The Arts

The Landscapes of Thomas Paquette: Journeys in Color at Windham Fine Arts
The landscapes of Thomas Paquette are at once beautiful exhibitions of places and spirited explorations of the palette. This solo exhibition at Windham Fine Arts presents examples of both his oil painting and some delightful gouache gems. To quote Paquette, “The different mediums allow me to have interesting dialogues with paint: where they will go is partly up to the paint.” Is Paquette exploring the landscape, his palette or his own interior? Must he choose one path? For he pursues all three while creating beautifully rendered landscapes. If you have heard the terms a “painter’s painter” or “painterly,” the landscape paintings of Thomas Paquette fall decidedly into this camp. Paquette may nod, or offer a tip of the proverbial hat, to the traditions of painters he admires, whether it be Thomas Moran, Claude Monet or Andre Derain, as well as to the reality depicted “out there” in the middle distance between here and there. However, Paquette’s painting and its process are completely, independently his own. In Paquette’s world, it begins with color blocking directly onto the canvas to create different fields that will evenutally lead to a composition. The underpainting may not, and frequently does not, begin with the same palette that ends up on the surface, although hints of it remain, layered like so many memories of a meandering journey. Can the particularly Paquette purples really be observed in reality by the average eye? But that is what makes the artist just that—an artist! It is the eye of the artist that “sees” what others cannot, and it is the artist who graces us with a small sampling of his view of the world.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Thomas Paquette has painted full-time since finishing graduate school at Southern Illinois University in 1988. His paintings have been the focus of more than thirty one-man exhibitions at prominent art galleries and museums around the country. In his own words, Paquette writes “Travel is the distance we need from ourselves to see the world anew. Sometimes this requires a plane ticket, sometimes just a changed point of view. My paintings are the result of both these journeys far and near, to other continents or upon the canvas just a foot in front of me. My paintings are talismans I gather from new horizons, like dear stones from a special beach or peak. Because I revisit my paintings so often and over years’ time, I like to claim—as Henry David Thoreau claimed in joking understatement that he is well traveled in his hometown of Concord—that I am well-traveled in my canvases.”

Dozens of Paquette’s works were selected to hang in U.S. Embassies around the world, from St. Petersburg to Rome, Vienna, Athens, Taipei, San Salvador, Phnom Penh, Latvia, and Chile, Chad and Cuba. In addition to other residencies—including one on the Greek island of Lesbos, and others at Acadia, Rocky Mountain, and Yosemite National Parks—Thomas was honored as a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome in 2000, and also for three years in Miami as a Residency-Fellowship recipient from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. He has completed several large commissions including a major one for the Federal Reserve Bank, and a thirty-two foot canvas for a college in Minnesota. In 2006, he was a guest of Ambassador Ries in Athens, where Paquette gave lectures and had paintings on display. He lives with his wife in northwest Pennsylvania, on the edge of the Allegheny National Forest.

Running at Windham Fine Arts through January 24 is Iconic Landscapes and Everyday Icons, featuring the work of Kevin Cook and Gail Postal. For more information, see www.catskillmtn.org/guide-magazine/articles/2009-12-the-arts.html

An opening reception with the artist will be held on Saturday, January 30, from 5 to 8 pm. Windham Fine Arts is located at 5380 Main Street, Windham NY. Gallery hours are Thursday through Monday, from 11 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 518 734 6850, or visit www.windhamfinearts.com.

An Evening with Bill Maher at UPAC
The Bardavon is pleased to present at UPAC in Kingston An Evening with Bill Maher on Friday, January 22 at 8 pm.

For the last fifteen years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. First on "Politically Incorrect" (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for the last seven years on HBO's "Real Time," Maher's combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him twenty-one Emmy nominations. In October of 2008, this same combination was on display in Maher's uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, "Religulous," directed by Larry Charles ("Borat"). The documentary has gone on to become the 7th highest grossing documentary ever made.

In addition to his television program - which has featured such regular visitors as John Edwards, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, Arianna Huffington, Alec Baldwin and Michael Moore - Maher has written four bestsellers: "True Story," "Does Anybody Have a Problem with That?" "Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits," "When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden" and most recently, "New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer."

Maher started his career as a stand-up comedian in 1979, and still performs at least fifty dates a year in Las Vegas and in sold out theaters all across the country. Two of his eight stand-up specials for HBO—2007's "The Decider" and 2005's "I'm Swiss"—have been nominated for Emmy awards. Maher was born in New York City, raised in River Vale, N.J. and went to Cornell University. He now resides in Los Angeles.

Tickets for An Evening with Bill Maher on Friday, January 22 at 8 pm are available for $85 Golden Circle, $55 Adults, $50 Bardavon Members. Purchase your tickets in person at the UPAC Box Office, 601 Broadway Kingston: 845 339 6088 or at the Bardavon Box Office, 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie: 845 473 2072 or through TicketMaster: 800 745 3000. Please note that member benefits are not available through Ticketmaster. Additional information is available at www.bardavon.org or www.upac.org.

Vinca String Quartet in Saugerties
Saugerties Pro Musica begins the New Year right with a chamber music concert by the Vinca String Quartet on Sunday January 17th at 3 pm. The Vinca String Quartet musicians Jessica Tong (violin), Aaron Requiro (violin), Laura Seay (viola) and An-Lin Bardin (cello) consistently touch audiences on a human level through their expressive, warm presentation and performances. Hailed by The New York Times as "stunning" and "musicians worth keeping an eye on," this charismatic quartet inspires joy and passion in seasoned chamber music lovers and novices alike. Saugerties Pro Musica is proud to host these talented musicians at the Saugerties United Methodist Church.

Strongly committed to inspiring new audiences and building stronger communities through the power of live chamber music, the Vinca String Quartet has helped launch concert series catering to communities overlooked by major classical groups. The quartet also offers lectures, performances, and interactive workshops for audiences of all ages as part of their ongoing educational mission. They are the resident quartet for the 2008-2009 season at the Westport Suzuki School in Westport, CT. Through residencies with the Aspen Music Festival, the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, and the Peaks to Plains Suzuki Institute, the quartet has coached many young musicians and frequently works with students in public schools and string programs throughout the country.

The next concert after the Vinca String Quartet will be on February 28, when the Palisades Virtuosi Trio (piano, flute & clarinet) will perform. Future concerts include jazz pianist Lee Shaw, organist Gregory D'Agostino, West Point Brass, and the Catskill Glee Club through next May. For a full calendar of concerts visit our Web site at www.saugertiespromusica.org or call 845 246 5021

All concerts are on Sunday at 3 pm. Saugerties Pro Musica sponsors the concerts held at the Saugerties United Methodist Church on the corner of Washington Avenue & Post Street. Admission - Adults $12, Seniors $10, and Students with ID always FREE!