Opening Reception this Saturday

The new exhibits opening at the WAAM this coming Saturday, February 13, look wonderful. The reception will be from 4:00 – 6:00 PM. “Sketches” (not juried) fills the Main Gallery and the Solo Room, and the regular Small Works Exhibit will be in the downstairs gallery.

Ellie Steffen was the Small Works juror, and chose the following artists:
Bruce Ackerman
Kristy Bishop
Bobby Blitzer
Jane Bloodgood-Abrams
Dot Chast
Carol Davis
Yale Epstein
Staats Fasoldt
Michael Fattizzi
Dorothea Fischer
Lynne Friedman
Bob Glassman
Laura Gurton
Marilyn Hauser
Annette Jaret
Kate McGloughlin
Alan McKnight
Wilma Miller
Joy Moore
Vince Natale
Susan Asarian Nickerson
Fredericka Ribes
Susan Sammis
Sandra Palmer Shaw
Agnes Tomaselli
Llyn Towner
Helene Weissman

The artists whose works will appear in “Sketches” are:
Gertrude Abramson
Jane Bloodgood-Abrams
Bruce Ackerman
Anonymousblonde
Ed Berkise
Kristy Bishop
Bobby Blitzer
Elizabeth Broad
Mercedes Cecilia
Mari-Claire Charba
Dot Chast
Rosalyn Z. Clark
Chris Collins
Rebecca Daniels
Penny Dell
E.S. DeSanna
Margarete de Soleil
Lynne Digby
Don Ervin
Paulette Esrig
Michael Fattizzi
Howard Finkelson
Dorothea Fischer
J. Homer R. Foster
Myra Fox
Lynne Friedman
Angela Gaffney-Smith
Patti Gibbons
Bob Glassman
Diane Godfrey
Mary Anna Goetz
Doris Goldberg
Howard Goldson
Katherine Gray
Helen Harkaspi
Marilyn Hauser
Catherine Hazard
Franz Heigemeir
Marianne Heigemeir
Pat Horner
Annette Jaret
Laura Katz
Pat Kelly
Mark Kessler
Andrew Kooistra
Polly M. Law
Deirdre Leber
Gay Leonhardt
Barbara Tepper Levy
Ivan Liberman
Meyer Lieberman
Lois Linet
Harriet Livathinos
Dolores Lynch
Gabriele Margules
Maralyn Master
Kate McGloughlin
Kathleen McGuiness
Alan McKnight
Elin Menzies
Wilma Miller
Erica Minglis
Michelle Moran
Jennifer E. Neff
Susan J. Neff
Ze’ev Willy Neumann
Susan Asarian Nickerson
Joyce Nicol
Sandra Nystrom
Valerie Owen
V. Anne Penman
Elise Pittelman
Susan Sammis
Lois Schnakenberg
Sandra Palmer Shaw
Janet Siskind
Eleanor Steffen
Agnes Tomaselli
Llyn Towner
Karl J. Volk
Leslie Waxtel
Helene Weissman
Marlene Wiedenbaum
Marcie Woodruff

Stop hibernating…

Winter’s half over, the roads are clear, and it’s time for us to crawl out of our caves.  Intake for the February exhibits is this coming Monday, Feb. 8, so bring your pieces to the gallery for the non-juried Sketches show and Small Works between 12 and 6 PM.  The reception for these shows will be on Saturday, Feb. 13, 4-6 PM.  No solo show this time; that space will be used for the Sketches exhibit.

Coming up:  Artists’ Salon, Monday, February 8 at the Saugerties Senior Center, hosted by Howard and Sue Goldson.  Bring your work, your thoughts or just yourself for some wonderful art-talk and critique.    We really need more people showing up for this to thrive.

This coming Sunday, February 7, at 2 PM: Sunday Salon at Cedar Grove, the Thomas Cole site in Catskill: “First Artist of Her Sex in America.”   Katherine Manthorne, Professor of Modern Art of the Americas (1750-1950) at City University of New York, reveals highlights from her upcoming biography on one of the most fascinating, least-known Hudson River School painters: Eliza Pratt Greatorex. The title of Dr. Manthorne’s talk, “First artist of her sex in America,” is how Ms. Greatorex was described by a 19th-century critic.
Focusing on her extraordinary life – the first female to be admitted to the National Academy of Design, one of the first artists to capture images of New York City’s historic sites before they were destroyed, and a world traveler who made her living as an artist/teacher while raising her children by herself – this talk is a wonderful prelude to our 2010 exhibition, “Remember the Ladies: Women of the Hudson River School.” Join us on Sunday afternoons for inspiration, learning, refreshments and conversation once per month at the home of Thomas Cole, where the Hudson River School began. Tickets are $8 per person, or $6 for members, and admission to these popular lectures is first-come-first-served.

Cedar Grove is also recruiting new docents. “Docents enjoy free admission to our educational programs all year, a free membership, a subscription to our newsletter, and much more. Want to see what it is all about? Join us on Sunday March 14 at 12 noon for a behind-the-scenes tour of Thomas Cole’s home, stories from our docents about why they love it here, question-and-answer time with our staff, refreshments, and free admission to the Sunday Salon program that follows on the same day.”  Please RSVP to Joanna Frang, 518-943-7465 extension 2 or email jfrang@thomascole.org.

One of our favorite WAAM artists, Polly Law, has reached her goal on Kickstarter.com and will now be able to self-publish her amazing creation, The Word Project!  But donations are still more than welcome; she’d like to obtain enough money (beyond her original, minimal goal) that she can print more books and promote them. Visit the site if you haven’t already done so, you might like to donate…and get a copy of the book: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pollymlaw/publishing-the-word-project .

Be sure to check the Opportunities and Exhibits pages to see what’s going on–our members and friends are doing a lot of exciting things.

Gift Shop needs STUFF

Opportunity for WAAM Members

We are accepting consignment submissions for the Gift Shop (consignment terms: 60% to artist, 40% to WAAM).

Please bring your shop submissions during the gallery’s open hours.

Artist members have the following options:

Print Bins
Artists may submit prints or reproductions, matted or with a sturdy backing-board, shrink-wrapped, with the artists’ bio and some information  to identify the print medium on the back.
Size Limit: 20 x 24 inches.  Limited to 10 prints per artist.

Wall Display
Artists may submit a “Nutshell” piece….original art (no reproduction prints, hand-pulled prints only), framed and wired for hanging.
Size limit: 6 inches, including frame
Retail price limit: $75
Limit of two “Nutshell” works per artist.

Artist Trading Card Display
3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches on sturdy mat board & packaged in a closed poly-sleeve.
Retail price minimum: $10

All shop submissions are subject to review by the Board Gift Shop
Committee.  If you have any questions, please call or email Patricia at gallery@woodstockart.org.

congrats

To Loel Barr, who was accepted into the N.A.W.A. (National Association of Women in the Arts) National Small Works show.  The opening is at their gallery in NYC on February 16, if anyone is in the area and would like to attend.  This is a bit tricky, as I have the intention to congratulate people here for shows and awards and exhibits etc  (when they TELL me about them!  Nudge nudge…) but now I am, well, congratulating myself, and this is awkward.  But never mind, I’m quite pleased and proud and so yes, I do congratulate myself!  It doesn’t happen very often, so I’ll enjoy it while I can.

bits and pieces

Blogmistress has returned from the bitterly cold Midwest to find various things that need posting here.  Now let’s see if I can find them in that jumble of email that’s piled up….

Good news from Polly Law; her Kickstarter project has succeeded in reaching her goal of $4000 to self-publish her Word Project!  Donations can still be made to help her print, promote, and make available more copies. Just go to: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pollymlaw/publishing-the-word-project

Thank you Markertek, Mark Bronstein & Tom Moretti, for donating to WAAM the much needed new microphone system.

The WAAM board is starting a review of the Bylaws.  If you would like to be a part of the Bylaws Committee, please email josephine@woodstockart.com soon.

It’s time to submit your entries for Far and Wide, the Regional Show at WAAM.  Email your entries by this Sunday, Jan. 17.  The exhibit runs April 3 – May 2, 2010

Submissions by slide or digital jpeg only.

• Open to all all subjects and media.
• Juried by Patricia Phagan, FLLAC, Vassar College
• Open to artists living in CT, MA, NJ, NY, and VT who can hand deliver and pick up works.

Email submission deadline – January 17
(Download prospectus from WAAM website for details)

Do check the Opportunities and Exhibits pages for more NEW news, including a free offer to be on the fabulous new Artsmap website.

The Word Project with Kickstarter

In 2002, artist, bricoleur and designer Polly M. Law began combining her love of odd and obscure words and her distinctive bricolage-style and The Word Project was born. There are now over 125 that have been explored, expanded, exploded, punned or vamped on with Ms. Law’s “paper-dolls.” There are only 2 criteria for inclusion in “The Word Project”- the word must be new to the artist (otherwise it is just showing off) and it must tickle her rather overactive imagination. The entire Word Project has been shown at several galleries. Ms. Law has been encouraged by the many kudos that greeted these showings to publish the work. The proposal has made the rounds to a number of publishing house and while recognized for its merits, no investment was made. Ms. Law would like to change that.
This is where kickstarter.com comes in. Kickstarter has been lauded as one of the best ideas for 2009 by the New York Times; and as a creator looking for support for a worthy project, Ms. Law heartily agrees! Thus, on December 22, 2009- Ms. Law launched her project on kickstarter: “Publish ‘The Word Project’ ” with a video, an overview of the proposed book, and high hopes. Funding has begun and Ms. Law looks forward to meeting her goal by the deadline of March 21, 2010.

“Publish ‘The Word Project’ “

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pollymlaw/publishing-the-word-project

Ho ho ho

Warm up this evening in the festive art-filled WAAM while you enjoy some wonderful entertainment by Esopus Musicalia. Tonight’s concert, at 7:30, will feature Corelli’s Christmas Concerto, Barber’s Adagio for Strings, and two Vivaldi works. The accompanying lecture by Dr. Randy Angiel, beginning at 6:30, is “Money, Politics and Music: Sponsorship and Copyrights.” Ticket sales start at 6 PM – $15 for adults, $12 for children, seniors, and WAAM members.

The WAAM will be closed in January, but the Executive Board decided at a recent meeting to re-open our red doors in February with a new exhibit called “Sketches.”  Look through your studios for pages from sketchbooks, written and drawn preparatory visions, old and new designs of form, rough-hewn images, maquettes…any notes for future ideas.  The show is non-juried, all media accepted, and pieces should be submitted as two works, framed separately or together. The size limit is 24″ x 24″, or for sculpture, 24″ x 24″ x 24″.  Intake for Sketches and for the usual Small Works exhibit is Monday, February 8, the reception on Saturday, February 13, and pickup of work is Monday, March 1.  Work in the current exhibits should be picked up on Monday, January 4.

A new show is up at Oriole 9 featuring work by well-known WAAM artist Hattie Iles, and Sweetbryar Ludwig of the Five Points Band.  Lenny Kislin does a splendid job of curating monthly exhibits at this restaurant, right across the street from the WAAM.  Stop in tomorrow (Saturday) between 5 and 7 PM to meet the artists and sample some of the great food.

Lenny Kislin at Oriole 9

A most merry Christmas and happy Chanukah and joyous Solstice  or whatever you celebrate to everyone!

Waiting for the bus on Tinker Street

Catching up…

Your faithful Blog Mistress apologizes; she’s been managing various mini-crises, including the collapse of her trusty old Mac G5, which is about to be replaced by a shiny new Imac.  Thus the blog is overdue for an update…so many things are going on!  The Holiday Show has been a smashing success, so visit the Pictures page to see new images of the artwork. Year End Awards were given during the Reception; congratulations to the recipients!

The Mary Wilson Award for Outstanding Landscape or Still Life of the Year: Mandara Calderon
The Leilani Claire Award for Outstanding Photograph of the Year: John Kleinhans

The Sally Jacobs / Phoebe Towbin Award was given this year to Pat Horner. The Towbin Award recognizes an artist who has consistently exhibited works of high artistic merit. It was established by Phoebe Towbin in honor of her mother Sally Jacobs. The WAAM Towbin Museum Wing, built in 1992, was funded by Phoebe and Belmont Towbin.  As specified by the donor, the award winner is selected by the three previous winners; in this case:  Bobby Blitzer, Yale Epstein, and Franz Heigemeir.

The Kuniyoshi Fund Award was given to Polly M. Law. The Kuniyoshi Fund was established in 1968 to honor an artist in the Woodstock art community for outstanding achievement in his or her genre.  The annual award memorializes Japanese-American artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889-1953), a long-time Woodstock resident, known worldwide for his paintings and prints, as well as his activism on behalf of artists through Artists Equity Association and other organizations.  The award winner is selected by a member of the one-time Kuniyoshi Fund Committee and members of the WAAM Award Committee.

This coming Friday, December 4, party with us during the 28th Annual Woodstock Holiday Open House from noon till 9 PM.  The gift shop and galleries will be open, with a 20% discount on selected WAAM publications. Exhibitions on view:  Holiday Show, plus Small Works with many works priced in the $100-200 range.  Also: Craig Wood, Agnes Tomaselli, 11Pick2:  33 Artists from Today’s WAAM, and works from Onteora High School.  We’ll have fun art activities for kids from 5:00 – 8:00; from 6:00 – 7:00 Jesse James and Holiday Harmonies will entertain us with live music, and from 7:00 – 8:00 sing along with Bar Scott and Friends.

Esopus Musicalia performed again last Friday evening to an enthusiastic audience.  This wonderful group will return for another concert on December 18; there will be a detailed announcement closer to that date.

That’s all for now; do check the various Pages for updates!

Holiday Show Opens

The WAAM had a fabulous and festive turnout last night for the opening of the annual Holiday Show, as well our other fine exhibits.  Awards were given to selected members (names and honors to come), guests bought great art at good prices, and everyone had a wonderful time.  See the photos on the Pictures page…if you’re a member, you just might find yourself there.  If you missed the opening, the show will be up through the Holidays, so do come peruse our wares.

Visitors come to the WAAM for art and fun

Another busy Saturday

Come out this afternoon for the opening reception of the annual Holiday Show at the WAAM!  If you’re shopping, it’s a chance for a great deal, with walls full of work by our artists, all priced under $500.  The solo show features the ceramic art of Craig Wood, who will be giving a gallery talk tomorrow (Nov. 22) at 2 PM.  Agnes Tomaselli is showing her work on the Active Members’ Wall in the Founders’ Gallery, where the other walls are filled with the Small Works show.  The 11 Pick 2 Show continues in the Towbin Wing.

Many of our members are showing at other local and nearby venues; a reception for the semi-annual Students’ Show is from 3 – 5 PM at the Woodstock School of Art, and Loel Barr and September Heart are showing their work across the street from the WAAM at Oriole 9, where Lenny Kislin curates exhibits.  The reception is from 5 – 7 PM.

Travel on up the road to Phoenicia after taking all this in, where there’s an opening beginning at 6 PM of the “It’s About Time” exhibit at Arts Upstairs.  Also, with an opening from 6 – 9 PM, is a new group show at the Cabane Gallery, just up the street from Arts Upstairs.  Susan Phillips and Loel Barr are among the artists displaying their work here.

It’s a lovely day – come out, eat and sip and see friends and art!  Hope to see you there!

Private Guided Tour…Dorsky!

Possible Membership Event:
Is there interest in a private guided tour for WAAM Members and friends with Derin Tanyol of the current show at the Dorsky Museum on Saturday November 14th some time between 1 and 4?
This is for the Hudson River School Show.  Tour would last about 1 hour.  Cost $6 or $4 for seniors.

Participants would need to get themselves to the Dorsky – carpool anyone?

We need a minimum of 12 people to set up the tour.

If you are interested in this possible membership event, please reply in the comments below or email info@woodstockart.org and put Dorsky in the subject line of your email.

In your reply, please indicate what time you would like to do the tour.

We will get back to you with full details if the tour happens.

“Every now and then, an exhibition comes along that is so perfectly lovely that you want to shout its merits from the closest rooftop, or in this case mountain.”
        –The New York Times reviews The Hudson River to Niagara Falls exhibition

http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum/

Poets in the Gallery

BOYZ IN THE WOODS
Phillip Levine
Will Nixon
Bruce Weber

Saturday, November 7, 4:30 pm

The program features readings from each poet’s work and centers around a celebration and book signing for Weber’s new book of poetry The Breakup of My First Marriage (Rogue Scholars Press, New York).

“There’s a playful seriousness in Weber’s poems, an East Village / Upstate Dada bohemian wisdom. His lines are open and generous, like running into a old friend after a long stretch in jail. Bruce’s poems are sexy, funny, smart and over the top. If for some reason, you don’t already know this poet’s work – because you don’t get out much, reside in Saskatchewan, or are trapped in Tallahassee – today, brothers and sisters, is definitively your lucky day.”
- Angelo Verga, author of Praise For What Remains (Three Rooms Press)

WAAM Hosts Spooks and Goblins

WAAM was honored, this past Saturday, October 31, to host a large delegation of emissaries from The Dark Side. We opened our doors  fearlessly and answered their shrieks and moans with smiles and  goodies.  They departed graciously and promised to leave us in peace until next Halloween.  Go to our PICTURES page to witness this event.

now THIS is scary.....

 

Saturday Stuff

It’s a lovely sunny day in the Hudson Valley, a good day to go out and see art and hear poetry.  This is the next-to-the-last weekend to view the current shows in the Main and Founders’ Galleries (the 11 Pick 2 show in the Towbin Wing will be up through the holidays), and this afternoon at 4:30 pm, you can hear readings by the “Boyz in the Woods,” Phillip Levine, Will Nixon, and Bruce Weber, with a booksigning for Weber’s new poetry volume The Breakup of My First Marriage. The suggested  donation is $5.  Between 5 and 8 PM come to the opening of “Saugerties and Other Cool Places,” featuring recent work by Kristy Bishop and her art students at the Ulster Savings Bank in Twin Maples Plaza, Saugerties.  See the Exhibits page for details.  Don’t forget to check out our other Pages for updates and new opportunities, including the details about submissions for the upcoming Regional Show and a special offer by the new artists’ site, Hudson Valley Fine Art.   Monday evening at 7 PM, join other artists at the Saugerties Senior Center for discussion and critique…bring some work if you want, or just come to talk and listen.  Loel Barr will host this event, and the Senior Center is at 207 Market Street.

Cooper Lake

News from the Education Program!

We are off to a wonderful start with this year’s school visits.  So far we have had over 150 kids visit the WAAM including 3 grades from  Woodstock Elementary, students from the Onteora Middle school ( who also did a studio visit with Lenny Kislin after they left WAAM) and we had the YMCA after school program from Woodstock Elementary visit and make a mixed media sculpture.  We also worked with the 5th and 6th grade at the Woodstock Day School, where the Day School students made art work responding to the work of Doris Lee and Eugenie Gershoy.
Next is the Holiday Open House where we will make really great puppets!

Holiday Show starts next weekend!

The Opening Reception for the annual Holiday Show is Saturday, Nov. 21, from 4-6 PM.  The “11 Pick 2″ show continues in the Towbin Wing, and the Solo Show will feature work by Craig Wood (Artist’s Talk on Sunday, Nov. 22). Be sure to wander downstairs to see the Small Works exhibit in the Founders’ Gallery,works by the students of Onteora High School in the Youth Exhibition Space, and Agnes Tomaselli’s work on the Active Member Wall.

Members: Monday, November 16, is delivery day for your work, from 12-6 pm, for the Holiday Show and the Small Works exhibit.  The Holiday Show  is a non-juried show open to all currently-paid artist members.  Notice that there is a $10 Hanging Fee. $500 price limit. No NSF or POR.  36″ x 36″ size limit, including frame.

Can you help the WAAM?

The WAAM Fund-Raising Committee co-chairs Sandra Nystrom and Bonnie Diana are coordinating corporate sponsors for upcoming WAAM activities, including April’s Far & Wide 2nd annual Woodstock Regional.  Sponsorship is a great way to support WAAM and to promote a business.  Interested parties can contact them at BonDiana@aol.com

Music and Poetry

November 8th’s poetry event, Boyz in the Woods, was well attended and much enjoyed; here are the poets doing their thing and doing it beautifully. See more photos on the Pictures page.Our next event is another concert by the new group, Esopus Musicalia.  There was a big happy crowd at their recent concert in the Towbin Wing, so come early to get a good seat. Esopus Musicalia will present an intimate chamber concert of Mozart’s Viola Quintet in G minor and Brahms Sextet in B-flat Major. The performance will feature Nadège Foofat and Jeanne Puryear on violin, Siobhan Solberg and George Tsontakis on viola and guest artist Ling Kwan joining Abby Newton on cello. There will be a meet and greet reception after the concert.
November 27th, 2009 7:30 PM
Woodstock Artists Association Museum 28 Tinker Street
$15 regular admission, $12 children, seniors and WAAM members
Tickets on sale at 6PM.

Visit www.esopusmusicalia.org for more information.

Good News!!

The Woodstock Town Board passed unanimously a resolution to provide $10,000 to the Woodstock Arts Consortium for the next year to promote tourism and attract visitors to Woodstock.  A number of speakers from various consortium member not-for-profit organizations spoke of the importance of the volunteer work of the consortium, the success of the effort and the many benefits to the Town of Woodstock in bringing people to the town.  The WAAM was ably represented by Pat Horner who set an uplifting and positive tone.  Other WAAM Board members also present were Sandra Nystrom, Vivienne Hodges and Llyn Towner.

Use this Blog, please!

I’ve just added a new page with instructions for use of the blog for those unfamiliar with blogging.  Please click on the tab and check it out.