The Broome County Art Trail, an annual countywide showcase for both amateur and professional artists, had its fourth installment this past weekend.

The Broome County Art Trail is managed by the Broome County Arts Council (BCAC) and contains 31 stops spread out between Binghamton, Vestal, Johnson City, Maine and Whitney Point. It featured a variety of live music performances and art exhibitions, ranging from aluminum can sculpture to jazz. Though its selection is broad, the Broome County Art Trail offers local artists an opportunity to promote their work, connect with like-minded creators, try their hand at exhibiting or any combination of the three.

Linda Ciallelo, a member of Collaborative Gallery 213 and a seasoned participant in the Broome County Art Trail, spoke about being able to advertise her realist paintings to a wider audience — and her overall journey as an artist. As a lifelong painter, Ciallelo spent time illustrating children’s books under a pseudonym, before moving back to Binghamton and starting a career as a bus driver. Now that she’s retired, however, participating in the gallery’s events, such as the Broome County Art Trail, provided her with an opportunity to spread the word about her award-winning work and reenter the New York art scene.

“I’m working my way back up,” Ciallelo said. “I’ve always painted, but I’ve never exhibited, so now I’m promoting myself.”

Natalie Shoemaker, a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) artist, praised the Broome County Art Trail for being inviting to first-time participants and veterans alike.

“I’m very pleasantly surprised at how much this community supports artists, how you can be a beginner just starting out and there’s a low barrier to entry, and you can be a professional and still find your network here,” Shoemaker said. “The [Broome County Art Trail] is this really great opportunity for somebody like me, who’s kind of unsure if I want to make this a thing, to test it out and see how it feels.”

Another site in Binghamton was the Orazio Salati Studio & Gallery on 204 State St. Artists featured at this stop included Cindy Henry, Fern Pritikin Lynn, Marlene Wahila and Sardar Kestay. The owner of the gallery, Orazio Salati, immigrated to the United States from Arnara, Italy in 1955. Salati primarily does painting in different types of styles, paints and sizes. The works of Henry showed off fiber and mixed media art, displaying figures of chairs and people. Lynn’s art consisted of Raku and functional pottery with cool, contrasting colors.

Aside from supporting artists, community engagement was also a key element of the Broome County Art Trail, as evidenced in its placement of stops — with many being placed in points of interest like the Phelps Mansion Museum and Muckles!, the Binghamton apparel store. Each stop was also clearly pointed out, with street signs advertising nearby sites and arrows directing people to each exhibition.

For Shawn Graham, an abstract aluminum can sculptor whose pieces provided an environmentally friendly alternative to ant hill casting, being able to engage with the public as they react to and interpret his work was a highlight exhibiting.

“[My favorite part is] people that talk about what they see in the shapes,” Graham said. “It’s a very interpretive thing.”

Although the Broome County Art Trail concluded on Oct. 2, there are still opportunities to engage with Broome County’s art community, such as the First Friday Art Walk, which occurs on the first Friday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. — with the next scheduled for Oct. 7.