Friday, July 1, 2011

Opening: Wonders of a Forgotten Past
Eve Galleria

Eve Galleria
6456 Collamer Rd., East Syracuse

There will be an opening reception this evening 6:00-9:00 pm.

Local artists Isaac Bidwell and Cayetano Valenzuela, both fresh off highly successful exhibitions, are taking the opportunity to come together for a joint showing titled "Wonders of a Forgotten Past." The show marks the realization of a long-discussed project that began life as a proposed book of circus and sideshow imagery and has manifested as a gallery tribute to the subcultural aspects and oddity associated with the Victorian circus.

While it is a circus-themed show, make no mistake that this display will have an air of peculiarity that is a direct reflection of the featured artists' shared fascination with the obscure and antiquated. According to the pair, they have been co-conspirators in art for a number of years but have yet to show in a duo exhibition.

Both men have been building a reputation that has begun to earn them worldwide recognition.

Currently, Bidwell is consistently busy producing work. Recently returned from his first west coast show at Artifact Gallery in San Francisco, Isaac has since booked five more shows at West Coast galleries to take place this year. In addition he is wrapping production on a second installment of his self-published book, "Atlas II," which features work from artists that he has connected with from around the globe.

Similarly, Valenzuela works doing freelance illustration for a number of national music acts, print publication and also has a beautiful hand-bound edition of illustrated fairy tales in the works. This, of course, is in addition to the continuous painting and showing of images that reflect America's subcultural and countercultural history, most recently, a gallery show at Craft Chemistry in Syracuse as well as San Francisco group exhibit at D-structure Gallery.

When West Meets East: Works by Patricia Elliott Seitz
Westcott Community Art Gallery

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The exhibit "When West Meets East" is an impressionistic painting journey. Patricia Seitz will show a series of paintings depicting the beauty and physical differences between California and Upstate NY. Traveling from the coastal areas of California to Upstate New York's dynamic seasons and lush woods, the artist was able to share her memories through a painting journal.

Patricia Elliott Seitz was born in San Diego and spent most of her young adulthood living in Southern California. Patricia enjoys exploring subjects on an intimate level, getting to know her subject, striving to gather as much information as possible prior to beginning a painting. She gravitates to subjects which are in rich color, light is of primary focus, and the subject matter presents a degree of difficulty.

Activated Space
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Jacqueline Adamo: abstract oil paintings on linen and canvas
Miyo Hirano: raku,gas and wood fired ceramics
Melissa Montgomery: concrete sculpture
Bradley Hudson: mixed media on paper and canvas

Creation and Construction: Works of Janet Waters & Sharif Bey
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

CFAC is proud to be featuring the works of fiber artist Janet Waters and ceramist Sharif Bey for its summer exhibition.

Opening: Fiber and Ore: Works by Sharon Bottle Souva and Dana Blythe Stenson
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

There will be an opening reception this evening 6:00-9:00 pm. Join us for beverages, snacks, and fine art in the company of our artists.

Fiber and Ore features fabric art by Sharon Bottle Souva and metalwork jewelry by Dana Blythe Stenson.

Opening: Emily Jones Exhibition
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

There will be an opening reception this evening, 6:00-9:00 pm as part of the village's First Friday celebration. Refreshments will be provided, along with entertainment by the Pond Creek Bogstompers.

Paintings by Syracuse artist Emily Elizabeth Jones will be featured throughout the month of July.

Jones, 26, grew up in Auburn, and is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting since she was a child. Jones paints with acrylics on a textured canvas.

Among the works on display will be her "Horizon Colors" series. "In creating this series, I was focused on the colors in our everyday environment," she says. "My inspiration revolves around atmospheric colors, and the glares, haziness and reflection brought on by sunlight. I take away all other elements, man-made or natural, so that viewers can focus completely on the colorscapes that they might otherwise overlook."

Jeffrey Henson Scales: That Year of Living
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Light Work Gallery
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

That Year of Living features stunning black-and-white photographs by Jeffrey Henson Scales. Diagnosed with cancer in 2008, Scales was forced to, in his words, weigh the possibilities of his own demise, and whether he had achieved what he felt he was put here to do. It was this diagnosis and contemplation, along with the urging of his wife, Meg Henson Scales, which led him to return to making photographs on a daily basis.

The images in That Year of Living were made in the year following his cancer diagnosis and surgery. Scales photographed mainly in and around Times Square, depicting the part of New York City that he visited every day going to and from work at The New York Times. The images capture the certain hardness mixed with joy, sadness, determination and bewilderment that is found in the faces of young and old alike in New York City. Created in the months following his own experience with mortality, the photographs explore the journey of life and death found in the faces on the streets of New York.

The Human Condition: Works by Michael Sickler and Sean Turrell
Limestone Art and Framing Gallery

Limestone Art and Framing Gallery
105 Brooklea Dr., Fayetteville

Michael Sickler's new series of mixed media paintings are his interpretation of Franz Kafka's expressionistic novella, "Metamorphosis". The story, set in Russia, is about a young man who wakes up one morning transformed into a large insect. The story as Sickler has interpreted it deals with the main character's longing for human companionship in spite of his hideous malady. On a larger level, it speaks of how society banishes from sight the afflicted and the unknown, and serves as a metaphor or parable for the Human Condition.

Sean Turrell's wood sculptures have their origins in internal and external influences. Anatomy, emotional energy, gender, sex, and religious idioms form the basis of the work. The works in this show are from Turrell's "The Place Beyond the Pale" series. In leaving behind what may be considered acceptable societal constructs, the sculptures are Turrell's response to leaving his comfort zone. In his artist statement, Turrell describes the motivation in the works as, "Exploring feelings and emotions normally tucked away from the society and even the self." With Turrell's work, the viewer is presented with one artist's journey into the complexities of the Human Condition.

Happy Accidents: Works by Sonya Parrish and Erin Davies
Redhouse

Price: Free
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Happy Accidents will feature works created with a technique that Parrish calls "Latex Resist." One of the largest pieces in the show will be interactive as guests peel the latex off to reveal the painting during the opening. One piece was created with the help of a local Girl Scout troupe and proceeds from the sale of that piece will go directly to the troupe.

The Gallery is open by appointment. To make an appointment, phone 315-425-0405 or email press@theredhouse.org.

Immersed In Color
Szozda Gallery

Price: Free
Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

A series of works primarily influenced by color rather than by subject matter, featuring the color-strong layering works of three women: Lydia Benscher's encaustics, Joyce Day Homan's watercolors and Carmel Nicoletti's kiln-formed glass.

Still Life: Revisited
Everson Museum of Art

Price: Suggested donation $5 adults
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The current exhibition examines the influence of painting on photography within the still life genre. 19th- and 20th-century American paintings from the permanent collection will be on display with the work of contemporary photographers such as Sharon Core, Laura Letinsky, Paulette Tavormina, and D.W. Mellor, and Irving Penn. Daniel K. Tennant, a local still life painter and photographer will also be included.

Read a review!

Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The 2011 exhibition program will continue to highlight the talented artists of New York State through a series of focused exhibitions. The season opens with Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds, an exhibition featuring more than 100 original works of art that are seriously hilarious. The small-scale drawings depicting the comedic daily lives of humans and animals alike are all rendered by hand in a variety of media, an approach that is becoming increasing rare in a world of computer-generated images.

Dan Reynolds began drawing cartoons in 1989, when he was 30. As a youth center instructor, Reynolds was surrounded by youthful energy and creative minds. He was an avid follower of popular cartoons of the time, such as Gary Larson's Far Side and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. A native of Brewerton, NY, Reynolds was inspired by his Central New York surroundings, a place where snow is abundant and cows can be found just minutes from anywhere. From the beginning, Reynolds has used farm animals as messengers of humor, particularly cows, pigs and chickens, a series that was immediately accepted by Reader's Digest in 1989. A new cartoon has appeared in every issue since then. Reynolds' cartoons have also appeared in thematic Reynolds Unwrapped book compilations featuring everything from sports to holiday special editions. American Greetings and Recycled Greeting Cards also feature Reynolds cartoons on greeting cards for every occasion.

In 2008, Reynolds was diagnosed with testicular cancer and subsequently received months of chemotherapy. While he was in treatment, he began drawing cartoons about cancer and his personal experience which he found was shared by his fellow patients. He shared the cartoons with the staff and patients at the facility and discovered the power of art to bring humor to an otherwise humorless situation.

Read a review!

The Power of Pattern: New Work by David MacDonald
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

David MacDonald's long awaited solo exhibition will open with an innovative body of work. The highlight of the exhibition will be a monumental work commissioned by the Everson in 2008 with funds donated by the Social Arts Club. Also on view will be several new figurative vessels, monumental in scale, and plates from the Divination Series. Recently retired from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts where he taught ceramics for more than 37 years, MacDonald is now able to concentrate on a new body of work.

Early in his career, ceramic artist David MacDonald turned to his African heritage for inspiration in his work. The many examples of surface pattern and decoration found in textiles, utilitarian objects, body ornament and architecture present among the diverse ethnic groups of sub-Sahara Africa continue to inform MacDonald's work on many levels. In his artist's statement, he proclaims "The principle concern of my art is the articulation of the magnificence and nobility of the human spirit; a celebration of my African heritage." For more than three decades, MacDonald has used clay to express these words through a significant body of work focusing on highly decorated utilitarian objects that have come to symbolize tremendous integrity and endurance.

MacDonald is recognized nationally not only for his master craftsmanship in ceramics but for his dedication as a mentor and teacher to a countless number of aspiring artists and students. Locally, he is a founding member of the Community Folk Art Center, an organization affiliated with Syracuse University's Department of African American Studies that aims to provide a space to engage artists from underrrepresented ethnic groups in Central New York. In addition, MacDonald is involved in many community activities including serving on the Everson's Collection Committee.

Now and Then: Open Figure Drawing Group Exhibition 2011
XL Projects

Price: Free
XL Projects
307-313 S. Clinton St., Syracuse

New and past works created by artists from Open Figure Drawing, Syracuse's community-based drawing group for people of all abilities, are the subject of this exhibition. The Open Figure Drawing group offers an inexpensive drawing experience to members of the Syracuse community. Participants draw from unclothed models and can attend on a drop-in basis. They become part of a supportive artistic community that networks about exhibitions, workshops, grants and other related events.

For more information, visit www.openfiguredrawing.com or contact XL Projects at 315-442-2542 during gallery hours.

Artist Opening Reception: Ali Almimar
The Art Store Gallery

Price: Free
The Art Store/Commercial Art Supply
935 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

The Art Store Gallery will host an evening with one of the most famous Arabian horse artists in the world. Ali Almimar will not only have his world-famous artworks on display, but he will do a live painting that evening as well. Middle Eastern refreshments will be served.

Ali Almimar was born in Baghdad in 1965 and graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts, Baghdad in 1991. In his paintings "I have always tried to reach beyond the physical beauty of the Arabian horse and what it symbolizes of infinite nobility and manners in our Arabic heritage culture." His paintings "all lead to pieces containing meanings of pride, human pain and silent whinny embodied in them." Ali's paintings are both magical and exquisite. They are the perfect combination of Ali's unique skill and imagination to capture the mystic and beauty of the Arabian horses that he paints.

Jaume Ferrete: four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

UVP Annual Summer Review. In "four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages" (2 min loop), Jaume Ferrete revised an existing "four strategies" text work specifically with UVP and the Syracuse Stage location in mind. While the prior version was written for ink on paper, in this version Ferrete writes for LED panel on architectural facade, investigating the technical and political structures surrounding the UVP platform. The new work continues his use of minimal and open-ended texts that imply a discursive relationship with the audience, yet remain aloof and non-prescriptive.

City Fireworks Celebration

Price: Free
Inner Harbor
W. Kirkpatrick St., Syracuse

Music, food, family activites. Fireworks begin at 9:30 pm.

Crossing Over: Divalicious
Featuring Joanna Manring, soprano & Josh Smith, piano

Price: $12
Twist Ultra Lounge
252 W. Genesee St., Syracuse

A cabaret performance.

David Bromberg, with You and Yours
Westcott Theater

Westcott Theater
524 Westcott St., Syracuse

For Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf
Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company
Jackie Warren Moore, director

Price: Free (donations appreciated)
Beauchamp Public Library
Corner S. Salina & Colvin Sts., Syracuse

A staged reading of the highly acclaimed play by Ntozake Shange, performed under the direction of Jackie Warren Moore, local poet, playwright and activist. The cast includes middle and high school students, as well as actresses from the local community.

This production is presented in collaboration with Professor Marcelle Haddix, Ph.D. at Syracuse University's School of Education, and students from Corcoran High School. Prof. Haddix's "Writing Ourselves" program has encouraged self- expression and self-esteem in high school students.

Shange's play, considered a landmark piece in African-American literature and black feminism, was adapted to the screen in 2010 for the Tyler Perry film "For Colored Girls."

Arsenic and Old Lace
Appleseed Productions
Daniel Rowlands, director

Price: $18 regular; $15 students/seniors
Atonement Lutheran Church
116 W. Glen Ave., Syracuse

Welcome to the Brewster house, an old Victorian in Brooklyn, NY, home to the darling sisters, Abby and Martha -- two lovable and charitable spinsters. But this cheery home hides a dark and terrible secret. Is it their nephew who labors under the delusion that he is Theodore Roosevelt? Is it their other nephew, who bears a horrifying resemblance to Boris Karloff? Or is it the sisters themselves, and the fact that they have 12 "gentlemen" buried in their cellar? One thing is for certain, thrills and laughs a plenty are abundant in this delightful dark comedy. Written by Joseph Kesselring.

Read a review!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Activated Space
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Jacqueline Adamo: abstract oil paintings on linen and canvas
Miyo Hirano: raku,gas and wood fired ceramics
Melissa Montgomery: concrete sculpture
Bradley Hudson: mixed media on paper and canvas

The Power of Pattern: New Work by David MacDonald
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

David MacDonald's long awaited solo exhibition will open with an innovative body of work. The highlight of the exhibition will be a monumental work commissioned by the Everson in 2008 with funds donated by the Social Arts Club. Also on view will be several new figurative vessels, monumental in scale, and plates from the Divination Series. Recently retired from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts where he taught ceramics for more than 37 years, MacDonald is now able to concentrate on a new body of work.

Early in his career, ceramic artist David MacDonald turned to his African heritage for inspiration in his work. The many examples of surface pattern and decoration found in textiles, utilitarian objects, body ornament and architecture present among the diverse ethnic groups of sub-Sahara Africa continue to inform MacDonald's work on many levels. In his artist's statement, he proclaims "The principle concern of my art is the articulation of the magnificence and nobility of the human spirit; a celebration of my African heritage." For more than three decades, MacDonald has used clay to express these words through a significant body of work focusing on highly decorated utilitarian objects that have come to symbolize tremendous integrity and endurance.

MacDonald is recognized nationally not only for his master craftsmanship in ceramics but for his dedication as a mentor and teacher to a countless number of aspiring artists and students. Locally, he is a founding member of the Community Folk Art Center, an organization affiliated with Syracuse University's Department of African American Studies that aims to provide a space to engage artists from underrrepresented ethnic groups in Central New York. In addition, MacDonald is involved in many community activities including serving on the Everson's Collection Committee.

Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The 2011 exhibition program will continue to highlight the talented artists of New York State through a series of focused exhibitions. The season opens with Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds, an exhibition featuring more than 100 original works of art that are seriously hilarious. The small-scale drawings depicting the comedic daily lives of humans and animals alike are all rendered by hand in a variety of media, an approach that is becoming increasing rare in a world of computer-generated images.

Dan Reynolds began drawing cartoons in 1989, when he was 30. As a youth center instructor, Reynolds was surrounded by youthful energy and creative minds. He was an avid follower of popular cartoons of the time, such as Gary Larson's Far Side and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. A native of Brewerton, NY, Reynolds was inspired by his Central New York surroundings, a place where snow is abundant and cows can be found just minutes from anywhere. From the beginning, Reynolds has used farm animals as messengers of humor, particularly cows, pigs and chickens, a series that was immediately accepted by Reader's Digest in 1989. A new cartoon has appeared in every issue since then. Reynolds' cartoons have also appeared in thematic Reynolds Unwrapped book compilations featuring everything from sports to holiday special editions. American Greetings and Recycled Greeting Cards also feature Reynolds cartoons on greeting cards for every occasion.

In 2008, Reynolds was diagnosed with testicular cancer and subsequently received months of chemotherapy. While he was in treatment, he began drawing cartoons about cancer and his personal experience which he found was shared by his fellow patients. He shared the cartoons with the staff and patients at the facility and discovered the power of art to bring humor to an otherwise humorless situation.

Read a review!

Still Life: Revisited
Everson Museum of Art

Price: Suggested donation $5 adults
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The current exhibition examines the influence of painting on photography within the still life genre. 19th- and 20th-century American paintings from the permanent collection will be on display with the work of contemporary photographers such as Sharon Core, Laura Letinsky, Paulette Tavormina, and D.W. Mellor, and Irving Penn. Daniel K. Tennant, a local still life painter and photographer will also be included.

Read a review!

Fiber and Ore: Works by Sharon Bottle Souva and Dana Blythe Stenson
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fiber and Ore features fabric art by Sharon Bottle Souva and metalwork jewelry by Dana Blythe Stenson.

Emily Jones Exhibition
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Paintings by Syracuse artist Emily Elizabeth Jones will be featured throughout the month of July.

Jones, 26, grew up in Auburn, and is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting since she was a child. Jones paints with acrylics on a textured canvas.

Among the works on display will be her "Horizon Colors" series. "In creating this series, I was focused on the colors in our everyday environment," she says. "My inspiration revolves around atmospheric colors, and the glares, haziness and reflection brought on by sunlight. I take away all other elements, man-made or natural, so that viewers can focus completely on the colorscapes that they might otherwise overlook."

Wonders of a Forgotten Past
Eve Galleria

Eve Galleria
6456 Collamer Rd., East Syracuse

Local artists Isaac Bidwell and Cayetano Valenzuela, both fresh off highly successful exhibitions, are taking the opportunity to come together for a joint showing titled "Wonders of a Forgotten Past." The show marks the realization of a long-discussed project that began life as a proposed book of circus and sideshow imagery and has manifested as a gallery tribute to the subcultural aspects and oddity associated with the Victorian circus.

While it is a circus-themed show, make no mistake that this display will have an air of peculiarity that is a direct reflection of the featured artists' shared fascination with the obscure and antiquated. According to the pair, they have been co-conspirators in art for a number of years but have yet to show in a duo exhibition.

Both men have been building a reputation that has begun to earn them worldwide recognition.

Currently, Bidwell is consistently busy producing work. Recently returned from his first west coast show at Artifact Gallery in San Francisco, Isaac has since booked five more shows at West Coast galleries to take place this year. In addition he is wrapping production on a second installment of his self-published book, "Atlas II," which features work from artists that he has connected with from around the globe.

Similarly, Valenzuela works doing freelance illustration for a number of national music acts, print publication and also has a beautiful hand-bound edition of illustrated fairy tales in the works. This, of course, is in addition to the continuous painting and showing of images that reflect America's subcultural and countercultural history, most recently, a gallery show at Craft Chemistry in Syracuse as well as San Francisco group exhibit at D-structure Gallery.

Immersed In Color
Szozda Gallery

Price: Free
Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

A series of works primarily influenced by color rather than by subject matter, featuring the color-strong layering works of three women: Lydia Benscher's encaustics, Joyce Day Homan's watercolors and Carmel Nicoletti's kiln-formed glass.

Creation and Construction: Works of Janet Waters & Sharif Bey
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

CFAC is proud to be featuring the works of fiber artist Janet Waters and ceramist Sharif Bey for its summer exhibition.

Now and Then: Open Figure Drawing Group Exhibition 2011
XL Projects

Price: Free
XL Projects
307-313 S. Clinton St., Syracuse

New and past works created by artists from Open Figure Drawing, Syracuse's community-based drawing group for people of all abilities, are the subject of this exhibition. The Open Figure Drawing group offers an inexpensive drawing experience to members of the Syracuse community. Participants draw from unclothed models and can attend on a drop-in basis. They become part of a supportive artistic community that networks about exhibitions, workshops, grants and other related events.

For more information, visit www.openfiguredrawing.com or contact XL Projects at 315-442-2542 during gallery hours.

Jaume Ferrete: four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

UVP Annual Summer Review. In "four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages" (2 min loop), Jaume Ferrete revised an existing "four strategies" text work specifically with UVP and the Syracuse Stage location in mind. While the prior version was written for ink on paper, in this version Ferrete writes for LED panel on architectural facade, investigating the technical and political structures surrounding the UVP platform. The new work continues his use of minimal and open-ended texts that imply a discursive relationship with the audience, yet remain aloof and non-prescriptive.

Summer Concert: Dan Elliott and Jimmy Cox

Price: Free
Manlius Amphitheater
Behind the swan pond, Manlius

Music from the Great American Songbook.

Crossing Over: Divalicious
Featuring Joanna Manring, soprano & Josh Smith, piano

Price: $12
Twist Ultra Lounge
252 W. Genesee St., Syracuse

A cabaret performance.

Mark Zane and Friends

Price: Free
Creekside Books
35 Fennell St., Skaneateles

Dean Brothers Band in Concert, with George Rossi

Price: Free
Clift Park
Genesee St., Skaneateles

Winners of a SAMMY lifetime achievement award, John Dean, Peter Dean, Bob Dean, and Holly Gregg started playing their rock/folk/pop combination in the early 70s. Special guests tonight will include George Rossi of Little Georgie and the Shufflin' Hungarians.

Arsenic and Old Lace
Appleseed Productions
Daniel Rowlands, director

Price: $18 regular; $15 students/seniors
Atonement Lutheran Church
116 W. Glen Ave., Syracuse

Welcome to the Brewster house, an old Victorian in Brooklyn, NY, home to the darling sisters, Abby and Martha -- two lovable and charitable spinsters. But this cheery home hides a dark and terrible secret. Is it their nephew who labors under the delusion that he is Theodore Roosevelt? Is it their other nephew, who bears a horrifying resemblance to Boris Karloff? Or is it the sisters themselves, and the fact that they have 12 "gentlemen" buried in their cellar? One thing is for certain, thrills and laughs a plenty are abundant in this delightful dark comedy. Written by Joseph Kesselring.

Read a review!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Immersed In Color
Szozda Gallery

Price: Free
Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

A series of works primarily influenced by color rather than by subject matter, featuring the color-strong layering works of three women: Lydia Benscher's encaustics, Joyce Day Homan's watercolors and Carmel Nicoletti's kiln-formed glass.

Fiber and Ore: Works by Sharon Bottle Souva and Dana Blythe Stenson
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fiber and Ore features fabric art by Sharon Bottle Souva and metalwork jewelry by Dana Blythe Stenson.

Emily Jones Exhibition
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Paintings by Syracuse artist Emily Elizabeth Jones will be featured throughout the month of July.

Jones, 26, grew up in Auburn, and is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting since she was a child. Jones paints with acrylics on a textured canvas.

Among the works on display will be her "Horizon Colors" series. "In creating this series, I was focused on the colors in our everyday environment," she says. "My inspiration revolves around atmospheric colors, and the glares, haziness and reflection brought on by sunlight. I take away all other elements, man-made or natural, so that viewers can focus completely on the colorscapes that they might otherwise overlook."

Still Life: Revisited
Everson Museum of Art

Price: Suggested donation $5 adults
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The current exhibition examines the influence of painting on photography within the still life genre. 19th- and 20th-century American paintings from the permanent collection will be on display with the work of contemporary photographers such as Sharon Core, Laura Letinsky, Paulette Tavormina, and D.W. Mellor, and Irving Penn. Daniel K. Tennant, a local still life painter and photographer will also be included.

Read a review!

Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The 2011 exhibition program will continue to highlight the talented artists of New York State through a series of focused exhibitions. The season opens with Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds, an exhibition featuring more than 100 original works of art that are seriously hilarious. The small-scale drawings depicting the comedic daily lives of humans and animals alike are all rendered by hand in a variety of media, an approach that is becoming increasing rare in a world of computer-generated images.

Dan Reynolds began drawing cartoons in 1989, when he was 30. As a youth center instructor, Reynolds was surrounded by youthful energy and creative minds. He was an avid follower of popular cartoons of the time, such as Gary Larson's Far Side and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. A native of Brewerton, NY, Reynolds was inspired by his Central New York surroundings, a place where snow is abundant and cows can be found just minutes from anywhere. From the beginning, Reynolds has used farm animals as messengers of humor, particularly cows, pigs and chickens, a series that was immediately accepted by Reader's Digest in 1989. A new cartoon has appeared in every issue since then. Reynolds' cartoons have also appeared in thematic Reynolds Unwrapped book compilations featuring everything from sports to holiday special editions. American Greetings and Recycled Greeting Cards also feature Reynolds cartoons on greeting cards for every occasion.

In 2008, Reynolds was diagnosed with testicular cancer and subsequently received months of chemotherapy. While he was in treatment, he began drawing cartoons about cancer and his personal experience which he found was shared by his fellow patients. He shared the cartoons with the staff and patients at the facility and discovered the power of art to bring humor to an otherwise humorless situation.

Read a review!

The Power of Pattern: New Work by David MacDonald
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

David MacDonald's long awaited solo exhibition will open with an innovative body of work. The highlight of the exhibition will be a monumental work commissioned by the Everson in 2008 with funds donated by the Social Arts Club. Also on view will be several new figurative vessels, monumental in scale, and plates from the Divination Series. Recently retired from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts where he taught ceramics for more than 37 years, MacDonald is now able to concentrate on a new body of work.

Early in his career, ceramic artist David MacDonald turned to his African heritage for inspiration in his work. The many examples of surface pattern and decoration found in textiles, utilitarian objects, body ornament and architecture present among the diverse ethnic groups of sub-Sahara Africa continue to inform MacDonald's work on many levels. In his artist's statement, he proclaims "The principle concern of my art is the articulation of the magnificence and nobility of the human spirit; a celebration of my African heritage." For more than three decades, MacDonald has used clay to express these words through a significant body of work focusing on highly decorated utilitarian objects that have come to symbolize tremendous integrity and endurance.

MacDonald is recognized nationally not only for his master craftsmanship in ceramics but for his dedication as a mentor and teacher to a countless number of aspiring artists and students. Locally, he is a founding member of the Community Folk Art Center, an organization affiliated with Syracuse University's Department of African American Studies that aims to provide a space to engage artists from underrrepresented ethnic groups in Central New York. In addition, MacDonald is involved in many community activities including serving on the Everson's Collection Committee.

Now and Then: Open Figure Drawing Group Exhibition 2011
XL Projects

Price: Free
XL Projects
307-313 S. Clinton St., Syracuse

New and past works created by artists from Open Figure Drawing, Syracuse's community-based drawing group for people of all abilities, are the subject of this exhibition. The Open Figure Drawing group offers an inexpensive drawing experience to members of the Syracuse community. Participants draw from unclothed models and can attend on a drop-in basis. They become part of a supportive artistic community that networks about exhibitions, workshops, grants and other related events.

For more information, visit www.openfiguredrawing.com or contact XL Projects at 315-442-2542 during gallery hours.

Jaume Ferrete: four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

UVP Annual Summer Review. In "four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages" (2 min loop), Jaume Ferrete revised an existing "four strategies" text work specifically with UVP and the Syracuse Stage location in mind. While the prior version was written for ink on paper, in this version Ferrete writes for LED panel on architectural facade, investigating the technical and political structures surrounding the UVP platform. The new work continues his use of minimal and open-ended texts that imply a discursive relationship with the audience, yet remain aloof and non-prescriptive.

O America: Patriotic Concert and Sing-Along
Arts at Assisi
Featuring Assumption Choir and special guests

Price: Free admission, donations accepted
Assumption Church
812 N. Salina St., Syracuse

Randall Thompson The Testament of Freedom, Graham Joseph O, America, and more.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Wonders of a Forgotten Past
Eve Galleria

Eve Galleria
6456 Collamer Rd., East Syracuse

Local artists Isaac Bidwell and Cayetano Valenzuela, both fresh off highly successful exhibitions, are taking the opportunity to come together for a joint showing titled "Wonders of a Forgotten Past." The show marks the realization of a long-discussed project that began life as a proposed book of circus and sideshow imagery and has manifested as a gallery tribute to the subcultural aspects and oddity associated with the Victorian circus.

While it is a circus-themed show, make no mistake that this display will have an air of peculiarity that is a direct reflection of the featured artists' shared fascination with the obscure and antiquated. According to the pair, they have been co-conspirators in art for a number of years but have yet to show in a duo exhibition.

Both men have been building a reputation that has begun to earn them worldwide recognition.

Currently, Bidwell is consistently busy producing work. Recently returned from his first west coast show at Artifact Gallery in San Francisco, Isaac has since booked five more shows at West Coast galleries to take place this year. In addition he is wrapping production on a second installment of his self-published book, "Atlas II," which features work from artists that he has connected with from around the globe.

Similarly, Valenzuela works doing freelance illustration for a number of national music acts, print publication and also has a beautiful hand-bound edition of illustrated fairy tales in the works. This, of course, is in addition to the continuous painting and showing of images that reflect America's subcultural and countercultural history, most recently, a gallery show at Craft Chemistry in Syracuse as well as San Francisco group exhibit at D-structure Gallery.

Fiber and Ore: Works by Sharon Bottle Souva and Dana Blythe Stenson
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fiber and Ore features fabric art by Sharon Bottle Souva and metalwork jewelry by Dana Blythe Stenson.

Emily Jones Exhibition
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Paintings by Syracuse artist Emily Elizabeth Jones will be featured throughout the month of July.

Jones, 26, grew up in Auburn, and is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting since she was a child. Jones paints with acrylics on a textured canvas.

Among the works on display will be her "Horizon Colors" series. "In creating this series, I was focused on the colors in our everyday environment," she says. "My inspiration revolves around atmospheric colors, and the glares, haziness and reflection brought on by sunlight. I take away all other elements, man-made or natural, so that viewers can focus completely on the colorscapes that they might otherwise overlook."

Jaume Ferrete: four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

UVP Annual Summer Review. In "four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages" (2 min loop), Jaume Ferrete revised an existing "four strategies" text work specifically with UVP and the Syracuse Stage location in mind. While the prior version was written for ink on paper, in this version Ferrete writes for LED panel on architectural facade, investigating the technical and political structures surrounding the UVP platform. The new work continues his use of minimal and open-ended texts that imply a discursive relationship with the audience, yet remain aloof and non-prescriptive.

Summer Concert: Dan Elliott and Jimmy Cox

Price: Free
Manlius Amphitheater
Behind the swan pond, Manlius

Music from the Great American Songbook.

Liverpool Community Orchestra
Liverpool is the Place

Price: Free
Johnson Park
Corner of Vine and Oswego Streets, Liverpool

Patriotic tunes. Bring lawn chair or blanket for seating.

Patriotic Pops Concert
Syracuse Orchestra (formerly Symphoria)
Daniel Hege, conductor

Price: Free
New York State Fairgrounds
581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse

Concert of patriotic music saluting the veterans of all branches of the U.S. Armed Services, concluding with a spectacular fireworks display. Veterans and current military personnel are invited to wear a service cap or insignia and will be asked to stand and be recognized when the music of their service branch is performed.

In the event of rain, the concert location will be moved to the Center of Progress Building.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Nature As Our Muse: Works by Margaret Manring and Diana Whiting
Baltimore Woods

Price: Free
Baltimore Woods Nature Center
4007 Bishop Hill Rd., Marcellus

Working in the very different media of watercolor and photography, Margaret Manring and Diana Whiting take the viewer into the often fascinating and always compelling natural world. Manring describes the inspiration she derives from nature when approaching her watercolor painting: "I paint what moves me. Mostly I am looking at the way light moves over color and form and the many rhythms in patterns. I like ... trying to paint how the sunlit air smelled, how it cooled and slid down a hill or permeated a field or warmed in a chicken coop. I try to convey how I felt viewing the landscape, the (un)still life ..."

Whiting's passion for photography and for nature go hand in hand. Whiting explains: "Since I love nature, it is a natural fit that I bring (my) love of making photographs to the places that I spend a lot of time. I like looking for simplicity as well as finding a sense of rhythm in many of my photographs. With wildlife, I like to learn about my subjects as much as getting their photographs. My hope is to share my connection to the natural world and encourage conservation."

The work of these two award-winning artists has been exhibited and widely published. Manring's watercolors have been accepted on the national level in shows at Cooperstown, The Schweinfurth, and Old Forge. Whiting's work has been recognized by the National Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation.

For more information, visit www.baltimorewoods.org.

Wonders of a Forgotten Past
Eve Galleria

Eve Galleria
6456 Collamer Rd., East Syracuse

Local artists Isaac Bidwell and Cayetano Valenzuela, both fresh off highly successful exhibitions, are taking the opportunity to come together for a joint showing titled "Wonders of a Forgotten Past." The show marks the realization of a long-discussed project that began life as a proposed book of circus and sideshow imagery and has manifested as a gallery tribute to the subcultural aspects and oddity associated with the Victorian circus.

While it is a circus-themed show, make no mistake that this display will have an air of peculiarity that is a direct reflection of the featured artists' shared fascination with the obscure and antiquated. According to the pair, they have been co-conspirators in art for a number of years but have yet to show in a duo exhibition.

Both men have been building a reputation that has begun to earn them worldwide recognition.

Currently, Bidwell is consistently busy producing work. Recently returned from his first west coast show at Artifact Gallery in San Francisco, Isaac has since booked five more shows at West Coast galleries to take place this year. In addition he is wrapping production on a second installment of his self-published book, "Atlas II," which features work from artists that he has connected with from around the globe.

Similarly, Valenzuela works doing freelance illustration for a number of national music acts, print publication and also has a beautiful hand-bound edition of illustrated fairy tales in the works. This, of course, is in addition to the continuous painting and showing of images that reflect America's subcultural and countercultural history, most recently, a gallery show at Craft Chemistry in Syracuse as well as San Francisco group exhibit at D-structure Gallery.

When West Meets East: Works by Patricia Elliott Seitz
Westcott Community Art Gallery

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The exhibit "When West Meets East" is an impressionistic painting journey. Patricia Seitz will show a series of paintings depicting the beauty and physical differences between California and Upstate NY. Traveling from the coastal areas of California to Upstate New York's dynamic seasons and lush woods, the artist was able to share her memories through a painting journal.

Patricia Elliott Seitz was born in San Diego and spent most of her young adulthood living in Southern California. Patricia enjoys exploring subjects on an intimate level, getting to know her subject, striving to gather as much information as possible prior to beginning a painting. She gravitates to subjects which are in rich color, light is of primary focus, and the subject matter presents a degree of difficulty.

Activated Space
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Jacqueline Adamo: abstract oil paintings on linen and canvas
Miyo Hirano: raku,gas and wood fired ceramics
Melissa Montgomery: concrete sculpture
Bradley Hudson: mixed media on paper and canvas

Creation and Construction: Works of Janet Waters & Sharif Bey
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

CFAC is proud to be featuring the works of fiber artist Janet Waters and ceramist Sharif Bey for its summer exhibition.

Fiber and Ore: Works by Sharon Bottle Souva and Dana Blythe Stenson
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fiber and Ore features fabric art by Sharon Bottle Souva and metalwork jewelry by Dana Blythe Stenson.

Emily Jones Exhibition
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Paintings by Syracuse artist Emily Elizabeth Jones will be featured throughout the month of July.

Jones, 26, grew up in Auburn, and is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting since she was a child. Jones paints with acrylics on a textured canvas.

Among the works on display will be her "Horizon Colors" series. "In creating this series, I was focused on the colors in our everyday environment," she says. "My inspiration revolves around atmospheric colors, and the glares, haziness and reflection brought on by sunlight. I take away all other elements, man-made or natural, so that viewers can focus completely on the colorscapes that they might otherwise overlook."

Jeffrey Henson Scales: That Year of Living
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Light Work Gallery
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

That Year of Living features stunning black-and-white photographs by Jeffrey Henson Scales. Diagnosed with cancer in 2008, Scales was forced to, in his words, weigh the possibilities of his own demise, and whether he had achieved what he felt he was put here to do. It was this diagnosis and contemplation, along with the urging of his wife, Meg Henson Scales, which led him to return to making photographs on a daily basis.

The images in That Year of Living were made in the year following his cancer diagnosis and surgery. Scales photographed mainly in and around Times Square, depicting the part of New York City that he visited every day going to and from work at The New York Times. The images capture the certain hardness mixed with joy, sadness, determination and bewilderment that is found in the faces of young and old alike in New York City. Created in the months following his own experience with mortality, the photographs explore the journey of life and death found in the faces on the streets of New York.

The Human Condition: Works by Michael Sickler and Sean Turrell
Limestone Art and Framing Gallery

Limestone Art and Framing Gallery
105 Brooklea Dr., Fayetteville

Michael Sickler's new series of mixed media paintings are his interpretation of Franz Kafka's expressionistic novella, "Metamorphosis". The story, set in Russia, is about a young man who wakes up one morning transformed into a large insect. The story as Sickler has interpreted it deals with the main character's longing for human companionship in spite of his hideous malady. On a larger level, it speaks of how society banishes from sight the afflicted and the unknown, and serves as a metaphor or parable for the Human Condition.

Sean Turrell's wood sculptures have their origins in internal and external influences. Anatomy, emotional energy, gender, sex, and religious idioms form the basis of the work. The works in this show are from Turrell's "The Place Beyond the Pale" series. In leaving behind what may be considered acceptable societal constructs, the sculptures are Turrell's response to leaving his comfort zone. In his artist statement, Turrell describes the motivation in the works as, "Exploring feelings and emotions normally tucked away from the society and even the self." With Turrell's work, the viewer is presented with one artist's journey into the complexities of the Human Condition.

Happy Accidents: Works by Sonya Parrish and Erin Davies
Redhouse

Price: Free
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Happy Accidents will feature works created with a technique that Parrish calls "Latex Resist." One of the largest pieces in the show will be interactive as guests peel the latex off to reveal the painting during the opening. One piece was created with the help of a local Girl Scout troupe and proceeds from the sale of that piece will go directly to the troupe.

The Gallery is open by appointment. To make an appointment, phone 315-425-0405 or email press@theredhouse.org.

Still Life: Revisited
Everson Museum of Art

Price: Suggested donation $5 adults
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The current exhibition examines the influence of painting on photography within the still life genre. 19th- and 20th-century American paintings from the permanent collection will be on display with the work of contemporary photographers such as Sharon Core, Laura Letinsky, Paulette Tavormina, and D.W. Mellor, and Irving Penn. Daniel K. Tennant, a local still life painter and photographer will also be included.

Read a review!

The Power of Pattern: New Work by David MacDonald
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

David MacDonald's long awaited solo exhibition will open with an innovative body of work. The highlight of the exhibition will be a monumental work commissioned by the Everson in 2008 with funds donated by the Social Arts Club. Also on view will be several new figurative vessels, monumental in scale, and plates from the Divination Series. Recently retired from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts where he taught ceramics for more than 37 years, MacDonald is now able to concentrate on a new body of work.

Early in his career, ceramic artist David MacDonald turned to his African heritage for inspiration in his work. The many examples of surface pattern and decoration found in textiles, utilitarian objects, body ornament and architecture present among the diverse ethnic groups of sub-Sahara Africa continue to inform MacDonald's work on many levels. In his artist's statement, he proclaims "The principle concern of my art is the articulation of the magnificence and nobility of the human spirit; a celebration of my African heritage." For more than three decades, MacDonald has used clay to express these words through a significant body of work focusing on highly decorated utilitarian objects that have come to symbolize tremendous integrity and endurance.

MacDonald is recognized nationally not only for his master craftsmanship in ceramics but for his dedication as a mentor and teacher to a countless number of aspiring artists and students. Locally, he is a founding member of the Community Folk Art Center, an organization affiliated with Syracuse University's Department of African American Studies that aims to provide a space to engage artists from underrrepresented ethnic groups in Central New York. In addition, MacDonald is involved in many community activities including serving on the Everson's Collection Committee.

Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The 2011 exhibition program will continue to highlight the talented artists of New York State through a series of focused exhibitions. The season opens with Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds, an exhibition featuring more than 100 original works of art that are seriously hilarious. The small-scale drawings depicting the comedic daily lives of humans and animals alike are all rendered by hand in a variety of media, an approach that is becoming increasing rare in a world of computer-generated images.

Dan Reynolds began drawing cartoons in 1989, when he was 30. As a youth center instructor, Reynolds was surrounded by youthful energy and creative minds. He was an avid follower of popular cartoons of the time, such as Gary Larson's Far Side and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. A native of Brewerton, NY, Reynolds was inspired by his Central New York surroundings, a place where snow is abundant and cows can be found just minutes from anywhere. From the beginning, Reynolds has used farm animals as messengers of humor, particularly cows, pigs and chickens, a series that was immediately accepted by Reader's Digest in 1989. A new cartoon has appeared in every issue since then. Reynolds' cartoons have also appeared in thematic Reynolds Unwrapped book compilations featuring everything from sports to holiday special editions. American Greetings and Recycled Greeting Cards also feature Reynolds cartoons on greeting cards for every occasion.

In 2008, Reynolds was diagnosed with testicular cancer and subsequently received months of chemotherapy. While he was in treatment, he began drawing cartoons about cancer and his personal experience which he found was shared by his fellow patients. He shared the cartoons with the staff and patients at the facility and discovered the power of art to bring humor to an otherwise humorless situation.

Read a review!

Jaume Ferrete: four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

UVP Annual Summer Review. In "four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages" (2 min loop), Jaume Ferrete revised an existing "four strategies" text work specifically with UVP and the Syracuse Stage location in mind. While the prior version was written for ink on paper, in this version Ferrete writes for LED panel on architectural facade, investigating the technical and political structures surrounding the UVP platform. The new work continues his use of minimal and open-ended texts that imply a discursive relationship with the audience, yet remain aloof and non-prescriptive.

Baldwinsville Summer Series
Featuring Custom Taylor Band

Price: Free
Paper Mill Island
Baldwinsville

Soul Mine
Town of Clay

Price: Free
Clay Park Central
Wetzel Rd., Liverpool

Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Food available for purchase.

Pops in the Park: Soft Spoken
Syracuse Parks & Rec

Price: Free
Upper Onondaga Park
301 Crossett St., Syracuse

Bring lawn chairs or blankets, the kids, and a picnic dinner.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Wonders of a Forgotten Past
Eve Galleria

Eve Galleria
6456 Collamer Rd., East Syracuse

Local artists Isaac Bidwell and Cayetano Valenzuela, both fresh off highly successful exhibitions, are taking the opportunity to come together for a joint showing titled "Wonders of a Forgotten Past." The show marks the realization of a long-discussed project that began life as a proposed book of circus and sideshow imagery and has manifested as a gallery tribute to the subcultural aspects and oddity associated with the Victorian circus.

While it is a circus-themed show, make no mistake that this display will have an air of peculiarity that is a direct reflection of the featured artists' shared fascination with the obscure and antiquated. According to the pair, they have been co-conspirators in art for a number of years but have yet to show in a duo exhibition.

Both men have been building a reputation that has begun to earn them worldwide recognition.

Currently, Bidwell is consistently busy producing work. Recently returned from his first west coast show at Artifact Gallery in San Francisco, Isaac has since booked five more shows at West Coast galleries to take place this year. In addition he is wrapping production on a second installment of his self-published book, "Atlas II," which features work from artists that he has connected with from around the globe.

Similarly, Valenzuela works doing freelance illustration for a number of national music acts, print publication and also has a beautiful hand-bound edition of illustrated fairy tales in the works. This, of course, is in addition to the continuous painting and showing of images that reflect America's subcultural and countercultural history, most recently, a gallery show at Craft Chemistry in Syracuse as well as San Francisco group exhibit at D-structure Gallery.

Nature As Our Muse: Works by Margaret Manring and Diana Whiting
Baltimore Woods

Price: Free
Baltimore Woods Nature Center
4007 Bishop Hill Rd., Marcellus

Working in the very different media of watercolor and photography, Margaret Manring and Diana Whiting take the viewer into the often fascinating and always compelling natural world. Manring describes the inspiration she derives from nature when approaching her watercolor painting: "I paint what moves me. Mostly I am looking at the way light moves over color and form and the many rhythms in patterns. I like ... trying to paint how the sunlit air smelled, how it cooled and slid down a hill or permeated a field or warmed in a chicken coop. I try to convey how I felt viewing the landscape, the (un)still life ..."

Whiting's passion for photography and for nature go hand in hand. Whiting explains: "Since I love nature, it is a natural fit that I bring (my) love of making photographs to the places that I spend a lot of time. I like looking for simplicity as well as finding a sense of rhythm in many of my photographs. With wildlife, I like to learn about my subjects as much as getting their photographs. My hope is to share my connection to the natural world and encourage conservation."

The work of these two award-winning artists has been exhibited and widely published. Manring's watercolors have been accepted on the national level in shows at Cooperstown, The Schweinfurth, and Old Forge. Whiting's work has been recognized by the National Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation.

For more information, visit www.baltimorewoods.org.

When West Meets East: Works by Patricia Elliott Seitz
Westcott Community Art Gallery

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The exhibit "When West Meets East" is an impressionistic painting journey. Patricia Seitz will show a series of paintings depicting the beauty and physical differences between California and Upstate NY. Traveling from the coastal areas of California to Upstate New York's dynamic seasons and lush woods, the artist was able to share her memories through a painting journal.

Patricia Elliott Seitz was born in San Diego and spent most of her young adulthood living in Southern California. Patricia enjoys exploring subjects on an intimate level, getting to know her subject, striving to gather as much information as possible prior to beginning a painting. She gravitates to subjects which are in rich color, light is of primary focus, and the subject matter presents a degree of difficulty.

Activated Space
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Jacqueline Adamo: abstract oil paintings on linen and canvas
Miyo Hirano: raku,gas and wood fired ceramics
Melissa Montgomery: concrete sculpture
Bradley Hudson: mixed media on paper and canvas

Creation and Construction: Works of Janet Waters & Sharif Bey
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

CFAC is proud to be featuring the works of fiber artist Janet Waters and ceramist Sharif Bey for its summer exhibition.

Fiber and Ore: Works by Sharon Bottle Souva and Dana Blythe Stenson
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fiber and Ore features fabric art by Sharon Bottle Souva and metalwork jewelry by Dana Blythe Stenson.

Emily Jones Exhibition
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Paintings by Syracuse artist Emily Elizabeth Jones will be featured throughout the month of July.

Jones, 26, grew up in Auburn, and is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting since she was a child. Jones paints with acrylics on a textured canvas.

Among the works on display will be her "Horizon Colors" series. "In creating this series, I was focused on the colors in our everyday environment," she says. "My inspiration revolves around atmospheric colors, and the glares, haziness and reflection brought on by sunlight. I take away all other elements, man-made or natural, so that viewers can focus completely on the colorscapes that they might otherwise overlook."

Jeffrey Henson Scales: That Year of Living
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Light Work Gallery
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

That Year of Living features stunning black-and-white photographs by Jeffrey Henson Scales. Diagnosed with cancer in 2008, Scales was forced to, in his words, weigh the possibilities of his own demise, and whether he had achieved what he felt he was put here to do. It was this diagnosis and contemplation, along with the urging of his wife, Meg Henson Scales, which led him to return to making photographs on a daily basis.

The images in That Year of Living were made in the year following his cancer diagnosis and surgery. Scales photographed mainly in and around Times Square, depicting the part of New York City that he visited every day going to and from work at The New York Times. The images capture the certain hardness mixed with joy, sadness, determination and bewilderment that is found in the faces of young and old alike in New York City. Created in the months following his own experience with mortality, the photographs explore the journey of life and death found in the faces on the streets of New York.

The Human Condition: Works by Michael Sickler and Sean Turrell
Limestone Art and Framing Gallery

Limestone Art and Framing Gallery
105 Brooklea Dr., Fayetteville

Michael Sickler's new series of mixed media paintings are his interpretation of Franz Kafka's expressionistic novella, "Metamorphosis". The story, set in Russia, is about a young man who wakes up one morning transformed into a large insect. The story as Sickler has interpreted it deals with the main character's longing for human companionship in spite of his hideous malady. On a larger level, it speaks of how society banishes from sight the afflicted and the unknown, and serves as a metaphor or parable for the Human Condition.

Sean Turrell's wood sculptures have their origins in internal and external influences. Anatomy, emotional energy, gender, sex, and religious idioms form the basis of the work. The works in this show are from Turrell's "The Place Beyond the Pale" series. In leaving behind what may be considered acceptable societal constructs, the sculptures are Turrell's response to leaving his comfort zone. In his artist statement, Turrell describes the motivation in the works as, "Exploring feelings and emotions normally tucked away from the society and even the self." With Turrell's work, the viewer is presented with one artist's journey into the complexities of the Human Condition.

Happy Accidents: Works by Sonya Parrish and Erin Davies
Redhouse

Price: Free
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Happy Accidents will feature works created with a technique that Parrish calls "Latex Resist." One of the largest pieces in the show will be interactive as guests peel the latex off to reveal the painting during the opening. One piece was created with the help of a local Girl Scout troupe and proceeds from the sale of that piece will go directly to the troupe.

The Gallery is open by appointment. To make an appointment, phone 315-425-0405 or email press@theredhouse.org.

Immersed In Color
Szozda Gallery

Price: Free
Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

A series of works primarily influenced by color rather than by subject matter, featuring the color-strong layering works of three women: Lydia Benscher's encaustics, Joyce Day Homan's watercolors and Carmel Nicoletti's kiln-formed glass.

Still Life: Revisited
Everson Museum of Art

Price: Suggested donation $5 adults
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The current exhibition examines the influence of painting on photography within the still life genre. 19th- and 20th-century American paintings from the permanent collection will be on display with the work of contemporary photographers such as Sharon Core, Laura Letinsky, Paulette Tavormina, and D.W. Mellor, and Irving Penn. Daniel K. Tennant, a local still life painter and photographer will also be included.

Read a review!

Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The 2011 exhibition program will continue to highlight the talented artists of New York State through a series of focused exhibitions. The season opens with Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds, an exhibition featuring more than 100 original works of art that are seriously hilarious. The small-scale drawings depicting the comedic daily lives of humans and animals alike are all rendered by hand in a variety of media, an approach that is becoming increasing rare in a world of computer-generated images.

Dan Reynolds began drawing cartoons in 1989, when he was 30. As a youth center instructor, Reynolds was surrounded by youthful energy and creative minds. He was an avid follower of popular cartoons of the time, such as Gary Larson's Far Side and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. A native of Brewerton, NY, Reynolds was inspired by his Central New York surroundings, a place where snow is abundant and cows can be found just minutes from anywhere. From the beginning, Reynolds has used farm animals as messengers of humor, particularly cows, pigs and chickens, a series that was immediately accepted by Reader's Digest in 1989. A new cartoon has appeared in every issue since then. Reynolds' cartoons have also appeared in thematic Reynolds Unwrapped book compilations featuring everything from sports to holiday special editions. American Greetings and Recycled Greeting Cards also feature Reynolds cartoons on greeting cards for every occasion.

In 2008, Reynolds was diagnosed with testicular cancer and subsequently received months of chemotherapy. While he was in treatment, he began drawing cartoons about cancer and his personal experience which he found was shared by his fellow patients. He shared the cartoons with the staff and patients at the facility and discovered the power of art to bring humor to an otherwise humorless situation.

Read a review!

The Power of Pattern: New Work by David MacDonald
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

David MacDonald's long awaited solo exhibition will open with an innovative body of work. The highlight of the exhibition will be a monumental work commissioned by the Everson in 2008 with funds donated by the Social Arts Club. Also on view will be several new figurative vessels, monumental in scale, and plates from the Divination Series. Recently retired from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts where he taught ceramics for more than 37 years, MacDonald is now able to concentrate on a new body of work.

Early in his career, ceramic artist David MacDonald turned to his African heritage for inspiration in his work. The many examples of surface pattern and decoration found in textiles, utilitarian objects, body ornament and architecture present among the diverse ethnic groups of sub-Sahara Africa continue to inform MacDonald's work on many levels. In his artist's statement, he proclaims "The principle concern of my art is the articulation of the magnificence and nobility of the human spirit; a celebration of my African heritage." For more than three decades, MacDonald has used clay to express these words through a significant body of work focusing on highly decorated utilitarian objects that have come to symbolize tremendous integrity and endurance.

MacDonald is recognized nationally not only for his master craftsmanship in ceramics but for his dedication as a mentor and teacher to a countless number of aspiring artists and students. Locally, he is a founding member of the Community Folk Art Center, an organization affiliated with Syracuse University's Department of African American Studies that aims to provide a space to engage artists from underrrepresented ethnic groups in Central New York. In addition, MacDonald is involved in many community activities including serving on the Everson's Collection Committee.

The Art of Aging: Works by the Artists of SAGE Upstate
ArtRage Gallery

Price: Free
ArtRage Gallery
505 Hawley Ave., Syracuse

This exhibit features the work of aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) artists with pieces reflecting feelings about aging. The artists are participants in the Art of Aging, a program of SAGE Upstate, a non-profit serving aging LGBT people in Central New York. Participants in the program learned or honed skills in three creative arts: photography, creative writing, and pastels.

Participants learned about photography from Harry Freeman Jones, local artist and veteran LGBT activist. Playwright Kyle Bass, resident dramaturg at Syracuse Stage and two-time New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Fellow led the course in creative writing. The course in pastels was taught by Wendy Harris, an award-winning artist whose work has been shown throughout Central New York.

Jaume Ferrete: four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

UVP Annual Summer Review. In "four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages" (2 min loop), Jaume Ferrete revised an existing "four strategies" text work specifically with UVP and the Syracuse Stage location in mind. While the prior version was written for ink on paper, in this version Ferrete writes for LED panel on architectural facade, investigating the technical and political structures surrounding the UVP platform. The new work continues his use of minimal and open-ended texts that imply a discursive relationship with the audience, yet remain aloof and non-prescriptive.

Flicks on the Crick: The Fighter

Price: Free
Sound Garden parking lot
310 W. Jefferson St., Syracuse

Films will be projected in HD starting at dusk on the side of Sound Garden's building, where patrons can watch in Syracuse's new park along the creekwalk next to the MOST in Armory Square. People are invited to bring lawn chairs and early arrival is recommended.

The Miss E Duo
Liverpool is the Place

Price: Free
Johnson Park
Corner of Vine and Oswego Streets, Liverpool

Classic rock and R&B.

Bring lawn chair or blanket for seating.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Wonders of a Forgotten Past
Eve Galleria

Eve Galleria
6456 Collamer Rd., East Syracuse

Local artists Isaac Bidwell and Cayetano Valenzuela, both fresh off highly successful exhibitions, are taking the opportunity to come together for a joint showing titled "Wonders of a Forgotten Past." The show marks the realization of a long-discussed project that began life as a proposed book of circus and sideshow imagery and has manifested as a gallery tribute to the subcultural aspects and oddity associated with the Victorian circus.

While it is a circus-themed show, make no mistake that this display will have an air of peculiarity that is a direct reflection of the featured artists' shared fascination with the obscure and antiquated. According to the pair, they have been co-conspirators in art for a number of years but have yet to show in a duo exhibition.

Both men have been building a reputation that has begun to earn them worldwide recognition.

Currently, Bidwell is consistently busy producing work. Recently returned from his first west coast show at Artifact Gallery in San Francisco, Isaac has since booked five more shows at West Coast galleries to take place this year. In addition he is wrapping production on a second installment of his self-published book, "Atlas II," which features work from artists that he has connected with from around the globe.

Similarly, Valenzuela works doing freelance illustration for a number of national music acts, print publication and also has a beautiful hand-bound edition of illustrated fairy tales in the works. This, of course, is in addition to the continuous painting and showing of images that reflect America's subcultural and countercultural history, most recently, a gallery show at Craft Chemistry in Syracuse as well as San Francisco group exhibit at D-structure Gallery.

Nature As Our Muse: Works by Margaret Manring and Diana Whiting
Baltimore Woods

Price: Free
Baltimore Woods Nature Center
4007 Bishop Hill Rd., Marcellus

Working in the very different media of watercolor and photography, Margaret Manring and Diana Whiting take the viewer into the often fascinating and always compelling natural world. Manring describes the inspiration she derives from nature when approaching her watercolor painting: "I paint what moves me. Mostly I am looking at the way light moves over color and form and the many rhythms in patterns. I like ... trying to paint how the sunlit air smelled, how it cooled and slid down a hill or permeated a field or warmed in a chicken coop. I try to convey how I felt viewing the landscape, the (un)still life ..."

Whiting's passion for photography and for nature go hand in hand. Whiting explains: "Since I love nature, it is a natural fit that I bring (my) love of making photographs to the places that I spend a lot of time. I like looking for simplicity as well as finding a sense of rhythm in many of my photographs. With wildlife, I like to learn about my subjects as much as getting their photographs. My hope is to share my connection to the natural world and encourage conservation."

The work of these two award-winning artists has been exhibited and widely published. Manring's watercolors have been accepted on the national level in shows at Cooperstown, The Schweinfurth, and Old Forge. Whiting's work has been recognized by the National Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation.

For more information, visit www.baltimorewoods.org.

When West Meets East: Works by Patricia Elliott Seitz
Westcott Community Art Gallery

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The exhibit "When West Meets East" is an impressionistic painting journey. Patricia Seitz will show a series of paintings depicting the beauty and physical differences between California and Upstate NY. Traveling from the coastal areas of California to Upstate New York's dynamic seasons and lush woods, the artist was able to share her memories through a painting journal.

Patricia Elliott Seitz was born in San Diego and spent most of her young adulthood living in Southern California. Patricia enjoys exploring subjects on an intimate level, getting to know her subject, striving to gather as much information as possible prior to beginning a painting. She gravitates to subjects which are in rich color, light is of primary focus, and the subject matter presents a degree of difficulty.

Activated Space
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Jacqueline Adamo: abstract oil paintings on linen and canvas
Miyo Hirano: raku,gas and wood fired ceramics
Melissa Montgomery: concrete sculpture
Bradley Hudson: mixed media on paper and canvas

Creation and Construction: Works of Janet Waters & Sharif Bey
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

CFAC is proud to be featuring the works of fiber artist Janet Waters and ceramist Sharif Bey for its summer exhibition.

Fiber and Ore: Works by Sharon Bottle Souva and Dana Blythe Stenson
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fiber and Ore features fabric art by Sharon Bottle Souva and metalwork jewelry by Dana Blythe Stenson.

Emily Jones Exhibition
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Paintings by Syracuse artist Emily Elizabeth Jones will be featured throughout the month of July.

Jones, 26, grew up in Auburn, and is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting since she was a child. Jones paints with acrylics on a textured canvas.

Among the works on display will be her "Horizon Colors" series. "In creating this series, I was focused on the colors in our everyday environment," she says. "My inspiration revolves around atmospheric colors, and the glares, haziness and reflection brought on by sunlight. I take away all other elements, man-made or natural, so that viewers can focus completely on the colorscapes that they might otherwise overlook."

Jeffrey Henson Scales: That Year of Living
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Light Work Gallery
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

That Year of Living features stunning black-and-white photographs by Jeffrey Henson Scales. Diagnosed with cancer in 2008, Scales was forced to, in his words, weigh the possibilities of his own demise, and whether he had achieved what he felt he was put here to do. It was this diagnosis and contemplation, along with the urging of his wife, Meg Henson Scales, which led him to return to making photographs on a daily basis.

The images in That Year of Living were made in the year following his cancer diagnosis and surgery. Scales photographed mainly in and around Times Square, depicting the part of New York City that he visited every day going to and from work at The New York Times. The images capture the certain hardness mixed with joy, sadness, determination and bewilderment that is found in the faces of young and old alike in New York City. Created in the months following his own experience with mortality, the photographs explore the journey of life and death found in the faces on the streets of New York.

The Human Condition: Works by Michael Sickler and Sean Turrell
Limestone Art and Framing Gallery

Limestone Art and Framing Gallery
105 Brooklea Dr., Fayetteville

Michael Sickler's new series of mixed media paintings are his interpretation of Franz Kafka's expressionistic novella, "Metamorphosis". The story, set in Russia, is about a young man who wakes up one morning transformed into a large insect. The story as Sickler has interpreted it deals with the main character's longing for human companionship in spite of his hideous malady. On a larger level, it speaks of how society banishes from sight the afflicted and the unknown, and serves as a metaphor or parable for the Human Condition.

Sean Turrell's wood sculptures have their origins in internal and external influences. Anatomy, emotional energy, gender, sex, and religious idioms form the basis of the work. The works in this show are from Turrell's "The Place Beyond the Pale" series. In leaving behind what may be considered acceptable societal constructs, the sculptures are Turrell's response to leaving his comfort zone. In his artist statement, Turrell describes the motivation in the works as, "Exploring feelings and emotions normally tucked away from the society and even the self." With Turrell's work, the viewer is presented with one artist's journey into the complexities of the Human Condition.

Happy Accidents: Works by Sonya Parrish and Erin Davies
Redhouse

Price: Free
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Happy Accidents will feature works created with a technique that Parrish calls "Latex Resist." One of the largest pieces in the show will be interactive as guests peel the latex off to reveal the painting during the opening. One piece was created with the help of a local Girl Scout troupe and proceeds from the sale of that piece will go directly to the troupe.

The Gallery is open by appointment. To make an appointment, phone 315-425-0405 or email press@theredhouse.org.

Immersed In Color
Szozda Gallery

Price: Free
Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

A series of works primarily influenced by color rather than by subject matter, featuring the color-strong layering works of three women: Lydia Benscher's encaustics, Joyce Day Homan's watercolors and Carmel Nicoletti's kiln-formed glass.

Still Life: Revisited
Everson Museum of Art

Price: Suggested donation $5 adults
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The current exhibition examines the influence of painting on photography within the still life genre. 19th- and 20th-century American paintings from the permanent collection will be on display with the work of contemporary photographers such as Sharon Core, Laura Letinsky, Paulette Tavormina, and D.W. Mellor, and Irving Penn. Daniel K. Tennant, a local still life painter and photographer will also be included.

Read a review!

The Power of Pattern: New Work by David MacDonald
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

David MacDonald's long awaited solo exhibition will open with an innovative body of work. The highlight of the exhibition will be a monumental work commissioned by the Everson in 2008 with funds donated by the Social Arts Club. Also on view will be several new figurative vessels, monumental in scale, and plates from the Divination Series. Recently retired from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts where he taught ceramics for more than 37 years, MacDonald is now able to concentrate on a new body of work.

Early in his career, ceramic artist David MacDonald turned to his African heritage for inspiration in his work. The many examples of surface pattern and decoration found in textiles, utilitarian objects, body ornament and architecture present among the diverse ethnic groups of sub-Sahara Africa continue to inform MacDonald's work on many levels. In his artist's statement, he proclaims "The principle concern of my art is the articulation of the magnificence and nobility of the human spirit; a celebration of my African heritage." For more than three decades, MacDonald has used clay to express these words through a significant body of work focusing on highly decorated utilitarian objects that have come to symbolize tremendous integrity and endurance.

MacDonald is recognized nationally not only for his master craftsmanship in ceramics but for his dedication as a mentor and teacher to a countless number of aspiring artists and students. Locally, he is a founding member of the Community Folk Art Center, an organization affiliated with Syracuse University's Department of African American Studies that aims to provide a space to engage artists from underrrepresented ethnic groups in Central New York. In addition, MacDonald is involved in many community activities including serving on the Everson's Collection Committee.

Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The 2011 exhibition program will continue to highlight the talented artists of New York State through a series of focused exhibitions. The season opens with Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds, an exhibition featuring more than 100 original works of art that are seriously hilarious. The small-scale drawings depicting the comedic daily lives of humans and animals alike are all rendered by hand in a variety of media, an approach that is becoming increasing rare in a world of computer-generated images.

Dan Reynolds began drawing cartoons in 1989, when he was 30. As a youth center instructor, Reynolds was surrounded by youthful energy and creative minds. He was an avid follower of popular cartoons of the time, such as Gary Larson's Far Side and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. A native of Brewerton, NY, Reynolds was inspired by his Central New York surroundings, a place where snow is abundant and cows can be found just minutes from anywhere. From the beginning, Reynolds has used farm animals as messengers of humor, particularly cows, pigs and chickens, a series that was immediately accepted by Reader's Digest in 1989. A new cartoon has appeared in every issue since then. Reynolds' cartoons have also appeared in thematic Reynolds Unwrapped book compilations featuring everything from sports to holiday special editions. American Greetings and Recycled Greeting Cards also feature Reynolds cartoons on greeting cards for every occasion.

In 2008, Reynolds was diagnosed with testicular cancer and subsequently received months of chemotherapy. While he was in treatment, he began drawing cartoons about cancer and his personal experience which he found was shared by his fellow patients. He shared the cartoons with the staff and patients at the facility and discovered the power of art to bring humor to an otherwise humorless situation.

Read a review!

Now and Then: Open Figure Drawing Group Exhibition 2011
XL Projects

Price: Free
XL Projects
307-313 S. Clinton St., Syracuse

New and past works created by artists from Open Figure Drawing, Syracuse's community-based drawing group for people of all abilities, are the subject of this exhibition. The Open Figure Drawing group offers an inexpensive drawing experience to members of the Syracuse community. Participants draw from unclothed models and can attend on a drop-in basis. They become part of a supportive artistic community that networks about exhibitions, workshops, grants and other related events.

For more information, visit www.openfiguredrawing.com or contact XL Projects at 315-442-2542 during gallery hours.

The Art of Aging: Works by the Artists of SAGE Upstate
ArtRage Gallery

Price: Free
ArtRage Gallery
505 Hawley Ave., Syracuse

This exhibit features the work of aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) artists with pieces reflecting feelings about aging. The artists are participants in the Art of Aging, a program of SAGE Upstate, a non-profit serving aging LGBT people in Central New York. Participants in the program learned or honed skills in three creative arts: photography, creative writing, and pastels.

Participants learned about photography from Harry Freeman Jones, local artist and veteran LGBT activist. Playwright Kyle Bass, resident dramaturg at Syracuse Stage and two-time New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Fellow led the course in creative writing. The course in pastels was taught by Wendy Harris, an award-winning artist whose work has been shown throughout Central New York.

Jaume Ferrete: four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

UVP Annual Summer Review. In "four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages" (2 min loop), Jaume Ferrete revised an existing "four strategies" text work specifically with UVP and the Syracuse Stage location in mind. While the prior version was written for ink on paper, in this version Ferrete writes for LED panel on architectural facade, investigating the technical and political structures surrounding the UVP platform. The new work continues his use of minimal and open-ended texts that imply a discursive relationship with the audience, yet remain aloof and non-prescriptive.

Mario DeSantis Orchestra
Town of Geddes Summer Concert Series

Price: Free
Woods Road Park gazebo
Woods Road, Solvay

Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating.

Dan Elliott and the Great American Songbook
Town of Dewitt

Price: Free
Ryder Park
5400 Butternut Dr., DeWitt

Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Food available for purchase.

Deadline: Kent Clark, Mild-mannered Reporter
Acme Mystery Company

Price: $32.50 (includes meal, show, tax and gratuities)
Spaghetti Warehouse
689 N. Clinton St., Syracuse

Kent Clark has discovered that, though it isn't what it used to be, the print media is still worth fighting for. His newspaper, The Daily Planetoid, is involved in a power struggle as its owner, the notorious cheapskate Perrier "Tighty" White, is looking to cash out. Unscrupulous investors are lining up faster than a speeding bullet to seize control leading Kent to ask the question: Is the paper also worth dying for? Looks like some nasty stuff is about to happen but who will save the day? Jimmy? Lois? You? Or maybe "You Know Who?"

Friday, July 8, 2011

Wonders of a Forgotten Past
Eve Galleria

Eve Galleria
6456 Collamer Rd., East Syracuse

Local artists Isaac Bidwell and Cayetano Valenzuela, both fresh off highly successful exhibitions, are taking the opportunity to come together for a joint showing titled "Wonders of a Forgotten Past." The show marks the realization of a long-discussed project that began life as a proposed book of circus and sideshow imagery and has manifested as a gallery tribute to the subcultural aspects and oddity associated with the Victorian circus.

While it is a circus-themed show, make no mistake that this display will have an air of peculiarity that is a direct reflection of the featured artists' shared fascination with the obscure and antiquated. According to the pair, they have been co-conspirators in art for a number of years but have yet to show in a duo exhibition.

Both men have been building a reputation that has begun to earn them worldwide recognition.

Currently, Bidwell is consistently busy producing work. Recently returned from his first west coast show at Artifact Gallery in San Francisco, Isaac has since booked five more shows at West Coast galleries to take place this year. In addition he is wrapping production on a second installment of his self-published book, "Atlas II," which features work from artists that he has connected with from around the globe.

Similarly, Valenzuela works doing freelance illustration for a number of national music acts, print publication and also has a beautiful hand-bound edition of illustrated fairy tales in the works. This, of course, is in addition to the continuous painting and showing of images that reflect America's subcultural and countercultural history, most recently, a gallery show at Craft Chemistry in Syracuse as well as San Francisco group exhibit at D-structure Gallery.

Nature As Our Muse: Works by Margaret Manring and Diana Whiting
Baltimore Woods

Price: Free
Baltimore Woods Nature Center
4007 Bishop Hill Rd., Marcellus

Working in the very different media of watercolor and photography, Margaret Manring and Diana Whiting take the viewer into the often fascinating and always compelling natural world. Manring describes the inspiration she derives from nature when approaching her watercolor painting: "I paint what moves me. Mostly I am looking at the way light moves over color and form and the many rhythms in patterns. I like ... trying to paint how the sunlit air smelled, how it cooled and slid down a hill or permeated a field or warmed in a chicken coop. I try to convey how I felt viewing the landscape, the (un)still life ..."

Whiting's passion for photography and for nature go hand in hand. Whiting explains: "Since I love nature, it is a natural fit that I bring (my) love of making photographs to the places that I spend a lot of time. I like looking for simplicity as well as finding a sense of rhythm in many of my photographs. With wildlife, I like to learn about my subjects as much as getting their photographs. My hope is to share my connection to the natural world and encourage conservation."

The work of these two award-winning artists has been exhibited and widely published. Manring's watercolors have been accepted on the national level in shows at Cooperstown, The Schweinfurth, and Old Forge. Whiting's work has been recognized by the National Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation.

For more information, visit www.baltimorewoods.org.

When West Meets East: Works by Patricia Elliott Seitz
Westcott Community Art Gallery

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The exhibit "When West Meets East" is an impressionistic painting journey. Patricia Seitz will show a series of paintings depicting the beauty and physical differences between California and Upstate NY. Traveling from the coastal areas of California to Upstate New York's dynamic seasons and lush woods, the artist was able to share her memories through a painting journal.

Patricia Elliott Seitz was born in San Diego and spent most of her young adulthood living in Southern California. Patricia enjoys exploring subjects on an intimate level, getting to know her subject, striving to gather as much information as possible prior to beginning a painting. She gravitates to subjects which are in rich color, light is of primary focus, and the subject matter presents a degree of difficulty.

Activated Space
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

There will be an artists' reception this evening 6:00-8:00 pm.

Jacqueline Adamo: abstract oil paintings on linen and canvas
Miyo Hirano: raku,gas and wood fired ceramics
Melissa Montgomery: concrete sculpture
Bradley Hudson: mixed media on paper and canvas

Creation and Construction: Works of Janet Waters & Sharif Bey
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

CFAC is proud to be featuring the works of fiber artist Janet Waters and ceramist Sharif Bey for its summer exhibition.

Fiber and Ore: Works by Sharon Bottle Souva and Dana Blythe Stenson
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fiber and Ore features fabric art by Sharon Bottle Souva and metalwork jewelry by Dana Blythe Stenson.

Emily Jones Exhibition
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Paintings by Syracuse artist Emily Elizabeth Jones will be featured throughout the month of July.

Jones, 26, grew up in Auburn, and is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting since she was a child. Jones paints with acrylics on a textured canvas.

Among the works on display will be her "Horizon Colors" series. "In creating this series, I was focused on the colors in our everyday environment," she says. "My inspiration revolves around atmospheric colors, and the glares, haziness and reflection brought on by sunlight. I take away all other elements, man-made or natural, so that viewers can focus completely on the colorscapes that they might otherwise overlook."

Jeffrey Henson Scales: That Year of Living
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Light Work Gallery
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

That Year of Living features stunning black-and-white photographs by Jeffrey Henson Scales. Diagnosed with cancer in 2008, Scales was forced to, in his words, weigh the possibilities of his own demise, and whether he had achieved what he felt he was put here to do. It was this diagnosis and contemplation, along with the urging of his wife, Meg Henson Scales, which led him to return to making photographs on a daily basis.

The images in That Year of Living were made in the year following his cancer diagnosis and surgery. Scales photographed mainly in and around Times Square, depicting the part of New York City that he visited every day going to and from work at The New York Times. The images capture the certain hardness mixed with joy, sadness, determination and bewilderment that is found in the faces of young and old alike in New York City. Created in the months following his own experience with mortality, the photographs explore the journey of life and death found in the faces on the streets of New York.

The Human Condition: Works by Michael Sickler and Sean Turrell
Limestone Art and Framing Gallery

Limestone Art and Framing Gallery
105 Brooklea Dr., Fayetteville

Michael Sickler's new series of mixed media paintings are his interpretation of Franz Kafka's expressionistic novella, "Metamorphosis". The story, set in Russia, is about a young man who wakes up one morning transformed into a large insect. The story as Sickler has interpreted it deals with the main character's longing for human companionship in spite of his hideous malady. On a larger level, it speaks of how society banishes from sight the afflicted and the unknown, and serves as a metaphor or parable for the Human Condition.

Sean Turrell's wood sculptures have their origins in internal and external influences. Anatomy, emotional energy, gender, sex, and religious idioms form the basis of the work. The works in this show are from Turrell's "The Place Beyond the Pale" series. In leaving behind what may be considered acceptable societal constructs, the sculptures are Turrell's response to leaving his comfort zone. In his artist statement, Turrell describes the motivation in the works as, "Exploring feelings and emotions normally tucked away from the society and even the self." With Turrell's work, the viewer is presented with one artist's journey into the complexities of the Human Condition.

Happy Accidents: Works by Sonya Parrish and Erin Davies
Redhouse

Price: Free
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Happy Accidents will feature works created with a technique that Parrish calls "Latex Resist." One of the largest pieces in the show will be interactive as guests peel the latex off to reveal the painting during the opening. One piece was created with the help of a local Girl Scout troupe and proceeds from the sale of that piece will go directly to the troupe.

The Gallery is open by appointment. To make an appointment, phone 315-425-0405 or email press@theredhouse.org.

Immersed In Color
Szozda Gallery

Price: Free
Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

A series of works primarily influenced by color rather than by subject matter, featuring the color-strong layering works of three women: Lydia Benscher's encaustics, Joyce Day Homan's watercolors and Carmel Nicoletti's kiln-formed glass.

Still Life: Revisited
Everson Museum of Art

Price: Suggested donation $5 adults
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The current exhibition examines the influence of painting on photography within the still life genre. 19th- and 20th-century American paintings from the permanent collection will be on display with the work of contemporary photographers such as Sharon Core, Laura Letinsky, Paulette Tavormina, and D.W. Mellor, and Irving Penn. Daniel K. Tennant, a local still life painter and photographer will also be included.

Read a review!

Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

The 2011 exhibition program will continue to highlight the talented artists of New York State through a series of focused exhibitions. The season opens with Reynolds Unwrapped: The Cartoon Art of Dan Reynolds, an exhibition featuring more than 100 original works of art that are seriously hilarious. The small-scale drawings depicting the comedic daily lives of humans and animals alike are all rendered by hand in a variety of media, an approach that is becoming increasing rare in a world of computer-generated images.

Dan Reynolds began drawing cartoons in 1989, when he was 30. As a youth center instructor, Reynolds was surrounded by youthful energy and creative minds. He was an avid follower of popular cartoons of the time, such as Gary Larson's Far Side and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. A native of Brewerton, NY, Reynolds was inspired by his Central New York surroundings, a place where snow is abundant and cows can be found just minutes from anywhere. From the beginning, Reynolds has used farm animals as messengers of humor, particularly cows, pigs and chickens, a series that was immediately accepted by Reader's Digest in 1989. A new cartoon has appeared in every issue since then. Reynolds' cartoons have also appeared in thematic Reynolds Unwrapped book compilations featuring everything from sports to holiday special editions. American Greetings and Recycled Greeting Cards also feature Reynolds cartoons on greeting cards for every occasion.

In 2008, Reynolds was diagnosed with testicular cancer and subsequently received months of chemotherapy. While he was in treatment, he began drawing cartoons about cancer and his personal experience which he found was shared by his fellow patients. He shared the cartoons with the staff and patients at the facility and discovered the power of art to bring humor to an otherwise humorless situation.

Read a review!

The Power of Pattern: New Work by David MacDonald
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $5 suggested donation
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

David MacDonald's long awaited solo exhibition will open with an innovative body of work. The highlight of the exhibition will be a monumental work commissioned by the Everson in 2008 with funds donated by the Social Arts Club. Also on view will be several new figurative vessels, monumental in scale, and plates from the Divination Series. Recently retired from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts where he taught ceramics for more than 37 years, MacDonald is now able to concentrate on a new body of work.

Early in his career, ceramic artist David MacDonald turned to his African heritage for inspiration in his work. The many examples of surface pattern and decoration found in textiles, utilitarian objects, body ornament and architecture present among the diverse ethnic groups of sub-Sahara Africa continue to inform MacDonald's work on many levels. In his artist's statement, he proclaims "The principle concern of my art is the articulation of the magnificence and nobility of the human spirit; a celebration of my African heritage." For more than three decades, MacDonald has used clay to express these words through a significant body of work focusing on highly decorated utilitarian objects that have come to symbolize tremendous integrity and endurance.

MacDonald is recognized nationally not only for his master craftsmanship in ceramics but for his dedication as a mentor and teacher to a countless number of aspiring artists and students. Locally, he is a founding member of the Community Folk Art Center, an organization affiliated with Syracuse University's Department of African American Studies that aims to provide a space to engage artists from underrrepresented ethnic groups in Central New York. In addition, MacDonald is involved in many community activities including serving on the Everson's Collection Committee.

Now and Then: Open Figure Drawing Group Exhibition 2011
XL Projects

Price: Free
XL Projects
307-313 S. Clinton St., Syracuse

New and past works created by artists from Open Figure Drawing, Syracuse's community-based drawing group for people of all abilities, are the subject of this exhibition. The Open Figure Drawing group offers an inexpensive drawing experience to members of the Syracuse community. Participants draw from unclothed models and can attend on a drop-in basis. They become part of a supportive artistic community that networks about exhibitions, workshops, grants and other related events.

For more information, visit www.openfiguredrawing.com or contact XL Projects at 315-442-2542 during gallery hours.

The Art of Aging: Works by the Artists of SAGE Upstate
ArtRage Gallery

Price: Free
ArtRage Gallery
505 Hawley Ave., Syracuse

This exhibit features the work of aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) artists with pieces reflecting feelings about aging. The artists are participants in the Art of Aging, a program of SAGE Upstate, a non-profit serving aging LGBT people in Central New York. Participants in the program learned or honed skills in three creative arts: photography, creative writing, and pastels.

Participants learned about photography from Harry Freeman Jones, local artist and veteran LGBT activist. Playwright Kyle Bass, resident dramaturg at Syracuse Stage and two-time New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Fellow led the course in creative writing. The course in pastels was taught by Wendy Harris, an award-winning artist whose work has been shown throughout Central New York.

Jaume Ferrete: four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

UVP Annual Summer Review. In "four strategies, an idea, a text and two messages" (2 min loop), Jaume Ferrete revised an existing "four strategies" text work specifically with UVP and the Syracuse Stage location in mind. While the prior version was written for ink on paper, in this version Ferrete writes for LED panel on architectural facade, investigating the technical and political structures surrounding the UVP platform. The new work continues his use of minimal and open-ended texts that imply a discursive relationship with the audience, yet remain aloof and non-prescriptive.

NYS Blues Festival

Price: Free
Inner Harbor
W. Kirkpatrick St., Syracuse

Main Stage:
5:00-6:00 pm: Funky Blu Roots
7:00-8:30 pm: The Dana Fuchs Band
9:30-10:45 pm: Hadden Sayers

Alternate Stage:
6:00-7:00 pm: Mojo Myles Mancuso
8:30-9:30 pm: The Super Delinquents

Dancing Under the Stars
Syracuse Parks & Rec
Featuring Stan Colella Orchestra

Price: Free
Sunnycrest Rink
Sunnycrest Park, Syracuse

Instead of dancing with the stars, come dance under the stars with the Stan Colella Orchestra, as they perform their mix of swing and big band era favorites. Bring your friends, your families, your lawn chairs, a picnic dinner, and of course, your dancing shoes.

Art
Covey Theatre Company
Garrett Heater, director
Featuring Bill Molesky

Price: $20
BeVard Room, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Serge is delighted. He's bought a painting. He's bought a white painting for $200,000 francs.

Marc and Yvan are Serge's best friends. This purchase has unnerved them completely. How could he...? What did he...? HOW MUCH DID HE PAY FOR IT?!

Best friends don't pull any punches when they're too busy throwing them.

Please join us in saluting a local theatre legend, Bill Molesky, as he performs the role of Yvan in his final CNY performance in Yasmina Reza's dramatic comedy of ideas, friendship, pitted olives ... and how much a white painting is really worth! The production also features Michael O'Neill and Josh Mele.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 315-420-3729 or by visiting www.thecoveytheatrecompany.com.

Read a Review!