Board President, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance

What’s next

A series of 50th anniversary-related events is planned for the remainder of 2026, including an expansive series of exhibitions and a community production of Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town' in the 100-year old Tusten Theatre.

The takeaway

The Delaware Valley Arts Alliance's 50th anniversary celebration highlights the organization's longstanding commitment to supporting the arts in Sullivan County, New York, and its plans to continue elevating the region's artistic spirit and creative economy for the next 50 years.