PBS broadcasting a night of Art & Architecture tonight

Imagining America: Icons of 20th Century American Art

Channel 13 WNET

Wednesday, December 28, 9:00pm
Saturday, December 31, 2:00pm

"This documentary explores the work of Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, and other notable American artists in the context of the cultural and social transformations that helped define 20th century America. Through the work, ideas and lives of more than 50 leading artists and scholars, the program explores the qualities that make our art and culture distinctly American. (Closed Captioning) (Stereo)"
NYTimes review
Related: Edward Winkleman on Peter Goddard's review of documentary in the Toronto Star..

Tonight at 11pm, after Imagining America, Charlie Rose will be speaking with Jed Perl, Author of New Art City, and NYTimes achitecture critic, Nicolai Ouroussoff.

Tag Sale at Spire Studios

Sat 1/28 - Sun 1/29 11 -5 pm
45 Beekman St 2nd flr.
Shop in comfort - indoors
Click here for a map & directions
Spire Studios will be hosting a two day, multi family tag sale. A percentage of the sales will go toward keeping the artists of Spire warm this winter.
This list of sales items will be added to througout the coming week.

Fiesta ware
Royal Worcester China
Glassware
Cutlery, Utensils
Misc Kitch/restaurant items
Braun Hand Mixer
Coffee maker
Electric burners
George Forman Grill
Hardwar
Tools
Artist paints - assorted colors
Clothing - mens, women's, children's
dress shoes
Children's stuff- Car seats, child carrier, toys, beanie babies
Books
VHS / DVD Movies, incl. children's movies
Handmade ceramics
Vintage suitcases (2)
Household items -
Decorative accessories - figurines, brass candle holders
Antique-style floor lamp
Antique table lamp
Rocking Chair
Linens, Blankets
1 pair of Salomon Skis
Camping mat
Misc electronic equipment, printers. Dell 720 photo printer, like new

bau ornament drive for Vassar Hospital

Angelika Rinnhofer and Jennifer Mackewiecz hosted an ornament party and potluck at bau on Friday, Dec 16. People really came out, brought loads of unique ornaments, and gifts for patients in the Children's Ward at Vassar Hospital.







The next morning, Angelika, Jennifer, and Vivian Altman brought the ornaments, gifts, and the christmas tree provided by Adams Fair Acre Farm over to the hospital in Poughkeepsie.

Angelika said that the nurses were anxious to see the tree and decorations, and that it really was worth the wait.

Angelika and Jennifer both thank everyone that came out to enjoy the company of each other, and share some light and spirit with the children at Vassar Hospital.

Season's Greetings from Flying Swine Theater Company

Happy Holidays!
Many thanks to all who participated in any way shape or form on THE PITCHMEN. For you that couldn't make it, not to worry! There's more where that came from! Here's to a very exciting, very THEATRICAL new year!

Donald Kimmel
Artistic Director
FLYING SWINE
flyingswine@earthlink.net

Images from Spire Studios Art Auction, Dec 10

The total tally has yet to be made, but by all accounts, the art auction at Spire Studios was a success. Some images from the event:

Judy Lombardi, Executive Director of Grace Smith House, speaking about the mission, and activities of the organization.

Todd Spire, Event Co-Organizer and Benjamin Krevolin, Director of the Dutchess County Arts Council.

PumpkinHead Mendes speaking with Molly.

Todd Spire predicting the result of Alexis Elton's next growth spurt.

Event Co-Organizer, Kathy Feighery letting loose in the after event dance party in Jeff Caramagna's studio

Other images of the auction, photographed by Angelika Rinnhofer are at Grace Smith House's website.

Goings on and on

My last post not withstanding, this weekend has a lot going on. I have posted about a couple of them already, but to save space, I'm giving a quick run down.

It looks like there are openings at every single gallery in town this Saturday. I don't know specifics on them all, but you can visit baca's website. They have a complete listing. The event at Zahra's studio sounds like it should be a trip for sure. bau is going through the change, and the bau 12 exhibit opens featuring all 12 ongoing and outgoing members. Para/site has an opening for an exhibit that I'm anxious to see. There is a new photography gallery called Exposures that will have it's grand opening on Saturday.

Of course, Spire is having its Open Studio and Art Auction. There are nearly 100 pieces generously donated from artists from near and not so near. The offering looks good.

World's End Books will be hosting a book release party at 5 pm for Kazim Ali's second book, The Far Mosque. At 8 pm, Kazim will be hosting a fundraiser for the Hidaya Foundation at Chthonic Clash Coffee House, 418 Main St. Indian Classicla Vocalists Sheetal Karhade and Suhas Joshi will be performing.

On Sunday, Artist Curry Mendes will be hosting an open studio from 12 to 6. Info is in a previous post below. (It's late, and I'm too lazy to insert many links.)

Also on Sunday, in Peekskill, HVCCA will be hosting a Free Arts Day with free admission day featuring a video presentations by Sara Greenburer Rafferty, and Kate Gilmore. There will also be a musical performance at 4pm.

Back in Beacon at 6 pm, bau will be kicking off it's "take a bau" performance series on the 1st & 2nd Sundays with a solo performance by Marvin Bugalu Smith.

And if all that is not enough, some of us at Spire will be watching 2 episodes of Art 21 Season 3, at 7pm. Everyone is invited to hang out with us in our studio living room.

That's all.

Beacon's quiet nightlife explained?

This item came to my attention via Edward Winkleman's blog. With so many artists in Beacon, and not a whole lot to do in the evening, it's been easy to assume they've all been working late in their studios, but there could be other reasons for artists staying in.. This past Sunday, the NY Times ran a story about a recent survey, the results of which say that while the average individual reports 3 sexual partners in their past, the average artist claims 4 to 10. Be sure to check out the comments on Edward's site; they are an interesting and vital part of his blog.

Charlotte Schulz @ Para/site Opens Dec 10

ParaSite @ The Iron Fish Trading Company Presents:

Charlotte Schulz
Object Lesson: Drawings & Notebooks
Dec 10th - Jan 28th, 2006

Opening Reception Saturday December 10th, 5 - 8pm.
*Music provided by Mr. Roboto.

Please join me for the opening of "Object Lesson: Drawings & Notebooks" by Beacon based artist Charlotte Schulz. On display will be drawings, books, sketchbook pages, photographic references and notebooks the makes evident the complex vocabulary and process that lie behind Schulz beautifully rendered drawings.

Schulz drawings begin with words; seeds of ideas discovered in books and then translated into pictures. From this initial idea, a story develops that weaves these written ideas together with her own thoughts and feelings. Events, memories, transformations, and insights are all set down. Through the careful blending of charcoal and delicate erasure, Schulz knits together diverse images and spaces selected from photographic and art historical references. Evolving into a complex web of vignettes that merge into one another or dissolve into white. A world is created where a plane flies through a room, a sheep stands elevated on a platform, a book gives off vapor, a city lays on a stretched piece of cloth. We view this world as if seen through an inverted telescope-a partial version of the macrocosm on a sheet of paper.

Charlotte Schulz has exhibited her work in a number of galleries and museums including Brooklyn Fireproof gallery, Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, Tampa Museum of Art, The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Honors and awards include a New York Foundation for the Arts, Artists Fellowship, a Pollack-Krasner Foundation Fellowship, a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship, The Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture and MacDowell Colony residency programs. Charlotte Schulz has a MFA and BFA from the University of South Florida, in Tampa, Florida.

Curry Mendes - Open Studio, Dec. 11.

www.curry mendes.com

Online bidding now active for Spire Studios Art Auction

Online preview and bidding for the Spire Studios Art Auction to benefit Grace Smith House is now active. Visit Spire Studios to get a sampling of artwork available, and place a bid. All bids begin at $50. This is a great opportunity to pick up a really great piece of work from some very capable artists.

Mechanics of Politics at Collaborative Concepts

opening reception: Dec 10 5-8 pm
211 Fishkill Avenue (entrance on Verplank Ave.) Beacon, NY 12508
Exhibit runs through 1.15.06