Silver Salute - 25 years

SILVER SALUTE

Though 100's have volunteered over its 25 year history, rarely has the Canal Celebration Committee had the opportunity to recognize by name some of those who have served behind the scenes for many years. As we move into this our Silver Anniversary, we would like to honor two individuals who have contributed immeasurably to the visual aspects of the yearly Canal Celebration. Without the artistry and creativity of Gordon Ackerman & Robert Willman there would have not been the wide array of colorfully designed Celebration Logos and T-shirts.
Uniquely, our logos are new each year. These are used not only for the T-shirt design but the logo theme is carried through to all our advertising and publicity for that summer. This has most particularly made Celebration T-shirts very popular with many collecting them over the years as never to be forgotten memorabilia.
You can view this amazing uniqueness all summer long at the Little Falls Historical Society's Museum where they have on display all of the logo's used on our souvenir booklets and a quilt which was made from many of the actual t-shirts.
- Gary VanVechten




	14th Annual Canal Celebretion 2001 by Bob Willman	13th Annual Canal Celebration 2000 by Bob Willman

Robert Willman is a talented and well respected area artist especially known for his original water color paintings and pen and ink drawings. About 12 years ago, about the time the first Canal Celebration Summer souvenir booklet came out, Willman's talents were sought by the Celebration Committee to bring fresh new ideas to the yearly styling of our festival's logo's. In past years, we'd relied on old wood cuts and photos all of them appealing but not quite striking the right chord. The Committee thought that Willman's touch using his original paintings and pen and ink drawings would be just the right approach. Much of Willman's work he designed himself and a good deal of it, produced along with Gordon Ackerman, led to some very striking T-shirt designs.
Willman is also the person who for the past 10 years has produced the black and white image for the Little Falls Post Office cancellation stamp that has become a big collectors item. And as the Canal Celebration hits its 25 th Anniversary this summer, Robert Willman will be a Judge for the Mohawk Valley Center For the Arts Regional Canal Celebration Art Exhibition. The works he and the Center's other judges select will be on display at the Art Center in Canal Place through September.

Gordon Ackerman began his own screen printing business ( G.A.S.P. – G ordon A ckerman S creen P rinting) in 1987, the year before the first Canal Celebration, so it was good timing for both parties. When he was approached about printing shirts for the celebration, neither the committee nor Ackerman knew what to expect. But the people of Little Falls and all its 1000's of yearly visitors responded well to the idea of the Celebration and were eager to wear and collect these shirts.” said Ackerman. Over the years he has also printed shirts for The Freedom Run, Paddles Along the Erie, The Canal Classic, Double Dog Dare, The Main Street Mile, and The Waiters' Race.
He started this business so he could be home more with his family and utilize the art, design, and printing skills he had learned over a couple decades. His wife, Gina and their two sons, Bryon & Ben, all helped with the business operation over the years. From stacking and folding shirts, to giving Gordon ideas for drawings, placing orders, bookkeeping, they all pitched in to produce a product of the highest quality. Whether they were his designs or the designs of other artists, the family always looked forward to walking around Little Falls during the Canal Celebration and seeing the many shirts printed at G.A.S.P.
Ackerman said “The Canal Celebration is an event his sons grew up with and, as adults, still look forward to every year. It has provided him with work and a yearly chance for all of us to reconnect with friends and family. It was, and still is 25 years later, a great idea.”