The Arts

The Celts are Coming! Explore the world of the Celts at the Largest Pan Celtic Festival in the Northeast to take place in May

Did you know that two out of five New Yorkers can trace their ancestry to the Celts? The Celts, particularly the Scots and the Irish were among the earliest settlers in the New World. Some say that the Celts first arrived in the New World about 1,000 B.C.E. and there are Celtic designed standing stones and dolmens—one large boulder balanced on three smaller boulders—found throughout the northeast.

Along the Missouri River, Lewis and Clark came upon a very strange Native American village, maybe not quite Native American, for the inhabitants were blond, blue-eyed and spoke Welsh. Many historians now suspect that this village was founded by Druids escaping the Christianization of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

But who were the Celts and where did they come from? Most DNA experts can now say with confidence that the Celts came from two places, from the Steppes of what is now called Russia and ancient Scythia and from the Middle East. Evidence of Gaelic words have been found among Egyptian Hieroglyphics and some scientists say that the Celts pre-date Egyptian civilization.

Around 3,500 B, C, these two groups, who shared a natural cycle of planting and telling time, a very high level of agriculture and an adventurous spirit invaded what we now call Europe. The northern Celts brought four precious ingredients in the benign conquest: the horse, grain, bronze and a very sophisticated level of agriculture, thus transforming Europe from and hunter-gatherer society to an agrarian culture from which grew small settlements that over time became towns, villages and cities.

While most people think of the Celts as being Irish, Scottish or maybe Welsh, their imprint on Europe is seen in three historic migrations from Hallstatt, Austria to southern Portugal. By 12,000 B.C.E. the Urnfield Culture had migrated throughout much of Europe, down the Iberian Peninsula and into the Austro-Italian lands. By 700 B.C.E. the second wave of migration saw the Celts in southern France, parts of the Netherlands and on to England.

The next great move took place about 500 B.C.E. as the La Tène culture—from Lake Neuchâtel, Switzerland—moved into Hungary, northern France and Spain. By this point in time the Celts were firmly established in Europe and the great “Gaelic-Celts” in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

The indigenous population of Scotland at this time was the Picts, the “painted people.” Anyone who has seen Braveheart, while greatly moved by the noble spirit of William Wallace, should realize that no self respecting Celt would paint half his face blue. By the time of William Wallace, the Picts had been well integrated into the Celtic population.

There are eight Celtic nations: Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Cornwall, Isle of Man, Brittany in France and Austriaus and Galicia in Spain. Galicia and Austriaus were never conquered and to this day speak a dialect of Gaelic. All eight nations share a heritage that embraces the cycles of nature, a great pride in their ancient heritage as well as their unique forms of music and dance.

The Celts have played important roles since the Neolithic period in shaping history. But just what is a Celt today? It’s not only where your grandparents or great-grandparents came from, it is something more intangible, Celtic Pride. To be a Celt is to be part of a people with a rich and long history, each generation leaves a legacy that is a living, breathing testament to the joy of love, life and the land.

John Paul Jones, himself a Celt said, “I have often considered our race of peoples to be quite like the native Indians of the American continent. Like them, those that we call Celts, live For and By the land. And like those so-called savages of our fledging nation, the Celts are dedicated to two principles: Family and Freedom”

Celebration of Celts, now going into its fifth year is a living, breathing experience of Celtic culture, from the best in Celtic Fusion, A Living Celtic History Time Line, pipe bands, Celtic horses including the rare Gypsy Horse and Exmor Pony to a Single Malt Whisky Seminar, Clans and Assocations and the Parade of Celts. “There is something for everyone, and you don’t have to be a Celt to love every minute of this unique festival,” says Anne Macpherson, Founder and Director. “ All you need is to want to have fun, and something that you can do with the entire family.”

If you want to explore the mystery and magic of the Celtic World try visiting the Celebration of Celts to be held May 3 and 4 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Chatham, New York. For tickets and more information go to www.celebrationofcelts.com or call 518 851 9670. Contributed by Anne Macpherson

At the Catskill Mountain Foundation (map)…

In the Gallery: Outside the Box II
March 20-April 20, 2008
Opening Reception:
Saturday, March 20, 4-6 pm
CMF Gallery, Hunter Village Square, Main Street, Hunter
The second installment of the Outsider Art show, featuring works by self-taught, naïve or visionary artists who illustrate extreme mental states, unconventional ideas and/or elaborate fantasy worlds. From the collection of Larry & Paulette Brill.

In the Gallery: The Japanese Aesthetic
April 26-May 18, 2008
Opening Reception:
Saturday, May 3, 4-6 pm
Discussion and remarks with Eric Thomsen at 5 pm
CMF Gallery, Hunter Village Square, Main Street, Hunter
Featuring Japanese screens, paintings and works of art from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Young Artists Concert I
Featuring three new graduates from Vassar College: Lidiya Yankovskaya, piano; Laura Sousa, violin; Janice Hwang, cello
Saturday May 3, 8:00 pm
Doctorow Center for the Arts
Evelyn Weisberg Hall
Rte. 23A, Village of Hunter

The Piano: King of Instruments Series
Concert I: Bach: Two Profiles
Saturday, May 10, 8:00 pm
Doctorow Center for the Arts
Evelyn Weisberg Hall
Rte. 23A, Village of Hunter, NY
Featuring Vladimir Pleshakov and Elena Winther, pianists and William Carragan, harpsichordist. Carragan will play Bach’s Fourth Partita on the instrument for which it was written—the harpsichord. In total contrast, Pleshakov and Winther will play on the modern piano transcriptions of Bach’s major works by Liszt, Busoni, Rachmaninoff,and Max Reger..


Call 518 263 2063 or visit www.catskillmtn.org for more information.

American Roots Artist George Kilby Jr. appearing at the Andes Hotel
American Roots Artist George Kilby Jr. will at the Andes Hotel for their special event series, “Biscuits and Blues,” on Saturday, March 15 at 7 pm.

Kilby and his band, “The Road Dogs,” will perform Blues and roots rock from several of his CD’s. Most notably, he will have his powerhouse horn section on board. They will do several tunes from the Live at 85 CD with Grammy-winning Pinetop Perkins. Kilby’s mentor for 20 years, Perkins just recieved an '08 Grammy Award.

Born in Alabama, George Kilby Jr. is an integral part of New York’s roots music scene. Constant festival appearances such as the American Folk Festival and the Guinness Jazz Festival have established his name throughout Europe and the U.S. His newest release, Road Dog’s Holiday, features the seasoned songwriter as well as the veteran bluesman. Country, Gospel and New Orleans are very present, but his sound is rooted in the Blues. He now makes his home in upstate New York. The band has a residency at the infamous BB King’s Blues Club in Times Square, where they appear every Sunday.

The Andes Hotel is located on Main Street in Andes. For more information, call 845 676 3980. Reservations are suggested.

Jeri Eisenberg at Galerie BMG

Bokeh, the title of the exhibition of ethereal landscape photographs by Jeri Eisenberg at Galerie BMG in Woodstock, NY, is a Japanese term for the “subjective, aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image.” It aptly describes the artist’s fragmented images of trees, diffused and softened with a purposefully oversized pinhole or defocused lens, then printed onto Japanese rice paper and finished with a subtle coating of wax.

This large-scale new work is the latest installment in her body of work she calls “A Sojourn in Seasons: Sketching with Light Among Trees,” this time primarily focused on the tree foliage we eagerly anticipate seeing in the upcoming spring and summer seasons.

The images are firmly grounded in the natural world, a particular place, a particular season, a particular time. But by obscuring detail, only the strongest brush strokes emerge: the images become sketches with light, literally and figuratively.

Bokeh will be on display from April 11 through May 19, with an artist’s reception scheduled on Saturday, April 12, from 5 to 7 pm.

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

Catskill Ballet Theater Receives Gift for New Ballet Production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Commissioned for World Premiere in April 2008

The Catskill Ballet Theatre (CBT) has received a gift of $60,000 for the commission of an original production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The ballet will have its world premiere on from April 25 through April 27, 2008 at the Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) in Kingston. Theresa Vanyo, President of CBT’s Board of Directors said: “This large gift opens a new door for CBT and the performing arts in the region.”

Donors Judith and Peter Hauser of Accord have been associated with CBT for more than 20 years. Judith, a soloist with New York City’s Feld Ballet Company, was featured as the Sugar Plum Fairy in CBT’s production of The Nutcracker for many years, while CBT’s performances have long benefited from Peter’s lighting design and production expertise. Now co-owners of VisionPilots, a global business meeting and special event production company based in Stone Ridge, the artistic power-couple concluded that now was the time to make a significant investment in the cultural life of Ulster County.

“We really wanted to help the region’s arts community, especially ballet,” explained Mr. Hauser. “At a time when the area is increasingly being recognized for its artistic talent and energy, there is still a lack of support, especially for the performing arts, and especially for the creation of new work. We hope that this gift will inspire others in our community to support local arts organizations.”

Ms. Hauser added: “We can’t imagine a more worthy recipient of this donation than CBT. With limited resources, this company has made a tremendous contribution to the cultural life of the region for more than a quarter century.”

CBT, best known for its acclaimed annual production of The Nutcracker, has assembled a world-class team of performing arts leaders to create the ballet.

New York City-based choreographer Davis Robertson is a former member of the famous Joffrey Ballet. Mr. Robertson choreographed several ballets for that company as well as for Mikhail Baryshnikov’s featured role in Robert Altman’s film The Company. In addition he has created projects for the Milwaukee Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, Ballet Pacifica and the Florida Ballet, among others. A renowned performed himself, he made his Broadway debut in 2001 in the role of Johnny in the workshop production of Dirty Dancing and appeared on Broadway for several years in Movin’ Out.

Rich and dramatic scenes are being designed by Richard Prouse, a Broadway set designer based in Rhinebeck, NY. Mr. Prouse has been called the finest scenic artist working in America today and, over 20 years, has worked on more than 50 Broadway shows. At the same time, a complete set of costumes will be conceived by well-known designer Alixandra Englund and produced locally. Ms. Englund is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama; her design credits include numerous shows in New York City, as well as around the northeast and at international festivals.

Principal roles in Dream will be performed by accomplished professional dancers from New York City companies. The majority of the cast, however, including the corps de ballet, will be comprised of local dancers, primarily from Artistic Director Anne Hebard’s Kingston-based ballet school.

CBT is dedicated to giving young dancers the rare opportunity to perform alongside professionals and stars. Meanwhile, audiences will be treated to a performance of a caliber normally associated with big-city companies. Mr. Hauser said: “We hope that the success of Dream will ensure the recognition that a two-hour trip to New York City, with high prices and long lines, is not necessary to experience the highest level of the performing arts. We have it right here in the Hudson Valley.”

Although a tremendous amount of work will go into creating the premiere of this ballet, CBT looks forward to adding the ballet to its already impressive repetoire. “We are very fortunate to have received such a wonderful gift that will enable CBT to bring a beautiful ballet to our area, one that will be enjoyed for many years,” said Anne Hebard, CBT’s artistic director.

See A Midsummer Night’s Dream first on April 25-26 at 8 pm; April 27 at 2 pm at Ulster Performing Arts Center, 601 Broadway, Kingston. Tickets are $18 and $25. Contact the UPAC box office at 845 339 6088 or TicketMaster for tickets. For more information, visit the Catskill Ballet Theatre’s Web site at www.catskillballet.org.

Shawn Snow, David Konigsberg and Nancy Donskoj at Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson

Carrie Haddad Gallery is proud to present an exhibit of three regional artists. Paintings by Shawn Snow and David Konigsberg along with photographs by Nancy Donskoj will be on exhibit through April 13, 2008.

Over a dozen years ago a younger Shawn Snow opened his first show with the Carrie Haddad Gallery. Years—and several successful exhibits—later, admirers find themselves appreciating the progression of his work. Gone is the dark and brutal primitivism of his previous paintings; they are instead replaced by a much more controlled and deliberate language. Snow creates densely layered, abstract paintings in which the process is as important as the final piece. The paintings are a delicate balance of these materials and processes, resulting in work that has a decayed beauty. By constantly pushing the boundaries of the mediums, he finds new and interesting combinations which create unique visual effects. As a result of this melding of materials and techniques, his paintings are simultaneously subtle, and strong. The surfaces evoke a sense of history, age, and entropy. In this way, he seeks to intimate at the myriad of life’s fleeting moments.

Nancy Donskoj graduated with a BA from SUNY New Paltz in 1973. She studied photography at the University of Massachusetts, Hampshire College, Fashion Institute of Technology and the International Center for Photography in NYC. Ms. Donskoj has been a photographer for the past thirty years and has owned and operated her own photography business since 1987. She is also the co-owner of Donskoj & Company Gallery, a visual arts gallery in Kingston, NY. The photographs in the series being shown were taken with a Diana camera (a toy plastic camera that uses 120 film) on a trip to Ireland and Wales in October 2006. Donskoj states, “The Irish countryside, I feel, is very well suited to the Diana Camera which gives the landscape a dreamy, mysterious quality. This was my first visit to Wales where there is an abundance of castles, again a perfect subject matter for the Diana. It’s the camera to use for a trip back in time. The locations where the photographs were taken were County Wicklow in Ireland, Cardiff, Wales and all along the Bristol Channel out to St. David’s Head, the smallest city in Wales.”

David Konigsberg was born in Warren, PA and lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. His rural and urban experience play out in a love for landscape and conceptual narrative, genres he often travels between and sometimes combines. Konigsberg comes to his art from the point of view of a writer and brings literary traditions to painting in the form of reoccurring symbols and characters. These characters take the form of airships, swimmers, men in suits and other figures, acting singly or in groups. Nature is usually the backdrop, but sometimes it takes center stage. Konigsberg’s work has been exhibited in galleries and art centers throughout the United States, including Allen Sheppard and David Findlay Jr. in New York, Ballard Fetherston Gallery in Seattle, and the Kentler International Drawing Space in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Carrie Haddad Gallery is located at 622 Warren Street in Hudson. For more information, call the gallery at 518 828 1915 or visit www.carriehaddadgallery.com.

A Softer Side at the Mark Gruber Gallery

Pastel—the word itself evokes a soft muted, light feeling. But pastels can be more than that—bright, deep and strong. Pastels’ vast array of qualities can be seen in A Softer Side—The Pastels of Christie Scheele, Linda Richichi, Kari Feuer, Gayle Fedigan at the Mark Gruber Gallery, opening on Saturday, March 15 and running through April 23, 2008. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 15 from 6 to 8 pm.

Christie Scheele’s soft focused landscapes glow from within. She chooses rich saturated color over near black ground to fuel her interpretations of nature’s charms.

Linda Richichi’s landscapes vibrate with crisp coloring and texture. An atmospheric light pervades her scenes and highlights her deep respect for the natural world.

Kari Feuer embraces the serene and soft characteristics of composition and value in her landscapes. Her impressionistic views range from the contemplative to the dramatic.

Gayle Fedigan is a master of all that pastel is capable of becoming whether it’s a strong and highly rendered still life or a petal soft garden.

The Mark Gruber Gallery is located in the New Paltz Plaza (Super Stop and Shop) in New Paltz, NY. Gallery hours are Monday from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm; Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm; Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Sunday from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. For more information, please call 845 255 1241.

Greene County Council on the Arts’ 20th Annual Beaux Arts Ball

GCCA members and friends are breaking out of the winter blues this coming March 29 at the 20th Annual Beaux Arts Ball. This year celebrates the GCCA’s 32nd year of service!

The Beaux Arts Ball is the Arts Council’s primary fund raising event, supporting the many programs and services they offer to our community. So don your finery and join in the fun at the Copper Tree Restaurant at Hunter Mountain for a night of art, food, fun and dance!

One of the highlights of the Ball is the presentation of the Distinguished Service Awards, underwritten by First Niagara. This year we will honor Deborah Allen, publisher, Black Dome Press. The Distinguished Service Award is presented annually for steadfast commitment and unselfish contributions to the quality of cultural life in Greene County. Congratulations to Debbie for this well deserved award.

The Ball sells out rapidly, so for those of you who have not already responded, please send your reply card in immediately or call the Arts Council to confirm seating availability. The cause is exceptional so “Go for Baroque and Send in your Monet!” This year, all Ball attendees will be benefactors. So, become a benefactor at a level of your choosing. Help make this the most successful Beaux Arts Ball in history. Benefactor levels range from DaVinci’s Diamond Dynasty for tables of 10 at $10,000 to Cole’s Silver Society at $1750. Individual benefactor levels range from Renoir’s Regal Realm at $500 to Rousseau’s Lair at $175.

The Bank of Greene County is, once again, a lead sponsor of the Ball. Their generous donation of $5,000 puts them at Picasso’s Platinum Club level.

At the Ball, the evening begins at 6:30 pm with the opening of the silent auction accompanied by fabulous hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. The silent auction features original works of arts and crafts donated by our talented artists, as well as wonderful items donated by various businesses in the area. While you sip and nibble you will have time to examine the select items offered in the auctions—all of them generously donated by local businesses and friends of GCCA. And as if that isn’t enough, Lex Grey’s Naughty Cabaret will be performing in the auction area. And what a cabaret that will be! Lex will keep you begging and bidding for more!

Auctioneer Anthony Patsky will conduct the live auction and be on hand to arbitrate bids at the silent auction. He’ll keep you in a bidding war, vying for ownership!

Dancing anyone? As you contemplate your bids, in the Main Ballroom New York City’s top party band Nite-Time will be enticing you onto the dance floor with their impressive repertoire drawn from a wide variety of musical traditions and dance rhythm from 6:30 pm until midnight!

At 8:00 pm, “Dinner is Served!” The Restaurant at Hunter Mountain will be tantalizing your taste buds with a delectable haute cuisine menu. As always, The Copper Tree Chef will create a sumptuous gourmet repast, full entrée followed by an exquisite dessert.

Internationally acclaimed artist Patrick D. Milbourn will be on hand throughout the evening selling limited edition fine art giclée prints of his original painting, “After the Ball.” GCCA will receive 20% of the proceeds from this year’s fine art print. In addition, the limited edition series of Beaux Arts Ball commemorative posters from 1997 through 2007 will be available for purchase and personalization. The availability for each year’s poster varies so if you have yet to purchase a poster, now’s the time to do it.

And if that isn’t enough, The Kaatskill Mountain Club at Hunter Mountain Resort is inviting all Beaux Arts Ball guests to experience one of Greene County’s finest resorts firsthand. Special rates, starting at $130, are being offered to anyone attending the Arts Ball on March 29. Just call their reservation department at 518 263 5580 and ask for details about the 2008 Beaux Arts Ball special rates.

So break out of the winter doldrums. Call the Greene County Council on the Arts now at 518 943 3400 to check seating availability and reserve your tickets. Tables seat 10 and seating is limited, so don’t delay! TheBeaux Arts Ball is a night to remember!

Artist Presents American Elegies at Wilber Mansion

American Elegies, new works by David Polley, opened on Friday, February 29 at the historic Wilber Mansion in Oneonta. It opened in conjunction with Fresh! an exhibition of new works by student artists Miles Kinney and Jacqui Radtke.

“After the Presidential election in 2004, I began to explore the range of emotions I had felt since 9/11,” explains Polley.

According to the artist, he began photographing walls with painted-over graffiti and faded advertisements in both urban and rural settings. The documentation of imagery that was essentially “dying” inspired him to contemplate the lost and unheard voices that have faded in a storm of politics, war, and power.

“David works to represent the cultural viewpoints of American people,” explains Christina Hunt, Coordinator of Programming. “He documents conflict and harmony; good and evil; urban and rural; even painting and photography.”

Polley explains “My artistic goal is to learn how to capture the visual language of artists who inspire me with my camera.” He lists Ellsworth Kelly, Piet Mondrian, Constantin Brancusi, Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and Franz Kline as examples of how he, as an artist, can express his thoughts and emotions.

For more information about this and other programs of the Arts Council visit www.uccca.com or call 607 432 2070. The Wilber Mansion is located at 11 Ford Avenue in Oneonta.