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CULTURALLY
SPEAKING
By Cornelia Seckel
ART TIMES July/August 2006
In
1984 when we began ART TIMES, the
decision to publish a monthly journal that would be a resource and provide
commentary for the fine and performing arts was made in May of that year
with the first issue in print by July 15. We called it an August issue
and have been celebrating August as an anniversary month. As we begin
our 23rd year and 244th issue, we have decided to
combine the July and August issues and now print 10 issues each year (continuing
our practice of combining January and February). This of course allows
us to do different kinds of travels, to spend more time in the garden
and to get to all the projects that pile up waiting for that “in-between
issues” time. I expect to add to my Culturally Speaking Column during
July to fill you in on various new venues and report on my “out and abouting”.
For those of you who missed this deadline and have an event for the calendar,
send me an email and for a small service charge I will add it to the online
calendar. This is also true for the opportunity listings, as well as any
other advertising you may need.
I
stopped in at Lotus Fine Art & Design on Rock City Road in
Woodstock, NY. Jaime & Doug Barthel have done a phenomenal job of creating a beautiful space to show work
by a number of highly skilled artists. There are several spaces of varying
sizes for showing both gallery and featured artists. I enjoyed browsing
the several rooms and exploring the original paintings, sculpture, painted
glass, home furnishings, jewelry, pottery, and prints spread around this
building that in itself is interesting. Originally a bar called the Brass
Rail, it was the favorite watering hole for such Woodstock
personalities as Philip Guston and his pal, Philip Roth.
The featured artist of today was Barbara Green, and the opening
was very well attended. The excellent pastels shown were mostly of clowns
in various stages of preparation for “going on”. For more information
about the gallery or to inquire about the extensive framing that they
do: www.lotuswoodstock.com • I visited
another gallery in New York’s Ulster County (Stone Ridge), the Design
Principles Frame Shop & Gallery owned by Dianne
Paulson who also has another shop where she does large scale-framing
for a variety of clients. It was always her hope to open a gallery and
now she has realized this, her heart’s work. The current featured artist
is photographer Jim Smith whose portraits of fathers and their
babies are prominently hung among the work in the gallery. These portraits
are included in Jim’s most current book Fathers: A Celebration,
published by St. Martin’s Press. The black and white portraits
are powerful, strong, and tender. Also on view were his nature photographs,
and they are gorgeous. Jim crosses from commercial work to his own fine
art photography and does so with apparent ease. Take a look at his photographs
at the gallery or online at jimsmithphotography.com. Also included in
the gallery are several works by artists and craftspeople whose work is
featured at other times of the year. I liked the layout of the gallery,
little nooks and sections for art, jewelry, fine crafts, stained glass,
handcrafted furniture, sculpture, pottery, and hand-painted silk scarves.
Both of these fine galleries are great assets to the art offerings in
the Hudson Valley.
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I went to the 6th Annual Garnerville
Arts & Industrial Center’s GAGA Arts Festival, a two-day event
with open artist studios, exhibitions, music, dance, poetry readings,
demonstrations, and films. Featured this year was the exhibition “Once
a Tree”, an All Wood Furniture and Sculpture show that had
a first prize of $1,000 awarded
to Woody Phifer of Phifer Designs, a luthier (custom guitar builder),
Garnerville, NY; 2nd prize ($600 worth of assorted Sutherland Welles,
Ltd.'s fine tung oils) went to Scott Grove of Rochester, NY; 3rd
prize ($300 value of tung oil collection) went to Rob Levy of Hudson
River Woodworks, Garnerville, NY. What a good
exhibition. Beautifully crafted sculpture and furniture filled this huge
loft space. There were several programs during the two days related to
the exhibition for both children and adults. In 1797 this industrial
complex began with the first building constructed to take advantage of
the power generated by the Minisceongo Creek Falls. In 1828 the Calico
Printing Factory was established and by the 1840's this well-established
textile mill became the largest employer in the area, reported to have
generated nearly 11 million yards of cloth per year, enough to furnish
1,178,666 women with a dress apiece. In the 1860's Civil War uniforms
were manufactured for the North. From the 1980's—1990's, economics
forced the textile tenants to leave; taking their place were light manufacturing
and warehouse businesses and from the1990's to the present there has been
a great influx of artists and artisans that work side by side with long-term
existing manufacturing and warehouse companies. I admire the vision that
Robin Rosenberg had in refocusing this huge industrial complex.
The Festival is always fun; there are so many artists and craftspeople
to visit, work to see and explore. The Garnerville Arts Project Gallery,
GAGA, hosts informal monthly gatherings for artists and all those
who are interested in the arts. The gatherings provide an opportunity
to share ideas concerning a multitude of arts-related topics, including
collaborative art projects — and they often include entertainment.
For more information and to learn about space: www.garnervillearts.com or call (845) 947-7108.
 6th Annual Garnerville Arts & Industrial Center's Arts Festival at Garnerville Arts & Industrial Center, Garnerville, NY |
I
hadn’t heard the term “Vinarelli” until Eric Angeloch, Director
of the Woodstock School of Art, mentioned Adam Weiss and
a project he was heading up. The Vinarelli is
an Umbrian Festival held annually at harvest time in the hilltop
village of Torgiano, Italy. Adam Weiss told me that in 2005 he
was fortunate enough to be asked to participate as a painter in Vinarelli.
When he returned to the US, and Woodstock, he thought about starting a
tradition of food, art and wine that would also benefit the Woodstock
School of Art. The highlight of this festive evening is when artists (and
anyone else who wants to paint) take out their brushes and paints and,
using wine instead of water, begin to apply the watercolor pigment to
paper. I imagine sips of wine will be had along the way. A regional vineyard,
Millbrook Winery, has created a Vinarelli label for the event,
CIA instructor Chef Gianni Scappin will create a memorable
dinner, Winsor & Newton has generously donated paper, brushes,
watercolor palettes, and paint for all who don’t bring their own supplies
(like me), and renowned artist Milton Glaser will have created
a commemorative poster which will be on sale. A live auction of watercolor
paintings done during the evening by 25 well-known Hudson Valley painters
will round off the Vinarelli. What a fun event! Sign up by calling the
school at 845-679-2388 or email wsart@earthlink.net. See you there!
 Rory James Kelly (foreground left) John Michalski (foreground right) Greg Schmalbach (background) Photo: Paul Cowell, Mirror Eyes Photo |
It
has been a while, I’m sorry to say, since I saw a production at Shadowland
Theatre, a restored 1920’s Art Deco vaudeville/movie house that has
been converted into a very comfortable 148-seat professional (actors equity)
theater in Ellenville, NY. My regret is that I enjoy theater and have
been missing out on some fabulous productions in the past years by not
getting there—it’s so annoying not to be everywhere I want to be.
The Drawer Boy, written
by Michael Healey, a 40ish-year-old Canadian (this is his 2nd play), was
directed by Brendan Burke, who is also the artistic Director of
Shadowland. What an excellent production. A moving play, terrific actors,
an exemplary set — I was clearly amongst fine professionals both
on and behind stage. In part, it is a story of how a play came to be written
and a story about friendship. A young actor who is a member of a theater
collective comes to a farm wanting to explore farmers and farm life in
order to create their play. Miles (Greg Schmalbach) takes up residence
with Morgan (John Michalski) and his friend Angus (Rory
James Kelly). Friends from childhood, Morgan takes care of Angus who
was injured in the War and seems to be an idiot savant. There is a powerful
connection between the two men and a secret story that they hold and this,
plus the antics of city-born, college boy Miles who is attempting to have
a first hand experience at farming, made for an excellent play. The story
unfolds, the characters reveal themselves, the play captured me completely
as I laughed and cried. It has been a long time since I saw such fine
acting and such a powerful play. Originally slated for off-Broadway in
NYC, funding was pulled and Brandon, who had been trying to get the rights,
finally got his chance to produce this play and what a great job he did
and we are fortunate to enjoy the fruits of his efforts. The Drawer
Boy will be on until July 9 followed by My Way: A Musical Tribute
to Frank Sinatra from July 14-Aug 6; Lend me a Tenor Aug 11-Sept 3; The Good German
from Sept 8- Sept 24. Shadowland has a “pay what you can” policy that
is available at the box office at the time of the play. Don’t count on
it as most of the plays are selling out (as they did last year) so call
for reservations: 845-647-5511. I had a chance to chat with each of the
three actors after the production, and all three were very pleased with
the show and the theater. Ellenville is 90 miles from NYC. Take a ride,
spend the weekend, or go for a Sunday Matinee and dinner at one of the
restaurants in town and return home the same day. Also in Ellenville,
there will be 10 new gallery spaces, courtesy of the Artists in the
Windows of Ellenville (AWE) juried exhibit July 1-31. Artists will
be chosen to show their work in storefront exhibition spaces throughout
town. When heading to Ellenville,
check out Cragsmoor, a village
near the Shawangunk Mountains in Ulster County, New York, that began its
distinguished history as an American art colony in the early 1870s. Call
888-490-9749 for more information about arts activities in Cragsmoor.
We’ve
heard from a few new galleries in the region: Barbara Esmark of
Be Gallery Fine Art and Collector's Items wrote and said that opening
a gallery has been something she’s had in her mind for a long time. After
a number of years away she and her husband returned to the area in 2001
with the idea of opening a gallery and art center of some kind. Be Gallery
has two large spaces: one will house one-person shows, and the other house
works that will change weekly and include artwork, collector's items,
and other objects of interest. The gallery, located in the center of High
Falls, NY, will open on July 1 with a show of Judith Hoyt’s paintings,
sculpture, & jewelry. Barbara said that she would like people
to feel that BE Gallery is also like a museum — they don't have
to buy to enjoy looking and enjoy the visual experiences she hopes to
provide. Art enriches us but galleries are sometimes intimidating. She
will be showing her own work but her real goal is to promote the artists
in the Gallery, and Be Gallery itself. For more information call 845-687-0660
• Mery Rosado has purchased Mezzaluna, a restaurant
located between Woodstock and Saugerties, and here she will not only offer
a fabulous fare for breakfast and lunch (I stopped in and got a taste
of chocolate chip strawberry pancakes, yum!) but also show work from artists
who live and work in close proximity to the gallery. There is a large
room in the rear of the building where she expects to have group exhibits.
There will be live music during Sunday Brunch featuring Jules &
Rick and Baby Rick and Benjamin. Call 845-246-5306 for more
information.
Well,
that’s it for this issue. There are so many wonderful possibilities this
summer for enjoying (and sometimes free) music, theater, art & craft
festivals, and dance. Explore and enjoy what the summer has to offer —
I know I will.