The Arts

Great Pretenders: An Exhibit of Art Fakery at Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson
Carrie Haddad Gallery is pleased to announce a new show titled Great Pretenders: An Exhibit of Art Fakery, featuring the work of Mark Beard, Scott Serrano, Paul Chojnowski, Kahn and Selesnick and Mark Catalina. The show opens on September 3 and runs through October 11.

Haddad has had some fun curating this group show featuring several artists she has been representing for many years and one newcomer who all share a common theme in their work: fakery. Of course, the artists are not faking as far as their talent or execution of their artwork goes. Their fakery involves painting under the assumed names of invented characters, creating historic and futuristic photographs of events that never took place, and drawing invented objects that have never existed. Additional trickery is created by artists who disguise their paintings as photographic negatives and prints.

Mark Beard, an artist who paints as various personae, has been exhibiting for many years at Carrie Haddad Gallery. As “Bruce Sargeant,” an imagined English artist living in the early 1900’s, he paints scenes of young men sporting in the English countryside. Beard also created Bruce Sargeant’s teacher, Hippolyte-Alexandre Michallon, a 19th-century French Academist.

The artist Scott Serrano will create an installation of a fabricated 19th century exhibit hall inside the Carrie Haddad Gallery. Serrano also assumes the character of a 19th century botanist who traveled the tropical—and invented—continent of Wallaceana and now presents in images, text and artifacts, his discoveries.

The “art pranksters” Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick have been collaborating for years as writers, photographers and sculptors creating fabled narratives that straddle the real and the fake. Their staged photographs of imaginary quasi-historical expeditions using costumed people and home-made props in real locations combine an amusing loopiness with a seriousness of purpose.

Another magical (sleight-of-hand) art process is Paul Chojnowski. At first glance, any viewer would think they were looking at sepia-toned photographic prints or conte crayon drawings. Chojnowski actually paints with water and then burns in the image with a blowtorch. These beautiful “burned drawings” of scenes at dusk are magical and moody.

Artist Mark Catalina uses state-of-the-art computer graphics technology to make working sketches from which he creates large-scale paintings on canvas, typically of women. Influenced by the work of psychologist Carl Jung, these paintings represent a vision of “the Anima.”

Great Pretenders runs from September 3 through October 11, with an opening reception on Saturday, September 5 from 6 to 8 pm. Carrie Haddad Gallery is located at 622 Warren Street in Hudson, NY. Gallery hours are 11 am to 5 pm, Thursday through Tuesday. Please call 518 828 1915 or visit www.carriehaddadgallery.com for directions or information.

Fall for Art Arts Extravaganza and Fundraiser Links Up with 2009 Quadricentennial Celebration
The Jewish Federation of Ulster County has announced the date for its annual fundraiser “Fall for Art” art sale and cocktail reception for 2009. The popular event will take place on Thursday, September 24, 2009, at Wiltwyck Golf Club from 6 to 9 pm.

The 13th Annual Show and Sale includes an opportunity for artists to participate in the “Quadricentennial Invitational Exhibit,” celebrating the 400-year celebration of Henry Hudson’s first voyage along the river that now bears his name. Participating artists are encouraged to display work in their individual mediums that best reflects upon the theme of New York’s Quadricentennial celebration.

Presented by Mark Braunstein: The Markertek Award of $1000 to be shared equally by two of the show’s participating artists. In keeping with the event’s legacy of supporting the arts, “Fall for Art” will present the Ulster County Purchase Award valued up to $1000 by inviting Mike Hein, Ulster County Executive, to select a work of art reflecting the Quadricentennial theme. The Ulster County Purchase Award is a gift from Fall for Art and will be displayed in the Executive Office or The Ulster County Office Building.

Fundraiser and chairperson, Barbara Cohen, says, “Although the art show and sale’s most important purpose is to raise funds for Jewish Federation causes, our legacy for the past 12 years has been to support the arts. In part, the strong presence of the arts in Quadricentennial plans combines our mission with a once-in-a- lifetime event.”

Fall for Art 2008 was a banner year for attendance, and the event raised close to $17,000 for community efforts including cultural and educational programs such as “Teaching Tolerance,” high school scholarships, Jewish Family Services, a film series and SUNY New Paltz Hillel.

For tickets and/or further information, call the Jewish Federation of Ulster County at 845 338 8131, e-mail info@ucjf.org or visit www.ucjf.org.

The Barefoot Boys Open the 14th Season of Saugerties Pro Musica
The Barefoot Boys, a Hudson Valley based string band, are opening the fourteenth season of Saugerties Pro Musica with an historic tribute to early Hudson River history. On this, the Quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s voyage of discovery, the talented trio will sing and play the folk and chantey classics of our region. The September 20 concert is underwritten by Explore New York 400.

The Barefoot Boys offer rollicking renditions of regional folk songs, mountain ballads, square dance tunes, and instrumental medleys. Specializing in traditional music from the Hudson/Catskill regions, these enervated musicians are also likely to play sea songs, ragtime tunes, novelty numbers and songs from people like Pete Seeger which reflect long ago-life in the Hudson Valley.
The Musicians

Rich Bala—vocals, guitar, harmonica, mountain dulcimer—has over 25 years’ experience researching, collecting and performing traditional songs of the region. In addition to his work with “The Boys”, he also performs solo and with storyteller Jonathan Kruk as “The Hudson River Ramblers.” He has made a total of five recordings to date, and has performed with Pete Seeger, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Happy Traum, John Herald and Joe Hickerson, among others.

Tom White—vocals, banjo, concertina, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, pennywhistle—is considered a “musician’s musician,” has won numerous prizes at instrument competitions, has appeared on over 40 recordings, and has played with Woods Tea Co., Pete Sutherland, Sandy & Caroline (AND Dave and Robin) Paton. He also owns and operates Wizmak Studio, where The Boys’ recordings were made.

Rick Hill—vocals, bass, guitar, banjo—is the newest Barefoot Boy, and in addition to providing a rock-steady low end on standup bass, adds impeccable harmonies to the Boys’ sound. He has lots of experience performing both as a solo and in groups all along the East Coast, and has organized many musical events and concerts from Virginia to New York.

The concert will be held on Sunday, September 20 at 3 pm at the Saugerties United Methodist Church on the corner of Washington Avenue & Post Street. For more information visit www.saugertiespromusica.org or call 845 246 5021.

Martin Puryear, A Survey of Prints at the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild
The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild announces the opening of an exhibition of prints by the eminent sculptor, Martin Puryear, on Saturday, September 12 through Sunday, October 18, at the Kleinert-James Arts Gallery in Woodstock, NY. This not-to-be-missed exhibition at the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild will be the first comprehensive showing of Martin Puryear’s prints in the Metropolitan area.

Dr. Puryear’s sculptural works have won him international and national recognition. He has shown his work every year at important galleries and museums since 1977. In 2008-2009, he was accorded a one person exhibition that traveled from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City throughout the U.S.

Recently he returned to printmaking. The images are filled with subtleties, sensitive lines and mottled tones, as only a great printmaker can achieve. Some of his prints, such as 1999 Untitled (LAMOCA), shown above, show the printer’s hand with black working marks.

The Kleinert/James Arts Center is located at 34 Tinker Street in Woodstock. For more information, call 845 679 2079 or visit www.woodstockguild.org.

7th Annual Woodstock Fine Art Auction
One of the Northeast’s favorite sources for fine art and unique objets d’art, the 7th Annual Woodstock Fine Art Auction takes place on Sunday, September 6 (Labor Day Weekend) starting at 1 pm. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum (WAAM), one of the oldest organizations of its kind, which celebrated its 90th year this summer.

“As always we have a fabulous selection of over 250 lots in the $100 to $20,000 range,” said James Cox, auctioneer and co-sponsor. “We’re always pleased with the quality of our consignments, and we’ve certainly attracted outstanding works again this year.”

“Our auction is carefully vetted by a knowledgeable team of art professionals and provides great appeal for art lovers and collectors. It’s also WAAM’s most successful fundraiser,” WAAM director and curator Josephine Bloodgood explained.

The complete catalogue and phone and absentee bid forms will be available online at www.woodstockart.org and www.jamescoxgallery.com. Print catalogues will be available and can be ordered by contacting the James Cox Gallery at 845 679 7608 or info@jamescoxgallery.com. Also contact the James Cox Gallery about online, phone and absentee bidding for this live auction.