Fenimore Art Museum Opens For Season

admin

The Fenimore Art Museum, in Cooperstown, reopened for the 2010 season with four new exhibitions on Thursday, April 1. These diverse exhibitions include examples of 19th-century fashion, folk art, photography, and contemporary landscape painting.

Starting this year, admission for children 12 and under is free. This price change will allow more families the opportunity to experience the Museum, its acclaimed exhibitions, and its unique educational programs. Adult admission (13-64) is $12.00 and senior admission (65 and up) is $10.50. NYSHA members, active military, and retired career military are always free.

Exhibition highlights include:

Empire Waists, Bustles and Lace: A Century of New York Fashion
(April 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010)

Empire Waists, Bustles and Lace is an exciting exhibition of the Museum’s collection of historic dresses. When viewed in conjunction with the John Singer Sargent exhibition (opening May 29), the show enables visitors to see and experience a broader historical context of men’s and women’s fashion. Even though upstate New York was considered the edge of the western frontier in the 19th century, residents of the area kept up with New York City and the world in terms of fashion. The exhibition includes the oldest known example of a dress with a label, stunning examples of Empire, Romantic and Civil War era dresses and turn-of-the-20th century items. Additionally, visitors will be able to peek at what was worn underneath the dresses which were vital to giving them their distinctive shapes. This exhibition is funded in part by The Coby Foundation.

In Our Time: The World as Seen by Magnum Photographers
(April 1, 2010 – September 6, 2010)

In Our Time was organized to celebrate 50 years of photography at Magnum Photos Inc. and the 150th anniversary of the invention of photography.

This exhibition of 150 black-and-white photographs is from a comprehensive survey of Magnum Photos, Inc., which is considered to be one of the world’s most renowned photographic agencies. These images are a result of the extraordinary vision of the many talented photographers who have been associated with Magnum since its founding in 1947.

The broad events captured in these Magnum photographs include the D-Day landing in Normandy, France (1944)- prisoners of war returning home to Vienna, Austria (1947)- Ghandi’s funeral in India (1948)- James Dean in Times Square (1955)- Castro delivering a speech in Havanna (1959)- Martin Luther King receiving the Nobel Peace Prize (1963)- Jacqueline and Robert Kennedy at Arlington (1963)- a Shriner’s parade in Boston (1974)- women supporters of Ayatollah Khomeni in Iran (1979)- and a crack den in New York City (1988).

In Our Time: The World as Seen by Magnum Photographers is toured by George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film.

Watermark: Michele Harvey & Glimmerglass
(April 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010)

Michele Harvey spends most of the year in her summer studio in upstate New York. Among her various formats, Harvey’s signature triptych formats often include quiet roads or paths framing a central scene that provides one with the sense of simultaneously entering and leaving her misted landscapes. The union of the darker colors of the trees and the distinct light of the vaporous sky create a calming rhythm that draws the viewer into a mysterious world where time appears to stand still.

Harvey is enchanted by the environs of Cooperstown and the opportunity to create works based here. &#8220The lake, its history, the views&#8230- all conspired to take me off the beaten path. I felt the lure of Glimmerglass as it must have felt to James Fenimore Cooper. For the first time I became a tourist, humbled by the scenery.&#8221

Watermark: Michele Harvey & Glimmerglass represents a melding of the two- adding her own style to the venerable history of landscape art already created here.

Virtual Folk: A Blog Readers’ Choice
(April 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010)

Virtual Folk: A Blog Readers’ Choice is an exhibition of exceptional folk art objects from the Fenimore Art Museum’s vast collection, chosen by the readers of our folk art blog &#8211 American Folk Art @ Cooperstown.

Bits of Home
(April 1, 2010 &#8211 December 31, 2010)

Visitors to the Fenimore Art Museum have long enjoyed the extraordinary collections of fine art, folk art, and American Indian art held by the New York State Historical Association. Less well known are the thousands of historical artifacts in the collections storage areas. Bits of Home acquaints visitors with these historical collections by featuring a selection of more than 30 artifacts from NYSHA and The Farmers’ Museum’s extensive collections of domestic life in nineteenth-century New York.

Opening Later in the Season…

John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Praise of Women
(May 29, 2010 &#8211 December 31, 2010)

The Fenimore Art Museum presents the first major exhibition on the topic of portraits of women by the well-known American artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). The exhibition explores Sargent’s range of styles and depth of characterization in his portraits of society women, as well as his fascination with exotic working-class women of Venice and Capri. The paintings and drawings provide an intimate glimpse into the lives of these women of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Included will be drawings of Madame Gautreau, the mysterious subject of Sargent’s famous portrait Madame X.

Picturing Women: American Art from the Permanent Collections
(July 18, 2009 &#8211 December 31, 2009)

Ongoing Exhibitions…

Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection of American Indian Art
Eugene and Clare Thaw Gallery

The Coopers of Cooperstown
Cooper Room

Genre Paintings from the Permanent Collection
Paneled Room

American Memory: Recalling the Past in Folk Art
Main Gallery

From April 1 through May 10, the museum will be open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 4 pm, closed on Mondays. Summer hours begin on May 11 and continue through October 11. During the summer season, the museum is open seven days a week from 10 am to 5 pm. Please visit their website for more information – www.fenimoreartmuseum.org.

Kids: Secret Subway Joins History, Politics, Technology

admin

A nice children’s book (for older kids) on a little known two-block long subway that remains buried like a time capsule under the streets of New York City recently arrived on my desk. Published by National Geographic Children’s Books, Martin W. Sandler’s Secret Subway: The Fascinating Tale of an Amazing Feat of Engineering, takes on the incredible story of the visionary engineer who built New York City’s first subway only to have his dreams crushed by the greed and political power of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall.

The story came to light in 1912, when workers digging a new subway line unearthed a intact time capsule of New York City’s underground past &#8211 and fully preserved subway station built in the 1860&#8242-s. The builder was Alfred Beach, the editor of Scientific American, who was appalled by the city’s traffic situation (even then!) and set out to build an innovative air-powered underground train powered by a fifty-ton fan dubbed &#8220The Western Tornado&#8221. The New York Time’s called the project &#8220the most novel, If not the most successful, enterprise that New York has seen for many a day.&#8221

Sandler, the author of more than 50 books, winner of seven Emmys, and who has been twice nominated for a Pulitzer, is a remarkable story-teller who is not afraid to give younger readers a full account of the financial, political and personal wheeling and dealings of Beach, the Panic of 1873, the development of New York City’s subways, and even the demise and death of Boss Tweed. Here’s a little sample:

&#8220In 1912 workmen, digging an extension of the Broadway line, suddenly hit upon a solidly built steel and brick wall. Breaking through the wall, they found themselves inside Alfred Beach’s pneumatic tunnel. What was even more amazing was the incredible condition the tunnel and Beach’s elegant waiting station were still in. Beach’s subway car still sat on the tracks, although most of the parts made of wood had rotted away. The magnificent waiting room fountain still stood tall. Father down the tunnel, the workmen found the hydraulic shield with which Beach had revolutionized the art of digging tunnels.&#8221

Since it was before historic preservation was an important cultural phenomenon, the station, the car, and the other remnants were all simply buried &#8211 where they remain to this day. Sandler’s Secret Subway keeps it alive for young readers, along with the issues surrounding politics, economics, and technology in second half of the 19th century.

New York Council for the Humanities Funding Risk

admin

Four your information, I’m reprinting here a letter from the New York Council for the Humanities Executive Director Sara Ogger, regarding the threat to the Council’s funding:

The NY Council for the Humanities stands to lose a significant portion of its state funds, unless the Assembly and Senate rise to the occasion and demand restoration. With the budget resolution currently underway, there is not a moment to lose. We are counting on you to urge your legislators to restore these vital funds!

To tell your legislators how important the public humanities are to you and explain what your community stands to lose if funds are not restored, please click here: Write Your Legislators.

We’ve provided sample letters that will be sent to your State Assemblymember and Senator. You may customize the letters by telling your own story about the Council’s grants and programs &#8211 or just hit send! Each letter sent strengthens our case for restoration of much-needed state funds for FY2011 &#8212- funds that will help us to enrich communities like yours with reading and discussion series, lectures, exhibits, and more.

Thank you for taking a moment to send letters to your legislators. Your support could not come at more crucial point.

Sincerely,

Sara Ogger, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Maple Festival at the Adirondack History Center

admin

The Adirondack History Center Museum will hold its Maple Sugar Festival on Saturday April 17th from 9:00am – 1:00pm. Part of the Festival includes a Maple Dessert Contest for kids, youth and adults. Entries will be judged by a panel of five locals with expertise in the production and consumption of fine foods.

Entries must be made with real maple syrup, preferably New York made. Grade B Amber is suggested for its great maple flavor. Entries will be judged on taste, texture, quality, presentation and serve-ability. The winning creation will be featured for a week at the Deer’s Head Inn.

To enter, bring your creation to the Adirondack History Center Museum – top of the hill – in Elizabethtown – by 11:00 AM on Saturday the 17th. Volunteers will fill out your entry form and judging will start at noon. If refrigeration is necessary, please bring the entry in a cooler.

For more information, call the Adirondack History Center Museum at 873-6466 or email [email protected]. The museum is located at 7590 Court Street, Elizabethtown, NY 12932.

Association of Public Historians of NYS Meeting

admin

The Association of Public Historians of New York State (APHNYS) has announced the schedule for the APHNYS 2010 Annual State Conference. The event will be held at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Buffalo, April 18th through April 20th, 2010.

The purpose of this APHNYSis to promote and encourage a greater understanding of the history of New York State and its local jurisdictions, promote and encourage the work of the officially appointed local government historians in New York State and its legal jurisdictions, and the Office of the State Historian, and to foster a spirit of cooperation and collegiality among all public historians in New York State. An overview what each day offers is below, but full details about the conference can be found at http://www.aphnys.org/displayconvention.cfm.

Conference attendees have the opportunity to take advantage of both history and skills sessions, which are denoted in the following way: (S) &#8211 Skills Session OR (H) &#8211 History Session

Here’s a quick rundown of what each day offers&#8230-

SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010

Pre-Conference Activity: Tour of Buffalo City Hall, followed by Buffalo Naval Park/Original Erie Canal Slip

Conference Sessions include:

Historic Preservation 101: An Introduction to the Benefits of Local Preservation Planning, Tourism and Grants (S)

Bounties, Bonds and Banknotes: How the Union Financed Victory in the Civil War (H)

The Historian & the Landmarking Process (S)

The New York and Erie Railroad and the Economic Impact of Emigrant Paupers in Chautauqua County (H)

Basic Orientation for Newly Appointed Historians (S)

Evening Activities include:

Dinner followed by either Tour of Niagara Falls or APHNYS Movie Night at the hotel.

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010

&#8220State of the State’s History&#8221 with State Historian Robert Weible

APHNYS 2010 Annual Meeting & Elections

Conference Sessions include:

Tricks of the Trade: Learning How to Use the New York State Library’s Online Catalog and Digital Collections Effectively to Tell Your Community’s History (S)

Bringing the War of 1812 to Life: A Public Television Station Recreates History (H)

Preserving and Presenting Tragedy in the Community (S/H)

Researching the CCC in Your Area & Preserving the Memories of Your Community’s CCC Members (S)

Websites, E-Mail, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs & More: Social Media & the Historian (S)

Discovering a Civil War Story from Niagara County (H)

Public Historian’s Roundtable

Evening Activity: APHNYS Annual Awards Banquet with Keynote by Melissa Brown, Curator of the Pan-American Expo Museum

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2010

Conference Sessions include:

Becoming an APHNYS Registered Historian: Recognition for Your Great Career (S)

More Life and Less Latin: The General Education Board’s Work in New York (H)

The 2010 Census: Why America Continues to Count (S)

Local Government Records for the Public and Family Historians (S)

A Glorious Acquisition: The Siege of 1759 at Fort Niagara (H)

After Conference Activity: The Frank Lloyd Wright Experience

Tour of the Darwin D. Martin House Complex, the most extensive residential complex Wright ever designed.

Iroquois Indian Museum Offers Early Technology Day

admin

The Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave, NY kicks off a celebration of our 30th Anniversary on Saturday, April 10 with the 1st Annual Early Technology Day, their annual Spring Party and a special screening of a new documentary on the museum’s history.

Early Technology Day highlights include: demonstrations of the process of flint knapping, fire making, atl-atl spear throwing, early archery and show-and-tell, and displays and demonstrations from the nearby Old Stone Fort Museum Complex. Flint knapping is the ancient art of making chipped stone tools. Activities take place on the Museum grounds from 10 to 3.

At 4 p.m. there will be a premier of “A Museum Is Born” a 40 minute documentary produced, videotaped, and edited by Dennis Shaw, Shaw Video Productions, of Richmondville. The DVD tells the museum’s history through interviews with the founding Director and current Trustee &#8211 Christina Johannsen Hanks, Curator &#8211 Stephanie Shultes, Native American Educator &#8211 Mike Tarbell, and Director &#8211 Erynne Ansel-McCabe. Native American artworks featured at the museum, old photographs, and past exhibits are also featured. The Documentary was made possible in part with public funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered through the Tri-County Arts Council.

The celebration of Native American performers continues with an opening reception from 3 to 6 p.m. for the 2010 exhibition “Native Americans in the Performing Arts: From Broadway to Hollywood”. Countless Native actors have contributed to the success of stage and screen productions for well over a century. The 2010 exhibit presents the histories of the early Wild West performers, the Silent Movie Stars, the talented character actors, and today’s hot new prospects. Highlighted actors include, Jay Silverheels of “Tonto and the Lone Ranger” fame- Cherokee humorist Will Rogers- Alex Meraz who plays Paul in “New Moon” and “Eclipse”, and Elaine Miles who portrayed Marilyn on the popular television show “Northern Exposure”. The exhibition runs from April 1 to December 31.

For more information contact the Museum at: Iroquois Indian Museum, P.O. Box 7, 324 Caverns Road, Howes Cave, NY 12092, 518-296-8949, [email protected] or visit their web site at www.iroquoismuseum.org

Olana State Historic Site to Open, Events Announced

admin

Olana State Historic Site will return to a summer schedule this Friday, April 2, 2010. As always, the Olana landscape remains open daily from 8 am until sunset for hiking, dog-walking, picnicking or just enjoying the view. All pets must be on leashes. The spring tour season kicks off with April Fools Olana! tours available Friday, April 2 – Saturday, April 3 at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. Objects that just don’t belong are scattered throughout the house. See how many you can find! Standard tour fees apply.

Here is an list of upcoming events at Olana State Historic Site:

April Fools Olana!
Friday, April 2 – Saturday, April 3
Tours at 11AM, 1PM and 3PM daily

Olana’s been pranked! Objects that just don’t fit in are scattered throughout the house, some better hidden than others. Bring the family and see who has the sharpest eye. Admission is free for members of The Olana Partnership. $9/adult- $8/students and seniors, free for children under 12. Standard tours available on the hour and half hour except for the times listed above. Call (518) 828-0135 for information.

FIRST FRIDAYS SERIES: April 2 (Also May 7, June 4)

Easy Tai chi (10:00 AM &#8211 12 PM)

Tap into the spirituality of nature (like a Hudson River School artist but without the paint)! Tai chi is a mind-body practice that originated in China as a martial art. The body moves slowly and gently, while breathing deeply and meditating. Many practitioners believe that Tai chi helps the flow throughout the body of a proposed vital energy called qi, increasing our wellness. Join John Middlebrooks (Omega Institute) as he guides you in this intro class. Classes will meet at the education center- if weather permits we will practice out in the landscape that day. Please attend all three classes as they go in sequence and allow time for practice. Space is limited- register by the preceding Thursday: [email protected] (518)828- 1872&#215-110. Wagon House Education Center/Farm Complex. Adults. Free.

Visual Arts Workshop (1-3 PM)

Retired? Ready to finally explore your love of art? It is never too late! Adults with little or no formal art training will realize that creating art can be accomplished through a variety of materials and techniques. Create a work of art in a safe setting with new friends, providing a personal sense of accomplishment and ownership. Wagon House Education Center/Farm Complex. Adults (50+). Free. Register: [email protected] or (518) 828-1872 x110.

MyStory in History: Contemporary Art in a Historical World (4-5 PM)

Use the life of Frederic Church and his home, Olana, as inspiration, to take a new look at the world. In this mixed media after school drop-off art class lead by local art teacher Claudia Brehse, you will begin to think about the importance of art as a form of communication, about the “message of the medium” and why people collect and create art. Students will work in the studio to create the newest history- the history of you. Great for homeschoolers or teen art club members. Register: [email protected] or (518) 828-1872 x110.

Landscape Yoga (5:30-6:30 PM)

This gentle yoga class will bring the inspiring picturesque landscape views inside. Celebrate the spirituality of nature with yoga instructor Ed Sisk from the Yoga With Ed studio in Hudson, NY. Mats and modification tools will be provided- you are welcome to bring your own. Space is limited. Free. Register: [email protected] or (518).828.1872&#215-110.

Educator Tour
Tuesday, April 6, 10am

Join area educators for a tour with Olana’s Director of Education. Discussion will include history as well as practical application, and participants are invited to sit down together after the tour to discuss content and classroom applications. Educator resources will be available. Reservations are required by 4pm Monday, April 5th. Regular tour rates apply, $9/adult, $8 student/senior. Call 518.828.0135 to reserve a space.

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

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.

An Historian’s Look at Victorian Flower Arranging: Lecture and Demonstration
Sunday, April 11, 1-3PM

Floral Decorations played an important role in 19th century interiors and entertaining. As one looks at the second half of the 19th century, each decade is distinguished by the type of flowers used and the style of floral arrangement &#8212- it is not all baby’s breath and lace! An illustrated lecture will show how flowers were used in arrangements, how flowers looked in the early 19th century, and how their appearance has changed through years of hybridizing and selection. Ellen McClelland Lesser’s demonstration will show how to create authentic arrangements using correct plant materials and containers. Ellen has done arrangements in the main house at Olana including the dining table arrangement for the annual holiday reception in the past. Ellen holds a Certificate in Commercial Floral Design from the New York Botanical Garden and a First Level Certificate from the Sogetsu School of Ikebana (Japanese floral design). Seating is limited- register by the preceding Friday: [email protected] (518) 828.1872&#215-110.

Call For Artists: Fenimore Art Museums Art By The Lake

admin

Fenimore Art Museum is now accepting submissions for its third annual outdoor, summer event Art By The Lake &#8211 formerly called A Taste of the Sublime. It will be held Saturday, August 7, 2010 on the museum’s spacious grounds overlooking Otsego Lake.

Art by the Lake is a juried art invitational that welcomes artists from across New York State in a celebration of the historic relationship between the artists and the landscape that surrounds us. The event features outstanding artists in all genres of landscape art, interactive demonstrations, educational programming, live entertainment, and tastings of some of the best food, wine, and beer from across the state.

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
• Best Interpretation of New York Landscape
• Most Outstanding Use of Color
• Most Original Style
• Audience Favorite

An artist’s information packet and application form can be found on the Fenimore Art Museum’s website at FenimoreArtMuseum.org.

Applications must be postmarked by May 3, 2010. (Late applications may be accepted at the discretion of the jury if space is available.) Artists will be notified of their acceptance by May 17, 2010, at which point they will receive detailed event information and an artist’s contract.