Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26, 2021

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

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Roots & Shoots Streams will broadcast The Magdalens Unplugged, performing live on the Spencertown stage, via YouTube on Saturday, March 13 at 7:30pm. The Magdalens Unplugged is an alt-folk-rock band comprised of Renée DaVink (lead singer and songwriter), Britany Orlebeke (violin), and John Caplis (guitar). Based in Albany, New York, the band plays both original songs and covers a unique blend of Americana, post-punk, and indie classics. 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.

“While it’s not yet safe for us to gather in person for live concerts, we’re hoping to bring some of that joy into your homes by presenting Roots & Shoots concerts online,” says Mike Zdeb, member of the Academy’s Music Committee. “I got a sneak peek at The Magdalens Unplugged set list for the concert and what you’re likely to hear ranges from traditional Irish fiddle tunes to the Pogues, Bob Dylan, and John Prine. They’ll also play some of their own original material.”

The Magdalens Unplugged is a subgroup of The Magdalens five-piece band, which also includes Al Kash (drums) and Moses Nagel (bass). The band’s debut album titled “Lay Down Love” is available on all music streaming platforms.  

The Magdalens founder Renée DaVink has performed at several Lark Fests, the Albany River Fest, the Saratoga Dance Flurry, and local clubs, such as the Lark Tavern, Bogies, and Pauly’s Hotel. She has also sung with an array of folk, jazz, and alternative rock bands, including Medusa Pleasure Werks and El Extreme.

Britany Orlebeke performs a variety of violin/fiddle styles. She’s played for contra dances around the northeast, recorded “Cat out of the Bag” with the Beverwyck String Band, and played with Miche Fambro on a live recording called “The Chapel Session.”

Guitarist John Caplis’s musical influences range from traditional Irish to Bob Dylan to the 1970s New York City rock band called Television. He has appeared at numerous Albany music venues, including Lark Fest, Bogies, Pauly’s Hotel, and QE2 with notable bands, such as El Extreme.

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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FOR IMMEDAITE RELEASE
January 21, 2021

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

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents children’s book illustrator Jacqueline Rogers leading a virtual mixed-media art workshop for students ages 11 to 17 during winter break. The three-session series will meet on February 15, 17, and 19 from 11:00am to 12:15pm via Zoom. Tuition is $45 and the workshop is limited to 15 participants. To register, please see www.spencertownacademy.org.

“We’re delighted to kick off 2021 Family Arts Kaleidoscope programming with this playful and experimental workshop,” says Kelly Kynion, Academy board member and program chair. “Students will have the freedom to play with creative themes suggested by Jackie or to explore subjects of their own choice.”

In three related art classes, participants will explore different materials and techniques: charcoal during the first session, collage/assorted papers in the second session, and mixed media, such as pastels, markers, crayons, and/or paint, in the third session.

Jaqueline Rogers has been a professional children’s book illustrator for more than three decades and has worked on nearly 100 children’s books. Some of her notable published works include illustrations for Beverly Cleary’s “Ramona” series, Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager’s picture book, “Our Great Big Backyard” (which was a New York Times #1 Bestseller), two pictures books by Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, and most recently her own original Halloween poem “Goblin Moon,” which was published by HarperCollins last year.

Support for the Family Arts Kaleidoscope series is provided by Hudson River Bank and Trust Foundation and Stewart’s Shops.

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 the press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2021

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

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Arts Center announces that its annual Revels fundraiser will be virtual this year on Saturday, February 13 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. A new feature of the event will be a raffle of 14 original artworks generously donated by some of the region’s most acclaimed artists. Rather than gathering for a festive-themed cocktail party at the Academy and then moving on to homes of Academy friends for hosted dinners in small groups, guests will pick up “Revels to Go” bags filled with cocktail snacks, dinner, and a bubbly beverage at the Academy on the day of the event to enjoy at home during the online gathering that evening. 

Revels tickets range from $75 to $500 per person and art raffle tickets are $100 each with discounts for buying multiple chances. All proceeds benefit the Academy’s annual operating fund. The Academy Board encourages all to join, regardless of ability to pay (gratis tickets do not include food or drink). The deadline for reservations is February 1; please see www.spencertownacademy.org for details.

“Revels has been a fixture of our winter calendar for over 30 years. Obviously, it will be different this year in deference to the current pandemic restrictions, but we are determined to make the best of it,” says Nick Van Alstine, president of the Academy’s board of directors. “Revels co-chairs Anita Fiorillo and Judith Choate have done a great job reimagining the event. Emcee Monk Shane-Lydon will serve as Zoom host, blues musician Cathy Grier will perform a few songs from her new album, and the works of art to be raffled off are stellar.”

The retail value of the art—paintings, ceramics, and photography—ranges from $175 to $1,100. Artists include Stephanie A. Anderson, Norma Cohen, Pamela Dalton, Mary Anne Davis (davistudio), Leslie Gabosh, Patricia Gravett, Ron Harrington, Ellen Hoverkamp, Barbara Lax Kranz, Ellen Lynch, Moira O’Grady, Gerald Seligman, Neal Warshaw, and Barbara M.L. Willner.

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
December 20, 2019
Media Contact: Gina Hyams, PR Consultant (413) 629-3175 [email protected]

Spencertown Academy Roots & Shoots Concerts Series Presents Tracy Grammer

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Roots & Shoots Concerts Series presents contemporary folk artist Tracy Grammer on Saturday, February 22 at 8:00pm. General admission tickets ($25 public, $20 Academy members, and $10 students) may be purchased in advance via www.spencertownacademy.org and, pending availability, will be available at the door.

Grammer is renowned for her pure voice, deft guitar and violin work, and incantatory storytelling. She has recorded and performed with Joan Baez and Mary Chapin Carpenter, headlined several of the nation’s top folk festivals, including Philadelphia Folk Festival and Falcon Ridge, and enjoyed 12 consecutive years as one of folk radio’s 50 top-played artists, both solo and with the late Dave Carter. Her eleventh release, Low Tide, showcases her original songs and was Folk Alley’s #2 album of 2018 (just after John Prine at #1).

Joan Baez has said: “Tracy Grammer is a brilliant artist and unique individual. Her voice is distinctive, as is her mastery over the instruments she plays.” Mary Chapin Carpenter has said of Grammer: “Her pure voice conveys the simple truths of these songs; her gifts as a musician are like that of a painter who is a master of chiaroscuro, offering light and shadow at every turn.“

Roots & Shoots Concerts is a monthly 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. Upcoming shows include Embe Esti with special guest Rob Fisch (March 21), Jim Kweskin (April 4), Rachelle Garniez (May 2), and The Kennedys (June 6).

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 see www.spencertownacademy.org or call 518-392-3693.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2019
Media Contact: Gina Hyams, PR Consultant (413) 629-3175 [email protected]

Kids Need Music Benefit Concert at Spencertown Academy

Spencertown, New York– Spencertown Academy Arts Center will host the Kids Need Music Annual Benefit Concert with acclaimed soprano Kathleen O’Mara and pianist Chris Reynolds on Sunday, November 23 at 3:00pm. Proceeds from the program of art songs, arias, and popular songs will be used to purchase band instruments to be donated to the Hudson City School District. Tickets ($25 general admission, $75 benefactor) may be purchased in advance via www.spencertownacademy.org.

Kids Need Music is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that underprivileged schools have musical instruments for their music program. “68% of the children of Hudson are classified as underprivileged and can not afford to rent or purchase their own instrument,” says Kids Need Music President Craig Bender, who is also a member of the Spencertown Academy Music Committee. “To date, Kids Need Music has donated over 300 instruments to the Hudson schools. That’s 300 more children playing music!”

Currently pursuing a Masters in Music at Juilliard, Kathleen O’Mara has performed in such operas as The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro, The Turn of the Screw, and Don Giovanni.

Chris Reynolds is a doctoral candidate at Juilliard with recent performances at Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood. He is a two-time winner of the Juilliard Vocal Arts Honors Recital Auditions leading to recitals in Alice Tully Hall.

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 see www.spencertownacademy.org or call 518-392-3693.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2019
Media Contact: Gina Hyams, PR Consultant (413) 629-3175 [email protected]

Spencertown Academy Arts Center Presents 
“Artists for the Academy” Benefit Exhibition

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents “Artists for the Academy,” a special exhibition featuring donated works by more than 50 regional artists. All proceeds from sales will benefit the Academy’s building and maintenance endowment fund. On Saturday, January 11, there will be a gala opening reception from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The entrance fee of $25 can be fully credited toward art purchases. The exhibition will remain on display (with free admission) through February 2. Gallery hours will be Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets to the opening event are available in advance via www.spencertownacademy.org.

“Spencertown Academy is well on its way to complete restoration—the new roof is on, windows are being fitted in one by one, and old white paint is being stripped from the outer walls. As of now, we’re only about $150,000 away from reaching our goal for the building and maintenance endowment fund,” says Nick Van Alstine, president of the Academy’s board of directors. “To help get us there, several Academy members formed a committee—Lauren Wilkinson, Stephen Dietemann, and Gerald Seligman—to organize an art show fundraiser. We are most grateful to them and to all of the contributing artists. And, importantly for art lovers, the featured works will be offered at special, lower-than-normal prices to make the show accessible to collectors of all means.”

The exhibit will encompass fine arts, photography, ceramics, illustration, and sculpture. Participating artists include Stephanie Anderson, Karen J. Andrews, Fern T. Apfel, Carl Berg, Amy Bergeron, Arlene Boehm, Jim Brearton, William Bullard, Jennifer Clark, Norma Cohen, Pamela Dalton, Mary Anne Davis, Jeff DeLisle, Stephen Dietemann, Elizabeth DiPalma, Diane Fader, Alan Finger, Leslie Gabosh, Gail Giles, Karen Halverson, Linda B. Horn, Marta Jaremko, Marybeth Ketz, Maria Kolodziej-Zincio, Barbara Lax Kranz, Ellen Lynch, John MacGruer, Alice McGowan, Jane McWorter, Jason McWorter, Liz Nealon, Moira O’Grady, Clarke Olsen, Marilyn Orner, Rick Patterson, Andrew Pellettieri, Valerie Richmond, Mary Ellen Riell, Lynn Rothenberg, Julia Rothenberg, Mary Ellen Riell, Liz Sample, Joel Schiller, Jody Lynn Schoenfeld, Gerald Seligman, Laura Shore, Cecilia Sinclair, Diane Smook, Amelia Toelke, Marianne Van Lent, Marlene Vidibor, Betsy Wallin, and Mike Zdeb.

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 former schoolhouse, the Academy is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, New York. The venue is centrally located—just 20 minutes from the Berkshires and about 35 minutes from Albany. For more information, please see www.spencertownacademy.org or call 518-392-3693.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2019
Media Contact: Gina Hyams, PR Consultant (413) 629-3175 [email protected]

Folk/Blues Music Legend Geoff Muldaur at Spencertown Academy

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Roots & Shoots Concerts Series presents folk/blues music legend Geoff Muldaur on Saturday, December 14 at 8:00pm. General admission tickets ($25 public, $20 Academy members, and $10 students) may be purchased in advance via www.spencertownacademy.org and, pending availability, will be available at the door.

“Geoff Muldaur was here, there, and everywhere in the ‘60s, and has kept true to his inspirations in the decades since, while expanding his vision and his reach,” says Gerald Seligman, member of the Academy’s Music Committee. “Now, he comes to Spencertown Academy in a format that best showcases his talents—solo—in an environment with the intimacy of a small folk club.”

Guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer, and arranger Muldaur is one of the great voices and musical forces to emerge from the folk, blues, and folk-rock scenes centered in Cambridge, MA and Woodstock, NY. During the 1960s and ’70s, Muldaur made a series of highly influential recordings as a founding member of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band and the Paul Butterfield’s Better Days group, as well as collaborations with then-wife Maria Muldaur and other notables (Bonnie Raitt, Eric Von Schmidt, Jerry Garcia). He has composed scores for film and television, and produced off-beat albums for the likes of Lenny Pickett and the Borneo Horns and the Richard Greene String Quartet. His definitive recording of “Brazil” provided the seed for—and was featured in—Terry Gilliam’s film of the same title.

Muldaur is what’s known as a ‘musicians’ musician.’ “Geoff has always been one of my favorite singers,” says Bonnie Raitt and Loudon Wainwright III deems him “one of my musical heroes.” Richard Thompson sums up his admiration this way: “There are only three white blues singers, and Geoff Muldaur is at least two of them.”

Roots & Shoots Concerts is a monthly 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. Upcoming shows include The Nields (January 18), Tracy Grammer (February 22), Embe Esti with special guest Rob Fisch (March 21), Jim Kweskin (April 4), Rachelle Garniez (May 2), and The Kennedys (June 6).

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 see www.spencertownacademy.org or call 518-392-3693.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2019
Media Contact: Gina Hyams, PR Consultant (413) 629-3175 [email protected]

Spencertown Academy Announces Roots & Shoots Concerts Season

Spencertown, New York– Spencertown Academy Arts Center announces its second annual Roots & Shoots Concerts season. The monthly series 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. Running from November 2019 through June 2020, the series will feature Embe Esti with special guest Rob Fisch, Rachelle Garniez, Tracy Grammer, Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur, The Kennedys, The Nields, and the Amy Ryan Band.

The 2019-2020 season will kick off with the Amy Ryan Band on Saturday, November 9 at 8:00pm. Over the past five years, the Amy Ryan Band has gained an enthusiastic following for its high-energy blend of blues, rock, and jazz. In 2015, the group won Capital Region Blues Network’s qualifying competition to represent the region at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Guitarist Richard Green saw an opportunity to join forces with a gutsy female singer with the potential to lead a great blues band. Melding Ryan’s country-blues vocals and Green’s urban blues and rock sensibilities, the band also includes bassist Dave Imbaratto, drummer Mark McKay and keyboard player Ed Stein. Their repertoire includes band adaptations of Ryan’s self-penned solo tunes, newly minted originals, and select covers.

Guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer, and arranger Geoff Muldaur will perform on Saturday, December 14 at 8:00pm. He is one of the great voices and musical forces to emerge from the folk, blues, and folk-rock scenes centered in Cambridge, MA and Woodstock, NY. During the 1960s and ’70s, Muldaur made a series of highly influential recordings as a founding member of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band and the Paul Butterfield’s Better Days group, as well as collaborations with then-wife Maria Muldaur and other notables (Bonnie Raitt, Eric Von Schmidt, Jerry Garcia). He has composed scores for film and television, and produced off-beat albums for the likes of Lenny Pickett and the Borneo Horns and the Richard Greene String Quartet. His definitive recording of “Brazil” provided the seed for—and was featured in—Terry Gilliam’s film of the same title.

The nationally acclaimed folk-pop duo The Nields will perform on Saturday, January 18 at 8:00pm. Sisters Nerissa and Katryna are well into their third decade as musical partners. They have released 17 albums, had major and independent record and publishing deals, and performed with The Band, James Taylor, Dan Zanes, 10,000 Maniacs, and the Indigo Girls. Their most recent album, XVII, is both their most personal and their most community-minded. Its meditative lyrics express joy in the present and faith in the future. The songs are about the lessons The Nields hope to have learned by midlife: accepting the passage of time and the choices they’ve made, and being thankful for the moments of grace.

Contemporary folk artist Tracy Grammer will perform on Saturday, February 22 at 8:00pm. She is renowned for her pure voice, deft guitar and violin work, and incantatory storytelling. She has recorded and performed with Joan Baez and Mary Chapin Carpenter, headlined several of the nation’s top folk festivals, including Philadelphia Folk Festival and Falcon Ridge, and enjoyed 12 consecutive years as one of folk radio’s 50 top-played artists, both solo and with the late Dave Carter. Her eleventh release, Low Tide, showcases her original songs and was Folk Alley’s #2 album of 2018 (just after John Prine at #1).
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Embe Esti, with special guest jazz trumpeter Rob Fisch, will perform on Saturday, March 21 at 8:00pm. Embe Esti is the New York Capital Region’s premier intercontinental fusion band that mixes Afrobeat, North African, and other global traditions with rock, funk, and blues. Their songs combine message-based lyrics with the raw improvisation of jazz and polished writing and performances to create original soulful dance music that will get your hands clapping and feet moving. Group members include vocalist Taunya Hannibal-Williams, guitarist Scott Collins, bassist Mike Dimin, and drummer Robert Morris—all seasoned players with diverse interests and influences.

Jim Kweskin will perform on Saturday, April 4 at 8:00pm. He is the founder of the legendary 1960s Jim Kweskin Jug Band with Fritz Richmond, Geoff Muldaur, Maria Muldaur, Mel Lyman, Bill Keith, and Bruno Wolfe. Their imitators were legion, including a San Francisco jug band that became the Grateful Dead, a Los Angeles jug band that became the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and a New York jug band that became the Lovin’ Spoonful. These days, Kweskin is best known as a singer and bandleader. He is recognized as one of the best interpreters of the great American songbook, but he also created one of the bedrock guitar styles of the folk revival, adapting the ragtime-blues fingerpicking of artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Pink Anderson to the more complex chords of pop and jazz.

Back to the Roots and Shoots series by popular demand, singer-songwriter-pianist-guitarist-accordionist Rachelle Garniez will perform on Saturday, May 2 at 8:00pm. The native New Yorker is a certified free spirit who performs story songs that slip between pop, polka, country, ska, jazz, yodeling, and more. She is at home in many worlds, from busking on street corners to performing on stages around the globe. She has released six albums of original material; her influences range from Tin Pan Alley classics to Klezmer, Americana Roots, and Latin flavors. She composed the music for Taylor Mac’s “The Lily’s Revenge,” has written for jazz vocalist Catherine Russell, and has collaborated with many artists, including The Citizens Band, Thomas Dolby, and Jack White.

Folk-rock band The Kennedys will perform on Saturday, June 6 at 8:00pm. Husband and wife Pete and Maura Kennedy have traversed a broad musical landscape over more than two decades of travel across the US and UK. Starting out as members of Nanci Griffith’s Blue Moon Orchestra, the New York-based duo cites Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers as primary influences. Their original songs, spanning more than a dozen CDs, are uplifting and encouraging. They describe their music as “a tonic to inspire and empower our better angels.”

General admission tickets to the Amy Ryan Band in November are $20 public, $15 Academy members, and $10 students. General admission tickets to all of the other concerts are $25 public, $20 Academy members, and $10 students. Tickets to the winter 2019 concerts are available now; the 2020 shows will go on sale in December. Tickets may be purchased in advance via www.spencertownacademy.org and, pending availability, will be available at the door.

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 see www.spencertownacademy.org or call 518-392-3693.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2019
Media Contact: Gina Hyams, PR Consultant (413) 629-3175 [email protected]

Spencertown Academy Arts Center Presents Juried Regional Art Exhibit

Spencertown, New York—Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents its sixth annual Regional Juried Art Show. On Saturday, October 5, there will be an opening reception from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the exhibit will remain on display through October 27. This year’s theme is “In the Moment” and the guest juror is Katharine T. Carter. Gallery hours will be Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free and most of the artworks are for sale; a portion of the proceeds benefits the Academy.

“This show is about how an artist, inspired by his or her process and vision, transforms the ephemeral into an enduring work of art. We had a great response this year from many artists throughout the region,” says Leslie Gabosh, member of the Academy Curatorial Committee and this year’s coordinator of the Juried Regional Show. “The variety and quality of the selected works make for an exciting exhibit. Join us for the opening and meet the artists, whose work includes painting, sculpture, collage, drawing, mixed media, and ceramics.”

Juror Katharine T. Carter works as an artist representative, furthering the careers of artists across the country, and working with institutions, galleries, and critics to create synergistic and interdependent solutions for success in today’s contemporary art world. She has booked over 1,000 one-person exhibitions for her clients at museums, art centers, and college and university galleries. She selected pieces by 69 artists for “In the Moment” and will bestow first, second, and two honorable mention places before the exhibit opening.

The artists to be featured in the Juried Regional Art Show include Fern T. Apfe (Kinderhook, NY), Arlene Boehm (Hudson, NY), Patrick V. Brown (Valatie, NY), David Dew Bruner (Columbiaville, NY), Jennifer Clark (Great Barrington, MA), Stephanie Cohen (Lee, MA), John Cooley (Chatham, NY), Janet Cooper (Sheffield, MA), Maria T. Crespo (Philmont, NY), Mary O. Davidson (South Egremont, MA), David George Deutsch (Kinderhook, NY), Christian J. Dewailly (Ghent, NY), Stephen Dietemann (Great Barrington, MA), Elizabeth DiPalma (Chatham, NY), Mary Jo Downey (Alplaus, NY), Diane Fader (Kinderhook, NY), Mary A. Flinn (Ghent, NY), Susan Gilbert (Monterey, MA), Gail Giles (Chatham, NY), Gary Glinski (Schenectady, NY), Michel Goldberg (Freehold, NY), Robin Guthridge (North Chatham, NY), Eden Hart (Catskill, NY), Valerie Hoffman (Elizaville, NY), Adrian C. Holmes (Richmond, MA), Linda B. Horn (Spencertown, NY), Karen Anne Hummel (Stuyvesant, NY), Marta Jaremko (Delmar, NY), Jennifer Johnson (Hillsdale, NY), ML Kammel (Tyringham, MA), Esther Koslow (Hillsdale, NY), Mary Delaney Krugman (Spencertown, NY), Barbara Lennox (Albany, NY), Alice McGowan (South Egremont, MA), Sandra L. Moore (Claverack, NY), AJ Nadel (Germantown, NY), Bob Newman (Spencertown, NY),Wendy Nooney (Albany, NY), Nancy O’Hara (Germantown, NY), Marilyn Orner (South Egremont, MA), Olivia J. Padrusch (Pittsfield, MA), Andrew Pellettieri (Kinderhook, MA), Susan Petry (Hillsdale, NY), Chris Reynolds (Albany, NY),Valerie Richmond (Hillsdale, NY), Julia Johnson Rothenberg (Canaan, NY), Anthony Ruscitto (Schenectady, NY), Arlene Santana (Stuyvesant, NY), Anita D. Schermerhorn (Nassau, NY), Joel Schiller (Chatham, NY), Randall Schmit (Hudson, NY), Laura Shore (Altamont, NY), Cecelia Sinclair (Hudson, NY), Elizabeth Spangler (Pittsfield, MA), George Spencer (Kinderhook, NY), Ilene B. Spiewak (West Stockbridge, MA), Lucy Swope (Hudson, NY), Rose Tannenbaum (Great Barrington, MA), Kim E. Tateo (Troy, NY), Theresa M. Terry (Austerlitz, NY), Marianne Van Lent (Athens, NY), Rudy Vavra (Rhinebeck, NY), Marlene Vidibor (Ghent, NY), Betsy Wallin (Kinderhook, NY), Celeste Watman (Otis, MA), Steven Wildermuth (Ghent, NY), Barbara Willner (Chatham, NY), Nan Wilson (Albany, NY), and Christi L. Wright (Niverville, NY).

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 visit our website at www.spencertownacademy.orgor call 518-392-3693.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2019
Media Contact:
Gina Hyams, PR Consultant
413-464-2851
[email protected]

Spencertown Academy Arts Center Presents “Curator as Artist II” Exhibit

Spencertown, New York–Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents “The Curator as Artist II” exhibit featuring mixed media collages, paintings, ceramics, and photographs by Academy gallery curators Norma Cohen, Leslie Gabosh, Barbara Lax Kranz, Moira E. O’Grady, and Lynn Rothenberg. On Saturday, July 20, there will be an opening reception from 4:00p.m. to 6:00p.m. and the show will remain on display through August 11. Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. Admission is free and the artworks are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Academy.

“To reward our diligent and dedicated volunteer Gallery Committee, every two years we host a show of their work. All of our curators are accomplished artists in their own right and not eligible to participate in the shows they curate,” says Madaline Sparks, vice president of the Academy Board. “This is our way of thanking them for the hard work of mounting multiple shows each year as well as a chance for the community to get to know them through their individual artistic endeavors.”

Norma Cohen has an unabashed love of color. “I tend to depict subjects in an environment that encapsulates, creating an intricate puzzle of shape, pattern, color, and texture,” she says. She often works with mixed media, incorporating watercolor, wax crayons, oil pastel, pencil, and unique collage material. Her themes include botanical still-lifes, famous and everyday people of Paris in the early 20th century, the early European immigrant experience in America, and antique Christian art. She has an M.A. in Art History and Criticism and has exhibited her work in solo and group shows in the United States and France.

Leslie Gabosh has been a working artist for over 50 years, painting as well as designing and fabricating silver and gold jewelry. As a painter, her inspiration has been 17th and 18th century Dutch and Flemish paintings, 18th century Spanish paintings, and 19th century American paintings. “My subjects are the incidentals of daily life. Although these are unremarkable objects, they create a pathway to thoughts and memories, as well as a window into the world of artists who inspire me. It is my wish to create a quiet meditative place for the viewer to find a calm refuge and a smile.”

Barbara Lax Kranz is an abstract painter. “My formal arts training was in dance, much of which was improvisational. This has had a significant influence on my painting,” she says. “Inspired by visual memories or visceral emotions from a place or time, my work is all about how the colors interact with each other and how one line or shape influences that which is adjacent or beneath. Colors are layered and massaged, one on top of the other, allowing shadows of the original markings to bleed through.” Her works are in many private collections internationally.

Moira E. O’Grady began her life with clay in 2004 with tiles, which she viewed as small three-dimensional canvases, where sculptural, woodcutting, and painterly techniques could be combined on a single surface. “Using leaf forms that fascinated me as tile motifs, my work evolved to hand-built bowls that incorporated extremely high-relief carved or sprigged forms on the interior surfaces,” she says. “New subjects I’m exploring now include undersea motifs and cloud formations.” O’Grady earned a BA in Fine Arts (painting) and English Literature at Manhattanville College and she did graduate studies in filmmaking at Montclair State University.

Lynn Rothenberg studied commercial photography at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and worked as a production assistant at an advertising agency. After moving to the Capital District from California, she owned and operated a photography portrait studio for ten years and exhibited fine art portraits locally as well as in juried shows. “During a portrait session, I take my time, develop rapport with my subject and strive to capture mood and personality with an honest, straightforward approach,” she says.

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 visit our website at www.spencertownacademy.org or call 518-392-3693.

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