James Westwater at Heidi Cho Gallery in NYC, opening tomorrow

James Westwater is among the artists featured in an exhibit opening tomorrow at the Heidi Cho Gallery in Chelsea.  Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds also includes the work of Richmond Burton, Maurizio Pellegrin, Tad Wiley and Saya Woolfalk.

Heidi cho is located at 522 W 23 St. the opening reception is taking place from 6-8 pm and the exhibition will run through Nov. 12.

Hyde Park Visual History Project Premieres Oct 17 at the Hyde Park Drive In

After two years of hustling and armed with some 2000 images gathered from residents of Hyde Park, Matthew Slaats is ready to present his interactive Hyde Park Visual History Project at the Drive In theater in Hyde Park.

Matthew was in Beacon on Saturday and gave me a quick rundown on this tail end of the project and the added technically interactive twist he's incorporating into it.

The projected collected images and accompanying sound will be influenced by movement of bodies in a set location on the grounds of the drive in. 

Here's Matthew's description from the project's Facebook event page:

The Hyde Park Visual History Project, developed by artist Matthew Slaats, is a community‐centered artistic project that engages the elaborate evolution of the local landscape and its inhabitants through images and sound. Serving as a dynamic meeting point for the community, the arts, and the history of Hyde Park, NY, the project builds an understanding of place through donated images, home movies, film, and audio. The collected visual and auditory material will be presented at significant sites in the community throughout the summer of 2009, culminating in an installation at the historic Hyde Park Drive In Theatre. For these installations, images of the past and present will meld into brilliant moments of color, all of which is supported by a sound track developed from recordings of children describing their hometown. Audience and environmental movement will control this interactive installation, becoming the driving force for the installation.

The Project Presentation will take place from 8 - 11pm on Saturday, Oct 17 at the Hyde Park Drive-In Theater on Rt 9.  If you try to find this on google maps, it'll send you way up state, but I've marked it on a map right here.

Be sure to check out Matthew's blog on the project which chronicles its development and his thoughts that have emerged through his interactions with the public of Hyde Park and their memories of the place.

On for this weekend.

I've been squeezed for time of late, so if you're looking for information on the openings and happenings tonight at Floor One, Gallery G, bau, Van Brunt, RiverWinds, and many others, check out BACA's website......

note that the time for the Art21 screening today at the Beacon Community Center has been changed from 2 to 4pm.

Also, Collaborative Concepts' Saunders Farm Project in Garrison is having its mid-run reception today from 2-6pm.  Musical performances are scheduled throughout the day.

Thursday night's talk by Thomas Nozkowski up in Stone Ridge was great. Aspects of his process really resonated with me, making it personally rewarding...I'll have more on this soon.

On the subject of talks, this one comes via the arts muse blog: the Katonah Museum is hosting one given by Robert Storr on the subject of "Art's Self-Sufficiency in a Boom/Bust Art World".  Storr's talk is happening tomorrow at the Chappaqua Crossing Auditorium from 5-7pm.  The talk is being held on the occasion of Storr being named the first recipient of the museums new Himmel Award. This is a pricey one, $85, $75 for museum members and $25 for students.  If you're interested, call 914.232.9555 x2978.  The Chappaqua Crossing Auditorium is a t 480 Bedford Rd in .....Chappaqua.

And don't forget COTA is happening in New Paltz today starting from 10-5.

Eye Candy Friday: Oh, ho, ho It's Magic

Hanging out last Friday night with Will Walker, fresh from his two month residency at Seven Below in Vermont, brings us this week's EFC: the work of Peter Miller.  Peter was one of Will's two studiomates, along with Mia Feuer at Seven Below and his website is chock full of subtle, visually and intellectually rich work and there's a lot to see on his website between his video pieces and the video documentation of his performances and installations.  Just the thing for perusing on a rainy Friday. 

Expect to hear a bit about Will's experience in vermont in his own words and images in a forthcoming MAYKR post.

Art 21 "Compassion" airs tonight on PBS. "Fantasy" preview screening @ BCC on Oct 10 4pm

If you weren't able to make it to the Art21 Sneak Preview Screenings of Art 21 Episode 1 at the Beacon Community Center last Saturday or at the Beahive last night, the episode will be airing tonight at 10pm on WNET 13.

A preview screening of Episode 2 "Fantasy" will be held at the Beacon Community Center on Saturday, Oct 10 at 4pm.

Fantasy features the work of  Jeff Koons, Mary Heilmann, Cao Fei and Florian Maier-Aichen.

I've mentioned some of the various attributes to the Art21 world and the accompanying educational programs.  Stacey Ward Kelley and Jennie Duke, both teachers in Beacon Public School  are two of 15 chosen nationwide to participate in the Art21 Educator's program.

Stacey and Jennie will be presenting a development workshop for visual art teachers in the Beacon and Newburgh City School District's on Nov. 3.  Via Beacon Citizen Network .

Update:  "Compassion" will be viewable on the PBS Video Portal until Nov 13, 2009

Rideshare to Stone Ridge for Thomas Nozkowski talk and opening

If anyone is interested in carpooling to tomorrow eve's presentation and opening of Nozkowski's work, drop me a line.  As of now a party of two of us will be heading up for it.

Free weekend admission to Dia:Beacon for Beacon residents All-Year-Long

Beginning Saturday, Oct 17, Dia:Beacon will begin offering year round free weekend museum admission to residents of Beacon NY.

This new initiative, made possible by Lyn and John Fishback in honor of Pete Seeger will kick off on the 17th with a celebration with refreshments, a performance by Pete Seeger and adult and family tours.  It all starts at 11:30, here's the schedule:

11:30 am   -  Refreshments

12:00 pm   -  Welcome Remarks & Performance by Pete Seeger

1:00   pm   -  Adult and family tours of Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries

2:00   pm   -  Line, Rythm, Chance, a guided family activity in the museum's Learning Lab.

                     open to children 6 and above accompanied by an adult. 

                     For reservations email familytours@diaart.org.

Beacon residents simply need to present a driver's license or other government-issued ID for free entry to the museum.

Additionally, the final Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Workshop to be held at Dia:Beacon will take place on that same day at 2pm.  The topic for this last session is Considering the Fiscal Sponsorship Model to Structure and Support Art Projects. ( I'll be out of town that day and would love a report from someone on this....perhaps Mr. W.Walker?) For reservations call 845-440-0100 x19 or rsvpVLA@diaart.org. These workshops are sponsored in part by the Dutchess County Arts Council.

More Dia:Beacon news: 

Advance tickets for the first stage of Trisha Brown Dance Co. performances on Nov 14 & 15 are on sale for Dia members.  Tickets go on sale to the general public on Oct 15.  General admission to the performance is $35 and includes museum admission.  Dia member tickets are $20.

The St Luke's Chamber Ensemble is kicking off a new concert series at Dia:Beacon beginning on Oct 18.

The Antoni Tapies exhibit will be closing in the coming weeks.  I believe that an installation of Agnes Martin works will follow the Tapies show.

On Saturday, Oct 24, at 1pm, Allstar gallery talk giver Kenneth Goldsmith will be returning to give a talk on Sol LeWitt. Not to put too much pressure on Mr Goldsmith, but this better be good, because (based on his Warhol talk) I've been really building up this talk in my mind....That usually doesn't bode well for my own personal endeavors, so I hope he will fare better than I tend to in light of my own preassumed excellence.

Finally Finally, winter is coming and with it come shorter days and with those shorter days come shorter hours at Dia:Beacon.  On Oct 22, the museum will be open Thurs-Mon 11-4pm. On Nov 13 the museum will be open Fri-Mon 11-4pm.

Jackie Battenfield Lecture in Peekskill, Tuesday, Oct 6, 7pm.

Jackie Battenfield, artist and author of An Artist's Guide:  Making a Living doing What you Love will be speaking tomorrow night, Oct 6, at 7pm at the Westchester Community College Center for Digital Arts in Peekskill, NY.

Admission is $5.

Ms. Battenfield's book came out this Summer, and though I haven't read it, I've seen it referred to extensively around the blogospher. In fact, Ed Winkleman happened to mention it on his blog again today.  Joanne Mattera whose Marketing Mondays are full of good information has both highlighted the book (for which she was interviewed) and interviewed the author in that weekly segment.

The Center for Digital Arts is located at 27 N Division in Peekskill.  914-606-7304

On Today:

The NYC hub of ecoartspace is hosting an opening reception today called Down to Earth. Simon Draper and Todd Sargood, E Odin Cathcart, Jeff Bailey and Cathy Lebowitz will be representing the Habitat for Artists in the exhibit. The reception is taking place tonight from 6-8pm at 53 Mercer St down in the city.

Of course, Walkway over the Hudson opening events are scheduled today in Poughkeepsie.  There's a live feed on the website. the parade is scheduled to happen at 1:30.  Given the weather today, I hope there's plenty of non slip tape up there on the floor... It's a long way down.

Open Space will be presenting the comedy stylings of Beacon's own Sam Anderson and a lecture by David Rees called "How to Win The Lottery"  The hilarity will be happening from 8 to 9:30 tonight.

Finally, don't forget the screening today of Art21's "Compassion" at 2pm at the Beacon Community Center at 23 W Center St.

Thomas Nozkowksi, visiting artist at SUNY Ulster: Talk and exhibit, Oct 8, 7pm.

 Thomas Nozkowksi Untitled(1), 2008 (detail) aquatint on paper.

My mailbox was illuminated yesterday by a notice from the Muroff Kotler Art Gallery at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge, NY (12484).  Visiting artist Thomas Nozkowski will be giving a talk and slide presentation on Thursday, October 8 at 7pm, followed by the opening reception for the exhibit "Complete Prints & Related Drawings." 

The talk and exhibit are both located in Vanderlyn Hall, with the talk/slide presentation happening in the Student Lounge (VAN 203).  The gallery is VAN 265.  Here's a campus map.

Nozkowski's exhibit will be on view from Oct 8 - Nov 6, 2009.