Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2021

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-629-3175
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Arts Center, in collaboration with the Austerlitz Climate Smart Task Force, presents a talk by Sheri Bauer titled “SymBeeOtic: Embracing a Life with Bees” on Sunday, July 18 at 4:00pm via Zoom. This event is free, but advance registration is required. To register, please see www.spencertownacademy.org.

Sheri Bauer is a fourth generation beekeeper who returned home to the family apiary in Coxsackie, NY, in 2019 after the death of her father, master beekeeper Walter Bauer. Twin Spruce Apiaries was started in 1941 by Bauer’s grandfather, Wolfgang, and plans were in the works to close the farm that encompassed bee yards on the farm and in fields and mountains of Greene County.

While fellow beekeepers were packing up the last of the hives, Bauer requested that they leave three hives for her care in a field close to the house. The three hives grew to be nine hives and currently the apiary embraces 19 hives. Her two years of living with bees have opened worlds and rekindled connections to past family wisdom of beekeeping. She has formed new alliances with beekeeping clubs, studied apiary practices and philosophies, approaches to seeing and remedying the high loss of bees in NYS, and most importantly she says, learning from these ancient and wild “bee-ings.”

Bauer is a musician and some may know her in Columbia County for her performing, community song leading, and children’s chorus. She finds that musical training prepared her for working with bees. She also runs StarCatcher Herb Shop at the Apiary, bringing herbs grown on the farm (which were, of course, pollinated by bees) to her teas and cooking.

The Austerlitz Town Board Climate Committee established the Austerlitz Climate Smart Task Force in April 2020. Climate Smart Communities (CSC) is a NYS program that helps local governments take actions to adapt to a changing climate, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthen local ecosystems. CSC is sponsored by seven NYS agencies and administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2001

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-629-3175
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York— Spencertown Academy Arts Center announces the winners of its sixth annual Young Writers’ Contest. Held in conjunction with the Academy’s Festival of Books (which will be virtual this year), the contest was open to writers in grades 9 through 12 attending school or homeschooled in Columbia County, NY and Berkshire County, MA.

“Spencertown Academy has proudly offered this competition since 2015. Our goal is to encourage creative writing by high school students. This year’s contest attracted 38 talented young writers,” says Jill Kalotay, Academy board member and co-chair of the Festival of Books. “The judges reported that it was not an easy process of elimination. Many of the stories that did not make the final cut had real merit—especially in their attempt at creativity and originality. Kudos to all the participants!”

The contest was judged by accomplished authors and publishing professionals, including David Cudaback, Liz Diggs, Carol Essert, Alan Gelb, Doris Iarovici, and Elaine Khosrova..

The top three winners in each category received cash prizes ($250, $150, and $100 respectively) and were invited to read their work on a Zoom gathering for friends and family. The winning stories and essays are now published on the Academy’s website: www.spencertownacademy.org.

Fiction/Short Story Winners

Final works in the fiction category were selected by Doris Iarovici. Her recent book, Minus One, is a collection of short stories. Her writings have appeared in The New York Times and The Guardian, among others. She is a psychiatrist at Harvard University Health Services.

First Place: Sasha Truax, New Lebanon High School senior, “Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Second Place: Samantha Saavedra, Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School sophomore, “Liam Henderson”
Third Place: Mattie Vandiver, Berkshire Waldorf School senior, “The Science of Friendship”
Honorable Mention: Jin Fernbacher, Berkshire Waldorf School sophomore, “A Single Orange”

Nonfiction/Essay or Memoir Winners

Winners in this section were chosen by Alan Gelb whose work in marketing communications in higher education led to his book, Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps. His latest work is Having the Last Say: Capturing Your Legacy in One Small Story.

First Place: Dezjuan K. Smith, Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School junior, “Everything Under the Sun, Maybe”
Second Place: Amanda Roberts, Chatham High School junior, “Below the Surface”
Third Place: Phoebe Hebert, Chatham High School senior, “The City”

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Download a PDF of the press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2021

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-464-2851
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Arts Center Hidden Gardens Virtual Lecture Series presents a talk by Ron and Jennifer Kujawski titled “Vegetable Garden Planted: Now What?” on Saturday, June 19 at 4:00pm via Zoom. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A with participants. Tickets are $10. To register, please see www.spencertownacademy.org.

Though planning, preparation, and planting a vegetable garden take effort, the work and rewards are just beginning. This presentation will look at post-planting efforts to sustain the garden and reap the rewards through the growing season. Topics to be covered include summer maintenance, pest and disease management strategies, tips on harvesting, planning for a late season harvest, and cover cropping.

“I am so pleased to welcome back Ron and look forward to meeting his daughter,” says Vivian Wachsberger, Academy board member and co-chair of Hidden Gardens. “His lecture several years ago was a big success and his ability to share his knowledge with us in a practical way is invaluable.  Our lecture series this year covers a great many aspects of gardening. We look forward to answering questions from first timers as well as old hands.”

Ron and Jennifer Kujawski are a father-daughter gardening team who tend a 10,000 square-foot garden in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Jennifer is a horticulturist and a writer and editor who works for a variety of organizations. Ron served as an Extension Educator in the Landscape, Nursery, and Urban Forestry Program at the University of Massachusetts. Now retired, he spends time as a horticultural writer and lecturer. His weekly columns appear in the Berkshire Eagle and The Berkshire Edge. The duo co-authored the book, Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardeners Handbook, published by Storey Publishing. Their weekly gardening tips can be found on Instagram at @weekbyweekvegetablegardeners.

This talk is sponsored by TKG Real Estate, serving Berkshire County and the Hudson Valley. The annual Hidden Garden Tour will take place on August 28, 2021. In addition to properties with beautiful landscapes and flower gardens, this year’s tour will feature various vegetable gardens.

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Download a PDF of this press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2021

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-629-3175
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents Hidden Gardens: Twilight in the Garden Party on Saturday, June 26, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm (rain date: Sunday, June 27 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm) at Austerlitz Historical Society’s Old Austerlitz grounds (GPS 11550 NY-22 Austerlitz, NY 12017). The Academy’s traditional summer kick-off fundraiser will feature pre-packed baskets filled with wrapped homemade and locally sourced snacks, as well as festive beverages, a silent auction, and live music by Rob Fisch. Tickets range from $100 to $250 with an array of perks. For details, please see www.spencertownacademy.org.

“This year, more than ever, we look forward to raising a glass with friends and neighbors, old and new, we hope you will join us!,” says Madaline Sparks, Academy board member and co-chair of Hidden Gardens. “Our neighbor, the Austerlitz Historical Society, has graciously offered the bucolic Old Austerlitz grounds to host the festivities. In this ever-changing world, NYS COVID protocols will be observed. There will be a variety of seating and gathering options, but please feel free to bring picnic blankets and lawn chairs if you prefer to create your own.”

The 17th annual Hidden Garden Tour will take place on August 28, 2021. In addition to private properties with beautiful landscapes and flower gardens, this year’s tour will feature various vegetable gardens.

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Download a PDF of the press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2021

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-629-3175
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Roots & Shoots Streams will broadcast a virtual concert by three-time Latin Grammy nominee, Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto on Saturday, June 5 at 8:00pm. The performance is free (though tips are welcome via a virtual tip jar) and advance registration is not required. A link to the performance will be posted on the Academy’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/spencertownacademy.

 “Jovino Santos Neto is an expressive, brilliantly accomplished pianist, as well as a master composer and arranger,” says Gerald Seligman, member of the Academy’s Music Committee. “For the Academy’s Roots & Shoots series, he’s recorded a special solo piano program in which he explores all the possibilities of the instrument, combining the rhythmic and harmonic audacity of Hermeto Pascoal’s pieces with his own Brazilian tone poems, spanning the distance between lyrical and effervescent within a few measures. He also pays tribute to some of the great Brazilian composers like Jobim, Pixinguinha and Ernesto Nazareth. His commentaries on the music are enlightening and educating, providing the audience with a unique musical experience. Tune in!”

Currently based in Seattle, Washington, Neto has throughout his career been closely affiliated with the Brazilian master Hermeto Pascoal. He was an integral part of Pascoal’s group from 1977 to1992, where he fine-tuned his artistry, performing around the world and co-producing several legendary records. His personal style is a creative blend of energetic grooves, deep harmonies, telepathic improvisation, lyrical melodies, and ensemble playing, always inspired and informed by the colorful richness of Brazilian music. His compositions include samba, choro, baião, xote, forró, marcha, and many more styles, rooted in centuries-old musical tradition while pointing to new and adventurous harmonic languages.

Neto now leads his Seattle-based Quinteto and Trio. He taught piano and composition at Cornish College of the Arts for 26 years. He can also be heard around the world as a piano soloist, working with symphony orchestras, jazz big bands, chamber music groups, and in collaboration with musicians such as his mentor Hermeto Pascoal, Bill Frisell, Paquito d’Rivera, Airto Moreira, Claudio Roditi, David Sanchez, Joe Locke, Anat Cohen, and many more.

Roots & Shoots Streams Concerts is a series that showcases artists who reach back to earlier traditions in music (Americana, jazz, blues, rock, and world music) for inspiration, while incorporating more recent forms and influences of the present.

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Download a PDF of the press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2021

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-629-3175
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Roots & Shoots Streams presents a virtual folk concert by Taylor Ashton and special guests on Saturday, May 8 at 7:30pm. This concert is free (though tips are welcome via a virtual tip jar) and advance registration is not required. A link to the performance broadcast will be available via the Academy’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/spencertownacademy.

Taylor Ashton is a Canadian songwriter and singer living in Brooklyn, New York, who is influenced by the ways that traditional folk, pop, and R&B can live together on the clawhammer banjo. Born in 1989, he grew up surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the old growth rainforests of Canada’s west coast. He says he draws inspiration for songs from the primeval crookedness of traditional old-time music, the humor and heartbreak of Randy Newman, the cosmic emotionality of mid-career Joni Mitchell, and the sage vulnerability of Bill Withers.

Ashton’s debut solo record, “The Romantic,” was released last year on Signature Sounds Recordings. Although it was his first proper solo album, it follows four albums as frontman of his former band, Fish & Bird, as well as a stripped-down duo record with guitarist and songwriter Courtney Hartman. His latest release is 2021’s “Romanticize,” an EP of remixes and new songs, and a companion to “The Romantic.”

Roots & Shoots Streams Concerts is a series that showcases artists who reach back to earlier traditions in music (Americana, jazz, blues, rock, and world music) for inspiration, while incorporating more recent forms and influences of the present.

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Download a PDF of the press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2021

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-629-3175
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Roots & Shoots Streams will broadcast The Lucky 5, performing live on the Spencertown stage, via YouTube on Saturday, April 17 at 7:30pm. The Lucky 5 is a hard-swinging jazz band that blends swing and gypsy jazz to create a unique, foot-stomping blend of music. The performance is free (though tips are welcome via a virtual tip jar) and advance registration is not required. A link to the concert will be posted on www.spencertownacademy.org.

“The Lucky 5 performs both original compositions and old jazz standards. They are high energy and you can have your own private swing dance party, or just listen though sitting still is a hard thing to do given the band’s talent and repertoire,” says Mike Zdeb, member of the Academy’s Music Committee.

The Lucky 5 is comprised of Kip Beacco on guitar/vocals, Jonathan Talbot on violin/vocals, Carolyn Dufraine on vocals/trombone, Matt Downing on bass/vocals, and Tom Parker on drums. All highly seasoned touring musicians, the band members have been part of The Hunger Mountain Boys, Lauren Ambrose & The Leisure Class, and traveled, performed, and recorded with artists such as Neko Case, Iris Dement, Bobby Previte, Del McCoury, and Jim Lauderdale, just to name a few.

Roots & Shoots Streams Concerts is a series that showcases artists who reach back to earlier traditions in music (Americana, jazz, blues, rock, and world music) for inspiration, while incorporating more recent forms and influences of the present.

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Download a PDF of the press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2021

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-464-2851
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York– Spencertown Academy Arts Center Hidden Gardens Virtual Lecture Series presents a talk by Ellen Ecker Ogden titled “The Art of Growing Food” on Saturday, May 1 at 4:00pm via Zoom. The lecture will be about an hour, followed by a Q&A with participants. Tickets are $10. To register, please see www.spencertownacademy.org.

“Ellen was a guest lecturer at the Academy ten years ago when her book, The Complete Kitchen Garden, came out. She’s a delightful speaker who breaks the art of garden design down so it is accessible to everyone,” says Madaline Sparks, Academy board member and co-chair of Hidden Gardens. “The timing of this presentation is perfect. There’s still plenty of time to implement her tips and put into practice her advice for a fabulous kitchen garden of flowers and edibles this season. Get ready to transform your classic vegetable garden into a spectacular European potager.”

In this lecture, Ogden will illuminate six steps to successful kitchen garden design based on her years as an artist, gardener, and cook. She will deliver fresh ideas on how to bring art and whimsy to the kitchen garden, while also maintaining productivity and easy maintenance. Participants will discover how to design and plant an edible garden with an eye toward beauty, bounty, and sanctuary. Ogden will offer suggestions for what to grow based on her seed catalog favorites, such as Italian Purple Pole beans, Piccolo Verde basil, Troutback lettuce, and ornamental artichokes. The talk will revolve around creative ideas and photographs from her books, The Complete Kitchen Garden and The New Heirloom Garden, both of which are available at The Chatham Bookstore (27 Main Street, Chatham, NY) with a 10% discount if you mention Spencertown Academy.

In addition to being a kitchen garden designer and the author, Ogden is co-founder of The Cook’s Garden seed catalog, introducing cooks and gardeners to European specialty vegetables, herbs, and flowers. She graduated with a degree in fine arts, and attended cooking school with Marcella Hazan in Venice, Italy, and at the Ballymaloe School in Shanagarry, Ireland. Her articles and kitchen garden designs have appeared in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Eating Well, Garden Design, and Country Gardens, among others.

This talk is sponsored by Country Caretaker Garden Center (Canaan, NY). Additional lecture topics and dates will be announced soon. The annual Hidden Garden Tour will take place on August 28, 2021. In addition to properties with beautiful landscapes and flower gardens, it will feature various vegetable gardens this year.  

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Download a PDF of the press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2021

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-464-2851
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York– Spencertown Academy Arts Center launches the 2021 Hidden Gardens Virtual Lecture Series with a talk by Master Gardener Mary Ann Iaccino titled “Why Start Plants From Seed?” on Sunday March 21 at 1:00pm via Zoom. The lecture will be about an hour, followed by a Q&A with participants. Tickets are $10. To register, please see www.spencertownacademy.org.

“The pandemic created a booming interest in home gardening—from ‘Victory Gardens’ to growing vegetables in pots on rooftops. In our area, fenced vegetable gardens and raised beds cropped up everywhere last year,” says Madaline Sparks, Academy board member and co-chair of Hidden Gardens. It looks like the trend will continue, so we want to offer a little help to those who are trying for the first time or just want a refresher about starting plants from seed.” 

“Starting your own vegetables and flowers from seed can be an economical way to fill garden space and enjoy a much wider variety of plants than you could find in any nursery,” says Iaccino. “There’s nothing more fun and hopeful than planning one’s summer garden when it’s still bitter cold outside.”

This lecture will cover getting a handle on where to start, and pin down the information found on seed packets and in catalogs. It will also investigate how to meet environmental conditions that are needed for seed germination at home and go through the process of starting seeds to transplanting strong seedlings into the garden.

Iaccino has been in the education field as a high school biology teacher, a museum educator, and as an adult education instructor. She started as a Master Gardener Volunteer in the 1990s when she lived in Dutchess County. After moving back home to the Hudson area in 2005, she joined the Master Gardener Volunteers of Columbia-Greene counties participating in presenting programs and workshops.

Additional topics and dates will be announced soon. The annual Hidden Garden Tour will take place on August 28, 2021 and, in addition to properties with beautiful landscapes and flower gardens, will feature various vegetable gardens.  

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Download a PDF of the press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2021

Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-629-3175
[email protected]

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Roots & Shoots Streams will broadcast a concert by Colombian singer Lucia Pulido and Mexican multi-instrumentalist Ulises Martínez via YouTube on Saturday, March 20 at 8:00pm. Recorded in Mexico especially for the Academy, the program will feature a mix of traditional “pirekua” indigenous songs from Michoacán, Mexico and “cantas de guabina” from the Andes in Colombia, along with a sprinkling of Spanish “boleros”—all interpreted in a personal way. The program will conclude with an interview with the artists conducted by Gerald Seligman, member of the Academy’s Music Committee. The performance is free (though tips are welcome via a virtual tip jar) and advance registration is not required. A link to the concert will be posted on www.spencertownacademy.org.

“Lucia Pulido is an artist of astonishing range, power, expression, and artistry. I’ve seen her perform countless times in solo, duo, and many group formations—all bring out something special, something unique,” says Seligman. “That we get to hear her with new partner Ulises Martínez is a special privilege and pleasure. She is, simply, one of the greatest voices on the international music scene. From Colombia, she has been touring the world and now comes to our own, humble Spencertown streaming platform. How lucky we are.”

Pulido has mined the musical traditions of her native Colombia and other Latin American countries in an ongoing search for a distinct, experimental style. Her artistic collaborators have included Fernando Tarres, Erik Friedlander, Satoshi Takeishi, Dave Binney, Christian Fennesz, Burkhard Stangl, Franz Hautzinger, and long-time producer and musical director Sebastian Cruz. She is currently working on several projects with musicians in New York City, Mexico, and in different countries in Europe and Latin America. Her critically acclaimed career includes performances in Europe, Canada, United States, Asia, and South America.

Martínez plays violin and guitar and also sings. His musical interests range from Mexican traditional music, flamenco, and blues to baroque music and fusion. He has performed in the United States, Europe, and Asia with a diverse array of artists, such as Jordi Savall’s Hesperion XXI, Son de Madera, Marién Luévano’s Flamenco Company, and Cristóbal Reyes.

Roots & Shoots Streams Concerts is a series that showcases artists who reach back to earlier traditions in music (Americana, jazz, blues, rock, and world music) for inspiration, while incorporating more recent forms and influences of the present.

Founded in 1972, Spencertown Academy Arts Center is a cultural center and community resource serving Columbia County, the Berkshires, and the Capital region. Housed in a landmark 1847 Greek Revival schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Download a PDF of the press release.