Spud Me, Please

Windows On Main St 2007 will be opening on August 11.

In order to make this year's event successful, we need your potatoes.
Participating artist, Audrey Chibbaro is creating an installation in the window of the Beacon Natural Market at 348 Main, and it's really Audrey who needs the potatos for the installation.
We are asking for the donation of locally grown potatoes.
If you have a potato or two that you are willing to donate, there will be a drop of box at the Natural Market, marked "Potato Donation."

Donations can also be dropped off at Go North, 469 Main St. on the weekend.
Hell, we'll even come to pick up your potatoes if that suits your fancy. Just email us a info@maykr.com

Deadline for Potato Donations is Aug 10.

Go North - East

In a sly move last weekend, after the closing of the Thomas Doyle exhibit, Go North packed up the exhibit, then packed up the contents of the broom closet, and set up shop in a new location; about 4 feet East of the old location.
I don't even know if the address will change, but the gallery is now located in the larger space next door.
Joe Millar, artist, poet, former and present WOMS participating artist, will be joining Karlos and Greg in the new space, and he will be curating two shows per year.

Go North's next exhibit "Out of Line" will be on view starting Aug 4 through Aug 26. "Out of Line" is a group exhibition exploring the use of line by 11 artists.
Featured Artists: Elizabeth Beckmann, Thomas Egan, Pamela Hardenburg, Erica Hauser, Kit Keith, Adam Menzies, Jon Patrick Murphy, Christopher Stackhouse, James Walsh, Eleanor White and Mike White.

Please note, although the exhibit opens this saturday, the reception will be happening on Aug. 11 from 6-9pm.

"Name That Collection Of Artist Studios Formerly Known As Bulldog Studios" Contest!

As of late, I have found myself occasionally referring Beacon Studios as Bulldog, which I'm sure is some sort of violation of trademark. I notice that I'm not the only one either. I've heard many folks (even a few residents) roll back to the more engrained moniker in conversation, and there are still many people coming to maykr via searches for Bulldog Studios.

Like it or not, the Bulldog name was concise, and singularly identifying. 'Beacon Studios' has neither of those attributes, nor does it truly capture the imagination. Not only does it consist of 5 syllables, there is no neat manner of abbreviating it to the 2-syll format which has continued to be all the rage in upwardly hip enclaves around the nation; ala SOHO, or, as I heard someone describe our area, NOBRO - I guess anything north of The Bronx.

Ok, perhaps you could craft BEaSTUD, or 'CONUDIO. Or if it can't be shortened, perhaps a nice anagram is in order. Bios Outdances sounds very avant to me.

The artist/tenants at the old high school building have much on their plate in working to secure their place in the building, and and certainly the name of the joint is probably the least of their worries.

So to that end, we here a maykr would like to announce the "Name That Collection of Artist Studios Formerly Known As Bulldog Studios" Contest!

If you have an idea you'd like to enter, please deposit it in the comments section of this post, or email us at info@maykr.com .

I'm not sure what you can win yet....but that'll be worked out in good time. Really.

HVCCA hosts panel discussion July 29, 4-6pm

The HVCCA in Peekskill will be hosting a panel discussion on Sunday July 29 from 4 to 6pm with a reception to follow.
Contemporary Art as a Bridge to cross Religious Dialogue and Understanding is the title of the panel and it will mark the closing of the museum's exhibition Reverence.

The paanel will be moderated by Dr. Livia Selmanowitz Straus and the members are: Mary C. Boys, Rabbi David Greenstein, Elinor Aisha Holland.

More information on the panel and the participants can be found here.

Van Brunt reception tonight 6-9pm

The current exhibit of work by Richard Butler, Michael Ricardo Andreev and David Barratt at Van Brunt Gallery has been on view since the beginning of the month. The reception has been delayed until tonight to accomodate headlining artist, Richard Butler's other vocation of touring with his band.

It Is Our War at Fovea Exhibitions Beacon Gallery

The jovial crowd gathered outside the Fovea Exhibitions Beacon Gallery had all the festive atmosphere of a neighborhood picnic sandwiched between the gallery's facade and the parked cars on Main St. The lighthearted nature of the crowd belied the heavy matter on display inside. It Is Our War brings together the work of Chris Hondros, Todd Heisler and Suzanne Opton.

Hondros and Heisler are photojournalists, and their work presented here track their documentation of the action and affects of the war in Iraq.

Hondros' contribution is a series of images that chronicle a tragic encounter in Tal Afar between an American patrol, and a car packed with a young Iraqi family. The caption below the photos state that the scene depicted lasted all of 15 seconds. A small monitor to the side of the piece constantly plays a slide show of all the images taken by Hondros of the incident, while select images from the sequence fill one wall of the gallery.

Heisler's Final Salute series chronicles the return burial burial of the remains of American soldiers killed in the war. Captions below the images give a narrative of the scenes, including one woman camped out on an air mattress in front of her husband's coffin while a Marine held vigil the night before his burial.

Suzanne Opton's work is on the fine art side of the fence, and as we entered the gallery, she commented on the unusual aspect of her work being shown in a context among photojournalists. But Opton's Soldier series has become another document within the greater dossier of chronicling the human affects of this war. The world that Opton portrays is one of remove, and reflection. Her world is controlled, crafted. Opton's images are installed in a smaller gallery just behind the larger space that carries Hondros' and Heisler's work. The separation allows for a cleansing of some sort, but certainly not a washing away of what you see in the front space. The presence of her photographs in this exhibit is a necessary addition to the whole, and in this context, they take on a heavenly surreal quality. These pieces don't divert your thoughts from the subject at hand, but they give you space to reflect on the entire exhibit. Opton's work also brings the exhibit full circle, where voice is given to the experience of the returned American soldiers, the families of their deceased comrades, and the Iraqi civilians caught in the middle of the conflict.

It's a given that the subject matter of this show is intense. If someone was to say, "Yeah, I want to create a show that's going to shock and shake an audience", this would be the default subject matter. Reality trumps Art in the game of creating horrific and affecting imagery.

Seeing this exhibit was affecting and emotional for me. There is a powerful thrust of both the content and presentation in this exhibit, complete with meaning that, by comparison, makes most other work exhibited in Beacon feel like crafty diversion.

With its first two exhibits, Fovea is already an essential addition to the offerings of Beacon's Main St.

A few images from July Second Saturday.

Anniversary party at Feel Design.

bau 31: Flowers and Birds, work by Elia Gurna and James P Quinn.

Will Dexter and Etta Boetger at Hudson Beach Glass Gallery.

Art in The Office, August 2 5-7pm at Bailey Browne and Assoc.

Bailey Browne CPA and Associates has a slightly new name and a new office space. In connection with the upcoming Ribbon Cutting Celebration of the company's new home, we are holding a reception for the artists whose work is featured in the office. The firm's principle, Deborah Bailey Browne has been a dedicated supportor of the art community in the area for sometime. A manifestation of this dedication is a series of installations of art in the company's offices.

This is the third installment of this partnership with BB and Associates, that seeks demonstrate possibilities when progressive art and business converge. The artists whose work is installed in the offices include Peter Acheson, Michael Pilon, Christopher Albert, einlab, Jen Bradford, Peter Iannarelli and Matthew S. Kinney. Stay tuned for updates. There are images from our previous installation here.

The Ribbon Cutting and Reception will be held from 5-7pm on Thursday, August 2.
Bailey Browne and Associates new location is 80 Washington St, Ste 202, Poughkeepsie, NY.

Second Saturday, July 14, part one.

I'm pressed for time this morning, but here is a bit of what's happening in Beacon tomorrow. I'll add more later today.

Fovea Exhibitions Beacon Gallery will be holding an opening reception for it's second exhibit, It's Our War on July 14 from 4 to 8pm. The gallery is located at 143 Main St.



It Is Our War features photographic work relating to the current confict by Todd Heisler, Chris Hondros and Suzanne Opton.

bau is hosting an opening reception for bau 31:birds and flowers, an exhibit of work by Elia Gurna and James P. Quinn aka Cern 1.

Freshman Fine Arts, 4 S. Chestnut opens Silk Extractions, silk paintings by Donna Friedson. Opening reception, 6-9pm.

This Weekend Last Weeken

Second Saturday is coming up, and I'll be posting info bit by bit on the shows that will be opening this weekend.

We missed Thomas Doyle's opening at Go North last weekend we were at the Martin Creed opening at Bard's Hessel Museum.

Later that evening, we watched Martin rock the Speigel Tent to a house made up largely of Super Seniors. There was an amusing trio of Golden Girls sitting together that seemed particularly incredulous about the performance. We were laughing as we watched them laugh in disbelief at what they were listening to. The scene reminded me of my favorite Citibank commercial with two older women on a couch channeling hillbilly male voices talking about motorbikes. "Sheeoot, them bikes sound good coz they free!"
Toward the end, one poor woman of the three seemed to be suffering badly from a headache, but the other two continued laughing, with the one in the center even singing along to the final song of the set in which Martin counts from 1 to 100 (I don't know the title of the piece.)

Martin and his two band mates kicked off the encore with a piece in which he counts from 101 to 200. I find that Martin's music crystallizes many of the elements in his work in a way that doesn't happen so readily for me in the "things" he makes.

The performance was loud and fun. I wish I had taken photos.

The July 12 edition of the NYTimes includes a review of the Creed show by Roberta Smith. There is a slide show of images from the exhibit on the Times website.

Alexis Elton in "My Space Phillips"

Alexis Elton is included in a group show called "My Space Phillips" at Phillips de Pury & Company, at 450 W 15th in NYC.
The exhibit will be on view from July 9-27. There is an opening reception on Monday, July 9 from 6-8pm.

Spreken zie Art?

Peter Iannarelli has brought to my attention a craig's list item announcing, yet another gallery in Beacon.
The gallery scheduled to open this month is called Mount Beacon Fine Art, and it is seeking artists to submit portfolios to fill out the exhibition schedule. I found a second listing on Craig's list detailing the offerings of of private art instruction at the gallery.

The first question that comes to my head when I hear of something new opening is, will this space add to a possible conversation on art? or will it be another in a line of gallery boutiques in town, or Goutiques-that's a frase I coined just this very second.

You've just witnessed yet another tiny growth in the body of the english language.




In fact in just this very moment, I have coined the frase, Goutique.

Martin Creed's Feelings opens at Bard Hessel Museum, 7.7.07

Martin Creed has taken over the two spaces that make up the CCS Bard/ Hessel Museum building up at Bard College in Annandale on Hudson.

"Feelings", the second exhibit to be installed in the new Hessel Museum consists of essentially two exhibits. The first half, situated in the galleries of Hessel is essentially a Creed-intervention of selections from the Hessel collection which have been installed along with a few Creed pieces. The second part of the exhibit focuses on Creed's work which is arrayed in the CCS galleries, the CCS Library, the front lawn, hallways and cloak room.

The exhibit opens Saturday July 7 with a reception from 5 to 7pm. Martin Creed's band is performing at Bard's SummerScape Speigeltent after the opening at 8:30. Tickets for the performance are $25.

Creed's exhibit extends to Chelsea with "Small Things", an exhibit of two large scale pieces at 508 W 25 St.
Information on the exhibits can be found at the CCS Bard/Hessel website.

Creed's own website, martincreed.com has extensive images of work and samples of his sound pieces and music. I was clued in by Peter Acheson to an interesting interview Martin gave to a New Zealand radio program which is also available on the website.

Itunes has one of Martin Creed's songs in its catalogue. If you search for Martin Creed, you'll also hear a song called "Martin Creed" listed under two different performers; Jonathan Ian and Negative Sock Boy. In the song, the singer claims that Creed is "part of the problem" and he is "as empty as your room with the flickering light."

Thomas Doyle "Human Remains" at Go North opens 7.7.07

Thomas Doyle "Stigmatized Property" (detail) mixed media 2007.
Thomas Doyle's upcoming exhibit is sure to be charmed, being the seventh exhibit of the seventh year, opening on the seventh day of the seventh month. The exhibit "Human Remains" includes miniature environments created by Doyle and will be on view at Go North until July 29. The opening reception will be happening from 6-9pm.

Joseph Bertolozzi's Bridge Music in the NYT

Yesterday's NYTimes Art section ran a long article, accompanied by a video on the website, on Beacon composer Joseph Bertolozzi's project Bridge Music.
Bertolozzi is creating a musical composition that will be played on the Mid-Hudson Bridge in Poughkeepsie, using the bridge as musical instrument, by an ensemble of percussionists.

Joe's website contains a narrative of his process thus far, as well as information on how to donate toward supporting this project.

June 24 panel discussion on printmaking

(l-r) Elizabeth Winchester, Phil Sanders, Lisa Mackie, Patricia Phagan, Paul Smart

I commend Elizabeth Winchester, and bau on the program that has accompanied the bau 30 exhibit.
I haven't seen the exhibit, but I did attend the panel discussion held last Sunday at the Howland Cultural Center.

The panel discussion was called "Still Relevant: Printmaking in Contemporary Art." Discussion started off with Vassar Drawing and Prints Curator, Patricia Phagan giving a brief history of printmaking through the 20th Century.

The panel discussed where the medium of printmaking stands currently, with many University Art Departments dismantling printmaking programs, competition from digital media, and the apparent lack of attention given to art prints by collectors.

Given the name of the talk, I was almost expecting a woeful lamentation by a group feeling marginalized within the greater art world. Fortunately this was not the case. Examples given by Lisa Mackie of the Lisa H. Mackie Studio, and Phil Sanders, Director & Master Printer at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop both gave examples of their interactions with artists of other media exploring various applications of the printmaking process. They also discussed advances in the process including the option of non toxic inks and chemicals now available.

Around 30 people were in attendance at the Howland which is a great asset to the community for just this type of event, and I'm pleased that bau chose to hold the talk there.

This was a great discussion between a group of people who are very knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. It's something we don't get enough of. It also stirred within me that compulsive desire to start pulling prints again.

PS. just a plug for the Howland which is in the middle of a fund drive to go green with a geo-thermal heating and cooling system.

Claire Lofrese & Emma Crawford at Art in the Loft at Millbrook Vineyards & Winery

Claire Lofrese Multiple Horizons 13, 2007, acrylic and oil on panel.
Claire Lofrese and Emma Crawford have an exhibit opening this week and running through August 27 at the Millbrook Vineyards and Winery in Millbrook, NY.

An opening reception will be held this Saturday, June 30, from 5-7pm.

Elizabeth Winchester has a not-so-secret admirer

Paul Smart, of the Almanac Weekly is smitten with bau member Elizabeth Winchester, and I think it might be serious.
In an article on the Beacon Art Scene from last June, Smart refers to her work as "stunningly beautiful."
Later, Winchester is quoted in an Oct. '06 article titled "Not just a summer fling."
I certainly hope that there is some reciprocity to this affection, because such scenarios can easily step into the realm of stalking. Smart's latest love letter comes in the form of an article on the current printmaking exhibit at bau, (organized by Winchester) and the related panel discussion that is happening today at 4pm at the Howland Center.

Prints princess

...Thank heaven for Elizabeth Winchester, the former San Francisco-based artist
whose work with various organizations and institutions up ans down the Valley
has done so much not only to keep everyone's spirit up in recent years, but
whose enthusiasm (and own great art, in various forms) has helped spur something
akin to a one woman renaissance worthy of such mention. In a new show
at bau, the beacon artist union cooperative of which she is one of eight key
members, Winchester's latest Big Push takes form down via a series of exhibits,
panel discussions and other events all happening under the moniker Fresh
Ink...

Ed Murr in Stories and Pictures exhibit at FIT, NYC

Ed Murr in front of his work at The Museum at FIT. photo courtesy of Ed.

The work that encompasses Ed Murr's Master of Illustration thesis is currently on exhibit at FIT's MA in Illustration group exhibit, Stories and Pictures.

Ed's studio has been on the first floor at Spire Studios for - I believe - almost two years. I've only seen a small portion of his work- generally, whatever was visible through the little window of his studio door. Although I've not seen the finished work of Ed's thesis, what I was able to see as he was developing the work is pretty intense. Ed brought this group of work to the TnA critique earlier in the Spring, as he was formalizing the content of his thesis.

The MA in Illustration exhibit at The Museum at FIT, located at 27th & 7th in NYC will run through July 28.

Uncanny Valley opens at Dorsky Museum, June 23

Susan Magnus, Peter Iannaralli, Will Walker and Laura Moriarty are among the artists whose work is included in the Uncanny Valley, at the Samuel Dorsky Museum in New Paltz. There will be an opening reception on June 23 from 6-8pm. The exhibit runs through Sept. 9

Today's POJO has an article on the exhibit.

The Dorsky will be opening several exhibits tomorrow, and there are a few other events scheduled in addition to the reception. Here's the line up:

3pm - Gallery Talk by Interpreting Utopia
co-curators Ariel Shanberg, Executive Director, Woodstock Center for
Photography and Brian Wallace, SDMA Curator.

4pm - Gallery Talk: The Arts and Crafts of Byrdcliffe by
Carla Smith, Executive Director, Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild.

5pm - Performance by exhibiting artists Isabelle
Lumpkin and George Quasha.