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.

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.

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!

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.

Soul Mine
Town of Clay

Price: Free
Clay Park Central
Wetzel Rd., Liverpool

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

Baldwinsville Summer Series
Featuring Custom Taylor Band

Price: Free
Paper Mill Island
Baldwinsville

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

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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!

Saturday, July 9, 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

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.

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."

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.

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

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

There will be a public reception with the artists this afternoon 2:00-4:00 pm.

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.

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.

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.

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.

NYS Blues Festival

Price: Free
Clinton Square
Downtown, Syracuse

Main Stage:
2:00-2:30 pm: Ben Prestage
4:30-6:00 pm: JW Jones
7:00-8:30 pm: Bryan Lee
9:30-10:45 pm: Magic Slim and the Teardrops

Alternate Stage:
1:00-2:00 pm: Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers
3:30-4:30 pm: Mike Roberts
6:00-7:00 pm: 2 Kool 4 Skool
8:30-9:30 pm: Mark Doyle and The Maniacs

Symphony Syracuse Goes to the Dogs Summer Pops Concert
Syracuse Orchestra (formerly Symphoria)
Grant Cooper, conductor

Price: Free
Beard Park
Fayetteville

Symphony Syracuse will perform a free concert of light classics and popular favorites, and the program will feature a dog parade. Assembled canines and their owners can strut their stuff in front of the main stage as the orchestra performs Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (just like at high school graduations!). Symphony Syracuse encourages all Fayetteville pooches to enter, and we remind their owners that the dog parade will be a BYOB (Bring Your Own [Doggie] Bags) event. Only well-controlled animals on leashes may participate. Non-dog owners are also encouraged to attend this event. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy an evening of music under the stars.

The Princess and the Pea
Magic Circle Children's Theatre

Price: $5
Spaghetti Warehouse
689 N. Clinton St., Syracuse

Interactive retelling of the children's classic story.

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!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

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.

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."

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!

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.

NYS Blues Festival

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

Main Stage:
2:00 pm: Dave Fields
4:30 pm: Peter Karp & Sue Foley
7:00 pm: Terrence Simien and the Zydeco Experience
9:30 pm: Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters

Alternate Stage:
1:00 pm: Danielle Miraglia
3:30 pm: Corn-Bread
6:00 pm: Jose Alvarez with Los Blancos
8:30 pm: Soul of Syracuse (SOS)

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!

Monday, July 11, 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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

The Fab 570
Liverpool is the Place

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

Classic rock.

Bring lawn chair or blanket for seating.

The Red Elvises, with Carnindyle, Zebra Musselz
Westcott Theater

Westcott Theater
524 Westcott St., Syracuse

Tuesday, July 12, 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.

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."

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.

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.

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!

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.

Prime Time
Town of Clay

Price: Free
Clay Park Central
Wetzel Rd., Liverpool

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

Baldwinsville Summer Series
Featuring Mario DeSantis Band

Price: Free
Paper Mill Island
Baldwinsville

Pops in the Park: Ceili Rain
Syracuse Parks & Rec

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

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