LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Jeanne Fleming upon the occasion of her
designation as recipient of the Service Above Self Award by the Rotary
Club of Rhinebeck on Monday, May 12, 2014

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities of New York State are
reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those who distin-
guish themselves in their profession and in service to their community;
and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Jeanne Fleming upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the
Service Above Self Award by the Rotary Club of Rhinebeck to be cele-
brated on Monday, May 12, 2014, at the Rhinecliff Hotel in Rhinecliff,
New York; and
WHEREAS, Rotary International is dedicated to the development of
fellowship and understanding among business and professional leaders,
the promotion of community-betterment endeavors and of high standards in
business and professional practices, and the advancement of interna-
tional understanding, goodwill and peace; and
WHEREAS, Each year the Rotary Club of Rhinebeck proudly honors indi-
viduals who exemplify those principles with the Service Above Self
Award; and
WHEREAS, Celebration artist and producer Jeanne Fleming and her compa-
ny Wonderworks have designed and produced groundbreaking programs and
festivals locally, nationally and internationally for over 40 years,
working with thousands of performers, visual artists, architects, busi-
ness, government and community people; and
WHEREAS, Jeanne Fleming is best known in New York City for designing
and producing the Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village since 1982, as
well as the 1986 Harbor Festival which is the official centennial cele-
bration of the Statue of Liberty, the largest event ever held in the
United States - the 42nd St River to River Festival, Halloweek, and the
1984-85 Independence Day celebrations; and
WHEREAS, Jeanne Fleming came to the Hudson Valley at 17 and has
applied her world-class talents to Rhinebeck's celebrations, most nota-
ble to Sinterklaas, which THE NEW YORKER called "the most beautiful
holiday celebration we have ever seen"; and
WHEREAS, In the 1980s, Jeanne Fleming created the magical project,
then called Old Dutch Christmas in Rhinebeck stating, "The first place I
approached was The Rotary"; and
WHEREAS, After a hiatus, Jeanne Fleming brought the celebration back
to Sinterklaas in 2008; this seminal town event includes her signature
giant puppets, the Children's Starlight Parade, a Children's Maritime
Parade, a Tug Boat river crossing and many related offerings on both
sides of the Hudson River, brining Rhinebeck and Kingston together in a
creative, joyful way; and
WHEREAS, Jeanne Fleming calls Rhinebeck "the perfect petri dish to do
this kind of work; the community is both old and new, interested in
traditions, diverse, self-aware, a wonderful mix of people, with the
resources and will to create something original and meaningful"; and
WHEREAS, Jeanne Fleming also created a month-long celebration event
for the Town of Rhinebeck's 300th Anniversary in 1988, and an award-win-
ning Arts in Education program in the Rhinebeck Central School District
funded by the New York State Council on the Arts involving multi-disci-
plinary arts and Native American culture; and

WHEREAS, At 25, after graduating from Bard with a degree in Medieval
Studies and graduate work at SUNY New Paltz, Jeanne Fleming began her
career with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to create
and direct the first regional cooperative arts program in the country,
involving 30 Mid-Hudson colleges; and
WHEREAS, Jeanne Fleming has also presented a tribute to the historic
Rokeby Estate in Barrytown, New York, and on Millennium Eve, an original
24 hour Meditation Labyrinth entitled Portal 2000 for the entire Hudson
Valley community; and
WHEREAS, In 2009, she designed and produced Walking On Air for the
grand opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson, and, in 2011, she created
and produced a Barge Tour for Our Hudson, and has lectured at Bard
College, the Omega Institute, and at Rhinebeck High School for the Gift-
ed Students Program; and
WHEREAS, Jeanne Fleming is recognized as one of America's Top 500
Craftspeople, has given the keynote address at the Henson International
Puppetry Festival and has had her work featured in numerous publica-
tions, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution,
and in a profile in the THE NEW YORK TIMES; and
WHEREAS, Known for her astute awareness of technical, budgetary, and
fundraising matters, Jeanne Fleming acts as a consultant to arts coun-
cils, not-for-profits, schools and municipalities, considering her work,
"her vocation and her passion" while living in Red Hook with her
husband, Harlan Matthews, and her son, Jordan; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Jeanne Fleming upon the occasion of her designation as recipient
of the Service Above Self Award by the Rotary Club of Rhinebeck on
Monday, May 12, 2014; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of the Resolution, suitably engrossed, be trans-
mitted to Jeanne Fleming.