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.

Gallery Goings On in Beacon NY, Saturday August 8

Here's a bit of what's going down tomorrow.

First of all, there's the WOMS panel discussion on Public Art happening at the Learning Lab at Dia:Beacon.  That is happening at 2pm.  Also, residents of Orange County, with proof of residency, get free admission to Dia:Beacon on Saturday.

The opening reception for Windows on Main St. will commence at 6pm at Chill at 173 Main.

Tomorrow will be the grand opening of Dream in Plastic with the group show Analog.  Dream in Plastic is located at 177 Main St.

Fovea has a new exhibit called American Youth.  Opening reception is happening from 4-8pm, and the exhibit will be on view through Nov 8, 2009.  Here's the lazy man's click, drag and paste manner of sharing  info:

Fovea opens "American Youth", an group photography exhibition that examines the newest generation of 18 to 24-year-olds, looking at young couples and missionaries, debutante balls and drunken tailgate stupors, Iraq war widows and wannabe models,street kids and lobstermen. How are they different, and how are they the same as the generations that came before them? Poignant in their ability to reveal the strength of rebellion alongside the inevitable vulnerability of adolescent existence, the photographs stand in both contrast and correspondence to each other. The lives of teens are shown with an edgy empathy. Moments from our youth's love, life, work and play are all addressed through the documentary images of 24 photographers. "American Youth" presents stories by an acclaimed group of photographers belonging to the agency Redux Pictures of, and will open Saturday August 8th at Fovea Exhibitions,The exhibition features photographs by national and regional photographers Marc Asnin, Ben Baker,Nina Berman, David Butow, Peter Frank Edwards, Danny Wilcox Frazier, Eros Hoagland, John Keatley, Andy Kropa, Erika Larsen, Gina LeVay, Joshua Lutz, Kevin J. Miyazaki, Darcy Padilla,Mark Peterson, Michael Rubenstein, Greg Ruffing, Q. Sakamaki, Erin Siegal, Angie Smith, Ben Stechschulte, Brad Swonetz, Nathaniel Welch, and David Yellen. An accompanying book of the same name published by Contrasto is available in conjunction with the exhibition.

 Floor One is hosting an intriguing curatorial project called Price Check. Roslyn Esperon and Courtney Rile are responsible for the project which has gathered artists from Beacon, NYC and Syracuse and examines the perceived and actual retail value differences in the three different markets.  The pair have been documenting the project on a blog.  Participating artists are:  Michael Barletta, Carol Flaitz, Carla Goldberg, Novado Cappuccilli, Jason Varone, Fred Wellner, Laura Wellner and Lea Wolff.  The opening reception will be happening from 6-10pm.   

Gallery G is hosting an exhibit of Pete Crotty's photography called dharma.  The WOMS after party will also be happening there, and Pete's band NCM will be performing along with Cormac and Annabelle.  If I had more time, this would be where I'd insert one of the disarmingly goofy picture of Pete I've snapped over the years.

Open Space will continue showing We are Familia through Sept 6.

Gallery 506, the summer long, full frontal exhibition frenzy, which I have not yet checked out will be opening Time and Place, featuring work by Mark Lyon, John Waldie and Jason Torres.  Reception is at 6-9pm.

Bau is hosting an exhibit by Lisa Zukowski called Beneath the Surface. Reception is 6-9pm.

RiverWinds is showing work by Ellen A Lewis called Air-Water-Fire

Over at Go North,.....PSYCH! There's no more Go North...not locked down on  Beacon's Main St, anyway. I don't mean to be cruel, but we all have to get over it and move on.  You can check out the gallery's show archive online at http://gonorthgallery.com/, and if you like, leave flowers, teddy bears and other memorialia on the doorstep of 469 Main.  

Ok, that's it for now..

Back home - July in Beacon

I returned from Germany on Friday night.  I finished up my initial offering in the 10x10x10 exhibit in Ellenville, in which I'm participating, and which opened last night.  I was in Ellenville briefly for the opening there, and since I've been wading through tiny waves of jet lag, I decided to forego Beacon's Second Saturday openings.

If you also were unable to attend any of the openings, here's a bit of what we both missed last night.

 Chris Marchin

Zahra's is back with work by NUBS and Chris Machin in the Pinstripe Show.  Were not talking zoot suits or Vanessa Tellez's show describes the ethos of the the gallery at Zahra's personified by this exhibit: 

The rise of trendy hip bullshit art is rising by the second.  Lowbrow is in, so that means everyone is trying to cash in on any kind of street art or gritty conceptual trite.  We ain't gonna give you art done by a hipster that just decided the way to sell his paintings is to get in touch with his lowlife side. 

 Jonathan Allen, "Away We Go" 2009 paint and paper on paper

Go North's new exhibit of collage and mixed media paintings by Jonathan Allen called Terminal Daydream.  A reading was scheduled prior to the opening featuring writers Chris O Cook, Greg Fuchs, Joe Millar, Chris Ross and Lauren Russell.

bau has an exhibit of paintings by member Michael Gaydos called Temptation.

 Josh Jenkins

Floor One's new exhibit features the work of Josh Jenkins.

Open Space was planning for a massive caravan/happening/cook out for We Are Familia, the group exhibit that will run through Sept. 6.  The show features work by Holly Stevenson, Yoh Nagao, Peter Kienzle/Superette, Jesse Brown, Marc McAndrews, Hisham Bharoocha, Amy Rupple, Chris Yormick, Nightwood, SEEE.  Here's a rundown of the concept behind WE ARE FAMILIA.

Gallery G is showing photography by Sonya Shabinsky. 

I read on the BCN site yesterday that 400 square will be closing at the end of this month, and Hermitage has recently closed.  The guys at Go North announced in early May that they'll be closing at the end of this month as well...I'll have more on this soon.

It appears that a new shop/gallery called Dream in Plastic will be opening at the beginning of August at 177 Main St. The joint is accepting submissions for its first gallery exhibit in the space.  Analog will be on exhibit from August 8 through Sept. 7 and will feature images taken with a plastic camera.  Submission guidelines are on the blog.

Images from June 13, 2009

The scene outside of the open house at Metal Concepts.

Grace Knowlton's big metal balls @ Metal Concepts.

On June 13, I returned to Beacon from the opening up at SUNY New Paltz.  First stop was the open house at Hermann Roggeman's Metal Concepts.  I then went went over - very briefly - Go North for Jaanika Peerna's opening.  The gallery was majorly packed, hot and stuffy, so I stepped in, snapped a couple quick shots and headed outside.  I'll return to check out the show in the next week or two.

Wall installation of Jaanika Peerna at Go North.

  

He's not part of the exhibition.

Gallery G as Ewok village.

From Go North, where I met up with my BLP (Bavarian Life Partner), we went over to Gallery G to explore the limitless pull of parental devotion.  Jesse Lebwohl-Steiner's proposal to his mom must have sounded like this: "OK Mom, I'm going to videotape myself shaving off all the hair on my body, then I want you to bathe me in milk, after you've massaged some egg yolks, and someone is going to videotape the whole thing." Such is the basis of Milk Bath, a work that invokes the Pieta while exploring the relationship between parent and child and the symbolic life of food.   The second video, Watermelon, again utilizes the physical character of a food to stand in for an emotional state and to illustrate that human compulsions and over indulgences are universal; the object toward which those excesses are directed is of marginal import.   Jesse is a foodie, and to see that food is such a central component of these two works is no surprise, nor is it the result of an unexplored choice of a prop. 

Jesse Lebwohl-Steiner x2 at Gallery G.

Watermelon Love.

An array of Jesse's polaroids in the exhibit Reflections and Cycles.

Above and below:  Collage, inside and outside of Open Space.

We then ducked in to Open Space briefly...here too, I didn't get to see the show, but did enjoy a rousing conversation on successful and insufferable artists as employers.

Some works inside the gallery at Spire.

The view outside the Pack and Paddle cum gallery space.

The next several images depict the exhibit of paintings by Todd Sargood and sculptures by Christopher Manning. in the former Pack and Paddle store.  The space is reminiscent of the old Collaborative Concepts space...but more raw.  It'd be a great space for ongoing exhibits.  It's for rent....$1800/month for somewhere between 2-3000 sq ft.

This Saturday's art activities.

Here are a few of the things going on this Saturday- in addition to the items in my two previous posts...check back, time permitting, I'll be adding more.
Spire Studios is holding an open studio party starting at 6pm. I don't know all the details yet, other than there will be an exhibit of Todd Sargood's work in the old Pack and Paddle space on the first floor.

The Beacon Institute playing host to the Dutchess Indie Film Festival, a screening of local films from 6 to 9pm. In its gallery space, the Institute is showing arial photographs of man-made sites along the Hudson taken by workers for the Center of Land Use Interpretation from 2004-2008.

400 square is hosting an opening reception for an exhibit of photography by Diane Smook. The exhibit "Portraits from the Garden: An Uncommon View" will remain on view through July 9. Saturday's reception will take place from 4-8pm.

bau's 54th exhibit will feature work by Linda Richichi called Revolution. A reception for the artist will be held from 6-9pm.

Jesse Lebwohl-Steiner show off his goods in Reflections and Cycles, an exhibit of video documenting performances from the early 2000's at Gallery G, 15 E. Main St. (on the creekside of the building.) You can hardly go wrong when one of the works listed is about watermelon and love. Take note, this exhibit includes nudity -- of the male variety.

Sculptor Herman Roggeman is holding an open house at his Metal Concepts studio beginning at 6pm. Metal Concepts is located at the very eastern end of Main St. (9 Hanna Lane) near the old Tallix complex.

Mike + Doug Starn's Big Bambú will be open on Saturday from 11-4pm.

Don't forget the Hudson River Market which takes place every Saturday 10 - 5pm in the grassy patch at Cross and Main St.

Fovea Exhibitions will be holding another outdoor multimedia projection on that same grassy patch starting at dusk. Man vs. Nature features images from local and international photojournalists. This presentation, curated by photo editors Kelley Kingman and Amrita Singh is the first of the series to solicit submissions for considerations.
Bring a blanket or chair. In the event of rain, the projection will be moved across the street to Bumblebee Art & Music at 163 Main St.

Jaanika Peerna's "Traces of a Sweet Connect" opens at Go North Jun 13.

Go North's next offering will an exhibit of recent work by Jaanika Peerna called "Traces of a Sweet Connect." The exhibit, consisting of video and installation worksand large and small scale drawings, will open on June 13 with a reception from 6 to 9pm and remain on view through July 5, 2009.

Now for Something Completely different.: BEEP on 3rd Saturdays

The latest group show at bau.
I think my Second Saturday fatigue reached its apex this past weekend.
I recognize the benefit of consolidated gallery openings and similar events, but after some six years of the same month-in-month-out rythm it can feel flat in a "Time to make the donuts" kind of way. There have been small alternative rythms that have pulsed out here and there; the occasional opening on an alternative night, the occasional quiet screening at Hermitage or other venue, or staged readings that pop up. All the things that can fill out a month's worth of evenings.
This coming weekend of April 18 will add a little tweak to the habitual with BEEP, a new monthly series of events geared more toward performance, but including visual art. BEEP is an initiative of the galleries and businesses on the East End of Main St. to concentrate some activity back into their quarter. Joe's Irish Pub, Zahra's Studio, Go North, Floor One, Open Space, Zuzu'a and the Piggy Bank are as the participating venues. Yes, this is just another monthly serial event, one that can, in time, if not guarded against, can become monotonous. But it ain't that yet, and I'd hope that the creative folks behind it can keep it pulsating and evolving. I also think this could be a good way for the East end to redistinguish itself and add a particular tone to that part of the street.
The events include an opening receptions at Zahra's and Open Space, and musical performances at several of the locations, topped of with a Next Step party at the Piggy Bank starting at 10pm. It's also a fundraising event for a second incarnation of the Electric Windows project. Check the link above for details.
The photos herein are snaps from Second Saturday in April, 2009:

Bumblebee Art and Music's newly opened space..

One of Caroline Ruttle's works at Go North.

Above, folks at Open Space. Below, works by Jim Darling.


The way to Floor One.

Teresa Marra's work at Floor One.

Tina Darling's work at Open Space in elegant rhyme with some Main St. mannequins.


Through the window: Jerimiah Lawrence at Mount Beacon Fine Art.

Tomorrow's BEEP line up of events on the East end of Main St.

Second Saturday Sampler, April 11, 2009

Time is at a premium for me these days, so I've had to jam together a cursory glance at art items taking place tomorrow. There's more happening, for sure... I just can't do it all. Don't forget Dia's Community Free Day for Dutchess Co. residents and Caroline Ruttle at Go North.
bau is hosting a group exhibit that interprets the Golden Mean using line. Participating artists are: Heidi Lanino Bilezikian, Ron Debren, Janet Howard Fatta, Michael Gaydos, Carla Golberg van der Merwe, Elia Gurna, Erica Hauser, Tom Holmes Gary Jacketti, Dominico Petrillo, Linda Richichi and Lisa Zukowski.
Open Space next exhibit features the work of Jim and Tina Darling. A preview reception is happening from 6-9pm. The official opening reception with the artists in attendance and a complete installation is taking place next week, April 18 from 6-9pm.

Floor One is presenting the paintings of Beacon resident Teresa Marra. - Reception from 6-9pm.

Caroline Ruttle at Go North opening on April 11, 2009

Caroline Ruttle "You will never be afraid 2".
Next up at Go North is Caroline Ruttle's exhibit colored ink drawings"at the Villa Borghese", opening on April 11 with a reception from 6-9pm. The exhibit will be on view through May 3, 2009.

Lee Harvey Roswell opening Pahhty at Zahra's Studio, March 14, 6-10pm

The work of Lee Harvey Roswell exhibit Soup N' Crackers has been on view at Zahra's since the beginning of March, and there they will stay through March 31. The reception will be taking place on Saturday from 8-10pm.

Photography goings on in Beacon, NY - March 14, 2009

Opening this Saturday at 400 Square: Alternative Processes in a Contemporary World, a group show featuring the photography of Denise DeVore, Jennifer Konig, Kristy Reichert and Donna Francis. The artists reception will take place from 4-8pm on Saturday, March 14 and the exhibit will remain on view through April 30.
Fovea will be presenting the first installment of its 2009 projection series (this one is indoors) which will feature a selection of regional and international photojournalists, curated by Amrita Singh, exploring the theme of "History and Memory." Be sure to rsvp at 845.765.2199 to secure a seat.
Floor One Gallery will be presenting the photography of Greg Georgi. The reception is happening from 5:30-10pm.
And don't forget Adrian Eisenhower's XLIV photographs of Obama's inauguration at bau.

Open Space Beacon presents Cut It Out, curated by Mike Perry, March 14

Open Space is coming back on March 14 from a February hiatus with a group exhibit called Cut It Out curated by Mike Perry. The exhibit will run through April 5. Opening reception will be held from 6-9 on March 14. Open Space has also recently announced that prints and zines from its Limited Run 2 exhibit will soon be available for purchase through their online store....stay tuned for that.

bau 51: Catherine Welshman with Adrian Eisenhower, March 14-Apr 5, 2009

The spicy side of bau will be exposed when Catherine Welshman's Girls Gone Wild takes over the space on Saturday March 14.
Saturday will also mark ahomeward trajectory in the perpetual motion of Adrian Eisenhower, who's been abroad for much of the past a couple of years. Adrian will be showing his recent documentary project; XLIV - Photographs from the Presidential Inauguration.

Retrospective exhibit of Audrey Chibbaro at Go North Gallery. March 14-April 5, 2009

Go North's next exhibit will be a retrospective exhibit of the work of Audrey Chibbaro. The exhibit will run from March 14 through April 5.

GO NORTH is pleased to present “The Sacred Balance of the Irreverent: Remembering Audrey Chibbaro.”This retrospective exhibition is being held to celebrate and honor the art of Audrey Chibbaro, who succumbed to cancer at age 45 on December 11, 2008.The reception for the exhibition will be held on Saturday, March 14, from 6 to 9 p.m.
As was Audrey’s spirit of giving, all proceeds from the sale of her work will be donated to a list of organizations consistent with the artist’s interests and concerns: The Beacon Art Salon has selected drawings from her sketchbook done in 2008 to include in a book titled “Audrey Chibbaro Lived Here” All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the “Audrey Chibbaro Youth in Arts Scholarship Fund”. For further information on the book and scholarship, please visitwww.giraffeandturtle.com/BAS.

The weekend that was..

Friday night: From Left to right, Tom Wolf, Sara Pasti, Beth E. Wilson and Brian Wallace giving acknowledgements for the exhibits at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art.
I did more socializing this week than my hermititious self is equipped to deal with naturally.
The whirlwind started on Friday Evening at the Samuel Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz.

Peter Iannarelli's work at the Dorsky.

Bradford Graves at the Dorsky Museum.

Steve Rossi's gum casting material.
On Saturday afternoon, I was back in the Habitat at Van Brunt Gallery, conversing with Steve Rossi (he has a new website) and watching him cast chewed bubble gum. Later that evening I stopped into Fovea in the middle of a talk given by Anthony Suau whose work is on exhibit. One day earlier, one of Suau's images was named as the World Press Photo of the Year for 2009.
Beacon was very much the global village all day as international types converged on the city for various events like the panel discussion on Burma at Mt Beacon Fine Art. I spoke a bit Isreali born Avner Levinson is exhibiting his sculptures at the Iron Fish Gallery. Go North was awash with Estonians of every shape and size, inlcuding various members of the Estonian Press for Marko Maetamm's opening at the gallery. Here's the Go North tv segment produced by Estonian National Broadcasting.

Avner Levinson's sculpture at Iron Fish Gallery.

Marko Maetamm's opening night at Go North and Erica Hauser's Valentine's Day Cupcake extravaganza just next door.



One of Jill Reynold's pieces at Sunday's opening reception for For the Love of Art in Peekskill.
A crush of people made their way down to the Hat Factory in Peekskill for the opening of For the Love of Art. It was a mob scene for a while, and I saw several of the same folks I saw in the previous two evenings, along with a lot of strangers. A highlight of the reception might have been the band kickin out jazzy intrumental renditions of power pop hits from the Eighties, like Eye of the Tiger and many other favs I can't remember.
I'll be posting more images shortly.....which reminds me, I'm several months behind on updating the flickr page. Everything in due time.

It's a snowflake at the Hudson Fisheries Trust on Saturday night.

Anthony Suau photographs opening at Fovea Exhibitions, Feb 14, 4-8pm

On Saturday Feb 14, Fovea Exhibitions will be opening an exhibit of photographs by Anthony Suau. Hard Rain (from memory to history) is a selection of the Pulitzer Prize winning photographer's images from around the world.

During the last two decades, Suau has photographed more than 25 conflicts, from Bucharest to Mexico. Fovea will be the first United States gallery to show portions of his one-man show previously shown in Moscow and Shanghai. The veteran Time Magazine photojournalist will hold a gallery talk at 6 p.m. and be available to sign his most recent book, a critical-examination of the American invasion of Iraq.

Suau will also share his experiences in a classroom with West Point cadets, young men and women who one day will orchestrate America's involvement overseas.

The opening reception will take place from 4-8pm with the gallery talk happening at 6pm. The exhibit will run through May 3.