Crandell sets stay-at-home cinema
CHATHAM—This week in stay-at-home cinema, the Crandell Theatre presents a portrait of an abstract art pioneer in “Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint,” holdovers of last week’s “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” and the French comedy “On a Magical Night,” plus a new selection of Crandell’s Kanopy favorites.
Purchase a virtual ticket through the links offered on the Crandell website, crandelltheatre.org, with 50% of the box office benefitting the continued operations of the Crandell Theatre.
The Crandell appreciates viewers’ continued patience with the technical hurdles the Virtual Screening Room may have presented in their homes. “This is new for all of us, and we understand your frustrations.” Refer to distribution partners’ technical support links (on each of the film pages) for any problems that might arise.
Claverack summer concerts canceled
CLAVERACK – The Claverack Republican Club has cancelled the 2020 Summer Concert Series due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Summer Concert Series has been a staple of the Claverack community for the past nine years, offering free concerts by local bands Thursday nights in July and August at the Claverack Town Park.
In making the announcement, club vice-president Charles Schram said the group had been grappling with ways to alter the program to bring it into compliance with CDC guidelines for reducing the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
“There was simply no way to make it work,” Schram said in a press release, “given the nature of the venue and the close interaction required.”
In mid-March, the Claverack Town Board closed the town park through July 29 at least, and possibly into August and beyond. That eliminated half the concert season and made the decision for the club. Bands had been booked and a number of corporate donations received. The bands have been understanding, said Schram, and donations have been returned.
The club will begin planning for the 2021 season at the first of the year. “There is no way to plan ahead with this thing,” said Schram. “This is all new territory. We just have to take it as it comes.”
Hawthorne Valley publishes farm cookbook
GHENT—Hawthorne Valley Place Based Learning Center (PBLC) has published “The Children’s Cookbook: A Collection of Favorite Recipes from Our Farm Camps and Visiting Students Program.”
The recipes in the cookbook were developed by Michele Kowalski, PBLC chef and kitchen manager, to use farm-fresh ingredients to bring the Hawthorne Valley Farm to everyone’s tables.
This cookbook is available on a sliding scale of $10 to $20 in downloadable PDF form and a $30 e-book / spiral-bound hard copy option. All proceeds support the Place Based Learning Center’s efforts to create and share content and activities from around the farm for all to enjoy from their homes during this time of physical distancing.
For nearly 50 years, the PBLC has welcomed children to the Hawthorne Valley Farm for immersive learning experiences that include gardening, animal care, natural crafting and culinary activities. PBLC’s programming has been a cornerstone of Hawthorne Valley’s work to cultivate children’s innate curiosity and their relationship to nature. Their main programs include residential and day summer camps and the Visiting Students Program, which includes weeklong visits from regional grade school classes.
“A key part of our programming is the act of sharing meals together,” Matt Davis, director of Place Based Learning, said in a press release. “We are excited to share our favorite recipes and encourage families to make and enjoy these meals together.”
To learn more about the Place Based Learning Center and order a cookbook, visit hawthornevalleysummercamp.org.
Moviehouse hosts virtual art talks
MILLERTON—The Moviehouse is closed to the public, but owner Carol Sadlon and her staff have been busy finding new ways to engage with their audiences.
In addition to a curated selection of films and documentaries through the Virtual Cinema portal, and weekly informal Zoom Movie Club gatherings, a new series of Art Talks begins this month.
The first Art Talk takes place Tuesday, May 19 at 2 p.m. It focuses on the artist Hilma af Klint, with guest Halina Dryshka, director of the film “Beyond the Visible: Hilma Af Klint,” who will join the conversation live from her home in Germany. For more information and to register, go to https://bit.ly/2LanvnV
Art Talks is hosted by Tony Carretta, consultant curator for the Moviehouse Studio Gallery. The series focuses on the artists featured in the films currently available through the Moviehouse.
The informal format is much the same as the Moviehouse’s traditional Q&As, with an “in conversation” followed by questions. The talks are free and open to all who wish to participate, although registration is required to join the group.
In addition to the May 19 talk, the following are scheduled:
Tuesday, May 26, 2 p.m.: Lucian Freud, with guest Alexander Shundi, based on the film “Lucian Freud: A Self Portrait.” For more information and to register: https://bit.ly/2WCTuT7
Tuesday, June 2, 1 p.m.: Leonardo Da Vinci, with director Phil Grabsky joining from the UK, based on his film “Leonardo: The Works.” For more information and to register: https://bit.ly/2WCTGlj
Tuesday, June 9, 2 p.m.: “Botero,” with director Don Millar joining from Canada, based on his film of the same title. For more information and to register: https://bit.ly/2WdSFkS
Art Omi’s curatorial conversations launch May 15
GHENT—All are invited to tour the Art Omi Sculpture & Architecture Park, from wherever they are. Art Omi has launched Curatorial Conversations, a new series of live virtual tours led by curatorial assistant Kelsey Sloane.
Each session will spotlight a handful of works and explore the connections between them. Following a presentation, the virtual tour group will be welcome to engage in conversation and ask questions about the works under review.
Curatorial Conversations will happen alternate Fridays at 2 p.m. via Zoom. The tours are free, but pre-registration is required.
Register here for the first session this Friday: Modernist Metal!
Friday, May 15: Modernist Metal explores three sculptors whose works have been on view in the Sculpture Park for over a decade: Forrest Myers, Beverly Pepper and Robert Grosvenor. In addition to their classic status within the Art Omi landscape, these sculptors use industrial metals, hard lines and geometric shapes to create large-scale disruptions in their natural surroundings. Artomi.org.
PS21 receives NEA Our Town award
CHATHAM— PS21 has received a $25,000 Our Town award from the National Endowment for the Arts. This matching grant will help underwrite public art installations and outdoor performances designed to highlight a network of walking trails connecting PS21’s grounds and theater to Chatham’s town center.
One of the goals of the Our Town program is to encourage not-for-profit arts institutions and municipalities to collaborate on infrastructure projects that “help transform communities into lively, beautiful, and sustainable places with the arts at their core.”
The Veilette-Nifosi Foundation has added a $10,000 challenge, for a total of $35,000 that PS21 will now match.
PS21 and the Town of Chatham were already in discussion about the joint trail system when the funding opportunity presented itself. The town approached PS21 about the trails, PS21 director Elena Siyanko said in a press release, and together they developed the concept behind the NEA proposal.
The NEA grant, PS21’s first, is one of the nation’s most competitive arts awards. It will underwrite the PS21 part of a weekend-long program titled “PS21/Chatham: Building Pathways for Enlivened Community and Culture.”
“Pathways” is designed as a program of events to take place in the summers of 2020 and 2021 around the construction and public opening of the new trails (being overseen by the Chatham Recreation Department). The program, organized by PS21, includes a series of outdoor performances and programming from other not-for-profit stewards of the Columbia County environment and creative economy.
This summer’s program, tentatively scheduled for August 7 to 9, is being planned with current social distancing protocols in mind. Details will be announced as the rules governing public gatherings evolve. Thanks to PS21’s outdoor setting, the flexibility of PS21’s Pavilion Theater and the 100 acres of unspoiled fields and orchards, Siyanko said she is optimistic that PS21 will be able to present selected programs of the summer and fall season.
Go international, Monday nights
HUDSON—Every Monday at 7:30 p.m. EDST, Bindlestiff Cirkus presents its international Open Mic Night, featuring new acts by up-and-coming and established artists in circus, sideshow, vaudeville, burlesque, dance, music and puppetry.
Hosted by Keith “Bindlestiff” Nelson, the special Quarantine Edition deals with social distance and isolation head on. Using the tools of video conferencing, Bindlestiff’s Open Stage features each act live in their own location, with artists from all over the country and the world.
The shows are broadcast live via Facebook and YouTube. “Admission” is free, but the “hat” will be passed for donations.
Club Helsinki seeks arts-related video of pandemic life
HUDSON—Club Helsinki Hudson has issued an open call for Hudson-region residents to participate in a new effort combining music and other creative pursuits to document life in Hudson during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Artists, musicians and creative people of all types are invited to send video footage capturing themselves at work, at play or simply expressing their thoughts about the COVID-19 pandemic to HudsonJournal@Helsinkihudson.com. Selected footage will be aired on The Hudson Pandemic Journal segment of the weekly virtual open mic, hosted by Helsinki Hudson co-owner Cameron Melville.
Submitted footage will also be archived and considered for eventual use in a new film in process, tentatively titled “Re-Imagining Hudson.”
Submissions can include musical contributions, visual arts, multimedia, writings, poems, made objects, crafts—anything by anyone with something to share about the current crisis for a kind of virtual show-and-tell.
Submissions should be in the five-to-10-minute range or shorter, and they may be edited to fit the segment. Videos must be properly lit and recordings need to be at the highest possible fidelity for the best sound.
Submissions should be sent to: HudsonJournal@helsinkihudson.com
