Students look at Covid-19
Madison Mastro and Caitlin Owen are the winners of a student art contest run by Council 82, Local 3828 of the Columbia County Corrections Union.
The Union wanted to credit children for “their hard work during these times of isolation,” Matthew Hogencamp, Local president, said in a press release.
Participants submitted an artwork that, in their eyes, related to COVID 19. On May 23 Union membership chose a winner from each of two age groups: 8 and under, and 9 to 18 The prize was a $50 gift card.
The Union congratulates and thanks all who participated, and the area teachers who shared the contest with their classes. For more information see the Local’s Facebook page.
See escort, chef and a pig in a suitcase at Crandell
CHATHAM—This week in stay-at-home cinema, the Crandell Theatre offers a trio of Francophone treasures, plus some culinary comfort food: the French classic “La Traversée de Paris,” available for the first time outside of theaters; a female director’s audacious debut in “Alice”; the 1990s-set Algerian coming-of-age story “Papicha”; and “Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy.”
Purchase a virtual ticket through one of the links offered on the theater’s website, crandelltheatre.org. A full 50% of the box office benefits the continued operations of the Crandell Theatre.
Arthur Miller play takes virtual stage
COPAKE—A virtual reading of “All My Sons” by Arthur Miller takes place Saturday, June 6 at 7 p.m. The twin shadows of catastrophe and loss dominate the play’s action.
The reading is free, but reservations are required, at www.TheTwoOfUsProductions.org, and donations are welcome. All donations will be split 50-50 with the Friends of the Copake Grange. For more information visit the website or call 518 329-6293.
$8K awarded to 16 artists in 2nd round of emergency funding
HUDSON—Sixteen creative workers will share a total of $8,000 in stipends in a second round of funding from the Hudson Arts Emergency Program, a community-funded, WPA-style project, supporting individual artists for projects that speak to life in Hudson during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.
The first round of funding awarded $2,000 to four artists, bringing the grand total to 20 artists receiving aid to date, sharing a total of $10,000.Projects receiving funding include painting, photography, installations, musical compositions, performance, dance, field recordings and video.
$500 stipends went to Victor Bloom, composition; Valerie Shaff, photography; Marc Scrivo, “Hudson for Trees,” photography, field recordings, documentation; Rebecca Borer, webcast; Alison Fox, painting; Victoria Sambunaris, photography; Sondra Loring, dance; Emily Smith, composition and performance; James Autery, video; Lydia Rubio, visual arts; Jeremy Bullis, sculpture / installation; Suzanne Snider, oral history; Jane Ehrlich, visual arts; Pauline Decarmo, visual arts; Louise Smith, mural; and Elise McMahon, video.
First-round recipients were Cat Tyc, poetry; Spencer Bambrick, installation; Tim McDowell, photography and video; and Sam Meyerson, mural.
More awards will be given pending additional contributions to the Hudson Arts Emergency Fund. Artists and creative workers are encouraged to download and complete the application form available at reimaginehudson.com.
A project developed by the Hudson Development Corporation (HDC) Emergency Cultural Task Force, the program seeks to assist creative workers in Hudson by supporting projects that would benefit both them and the greater community via meaningful work during this time when their earning potential has been greatly impacted if not totally eliminated. Creative artists are often ineligible for government aid programs that are based on job losses, rather than loss of income and opportunity.
Funding for the project relies on donations from individuals and organizations. Stipends are awarded in multiples of $500, depending upon the scope of the projects and the availability of funds.
Contributions to the artist emergency fund can be made via PayPal at reimaginehudson.com or by sending a check made out to Hudson Development Corp. with Arts Fund in the memo line, mailed to Hudson Development Corporation, Attn: Hudson Arts Emergency Program, 1 North Front Street, Hudson NY 12534.
The program is administered through the HDC, which is a 501C3 organization, equipped to collect tax-deductible contributions and distribute them. All funds raised will go directly to individual artists, with a very small amount set aside for administrative costs.
Art Omi offers online tours for visitors of all ages
GHENT—Art Omi continues its online curatorial conversations and also offers a new audio tour to guide visitors ages 6 to 12, available on the GeoTourist app for iOS and Android devices.
This up-close and personal adventure highlights some of Art Omi’s sculptures and pavilions. Listeners learn about the artists and their work while they discover elements of art and expand the way they see the world around them. The Explore tour covers a wide range of themes, materials and concepts suitable for the elementary grade levels (ages 6-12).
Art Omi’s next Curatorial Conversation takes place via Zoom Friday, May 29 at 2 p.m. These are live, interactive virtual tours, led by Kelsey Sloane, curatorial assistant. This session, “Relational Aesthetics in Art and Architecture,” explores work in the Sculpture & Architecture Park by Matthew Geller, Alice Aycock and Alex Schweder + Ward Shelley.
Coined by curator Nicholas Bourriaud in the 1990s, “relational aesthetics” describes the tendency to make art based on, or inspired by, human relations and their social context. At Art Omi, these works include Geller’s “Babble, Pummel, and Pride II,” Aycock’s “A Simple Network of Underground Wells and Tunnels” and Schweder + Shelley’s “ReActor.” Each of these works uses different sculptural and architectural principles that depend on social experience and the space they inhabit.
This event is free, but registration is required. For more information go to artomi.org.
Hear a mystery on your audio device of choice
GHENT—Murder Cafe has shifted from live performances to “theatre of the mind,” producing radio theatre.
Five shows are available now—“Murder Me Always,” “Sorry, Wrong Number,” “The Lodger,” “Murder at the Speakeasy” and “Death by Chocolate”—with more to come. Murder mysteries and classic suspense dramas can be heard on seven different platforms including Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, RadioAmerica, Breaker and Apple Podcasts. Broadcasts can also be heard on murdercafe.net.
Access to the radio broadcasts will be always be free but Murder Café does accept donations to cover costs. Sponsorships are available for businesses.
Clermont concert series heard on lawn or online
CLERMONT—The Clermont State Historic Site welcomes Sweet Marie to the Harmonies on the Hudson Concert Series Thursday, June 25 at 6 p.m.
Sweet Marie is Katie and Gabbi Eklund: sisters, singers and songwriters. Influenced by folk, blues and rock, the Eklunds are guitarists also known for harmonies and songs. Sweet Marie has opened for Brandi Carlile, Thompson Square and American Nomads, and appeared at Mountain Jam the last two years.
Friends of Clermont, which presents the concert, is not sure listeners will be able to gather on the mansion lawn as usual, but the group looks to present a full season of concerts–if not in person, then online. Music events this season will be streamed on Clermont’s new YouTube Channel.
To learn more about all scheduled programs this year, and get updates on June programs, visit www.friendsofclermont.org/events.
Helsinki Hudson open mic night is virtual, archived
HUDSON—Club Helsinki Hudson holds its weekly open mic virtually, streaming live Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on the Club Helsinki Virtual Open Mic page at http://clubhelsinki.live, where broadcasts are archived for viewing after the fact.
The virtual open mic blends performers livestreaming their contributions with pre-recorded segments and footage drawn from Helsinki’s video archive. Local, regional, and national artists who have been featured include Tommy Stinson, Wavy Gravy, Ryder Cooley and Tim Fogarty.
Clubhelsinki.live also offers a link through which performers can submit material for consideration.
Listen to, see, The Orchestra Now, mask-free
ANNANDALE—The Orchestra Now (TŌN) keeps the music coming through its new digital initiative, “Stay TONed,” a free weekly series of audio and video streams, available on Tuesdays (audio) and Thursdays (video), as well as other musical options that can be enjoyed on multiple platforms from home, mask-free.
Online content is available at theorchestranow.org/stay-toned/ and on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @theorchnow.
“Stay TONed” includes more than past performances. “TON In” offers new videos and live-streamed house concerts and interviews with the musicians at home. “TŌNality” features interviews with many of the Orchestra’s graduating musicians. In addition, the Fisher Center at Bard College releases new content on its Upstreaming virtual stage each Wednesday, often featuring TŌN recordings.
