The Arts

By Mary Fairchild & Sarah Taft

Bohemia at Gallerie BMG
Craig J. Barber is known for his quiet and provocative landscape photographs and is recognized as one of today's premier platinum printers. For more than twenty years he has been working exclusively in pinhole format, traveling and examining rapidly changing cultures around the world, creating bodies of work he calls “cultural landscapes.”

Bohemia, his exhibition of new work, focuses on Prague and the surrounding Czech countryside. As in his previous landscapes of Vietnam, Havana and the Catskill Region of New York State, the images are ethereal and fading, yet at the same time seem to be rooted in both a personal and collective memory. Despite his numerous visits to Prague and his familiarity with the region, there is always a vague sense of looking in from the outside, of not quite finding one’s place in the transition of culture. The images are beautifully enhanced with the rich tonal scale, sensuality and permanence of his platinum/palladium prints.

Craig’s photographs have been exhibited in more than 60 solo exhibitions and numerous group shows throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe. His work is also well represented in public and private collections worldwide. He has received several prestigious grants and in 2006, Umbrage Editions published his book, Ghosts in the Landscape: Vietnam Revisited. Craig teaches photography workshops throughout the United States and Europe. A native New Yorker, he currently lives in Woodstock, New York.

Bohemia will have its premiere exhibition at Galerie BMG from September 7 through October 8, with an artist’s reception scheduled on September 8 from 5 to 7 pm.

Galerie BMG is located at 12 Tannery Brook Road in Woodstock. Regular gallery hours are Friday through Monday, 11 am to 6 pm or other times by appointment. For further information, please contact the gallery at 845 679 0027 or visit their Web site at www.galeriebmg.com.

Plein Air Painters at the Mark Gruber Gallery
James Cramer and James Coe—Plein Air Painters, a show featuring these two spontaneous talents, opens at the Mark Gruber Gallery on September 8 and runs through October 17, with an opening reception for the artists on Saturday, September 15, from 6 to 8 pm. If you have ever tried to begin and complete a painting in an afternoon, you can imagine the discipline and accuracy needed to do so successfully. These tremendous talents, James Coe and James Cramer, both make it look so easy!

James Coe is probably best known for his bird illustrations. You may be familiar with his illustrations for the Golden Field Guide to Eastern Birds. But he has, in recent years, become a dedicated (some say obsessed) landscape painter. All through the year he hauls his oil paints and easel out into the field where he captures the glowing light and exquisite scenery of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Region en plein air.

James Cramer is a seeker—seeking out long vistas and interpreting flower gardens. He roams the Hudson Valley from New Paltz to the northern Catskill Mountains in search of forest interiors, creeks and waterfalls, fields, farms and the majestic Hudson River. A regionalist, Mr. Cramer’s plein-air vision is fresh and powerful. The immediacy of his style nurtures and upholds a colorful blend of Realism and Impressionism that is unique and inspired.

The Mark Gruber Gallery is located in the New Paltz Plaza (Super Stop and Shop) in New Paltz. Gallery hours are Monday from 11 am to 5:30 pm; Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 5:30 pm; Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 12 to 4 pm. For more information, please contact Mark Gruber at 845 255 1241.

East Meets West in Hudson
When Loman Eng recently relocated to Rhinebeck, NY after many years in Ithaca, the Hudson River Valley received a rare gem to add to the beloved painters of the region. An artist of renown, Eng’s paintings and portraits transcend the viewer with their beauty and unique execution.

In 1975, Eng already an accomplished artist, arrived in the United States from Hong Kong with his wife, Petula. His interest in art began at a very young age. At eight years old he was a serious student of calligraphy and Chinese painting. After his first exhibition in the fifth grade, a great master came to him and began teaching him Western styles of painting.

Over the following years various styles and disciplines were learned from different masters and Loman Eng became proficient in a wide range of artistic expressions, all the while developing his own distinctive character and stylistic approach. After graduating from college in Hong Kong, he continued studying painting.

Eng’s fusion of classic Chinese with Hudson River School style produces oil paintings that are spellbinding, thoughtful, emotionally provocative and deeply symbolic. Art writer Denise Richer said of Eng’s charcoal portraits, “They are breathtaking. He can express color in black and white. They seem almost living, capturing emotion, mood and attitude in black and white form.”

Loman Eng has long been pursued by gallery owners who have recognized his extraordinary talent. Eng approached Rose Gallery owner/director Nancy Cobean and an immediate recognition of each other’s past achievements and common desires for the future forged a new bond between artist and gallery.

Rose Gallery Fine Art, located at 444 Warren Street in Hudson, NY is presenting a rare opportunity for collectors and art lovers to meet the artist at a reception to celebrate the opening of his exhibition on September 29, 2007 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The show runs through October 29, 2007. For more information, call 518 671 6128 or visit www.rosegalleryfineart.com.

Computers in Art at the Greene County Council on the Arts
Sytes, a show about computers in art, will be on display from September 29 to November 4 at the Greene County Council on the Arts Mountain Top Gallery, Windham, New York. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 29 from 2 to 4 pm.

Computer art is an evolutionary form. Technology and software are constantly changing, leaping ahead to new and different frontiers. Computer art is defined as any art in which computers played a role in production or display of artwork. The Sytes exhibit will display computer art as well as art about computers or using computer parts. Digital painting and illustrations, fractal art, computer graphics and sculptures will be shown.

Visit Sytes from September 29 to November 4 at the GCCA Mountain Top Gallery, 5348 Main Street, Windham, New York. Gallery hours are Friday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm and Monday and Tuesday from 1 to 5 pm. For more information, call the gallery at 518 734 3104 or the GCCA at 518 943 3400, or visit their Web site at www.greenearts.org.

Photographer Robert Lipgar at the Cuneen-Hackett Arts Center
Just a Moment, a new collection of photographic images by Robert Lipgar, will open to the public with an Artist’s Reception on September 15 from 2 to 6 pm at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center in Poughkeepsie’s historic River District.

The exhibit runs through October 28 and features “Homage to Rothko” and other prize-winning images. “These images capture my sense of joy at coming home again,” said Lipgar, who went on to say, “I wanted to share my re-discovering those familiar moments in the mid-Hudson Valley which have endured as inspirations for me.”

This exhibition includes large museum quality prints of scenes in Dutchess and Ulster Counties. Lipgar is an active member of the Woodstock Artist Association and of the Art Society of Kingston. He lives in Hurley, NY and travels widely. He was awarded the Leilani Claire Prize for Photography in 2006 by the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum and his photography is represented in many collections here in the Hudson Valley, the Midwest, and elsewhere.

Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center is located at 12 Vassar Street in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call 845 486 4571 or visit www.cunneenhackett.org.

Vanishing Landscape at RiverWinds Gallery
RiverWinds Gallery in Beacon features Robert Ferrucci’s Vanishing Landscape from September 8 through October 8, 2007. His paintings depict America’s land, barns, farms and the serenity of country living. Influenced by the vanishing open spaces, farms and barns of Hudson Valley and New England, Ferrucci captures the peace, serenity and simplicity mixed with strong landscapes, old homes, barns and faded images of fields and mountains.

Robert can best be described as a Contemporary American Folk Artist. His paintings are filled with muted colors and warm earth tones, diffused images and a primitive simplicity, a contemporary style of American Folk Art. His vision is less about details, as it is an affirmation of that sense of stability, peace and simple living. Please come meet Robert at an opening reception on September 8 from 5 to 8 pm.

RiverWinds Gallery is located at 172 Main Street in Beacon. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Monday from 12 to 6 pm and 9 pm on Second Saturday. For more information, call 845 838 2880 or visit www.riverwindsgallery.com.

This End Up at Windham Fine Arts
In the spirit of expanding horizons, Windham Fine Arts is presenting an exciting, totally abstract show, This End Up, featuring the work of Jeanette Fintz, Bill Mead and Evan Venegas. Whether it’s the complex configurations of Evan Venegas, Jeanette Fintz’s bold choice of color or the subtle tones juxtaposed with structured design in Bill Mead’s paintings, what will be perceived will be as diverse as the people viewing them.

Jeanette Fintz comes to Windham after showing extensively regionally and in New York City. This talented artist has successfully merged a feeling of nature with an urban sensibility, stretching color motifs usually found in the realms of design and fashion. Her work has a rhythmic impact stemming both from her enjoyment of jazz and polyrhythms of Brazilian and Indian origin, which she also sees displayed in the visual rhythmus found in textiles and Islamic tile patterns.

Bill Mead’s latest work pays homage to a great period mid-century modern art with his “1957 Red Seed Series”… it also happens to be the year of his birth. Painting in series allows him to explore a thought or theme not unlike a jazz musician. The paintings slowly evolve over the course of months making their way out of the studio, into his house for critiquing then sometimes back to the studio for some fine tuning and finally when he decides a painting is complete it is ready for public viewing.

The work of Evan Venegas has an energy which makes the paintings look as though they could start churning and humming at any moment. His inspiration is the pulse created by masses of people and how they form a changing backdrop for city living. He may start with one shape, building upon it the process becomes a stream of consciousness.

Please welcome these artists to Windham at the opening reception on September 1 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. “This End Up” runs through October 1. Windham Fine Arts is located at 5380 Main Street in Windham. Gallery hours are Friday through Monday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information call 518 734 6850 or check the Web at www.windhamfinearts.com.

Windham Chamber Music Festival presents Simon Shaheen and “Qantara”
On Saturday, September 1 at 8:00 pm the Windham Chamber Music Festival will present a concert by the oud and violin virtuoso Simon Shaheen and his ensemble “Qantara.”

The concert will take place in the Windham Civic and Performing Arts Center at 5379 Main Street Windham, NY and will be followed by a complimentary reception at the Windham Fine Arts Gallery directly across the street from the concert.

Simon Shaheen was born in Palestine, attended Tel Aviv University, earning degrees in Arabic literature and music performance, and later pursued further studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1980 he emigrated to the United States to study music at the Manhattan School of Music and Columbia University, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. He is perhaps the greatest ambassador of Arab world music in the United States and has participated in many cross-cultural musical projects. Shaheen formed the Near Eastern Music Ensemble, which performs classical Arabic music, and he organized annual Arabic music retreats and arts festivals. Simon Shaheen lives in New York City, where he formed “Qantara” (which means “arch”) an ensemble which melds jazz, pop and western classical music with Arabic elements.

Tickets are $20 General Admission, $17 for Seniors, $15 for Contributors and $5 for Students.

Tickets may be purchased on Main Street, Windham at Carole’s Gift Emporium, the Catskill Mountain Country Store and the Windham Public Library, and also in Hunter at the Catskill Mountain Foundation (map) Bookstore at Hunter Village Square. For tickets by mail, please write to WCMF, PO Box 771, Windham, NY 12496. For reservations, call 518 678 9309 or e-mail info@windhammusic.com. For more information on the Festival please go to the Web at www.windhammusic.com or call 518 734 3868.

Folk-Pop, “Americans in Paris” and Bluegrass in East Meredith
The West Kortright Center has a number of interesting events this month. On Sunday, September 2, at 7:30 pm, it’s The Roches, the off-kilter folk pop sister act with their idiosyncratic and occasionally irreverent songs, all laced with distinctive three-part sibling harmonies.

On Saturday, September 15, at 7:30 pm, the Proteus Ensemble performs a program titled “Americans in Paris,” with music by Aaron Copeland, Astor Piazzolla, Ned Rorem, Elliott Carter, Heitor Villa-Lobos and George Gershwin. Top-prize winners of the Chamber Music Yellow Springs and the Fischoff National Chamber Music competitions, the Proteus Ensemble played Lincoln Center in the “Great Performers” series in January 2006.

The Claire Lynch Band plays the West Kortright Centre on Sunday, September 30, at 4 pm. This band is high on the bluegrass world’s A-list, with musicians whose accolades include International Bluegrass Music Association awards, two Grammy nominations and a spot on the “Best of 2006” lists from numerous publications, including Bluegrass Now magazine.

The West Kortright Centre is located at 49 West Kortright Church Road in East Meredith. Call 607 278 5454 or visit www.westkc.org for more information.

Cool Jazz in Kingston
On Sunday, September 30, at 7:00 p.m., the Ulster Performing Arts Center presents the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Winner of eight Grammy awards, Mr. Marsalis has been described as the outstanding jazz musician and trumpeter of his generation, as one of the world’s top classical trumpeters, as a big band leader in the tradition of Duke Ellington, a brilliant composer, a devoted advocate for the Arts and a tireless and inspiring educator. UPAC is at 601 Broadway, Kingston. Call 845 339 6088 for information.

Grazhda Wraps Up in Jewett
The Grazhda Chamber Music Society in Jewett wraps up its 2007 season on September 1 with a concert by violinist Yuri Mazurkevich and pianist Volodymyr Vynnytsky at 8 pm. Mr. Mazurkevich was a faculty member at the Kiev State Conservatory. After emigrating to the West, he held faculty positions at the University of Western Ontario and Boston University School for the Arts. Volodymyr Vynnytsky, artistic director of Grazhda, has earned a reputation as a brilliant soloist and chamber artist. The concert is at Grazhda Hall, Rte. 23A, Ukraine Road, Jewett. Call 518 262 4619 for tickets.

The American Symphony Orchestra at Bard
The American Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bard College President Leon Botstein, performs at the Fisher Center on the Bard campus on Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15. The program will include the Academic Festival Overture by Johannes Brahms; Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103 (the “Egyptian”); Four Songs of Don Quixote by Jacques Ibert, and Antonin Dvorák’s, Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, “From the New World.” The soloist for the Saint-Saëns will be pianist Shun-Yang Lee; for the Ibert, baritone Yohan Yi. Call the Fisher Center box office at 845 758 7900 for tickets and information.

Trumpets Jazz Club comes to Round Top
The Altamura Center for Arts and Culture hosts the Trumpets Jazz Club of Montclair, NJ on Saturday, September 1, at 5 pm and Sunday, September 2, at 2 pm. Enrico Granafei will perform on harmonica, joined by vocalist Kristine Massari, in traditional and contemporary jazz, Brazilian music, blues and originals. The Betty Liste Quartet will play swing and straight-ahead. Fatima Santos sings urban and rural songs from Portugal, joined by José-Luis Iglesias on guitar and a percussionist. Gustavo and Martin Moretto perform tango and fusion jazz, and rounding out the roster are contemporary jazz singer Michaele with Mark Minchello on keyboards, renowned jazz vocalist Marlene Ver Plank, pianist Daniele Gorgoni, and Italian bassist Giovanni Sanguinetti. The Altamura Center is at 404 Winter Clove Road, Round Top. Cal 518 622 0070 or visit www.altocanto.org for information.

At the Catskill Mountain Foundation (map)…
Jennifer Muller—The Works
Saturday, September 1, 8:00 pm
Hunter/Tannersville High School, Rte. 23A, Tannersville
For more than three decades, the contemporary dance company Jennifer Muller/The Works continues to apply a multi-disciplinary technique that weaves aspects of theater, dance and Eastern Philosophy to tackle a diverse array of subject matters, from urban life and human rights violations to wild horses and the environment. Much of Ms. Muller’s work is rooted in community outreach, serving over 5,000 students each year and mentoring approximately 50 choreographers. The Works has appeared at many of the world’s preeminent theaters and festivals in 37 countries on four continents.

This event is funded, in part, by the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation.

The Piano—King of Instruments Concert/Conversation Series
Concert & Conversation III: The Mantle of Frescobaldi
Saturday, September 29, 8:00 pm
Doctorow Performing Arts and Film Center
Main Street, Hunter
Noted musicologist and harpsichordist William Carragan will perform on a 1539 Gironimo da Firenze harpsichord from the days of Michaelangelo. He will perform selected works by late Renaissance and early Baroque keyboard composer Girolamo Frescobaldi.

The Piano—King of Instruments Concert & Conversation Series is dedicated to the memory of Evelyn Weisberg and is supported, in part, by a generous donation from the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation.



Grand Opening, The Doctorow Center for Performing Arts and Film
Saturday, October 6
Doctorow Center for Performing Arts and Film
Main Street, Hunter
Please visit www.catskillmtn.org for complete schedule.

The Catskill Mountain Chamber Orchestra presents The James Rem Memorial Concert for Children: Peter and the Wolf
Saturday, October 6, 3:00 pm
Doctorow Center for Performing Arts & Film
Main Street, Hunter
Back by popular demand, the Catskill Mountain Chamber Orchestra, under the directio of Robert Manno, will perform Sergei Prokofiev’s children’s classic. Narrated by Carol Spear the afternoon will also include a brief post-show discussion on how each instrument featured in the story relates to the animal it has been chosen to represent. After the performance, each child will receive a free gift!

This event is made possible, in part, by the James Rem Memorial Fund.

The Catskill Mountain Chamber Orchestra presents The James Rem Memorial Evening Concert
Saturday, October 6, 8:00 pm
Doctorow Center for Performing Arts & Film
Main Street, Hunter
The Catskill Mountain Chamber Orchestra, founded by Robert Manno in 2004, has become one of the leading classical music ensembles in the northern Catskill Region. Today, it plays to sold-out audiences, with many of its performances broadcast on WMHT/WRHV FM. Starting in 2008, it will be in residence at the Catskill Mountain Foundation (map)’s new Orpheum Performing Arts Center. In this concert, they will play the music of Bruckner, Bartok, Haydn and Manno.

This event is made possible, in part, by the James Rem Memorial Fund.

Call 518 263 2063 or visit www.catskillmtn.org for information about Catskill Mountain Foundation (map) events.

In Rhinebeck…
Highlights from the Footlights: the Gilbert & Sullivan singers do their annual Labor Day thing, bringing the very best songs of Savoy, Broadway, the West End and Tin Pan Alley to the Center for the Performing Arts in Rhinebeck. Performances are on Saturday, September 1, at 8:00 pm and Sunday, September 2, at 3:00 p.m.

From September 7-23, the Rhinebeck Center presents Cabaret, Kander and Ebb’s musical masterpiece, adapted from Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories. Directed by multiple Emmy award-winner Nancy Sans and choreographed by Miriam Mahdaviani, performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 3:00 pm.

The Four Nations Ensemble performs a concert of 18th century music for harpsichord, flute, and strings by François Couperin, Louis Couperin and Jean-Marie Leclair. The performance, on Saturday, September 15, at 3:30 pm, will be at Grasmere, the historic mansion in Rhinebeck. Call 212 928 5708 for reservations.

And at Maverick in Woodstock…
Maverick Concerts in Woodstock concludes its 2007 season on September 1 with David Del Tredici’s Final Alice, an evening-length work for soprano based on Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. This is the world premiere of an arrangement for chamber orchestra by Alexander Platt. Soprano Patrice Michaels performs with the Maverick Chamber Players conducted by Mr. Platt. The Performance is at 8:00 pm The Maverick Concert Hall is on Maverick Road just off Route 375 in Woodstock. Call 845 679 8217 or visit www.maverickconcerts.org for information.