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Vermont Closes Historic Site Due To Bridge Construction

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Citing safety concerns caused by the reconstruction of the adjacent Champlain Bridge, Vermont state officials have announced the immediate closure of the Chimney Point State Historic Site in Addison.

Commissioner of Economic, Housing and Community Development Tayt Brooks said the combination of construction activity and limited road access to the area led to the decision to close the site for the season.

“The Chimney Point site and the construction area share a single road, and are literally right next to each other,” Brooks said. “We had hoped to keep the site open, but in practical terms we can’t place the public at risk by having them in such close proximity to a working construction area.”

The Champlain Bridge, which was built to span Lake Champlain and connect Vermont and New York in 1929, was closed due to safety concerns in October 2009 and was demolished using explosives on December 28, 2009.

A new “modified network tied arch” bridge is being built in nearly the exact location, and a temporary ferry is carrying passengers across Lake Champlain while the bridge is being rebuilt.

Brooks said the Division for Historic Preservation – part of his department – and officials from the Agency of Transportation had worked together to try to keep the site operating despite the noise, dust, odor, and delays that were inevitable as a result of the construction.

But as the staging area for materials and equipment was selected – and expanded – adjacent to the site, the risk of an accident involving visitors had become too great.

“We tried, but VTrans officials recommended – and I agreed – that the site should be closed for this season, and possibly next,” Brooks said. “We will re-evaluate before next spring after we see where the construction stands.”

The site had 2,962 visitors last year on the 99 days it was open, Brooks said, or an average of about 29 per day. It has generated roughly $3,000 in admissions and $9,000 in gift shop revenues in the current fiscal year, which began on July 1, 2009.

Before last week, the site had seen only 73 visitors in the 8 days it had been open, he said, adding that the Agency of Transportation will reimburse the Division for Historic Preservation for the lost revenue while the site is closed.

The state will examine whether some special events scheduled at the site – such as the Northeastern Atlatl Championship, part of the Festival of Nations in September – can be re-located, Brooks said.

Native Encampment at Champlain Maritime Museum

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There will be a Native American Encampment event on Saturday and Sunday, June 19-20, 2010, 10am-5pm daily at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, 4472 Basin Harbor Rd, Vergennes, VT.

Dressed in clothing of earlier times, members of El-nu and Missisquoi Abenaki portray their ancestors and share traditional life skills, tools, clothing, personal adornments, and weapons used by Native Americans in the Champlain Valley through the centuries. Event includes traditional songs, cooking and camp skills, wampum readings, Native American weapons and armor, film showings and much more. Participating craftspeople combine archaeological evidence with personal expression to create beautiful and utilitarian objects.

Fredrick M. Wiseman, PhD will describe the sophisticated crafts and technologies of the region’s indigenous people and sign his newest publications, Champlain Tech, and Baseline 1609, which provide new insight into the region’s earliest and most enduring craft traditions.

Register in advance for on-water Paddle to Prehistory Sunday June 20. Information: 802 475-2022, [email protected], www.lcmm.org.

Fenimore Museum Lecture on John Singer Sargent

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Join Patricia Hills, Professor of Art History at Boston University, for an insightful lecture on John Singer Sargent’s male subjects titled &#8220Sargent’s Men.&#8221 Known for his superb portraits of women, John Singer Sargent could paint equally stunning and brilliant portraits men. Whether they be informal sketches of his artist friends or stately portraits of American international financiers, French literary types, English aristocrats, or Bedouin chieftains, he knew how to collaborate with his sitters to fashion an attractive and commanding persona.

The lecture takes place Saturday, June 19 at 2:00 p.m. in the Fenimore Art Museum auditorium and is free with paid admission to the Museum. NYSHA members are free.

The lecture is just a portion of the programming that accompanies the new exhibition John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Praise of Women. Visit FenimoreArtMuseum.org for more information.

Albany Institute Announces Summer Family Programs

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The Albany Institute of History & Art has announced its summer art programming schedule for children and families. Programs are designed to offer children and their adult companions an opportunity to experience a wide range of artistic workshops and creativity-based lessons, experienced in combination with the museum’s current exhibits and collections. Programs to be offered are as follows:

THREE-DAY ART CAMPS

9:00 a.m.–noon (ages 6–8), 1:00–4:00 p.m. (ages 9–11)
Students will deepen their engagement in the artistic process and share their creations on the third day of the workshop at a show of the students’ work. Classes are taught by a NYS certified art educator. Program fee of $60 for non-members and $45 for members includes materials and museum admission for all three days.
June 29, 30, and July 1: Masterpiece Puppet Theater—Create an original puppet show with your own marionettes.

August 31, September 1 and 2: Art That Goes—Use art and objects related to transportation as inspiration for your own work.

THE ’TUTE FOR TOTS

Wednesdays through July and August, 10:00–11:30 am (ages 3–5)

An inspiring setting gives preschool children and their adult companions a chance to become familiar with the museum and explore and grow through art. Gallery visits are followed by an art activity in our studio. Workshops last one-and-a-half hours and are taught by a NYS certified art educator. Program fee: $5 per person for non-members or $4 per person for members.

July 7–Fishy Drawings

July 14–Resist Painting

July 21–Textures and Shapes

July 28–Funny Faces Sculptures

August 4–Popsicle Stick Buildings.

August 11–Animal Collage

August 18–Vegetable Growth Cycles Book

August 25–Landscape Collage

SUMMER IN THE CITY

Wednesdays through July and August, 1:00–4:00 p.m. (ages 12–15)

Experience the art of Albany. Instructors will lead neighborhood walks to examine shape, color, pattern, texture, and architecture. Use a variety of materials to create a collage inspired by the landscape design of Washington Park. Classes are taught by a NYS certified art educator. A fee of $20 per class for non-members and $15 for members per class includes materials and museum admission. Great for home school students.

July 7–One-Point Perspective Drawings

July 14–Watercolor Facades

July 21–Collagraph Building Prints

July 28–Ceramic Gargoyle Faces

August 4–Tunnel Book Cities

August 11–One Picture, Many Media

August 18–Botanical Brown Bag Books

August 25–Landscape Collage

THURSDAY ART WORKSHOPS

Through July and August, 9:00 a.m.–noon (ages 6–8)- 1:00–4:00 p.m. (ages 9–11)

Emphasizing fine art techniques, materials and vocabulary, children will experience inspiration and the many ways in which artists work. Classes are taught by a NYS certified art educator. A fee of $20 per class for non-members and $15 for members per class includes materials and museum admission.

July 8–Creating Mystery Creatures

July 15–Still-Life

July 22–Fabric Collage Totes

July 29–Textured Tessellations

August 5–My Fantastic Room

August 12–Photography: Making the New Old

August 19–Botanical Brown Bag Books

August 26–Narrative Collage

More information and online registration is available through the Albany Institute’s website at www.albanyinstitute.org. Public requests for additional information should be addressed to Barbara Collins, Education Coordinator, (518) 463-4478, ext. 405- [email protected].

Finger Lakes Museum, State Announce Partnership

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The president of the Finger Lakes Museum and the Regional Director of Finger Lakes State Parks have announced the formation of a partnership that will work to move the proposed Finger Lakes Museum forward. In April, the museum’s board of trustees announced that Keuka Lake State Park had been selected as the preferred site for a world­class museum that is planned to showcase the cultural and natural history of the 9,000 square­mile Finger Lakes Region.

Museum president, John Adamski, said that board members and Office of Parks, Recreation, & Historic Preservation (OPRHP) officials from Albany and the region have already met and toured the park as the first step in developing a joint master plan for the museum and public use of state parkland. Regional parks director, Tim Joseph, arranged the meeting and led the tour.

A little­-used 60­-acre section at the north end of the park, bordering Route 54A, is
being considered as the location for the museum’s main campus. Opportunities for interpretive exhibits in other areas of the park are also being examined. Camping and public use of the existing beach, facilities, and boat launch will not be affected.

Andy Beers, OPRHP Executive Deputy Commissioner, stated that while the agency will not be involved in funding the $40 million project, it will make its expertise and services available to help museum organizers develop their plans.

The Finger Lakes Museum is a privately held not-­for­-profit educational institution that was chartered by the New York State Board of Regents in 2009. While some federal and state funding may be available through grant programs, the bulk of the funding is planned to come from private sources and corporations.

In other developments, museum trustee and former site selection committee chairman, Don Naetzker, resigned from the board in May to accept a paid position as the museum’s Project Manager. A licensed landscape architect and professional land planner, Naetzker will coordinate planning efforts with museum organizers, state parks, and architectural and exhibit designers. His recent master planning projects include Frontier Field, Corn Hill Landing, and Charlotte Harbor at the Port of Rochester.
Commercial real estate developer and president of the Finger Lakes Visitors Association, David Wegman, was elected to the museum’s board of trustees in May. He is also owner of Esperanza Mansion Inn and Restaurant in the hamlet of Keuka Park and the tour boat, Esperanza Rose, which offers dinner cruises on Keuka Lake. Wegman was instrumental in bringing the Finger Lakes Museum to Keuka Lake State Park.

Photo: Finger Lakes Museum board members and officials from the state Office of
Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation met last month in order to develop a joint
master plan for Keuka Lake State Park. From left to right: Don Naetzker, FLM project manager? Tim Joseph, Finger Lakes State Parks Regional Director? Mike Wasilco, DEC Region 8 wildlife biologist? Andy Beers, OPRHP Executive Deputy Commissioner? Chris Pushkarsh, OPRHP, Tom Alworth, OPRHP? Bill Banaszewski, FLM? John Adamski, FLM president? John Eberhard, OPRHP? Henry Maus, FLM? Jim Zimpfer, OPRHP? Dan Davis, OPRHP? and Tom Lyons, OPRHP.

Residents of The Grinnell Launch Centennial Celebration

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The residents of The Grinnell, a land-marked nine-story, triangular cooperative apartment house at 800 Riverside Drive in the Audubon Park Historic District, will begin a year-long celebration of their building’s centennial on June 10, 2010.

Heralding the festivities is the launch of www.TheGrinnellat100.com, a website combining oral history, media clips, historical essays, and images spanning the building’s 100-year history. The year’s events will also include centennial logo and photography competitions, exhibitions in the Grinnell’s community room, apartment tours, a gardening project, and a birthday party. A calendar of events is available on the website.

Constructed between June 10, 1910 and July 23, 1911, the Grinnell sits on a triangular plot of land in Washington Heights where the family of George Blake Grinnell once pastured a few cows when the surrounding area was known as Audubon Park. “The Park,” a bucolic suburb that grew out of John James Audubon’s farm Minnie’s Land, remained suburban into the 20th Century, but became prime property for real estate development when the subway opened at 157th Street in November 1904. Six years later, when the extended Riverside Drive opened, its path crossing Audubon Park, the Grinnell heirs, led by eldest son George Bird Grinnell, sold their property. Developers quickly snapped it up and between 1909 and 1911 erected a group of Beaux Arts apartment houses. Noting the effects of rapid transit, newspaper commentators dubbed the two-year period Audubon Park’s “rapid transformation.”

Like neighboring apartment buildings, the Grinnell lured the prosperous middle-class uptown with amenities such as uniformed staff, spacious apartments “adapted to those accustomed to private houses,” enameled woodwork and paneled dining rooms, and proximity to the subway (“only 200 feet”) – all at prices “30% less than the Middle West Side.” Built around an airy courtyard, The Grinnell remained a fashionable building through the Great Depression, usually fully occupied. In the late 1940s, the Evangelist Daddy Grace bought the Grinnell, considering it and the Eldorado on Central Park West the prime properties in his real estate portfolio. Both were part of his estate when he died in 1960. Although Daddy Grace reputedly refused to integrate his properties, the actress, playwright, and author Alice Childress lived at the Grinnell from the 1950s into the 1970s, though in the ‘50s, she was certainly an exception, rather than the rule.

During the 1970s, the Grinnell suffered landlord neglect as did many apartment buildings in Manhattan. Grinnell tenants organized and demanded better services, eventually resorting to a rent strike to force the owner into providing basic amenities such as heat and hot water. When the landlord abandoned the Grinnell, owing large tax and utility bills, the residents began the arduous process of assuming management of the building, eventually buying it from New York City in 1982. The resulting co-op became The Grinnell, HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation).

During the ensuing three decades, determined boards of directors and dedicated residents revived what was virtually a dead building, replacing and upgrading building systems and restoring common areas to their original beauty. Individual co-op shareholders have restored their apartments, improving their personal investments as well as the co-op’s financial health.

The centennial events will celebrate these achievements as well as the diversity of the Grinnell’s population. From a homogenous population at the beginning of the 20th Century, the Grinnell has progressed to a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic population mirroring the city around it.

A theme running through the centennial celebration is the Grinnell’s place in its community. Grinnell residents actively supported the Audubon Park Historic District effort and are the first private participants in the Heritage Rose District of New York City, a project sponsored by Borough President Scott Stringer’s office. During the centennial year, the Grinnell garden committee will increase its heritage rose collection to thirty bushes, all of them fully visible to the neighborhood, and will dedicate its Heritage Rose Garden in June 2011. An exhibition in September 2010, “The Ground beneath Our Feet,” will trace the close ties between the Grinnell and land surrounding it. A photo competition and exhibition in February 2011 will focus on the Grinnell’s neighbors- submissions must be views of the neighborhood as seen from the Grinnell’s windows. All events, including the Grinnell’s birthday party on October 17, 2010, will be open to the public.

Upcoming Events at Olana State Historic Site

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The Olana New York State Historic Site, a National Historic Landmark, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Hudson Valley and upstate New York has announced a series of upcoming events.

Named for a fortress treasure-house in ancient Persia, Olana was the home of Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), one of America’s most important artists, a student of Thomas Cole, and a major figure in the Hudson River School of landscape painting. Olana stands high on a hill near Hudson, New York and offers sweeping vistas of the Catskill Mountains, the Hudson River and the Taconic Hills.

Family Tour at Olana
Saturday, June 12, 11:30AM

Explore the house, its paintings and treasures from a child’s perspective. Take the family tour then stop by the Wagon House Education Center for Art in the Barn, or borrow a backpack full of activities to do on the grounds – a family day at Olana couldn’t be more perfect! Tours are geared for families with 6-12 year olds, but all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Reservations are required by 4PM the preceding Friday. Call (518) 828-0135 for information. $9/adult- $8/students and seniors, free for children under 12 and members of The Olana Partnership.

Garden Walk
Monday, June 14, 4-5pm

Join Mary K. Hughes on an informational walk through Church’s flower garden. Learn a little history as well as new plant care and maintenance of perennial gardens. Bring questions on Heirloom annuals and perennials- stay for the Olana sunsets. Mary holds a degree in Horticulture as well as Floriculture has a floral design certificate from SUNY Cobleskill Agriculture College and has owned and operated her own business for 8 years. In addition, Mary runs a greenhouse that specializes in Heirloom plants, was on the board of trustees for the Hudson Valley Flower show as well as a ribbon holder for design and currently is a member of the New York in Bloom Flower Expo that raises money for after school activities in Albany County. Adults. Free. Meet at Olana’s Flower Garden at the top of the hill. Rain or shine.

First Day of Summer Hike
Monday, June 21, 9AM

Explore carriage drives and sweeping views as you learn a little more about the Olana landscape. Families welcome! Pre-registration required by 4PM the Wednesday preceding. Dress for the weather and meet in front of the Visitor Center. Free. Call (518) 828-0135 for information.

Family Tour at Olana
Saturday, June 26, 11:30AM

Explore the house, its paintings and treasures from a child’s perspective. Take the family tour then stop by the Wagon House Education Center for Art in the Barn, or borrow a backpack full of activities to do on the grounds – a family day at Olana couldn’t be more perfect! Tours are geared for families with 6-12 year olds, but all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Reservations are required by 4PM the preceding Friday. Call (518) 828-0135 for information. $9/adult- $8/students and seniors, free for children under 12 and members of The Olana Partnership.

Music at the Farm
Saturday, June 26, 4-6PM

Join us for a contemporary concert, interpreting the spirit of Olana with drums from around the world. Musician David Macejka, (http://www.davidmacejka.com/) will perform music influenced by Church’s admiration for Persian architecture and culture. An open drum circle (please bring your own drums if you’d like to participate) will follow. Rain or shine. Seats limited- register by the preceding Friday: 518.828.1872&#215-110. Wagon House Education Center/Farm Complex. All ages. Free.

Garden Walk
Monday, July 5, 4-5pm

Join Mary K. Hughes on an informational walk through Church’s flower garden. Learn a little history as well as new plant care and maintenance of perennial gardens. Bring questions on Heirloom annuals and perennials- stay for the Olana sunsets. Mary holds a degree in Horticulture as well as Floriculture has a floral design certificate from SUNY Cobleskill Agriculture College and has owned and operated her own business for 8 years. In addition, Mary runs a greenhouse that specializes in Heirloom plants, was on the board of trustees for the Hudson Valley Flower show as well as a ribbon holder for design and currently is a member of the New York in Bloom Flower Expo that raises money for after school activities in Albany County. Adults. Free. Meet at Olana’s Flower Garden at the top of the hill. Rain or shine.

Family Tour at Olana
Saturday, July 10, 11:30AM

Explore the house, its paintings and treasures from a child’s perspective. Take the family tour then stop by the Wagon House Education Center for Art in the Barn, or borrow a backpack full of activities to do on the grounds – a family day at Olana couldn’t be more perfect! Tours are geared for families with 6-12 year olds, but all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Reservations are required by 4PM the preceding Friday. Call (518) 828-0135 for information. $9/adult- $8/students and seniors, free for children under 12 and members of The Olana Partnership.

The Journey Summer Arts Program: Session I
Monday, July 12 &#8211 Friday, July 16, 9AM-2PM

Children ages 6-12 work in small groups at the picturesque estate of Frederic Church, renowned Hudson River School artist, as they journey to one of the locales visited by Church in the 19th century. Through art, music, movement, history, nature walks, poetry and other hands-on activities in the Wagon House Education Center, children experience the life and travels of this landmark artist. Call (518) 828-1872&#215-110 for more info. Ages 6-12, $165/child- $125 members of The Olana Partnership. Click here for application.

ONGOING EVENTS

Fern Hunting among These Picturesque Mountains:
Frederic Edwin Church in Jamaica
Evelyn & Maurice Sharp Gallery
Thursday &#8211 Sunday, June 6 – October 31, 11AM-4PM

In 1865, Frederic Church, an avid traveler with a special passion for the tropics, journeyed to Jamaica. This was unlike his previous expeditions, as he and his wife, Isabel, were escaping from intense personal grief: the loss of their two young children. Throwing himself into the exploration and documentation of the island, the renowned artist produced a variety of works ranging from delicate pen sketches of palm trees to oil sketches of the atmospheric Blue Mountains and brilliant sunsets. The importance of the trip is reflected in the number of studies Church chose to mount, frame, and display at Olana, which became a major attraction for visitors to his home. The best of the related sketches and paintings from Jamaica comprise the exhibit. Call (518) 828-0135 for information.

In the Footsteps of Frederic Church: Photos by Larry Lederman
Tuesday &#8211 Sunday, June 6 –October 31, 10am-4pm

Larry Lederman is a photographer and writer who has traveled to many of the locations Frederic Church visited. This exhibition displays photographs of a number of sites that Frederic Church painted and seek to evoke his artistic vision and explore his art. The photographs affirm that many of the wilderness enclaves Church painted still exist, preserved as part of our heritage because of the beauty that he and other nineteenth century painters captured. Copies of the photos will be available for sale in the Olana museum shop. Olana Coachman’s House, All ages, included with grounds fee.

Art in the Barn
Saturdays, 12-4PM, April 3 -December 4

Young artists (ages 3-5) and their caregivers/friends are welcome to the Wagon House Education Center for their first exposures to art! Let Olana inspire your little one- meet new fri
ends, get messy, and discover art together. Come promptly at 12pm to participate in the 12-1pm music, story-telling, dance and movement portion- 1-4pm is drop-in open art studio time to unleash the creativity. Themes: Architecture- Farm History- The Hudson River. Free. Vehicle fee applies though October. Call (518) 828-1872 for information.

Olana on the Move Backpacks
Thursdays-Sundays, 12-4PM, April 4 through December 5

Families are welcome to borrow a backpack to explore the Olana landscape! Backpacks can be signed out at the Olana Visitor Center (and the Wagon House Education Center on Saturdays and Sundays) and contain trail maps and self-guided activities to enrich family visits. Two themed backpacks are available: ‘Exploration Today: Discover Olana’ and ‘View it Like an Artist’. Take your sketches home, or donate them to our ongoing public exhibit in the Wagon House Education Center! Please be prepared to leave a driver’s license or other photo ID until backpack is returned. Free. Vehicle fee applies Saturday/Sunday through October. Not available July 4. Call (518) 828-1872 for information.

ARTlandish!
Sundays, 1-4PM, April 4 &#8211 December 5

Create art in the landscape – not such an outlandish idea! Frederic Church sketched outside noting the details in nature and then went back to the studio to paint. Drop in at the Education Center for sketch paper, pencils and clipboards. Then head out into Olana’s picturesque landscape to sketch your very own view. Come back to the “studio” (Education Center) to use colored pencils, oil pastels and watercolors to finish your artwork. Please be prepared to leave a photo ID until all sketch materials are returned. Not available July 4. Wagon House Education Center/Farm Complex. All ages. Free.

Civilian Conservation Corps Program, Reunions

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On Friday, June 25th, 2010, the Schenectady County Historical Society will host a reunion of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) alumni, family, & friends, from 10:00 am to noon at 32 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, NY. Marty Podskoch, CCC researcher, will give a short presentation and will invite participants to share memories of the camps.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began on March 31, 1933 under President Roosevelt’s “New Deal” to relieve the poverty and unemployment of the Depression. Camps were set up in many New York towns, state parks, & forests. Workers built trails, roads, campsites, dams, fire tower observer’s cabins & telephone lines- fought fires- stocked fish- and planted millions of trees. The CCC disbanded in 1942 due to the need for men in WW II.

A part of the history of the CCC was saved recently by the daughter of a man who was in one of the camps. She donated a CCC Schenectady District yearbook for 1937 to the Historical Society. The yearbook has a history of the District, along with photos of officers and the men at the camps. Many men from Schenectady were in Company 219 (Cherry Plain, NY)- and Company 222 (Middleburg, NY).

Marty Podskoch is a retired teacher and the author of five books: Fire Towers of the Catskills: Their History and Lore, two Adirondack fire tower books: Adirondack Fire Towers: Their History and Lore, the Southern Districts, and Northern Districts and two other books, Adirondack Stories: Historical Sketches and Adirondack Stories II: Historical Sketches from his weekly illustrated newspaper column.

Presently, Marty Podskoch is conducting research on the Civilian Conservation Camps in the Adirondacks and Connecticut. He is interested in meeting individuals who may have CCC stories to contribute to his next book. Marty Podskoch will have all of his books available after the presentation for sale and signing. For those unable to attend this reunion, Marty Podskoch has planned five other reunions:

June 22 6:30 pm Oneida Historical Society, 1608 Genesee St., Utica (315) 735-3642
June 23 6:30 pm Franklin Co. Hist. Society, 51 Milwaukee St. Malone (518) 483-2750
June 26 1 pm Fulton Co. Hist. Society, 237 Kingsboro Ave., Gloversville (518) 725-8314
June 27 2 pm Bolton Landing Hist. Society, Bolton Free Library (518) 644-2233

For more information on the reunion in Schenectady, contact Katherine Chansky,Librarian/Archivist, Grems-Doolittle Library at: (518) 374-0263, [email protected]. The Schenectady County Historical Society is wheelchair accessible, with off-street parking.

If any one has information or pictures to share of relatives or friends who worked at one of the CCC camps, please contact, Katherine Chansky (518) 374-0263 at the Grems-Doolittle Library, or Marty Podskoch at: 36 Waterhole Rd., Colchester, CT 06415 or 860-267-2442, or [email protected]