Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Visual Arts Showcase #57
CNY Arts

Price: Free
WCNY
415 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Visual Arts Showcase #57 features 19 local visual artists presenting work in varied media.
Featured Artists: Joan Applebaum, Dan Bacich, Marna Bell, Michael Berman, Judith Brown-Roenbeck, Robert Carroll, Joe Cerio, Anne Childress, Mary Lou Colgin, Shelly Coryell, Ben Donzella, Joy Englehart, Kathy Gibbons, Richard Karuzas, Steve Koh, Allen Kosoff, Joe LeFevre, Yolanda Tooley, Noelle Uebele

Imagine! Painters and Poets of the New York School
SU Library's Special Collections Research Center

Price: Free
Bird Library, 6th Floor
Syracuse University, Syracuse

On display will be material from the recently processed Grace Hartigan Papers, as well as from the University Art Collection, the Grove Press Archives, and SCRC's extensive holdings of art and literary magazines from the 1950s. Grace Hartigan (1922*) was a major participant in the explosion of creative energy that was the New York artistic and literary scene of the early 1950s. An important abstract expressionist painter, Hartigan was included in the famous show Twelve Americans at the Museum of Modern Art in 1956. Her friends and correspondents included Frank O'Hara, Larry Rivers, Barbara Guest, and Joan Mitchell.

The exhibition is part of the Syracuse Symposium, which for 2006/2007 has chosen imagination as its theme.

Paid parking is available in the Marion visitor lot.

Gallery Exhibit: OCC Faculty Art Show
Onondaga Community College

Price: Free
Ann Felton Multicultural Center and Gallery
Onondaga Community College, Syracuse

Green Towers
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Atrium Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibit exploring the "green" design of the Bank of America tower, currently under construction at 1 Bryant Park in Manhatten.

Off the Wall Show and Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Unlike most gallery shows, this sale allows buyers to purchase fine artwork that can be taken home immediately, and so it's "Off The Wall." A portion of each sales commission helps to support the Manlius Library general fund and the remainder subsidizes the various community activities and educational programs of Associated Artists. Enjoy the artwork of the many talented and well-known members of this group. This is a wonderful opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts, so bring your family and friends! Purchases can be made at the main desk.

Three Brothers: The Art of Oren Lyons, Rick Hill and Tracy Thomas
Community Folk Art Center

Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

The Community Folk Art Center will present the works of three Haudenosaunee artists in this exhibition, guest curated by Summer Frazier.

Oren Lyons, a member of the Onondaga Nation, is a Faithkeeper, a guardian of traditional knowledge, and a Professor of American Studies at SUNY Buffalo, where he is Director of the Native American Studies program. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University. He worked in New York City as a commercial artist, and served as planning director of Norcross Greeting Cards. Lyons has exhibited his works extensively. Since returning to Onondaga in 1970, he has been a leading advocate for Native American causes. On May 25, 2006, the Trustees of the New York State Department of Education awarded him their highest honor, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor.

Rick Hill is a member of the Tuscarora Nation. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and holds a Master's Degree in American Studies from SUNY Buffalo. He has taught Native Art History and other courses at SUNY Buffalo. He has held numerous museum positions, including Museum Director at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico as well as Assistant Director for Public Programs of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. His artwork can be found in several museum collections.

Tracy Thomas is a member of the Mohawk Nation. He resides at the Onondaga Nation. An artist since childhood, Thomas has exhibited his work internationally. He exhibits primarily with other Haudenosaunee artists. He has designed logos for Amnesty International's Year of the Indigenous Peoples, the North American Indigenous Games and Team Haudenosaunee.

Learning Through The Lens: Collaborations with Children at the Edward Smith Elementary School
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery
Schine Student Center, 306 University Ave., Syracuse

Rik Pinkcombe: Perception and Deception
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The images in the exhibition, taken mostly in the Syracuse area, are digitally distorted and manipulated to represent the way that people's vision can become altered by outside pressures and influences such as consumerism, religion, government, education, and sports. One of the main themes behind Pinkcombe's work is identity -- he is particularly interested in how outside influences affect who people are. In some photographs he looks at racial identity through images of borders, bridges, and traffic stops, which link communities and also symbolize immigration and emigration. He also creates what he calls "theater images," where the photographs are manipulated and stripped of so much information that they begin to look like film sets or models.

Pinkcombe currently lives in London, England. He attended school at Blackpool College of Lancaster University. Recent exhibition venues include the Stephen Lawrence Gallery in Greenwich and the 921 Gallery in Hackney, Great Britain. Originally trained as a commercial photographer, Pinkcombe shifted to art photography after a prolonged battle with leukemia made him reevaluate his life. He participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in March 2005. Pinkcombe's residency was sponsored by Autograph: The Association of Black Photographers located in London.

2006 Light Work Grants
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The exhibition "2006 Light Work Grants" features the work of three Central New York photographers -- Laura Heyman, Thilde Jensen, and Rishi Singhal -- who were awarded grants through the 2006 Light Work Grant program. The Light Work Grants in Photography program is a part of Light Work's ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to artists working in photography. The grants also aim to foster an understanding and appreciation for photographic arts in Central New York.

52nd Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

Price: Free
401 S. Salina St.
(formerly Dey Brothers Department Store building), Syracuse

Artists participating include members of the Camillus Art Association, Marcellus-Skaneateles Art Guild, North Syracuse Art Guild, Onondaga Art Guild, and Syracuse Ceramic Guild, as well as those participating independently, from the Central New York area.

The show and sale features paintings, sculptures, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, fabrics, soaps, wood, ceramics, and more! It's the perfect place to find those special holiday gifts for your friends and family.

ART MART is sponsored by Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc., and is a unique sale of original crafts and fine arts by artists and craftspeople from Central New York. Art Mart is supported, in part, by grants from Senator John A. DeFrancisco and Onondaga County, administered by the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

For more information, phone 315-468-2616.

Faux Naturel
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Cheerfully dark exhibition of young Canadian and American artists ponders deceit, nature, temptation and excess. Seven artists in Philadelphia, Montréal, Syracuse, and Toronto have created stunning visions of larger-than-life sculpture, tragicomedic video, striking collages, and intricate printmaking.

The exhibit contains recent works by Alex Da Corte (Philadelphia), Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby (Syracuse), Nick Lenker (Philadelphia), Annie MacDonell (Toronto), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), and Andrea Vander Kooij (Montreal).

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

American Woodblock Prints
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

In this exhibit, 50 images illustrate the diversity of 20th century American woodblock printing. Important artists in the show include Milton Avery, Fritz Eichenberg, Werner Drewes and Jim Dine.

The exhibition displays the work of more than 40 artists who made woodblock relief prints an important part of their artistic output. Divided into thematic groups the show allows the viewer to see how different artists utilized the media throughout the century to create landscapes, urban scenes, figurative images and expressionist pictures. It is important to note that many women artists not only worked in these media but had a profound impact on their use and popularity.

Parking is available at the Marion parking lot on Waverly Avenue. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Meaning and Metaphor
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Meaning and Metaphor presents a group of 10 large contemporary paintings and two distinctly different sculptures. Made by American and British artists, the works challenge preconceived notions of what art is and its purpose.

Several pieces reject the idea that art needs to be realistic. Large paintings by Bernard Cohen and Walter Darby Bannard explore abstraction in uniquely different ways. Bannard's Sun Flood, 1972 is an excellent late example of Abstract Expressionism while Cohen's Somewhere Between, 1975 pushed Op Art to its philosophical extreme.

Other works examine the role of narration in art. Robert Birmelin's Night Driving, 1964, Sidney Goodman's Eclipse and Rico Lebrun's Lazarus, 1962 develop stories that leave the viewer with more questions than answers.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

War News and Strange Brews: The Art of Boris Artzybasheff
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Boris Artzybasheff was a Russian émigré artist who painted over 200 cover illustrations for Time magazine. His most important work dates to World War II when he depicted the politicians, military leaders and the issues that governed the course of the conflict. His unique abilities in portraiture led Time to select him to paint several Man of the Year covers including portraits of Joseph Stalin and Harry Truman.

Artzybasheff was possibly more famous for his illustrations that gave machinery human characteristics. His sly talent for choosing just the right amount of human anatomy gave each machine a personality that ranged from sympathetic to sinister. Viewers were therefore compelled to have an emotional reaction to the machine and its purpose.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t)
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t) surveys the intense paintings created by the artist since her 1990 retrospective held at the New Jersey State Museum. Many of Beerman's paintings are inspired by traumatic and agonizing historical events. Eloquent Pain(t) will highlight how poetry has been a consistent element of inspiration in the artist's later works. After opening at the Everson, the exhibition will travel to the Queensborough Art Gallery.

Dialogues and Solos: Contemporary Photography, Collage and Installation by Liliana Porter and Ana Tiscornia
Point of Contact Gallery

Price: Free
Point of Contact Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Since Liliana Porter last presented her prints and paintings at Syracuse University (Crossing Boundaries, 1990), this world-renowned Argentinean artist has continued to explore and grow into new dimensions in photography and installation art. Her figurines and toys, her characters, are social, down to earth human creations, made in society's image and likeness.

Born in Uruguay, Ana Tiscornia was a witness-participant of Latin America's recent painful history. Her world is made out of digitalized photography intermingled with maps, fragmented objects, rolled pieces of paper, leftovers -- what we recall are broken sequences, broken at some critical point in our imagery, in our memory.

About the nature of this exhibit, the artists comment: "In order to say where our work intercepts, first we should establish that both artworks are different. While one is more philosophical, related to recurrent questions (Liliana), the other is more political and relates to current events (Ana). While one is dramatic, the other confronts human tragedy with humor. We do not pretend to erase that diversity but to use it as material for the new constructions. What we want is for the fusion of both languages to give birth to a narrative that could be for all intents and purposes fictional and mysterious, where the visual ambiguity opens new ways of interpretation and uncovers unexpected conflicts."

Aida
Broadway in Syracuse

Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

"Aida is NOT opera. It's truly a pop musical with spoken dialogue and all kinds of recognizable song types: urban-based rhythm and blues, gospel inspired songs, ballads, and of course, Crocodile Rock Songs." - Elton John.

Winner of four 2000 Tony Awards, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida is a musical bursting with contemporary energy that tells of the love triangle between Aida, a Nubian princess stolen from her country, Amneris, an Egyptian princess, and Radames, the soldier they both love. Aida is an epic and classic tale of love, loyalty, betrayal, and courage, with an exhilarating Tony and Grammy Award-winning score by Elton John and Tim Rice, their first collaboration since writing the music for The Lion King together. Time Magazine proclaims Aida "A big, bright show with luscious Elton John melodies."

Read a review!

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Visual Arts Showcase #57
CNY Arts

Price: Free
WCNY
415 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Visual Arts Showcase #57 features 19 local visual artists presenting work in varied media.
Featured Artists: Joan Applebaum, Dan Bacich, Marna Bell, Michael Berman, Judith Brown-Roenbeck, Robert Carroll, Joe Cerio, Anne Childress, Mary Lou Colgin, Shelly Coryell, Ben Donzella, Joy Englehart, Kathy Gibbons, Richard Karuzas, Steve Koh, Allen Kosoff, Joe LeFevre, Yolanda Tooley, Noelle Uebele

Imagine! Painters and Poets of the New York School
SU Library's Special Collections Research Center

Price: Free
Bird Library, 6th Floor
Syracuse University, Syracuse

On display will be material from the recently processed Grace Hartigan Papers, as well as from the University Art Collection, the Grove Press Archives, and SCRC's extensive holdings of art and literary magazines from the 1950s. Grace Hartigan (1922*) was a major participant in the explosion of creative energy that was the New York artistic and literary scene of the early 1950s. An important abstract expressionist painter, Hartigan was included in the famous show Twelve Americans at the Museum of Modern Art in 1956. Her friends and correspondents included Frank O'Hara, Larry Rivers, Barbara Guest, and Joan Mitchell.

The exhibition is part of the Syracuse Symposium, which for 2006/2007 has chosen imagination as its theme.

Paid parking is available in the Marion visitor lot.

Gallery Exhibit: OCC Faculty Art Show
Onondaga Community College

Price: Free
Ann Felton Multicultural Center and Gallery
Onondaga Community College, Syracuse

Green Towers
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Atrium Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibit exploring the "green" design of the Bank of America tower, currently under construction at 1 Bryant Park in Manhatten.

Off the Wall Show and Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Unlike most gallery shows, this sale allows buyers to purchase fine artwork that can be taken home immediately, and so it's "Off The Wall." A portion of each sales commission helps to support the Manlius Library general fund and the remainder subsidizes the various community activities and educational programs of Associated Artists. Enjoy the artwork of the many talented and well-known members of this group. This is a wonderful opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts, so bring your family and friends! Purchases can be made at the main desk.

Three Brothers: The Art of Oren Lyons, Rick Hill and Tracy Thomas
Community Folk Art Center

Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

The Community Folk Art Center will present the works of three Haudenosaunee artists in this exhibition, guest curated by Summer Frazier.

Oren Lyons, a member of the Onondaga Nation, is a Faithkeeper, a guardian of traditional knowledge, and a Professor of American Studies at SUNY Buffalo, where he is Director of the Native American Studies program. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University. He worked in New York City as a commercial artist, and served as planning director of Norcross Greeting Cards. Lyons has exhibited his works extensively. Since returning to Onondaga in 1970, he has been a leading advocate for Native American causes. On May 25, 2006, the Trustees of the New York State Department of Education awarded him their highest honor, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor.

Rick Hill is a member of the Tuscarora Nation. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and holds a Master's Degree in American Studies from SUNY Buffalo. He has taught Native Art History and other courses at SUNY Buffalo. He has held numerous museum positions, including Museum Director at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico as well as Assistant Director for Public Programs of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. His artwork can be found in several museum collections.

Tracy Thomas is a member of the Mohawk Nation. He resides at the Onondaga Nation. An artist since childhood, Thomas has exhibited his work internationally. He exhibits primarily with other Haudenosaunee artists. He has designed logos for Amnesty International's Year of the Indigenous Peoples, the North American Indigenous Games and Team Haudenosaunee.

Learning Through The Lens: Collaborations with Children at the Edward Smith Elementary School
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery
Schine Student Center, 306 University Ave., Syracuse

Rik Pinkcombe: Perception and Deception
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The images in the exhibition, taken mostly in the Syracuse area, are digitally distorted and manipulated to represent the way that people's vision can become altered by outside pressures and influences such as consumerism, religion, government, education, and sports. One of the main themes behind Pinkcombe's work is identity -- he is particularly interested in how outside influences affect who people are. In some photographs he looks at racial identity through images of borders, bridges, and traffic stops, which link communities and also symbolize immigration and emigration. He also creates what he calls "theater images," where the photographs are manipulated and stripped of so much information that they begin to look like film sets or models.

Pinkcombe currently lives in London, England. He attended school at Blackpool College of Lancaster University. Recent exhibition venues include the Stephen Lawrence Gallery in Greenwich and the 921 Gallery in Hackney, Great Britain. Originally trained as a commercial photographer, Pinkcombe shifted to art photography after a prolonged battle with leukemia made him reevaluate his life. He participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in March 2005. Pinkcombe's residency was sponsored by Autograph: The Association of Black Photographers located in London.

2006 Light Work Grants
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The exhibition "2006 Light Work Grants" features the work of three Central New York photographers -- Laura Heyman, Thilde Jensen, and Rishi Singhal -- who were awarded grants through the 2006 Light Work Grant program. The Light Work Grants in Photography program is a part of Light Work's ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to artists working in photography. The grants also aim to foster an understanding and appreciation for photographic arts in Central New York.

52nd Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

Price: Free
401 S. Salina St.
(formerly Dey Brothers Department Store building), Syracuse

Artists participating include members of the Camillus Art Association, Marcellus-Skaneateles Art Guild, North Syracuse Art Guild, Onondaga Art Guild, and Syracuse Ceramic Guild, as well as those participating independently, from the Central New York area.

The show and sale features paintings, sculptures, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, fabrics, soaps, wood, ceramics, and more! It's the perfect place to find those special holiday gifts for your friends and family.

ART MART is sponsored by Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc., and is a unique sale of original crafts and fine arts by artists and craftspeople from Central New York. Art Mart is supported, in part, by grants from Senator John A. DeFrancisco and Onondaga County, administered by the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

For more information, phone 315-468-2616.

Faux Naturel
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Cheerfully dark exhibition of young Canadian and American artists ponders deceit, nature, temptation and excess. Seven artists in Philadelphia, Montréal, Syracuse, and Toronto have created stunning visions of larger-than-life sculpture, tragicomedic video, striking collages, and intricate printmaking.

The exhibit contains recent works by Alex Da Corte (Philadelphia), Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby (Syracuse), Nick Lenker (Philadelphia), Annie MacDonell (Toronto), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), and Andrea Vander Kooij (Montreal).

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

American Woodblock Prints
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

In this exhibit, 50 images illustrate the diversity of 20th century American woodblock printing. Important artists in the show include Milton Avery, Fritz Eichenberg, Werner Drewes and Jim Dine.

The exhibition displays the work of more than 40 artists who made woodblock relief prints an important part of their artistic output. Divided into thematic groups the show allows the viewer to see how different artists utilized the media throughout the century to create landscapes, urban scenes, figurative images and expressionist pictures. It is important to note that many women artists not only worked in these media but had a profound impact on their use and popularity.

Parking is available at the Marion parking lot on Waverly Avenue. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

War News and Strange Brews: The Art of Boris Artzybasheff
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Boris Artzybasheff was a Russian émigré artist who painted over 200 cover illustrations for Time magazine. His most important work dates to World War II when he depicted the politicians, military leaders and the issues that governed the course of the conflict. His unique abilities in portraiture led Time to select him to paint several Man of the Year covers including portraits of Joseph Stalin and Harry Truman.

Artzybasheff was possibly more famous for his illustrations that gave machinery human characteristics. His sly talent for choosing just the right amount of human anatomy gave each machine a personality that ranged from sympathetic to sinister. Viewers were therefore compelled to have an emotional reaction to the machine and its purpose.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Meaning and Metaphor
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Meaning and Metaphor presents a group of 10 large contemporary paintings and two distinctly different sculptures. Made by American and British artists, the works challenge preconceived notions of what art is and its purpose.

Several pieces reject the idea that art needs to be realistic. Large paintings by Bernard Cohen and Walter Darby Bannard explore abstraction in uniquely different ways. Bannard's Sun Flood, 1972 is an excellent late example of Abstract Expressionism while Cohen's Somewhere Between, 1975 pushed Op Art to its philosophical extreme.

Other works examine the role of narration in art. Robert Birmelin's Night Driving, 1964, Sidney Goodman's Eclipse and Rico Lebrun's Lazarus, 1962 develop stories that leave the viewer with more questions than answers.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t)
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t) surveys the intense paintings created by the artist since her 1990 retrospective held at the New Jersey State Museum. Many of Beerman's paintings are inspired by traumatic and agonizing historical events. Eloquent Pain(t) will highlight how poetry has been a consistent element of inspiration in the artist's later works. After opening at the Everson, the exhibition will travel to the Queensborough Art Gallery.

Dialogues and Solos: Contemporary Photography, Collage and Installation by Liliana Porter and Ana Tiscornia
Point of Contact Gallery

Price: Free
Point of Contact Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Since Liliana Porter last presented her prints and paintings at Syracuse University (Crossing Boundaries, 1990), this world-renowned Argentinean artist has continued to explore and grow into new dimensions in photography and installation art. Her figurines and toys, her characters, are social, down to earth human creations, made in society's image and likeness.

Born in Uruguay, Ana Tiscornia was a witness-participant of Latin America's recent painful history. Her world is made out of digitalized photography intermingled with maps, fragmented objects, rolled pieces of paper, leftovers -- what we recall are broken sequences, broken at some critical point in our imagery, in our memory.

About the nature of this exhibit, the artists comment: "In order to say where our work intercepts, first we should establish that both artworks are different. While one is more philosophical, related to recurrent questions (Liliana), the other is more political and relates to current events (Ana). While one is dramatic, the other confronts human tragedy with humor. We do not pretend to erase that diversity but to use it as material for the new constructions. What we want is for the fusion of both languages to give birth to a narrative that could be for all intents and purposes fictional and mysterious, where the visual ambiguity opens new ways of interpretation and uncovers unexpected conflicts."

CMM Holiday Program
Civic Morning Musicals

Price: Free
Hosmer Auditorium, Everson Museum
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

A capella and accompanied vocal and choral gems.

Andy Williams Christmas Show

Price: $52.50, $47.50, $35.50
Landmark Theatre
362 S. Salina St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-475-7980.

A Christmas Carol
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Rodney Hudson, director

Price: $38, $35, $22 (adults); $20 (teens); $16 (children)
Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

"... and it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well." The spirit of the season fills the stage in a fantastical telling of this family, holiday tale. At heart, A Christmas Carol is the story of Scrooge, of his transformation from the darkness and bitterness of greed and loneliness to the light of kindness and generosity. It is a tale of hope embodied in an old man's decision to do perhaps the hardest thing of all: admit his failings and change. As Dickens notes, "May that be truly said of us, and all of us."

Read a Review!

Aida
Broadway in Syracuse

Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

"Aida is NOT opera. It's truly a pop musical with spoken dialogue and all kinds of recognizable song types: urban-based rhythm and blues, gospel inspired songs, ballads, and of course, Crocodile Rock Songs." - Elton John.

Winner of four 2000 Tony Awards, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida is a musical bursting with contemporary energy that tells of the love triangle between Aida, a Nubian princess stolen from her country, Amneris, an Egyptian princess, and Radames, the soldier they both love. Aida is an epic and classic tale of love, loyalty, betrayal, and courage, with an exhilarating Tony and Grammy Award-winning score by Elton John and Tim Rice, their first collaboration since writing the music for The Lion King together. Time Magazine proclaims Aida "A big, bright show with luscious Elton John melodies."

Read a review!

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Visual Arts Showcase #57
CNY Arts

Price: Free
WCNY
415 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Visual Arts Showcase #57 features 19 local visual artists presenting work in varied media.
Featured Artists: Joan Applebaum, Dan Bacich, Marna Bell, Michael Berman, Judith Brown-Roenbeck, Robert Carroll, Joe Cerio, Anne Childress, Mary Lou Colgin, Shelly Coryell, Ben Donzella, Joy Englehart, Kathy Gibbons, Richard Karuzas, Steve Koh, Allen Kosoff, Joe LeFevre, Yolanda Tooley, Noelle Uebele

Imagine! Painters and Poets of the New York School
SU Library's Special Collections Research Center

Price: Free
Bird Library, 6th Floor
Syracuse University, Syracuse

On display will be material from the recently processed Grace Hartigan Papers, as well as from the University Art Collection, the Grove Press Archives, and SCRC's extensive holdings of art and literary magazines from the 1950s. Grace Hartigan (1922*) was a major participant in the explosion of creative energy that was the New York artistic and literary scene of the early 1950s. An important abstract expressionist painter, Hartigan was included in the famous show Twelve Americans at the Museum of Modern Art in 1956. Her friends and correspondents included Frank O'Hara, Larry Rivers, Barbara Guest, and Joan Mitchell.

The exhibition is part of the Syracuse Symposium, which for 2006/2007 has chosen imagination as its theme.

Paid parking is available in the Marion visitor lot.

Gallery Exhibit: OCC Faculty Art Show
Onondaga Community College

Price: Free
Ann Felton Multicultural Center and Gallery
Onondaga Community College, Syracuse

Green Towers
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Atrium Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibit exploring the "green" design of the Bank of America tower, currently under construction at 1 Bryant Park in Manhatten.

Off the Wall Show and Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Unlike most gallery shows, this sale allows buyers to purchase fine artwork that can be taken home immediately, and so it's "Off The Wall." A portion of each sales commission helps to support the Manlius Library general fund and the remainder subsidizes the various community activities and educational programs of Associated Artists. Enjoy the artwork of the many talented and well-known members of this group. This is a wonderful opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts, so bring your family and friends! Purchases can be made at the main desk.

Three Brothers: The Art of Oren Lyons, Rick Hill and Tracy Thomas
Community Folk Art Center

Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

The Community Folk Art Center will present the works of three Haudenosaunee artists in this exhibition, guest curated by Summer Frazier.

Oren Lyons, a member of the Onondaga Nation, is a Faithkeeper, a guardian of traditional knowledge, and a Professor of American Studies at SUNY Buffalo, where he is Director of the Native American Studies program. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University. He worked in New York City as a commercial artist, and served as planning director of Norcross Greeting Cards. Lyons has exhibited his works extensively. Since returning to Onondaga in 1970, he has been a leading advocate for Native American causes. On May 25, 2006, the Trustees of the New York State Department of Education awarded him their highest honor, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor.

Rick Hill is a member of the Tuscarora Nation. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and holds a Master's Degree in American Studies from SUNY Buffalo. He has taught Native Art History and other courses at SUNY Buffalo. He has held numerous museum positions, including Museum Director at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico as well as Assistant Director for Public Programs of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. His artwork can be found in several museum collections.

Tracy Thomas is a member of the Mohawk Nation. He resides at the Onondaga Nation. An artist since childhood, Thomas has exhibited his work internationally. He exhibits primarily with other Haudenosaunee artists. He has designed logos for Amnesty International's Year of the Indigenous Peoples, the North American Indigenous Games and Team Haudenosaunee.

Learning Through The Lens: Collaborations with Children at the Edward Smith Elementary School
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery
Schine Student Center, 306 University Ave., Syracuse

Rik Pinkcombe: Perception and Deception
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The images in the exhibition, taken mostly in the Syracuse area, are digitally distorted and manipulated to represent the way that people's vision can become altered by outside pressures and influences such as consumerism, religion, government, education, and sports. One of the main themes behind Pinkcombe's work is identity -- he is particularly interested in how outside influences affect who people are. In some photographs he looks at racial identity through images of borders, bridges, and traffic stops, which link communities and also symbolize immigration and emigration. He also creates what he calls "theater images," where the photographs are manipulated and stripped of so much information that they begin to look like film sets or models.

Pinkcombe currently lives in London, England. He attended school at Blackpool College of Lancaster University. Recent exhibition venues include the Stephen Lawrence Gallery in Greenwich and the 921 Gallery in Hackney, Great Britain. Originally trained as a commercial photographer, Pinkcombe shifted to art photography after a prolonged battle with leukemia made him reevaluate his life. He participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in March 2005. Pinkcombe's residency was sponsored by Autograph: The Association of Black Photographers located in London.

2006 Light Work Grants
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The exhibition "2006 Light Work Grants" features the work of three Central New York photographers -- Laura Heyman, Thilde Jensen, and Rishi Singhal -- who were awarded grants through the 2006 Light Work Grant program. The Light Work Grants in Photography program is a part of Light Work's ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to artists working in photography. The grants also aim to foster an understanding and appreciation for photographic arts in Central New York.

52nd Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

Price: Free
401 S. Salina St.
(formerly Dey Brothers Department Store building), Syracuse

Artists participating include members of the Camillus Art Association, Marcellus-Skaneateles Art Guild, North Syracuse Art Guild, Onondaga Art Guild, and Syracuse Ceramic Guild, as well as those participating independently, from the Central New York area.

The show and sale features paintings, sculptures, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, fabrics, soaps, wood, ceramics, and more! It's the perfect place to find those special holiday gifts for your friends and family.

ART MART is sponsored by Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc., and is a unique sale of original crafts and fine arts by artists and craftspeople from Central New York. Art Mart is supported, in part, by grants from Senator John A. DeFrancisco and Onondaga County, administered by the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

For more information, phone 315-468-2616.

Faux Naturel
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Cheerfully dark exhibition of young Canadian and American artists ponders deceit, nature, temptation and excess. Seven artists in Philadelphia, Montréal, Syracuse, and Toronto have created stunning visions of larger-than-life sculpture, tragicomedic video, striking collages, and intricate printmaking.

The exhibit contains recent works by Alex Da Corte (Philadelphia), Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby (Syracuse), Nick Lenker (Philadelphia), Annie MacDonell (Toronto), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), and Andrea Vander Kooij (Montreal).

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

American Woodblock Prints
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

In this exhibit, 50 images illustrate the diversity of 20th century American woodblock printing. Important artists in the show include Milton Avery, Fritz Eichenberg, Werner Drewes and Jim Dine.

The exhibition displays the work of more than 40 artists who made woodblock relief prints an important part of their artistic output. Divided into thematic groups the show allows the viewer to see how different artists utilized the media throughout the century to create landscapes, urban scenes, figurative images and expressionist pictures. It is important to note that many women artists not only worked in these media but had a profound impact on their use and popularity.

Parking is available at the Marion parking lot on Waverly Avenue. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Meaning and Metaphor
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Meaning and Metaphor presents a group of 10 large contemporary paintings and two distinctly different sculptures. Made by American and British artists, the works challenge preconceived notions of what art is and its purpose.

Several pieces reject the idea that art needs to be realistic. Large paintings by Bernard Cohen and Walter Darby Bannard explore abstraction in uniquely different ways. Bannard's Sun Flood, 1972 is an excellent late example of Abstract Expressionism while Cohen's Somewhere Between, 1975 pushed Op Art to its philosophical extreme.

Other works examine the role of narration in art. Robert Birmelin's Night Driving, 1964, Sidney Goodman's Eclipse and Rico Lebrun's Lazarus, 1962 develop stories that leave the viewer with more questions than answers.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

War News and Strange Brews: The Art of Boris Artzybasheff
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Boris Artzybasheff was a Russian émigré artist who painted over 200 cover illustrations for Time magazine. His most important work dates to World War II when he depicted the politicians, military leaders and the issues that governed the course of the conflict. His unique abilities in portraiture led Time to select him to paint several Man of the Year covers including portraits of Joseph Stalin and Harry Truman.

Artzybasheff was possibly more famous for his illustrations that gave machinery human characteristics. His sly talent for choosing just the right amount of human anatomy gave each machine a personality that ranged from sympathetic to sinister. Viewers were therefore compelled to have an emotional reaction to the machine and its purpose.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Holiday Presence
Delavan Art Gallery

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

David Beale - watercolors
Robert L. Kasprzycki - oils and acrylics
Nine Members of the Syracuse Ceramic Guild:
Sue Canizares - porcelain
Dee Gage - Raku
Lisa Goodlin - ceramics
Bobbi Lamb - ceramics
Shawn McGuire - wood fired and Raku fired pottery
Paul Molesky - wood fired ceramics
Lauren Ritchie - stoneware lanterns
Tim See - porcelain and wood fired vesselss
Burton Thomas - wall sculpture (bronze glazed and Raku)

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t)
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t) surveys the intense paintings created by the artist since her 1990 retrospective held at the New Jersey State Museum. Many of Beerman's paintings are inspired by traumatic and agonizing historical events. Eloquent Pain(t) will highlight how poetry has been a consistent element of inspiration in the artist's later works. After opening at the Everson, the exhibition will travel to the Queensborough Art Gallery.

Dialogues and Solos: Contemporary Photography, Collage and Installation by Liliana Porter and Ana Tiscornia
Point of Contact Gallery

Price: Free
Point of Contact Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Since Liliana Porter last presented her prints and paintings at Syracuse University (Crossing Boundaries, 1990), this world-renowned Argentinean artist has continued to explore and grow into new dimensions in photography and installation art. Her figurines and toys, her characters, are social, down to earth human creations, made in society's image and likeness.

Born in Uruguay, Ana Tiscornia was a witness-participant of Latin America's recent painful history. Her world is made out of digitalized photography intermingled with maps, fragmented objects, rolled pieces of paper, leftovers -- what we recall are broken sequences, broken at some critical point in our imagery, in our memory.

About the nature of this exhibit, the artists comment: "In order to say where our work intercepts, first we should establish that both artworks are different. While one is more philosophical, related to recurrent questions (Liliana), the other is more political and relates to current events (Ana). While one is dramatic, the other confronts human tragedy with humor. We do not pretend to erase that diversity but to use it as material for the new constructions. What we want is for the fusion of both languages to give birth to a narrative that could be for all intents and purposes fictional and mysterious, where the visual ambiguity opens new ways of interpretation and uncovers unexpected conflicts."

Michael Matthews: Out of India
Redhouse

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

This collection of Expressionist style landscape paintings were executed in India by this Canadian born artist. Matthews' states that his love affair with the art of India began over 15 years ago when he was drawn to the Islamic galleries of the Persian, Moghul and Rajput collections in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since that time he has made three visits to India, culminating in several months of immersion into the culture, flavor and appeal of the people and surroundings. It is apparent that Matthews was overwhelmed by the grand architecture of India, which form the core of this exhibition.

These works on paper are very reminiscent of Indian textiles, and the various techniques used to bleed and run natural pigmented dyes, like batik and block printing. Matthews' spontaneous way of working exemplifies his expressive style and is enhanced by his use of water-based paints on paper. The melding together of the paints with the paper forms a rich surface in these quickly rendered compositions. Each painting epitomizes Matthews' enchantment with India while celebrating the splendor of Indian architecture and textile through his simple color choices, strong outlines, and an energetic use of pattern.

CFAC Cinema Thursday: Hidden Medicine and Trudell
Community Folk Art Center

Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Hidden Medicine is a film that deals with the relationship between Native Americans and the environment. Co-written by Oren Lyons, the story takes place on Onondaga Nation territory. As an eagle travels through the light of darkness soaring on rays of beauty to the face of creation, a child appears. Her works are like poetry as she begins to speak with innocence and clarity of a dream of Native prophecies handed down through the Wisdom Keepers, the caretakers of the earth. In the dream she finds herself among the Onondaga Nation People. Through the traditional story telling of their Clan Mothers, Chiefs and Faithkeeper, the warnings of their spiritual leaders are given to a Sacred Runner. The runner has been chosen to take the message to the industrial nations, asking them to change their path of destruction and sorrow.

Trudell tells the story of Native American poet and activist John Trudell and his message of active personal responsibility to the earth, all its inhabitants, and our descendants. In 1979, while protesting the U.S. government's policy on American Indian affairs, John Trudell burned an American flag on the steps of F.B.I. headquarters in Washington, D.C. Within a matter of hours, his pregnant wife, three children and mother-in-law were killed in a suspicious fire on a Nevada reservation. This ended his role in the movement, but his voice would not be silenced.

Winter Solstice: A Music & Light Experience

Price: $25 in advance - general seating; $35 in advance - reserved seating; $30 at the door
Syracuse Center for the Performing Arts
728 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Two-hour music & light show celebrating the Winter Solstice featuring guest vocalists Joe Whiting and Donna Colton; the orchestra will feature guest artists Jeff Stockham, horns; Loren Barrigar, guitar; Kevin Dorsey, bass; Joe Carello, saxes and flute; Pearson Constantino, drums; Van Norstrand Brothers, strings; Avery Head, bagpipes; David Etse Nyadedzor, Akuma Dance Ensemble from Ghana, Africa; and the Soulstice Singers under the direction of Marcia Hagan. Copies of live Solstice CDs will be available at every show.

Tickets are available at the Syracuse Center for the Arts box office, Creekside Bookstore in Skaneateles, or by calling 315-685-5503 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

Read a review!

Hijacked Holiday
Acme Mystery Company

Price: $29.95 plus tax and gratuities (includes meal and show)
Spaghetti Warehouse
689 N. Clinton St., Syracuse

Interactive mystery/comedy dinner theater, about the theft of toys from Santa's sleigh.

Disney's High School Musical
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $20 regular, $18 students/seniors, $16 children 12 and under
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Read a review!

Aida
Broadway in Syracuse

Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

"Aida is NOT opera. It's truly a pop musical with spoken dialogue and all kinds of recognizable song types: urban-based rhythm and blues, gospel inspired songs, ballads, and of course, Crocodile Rock Songs." - Elton John.

Winner of four 2000 Tony Awards, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida is a musical bursting with contemporary energy that tells of the love triangle between Aida, a Nubian princess stolen from her country, Amneris, an Egyptian princess, and Radames, the soldier they both love. Aida is an epic and classic tale of love, loyalty, betrayal, and courage, with an exhilarating Tony and Grammy Award-winning score by Elton John and Tim Rice, their first collaboration since writing the music for The Lion King together. Time Magazine proclaims Aida "A big, bright show with luscious Elton John melodies."

Read a review!

Men Fake Foreplay
Redhouse

Price: $28 regular; $25 students/seniors
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Mike Dugan's one-man play is a funny, poignant performance within which Dugan draws on the insight and comic timing that earned him an Emmy award and several appearances on the Tonight Show with both Jay Leno and Jonny Carson.

Dugan brings the audience into the mind of men, how they think and deal with issues such as trust, feelings commitment, sex, and behavior toward women. His wisdom and wry sense of humor take the edge off of these uncomfortable topics but there is no escaping the secrets that are revealed.

Mike Dugan has won major awards with celebrated people in the entertainment business. He was a member of the writing team that received an Emmy in 1994 for the first season of "Dennis Miller Live" on HBO. Earlier in his career he garnered the San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition. In addition, he has opened for musical artists such as Roy Orbison, Ricki Lee Jones, Chuck Berry, Harry Belafonte, and Shawn Colvin. Dugan has written television series or specials for a long list of comedians, including Keenen Ivory Wayans, Tom Arnold, Rich Hall, Paul Rodriguez, and Stephanie Miller.

Foreplay is directed by Frances Fisher, star of films such as the blockbuster Titanic, Clint Eastwood's classic western, Unforgiven, and of such hit television series as ER, Boston Legal, and Grey's Anatomy.

This is the production's last stop before it appears off-Broadway in New York City.

Read a review!

Friday, December 15, 2006

Visual Arts Showcase #57
CNY Arts

Price: Free
WCNY
415 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Visual Arts Showcase #57 features 19 local visual artists presenting work in varied media.
Featured Artists: Joan Applebaum, Dan Bacich, Marna Bell, Michael Berman, Judith Brown-Roenbeck, Robert Carroll, Joe Cerio, Anne Childress, Mary Lou Colgin, Shelly Coryell, Ben Donzella, Joy Englehart, Kathy Gibbons, Richard Karuzas, Steve Koh, Allen Kosoff, Joe LeFevre, Yolanda Tooley, Noelle Uebele

Imagine! Painters and Poets of the New York School
SU Library's Special Collections Research Center

Price: Free
Bird Library, 6th Floor
Syracuse University, Syracuse

On display will be material from the recently processed Grace Hartigan Papers, as well as from the University Art Collection, the Grove Press Archives, and SCRC's extensive holdings of art and literary magazines from the 1950s. Grace Hartigan (1922*) was a major participant in the explosion of creative energy that was the New York artistic and literary scene of the early 1950s. An important abstract expressionist painter, Hartigan was included in the famous show Twelve Americans at the Museum of Modern Art in 1956. Her friends and correspondents included Frank O'Hara, Larry Rivers, Barbara Guest, and Joan Mitchell.

The exhibition is part of the Syracuse Symposium, which for 2006/2007 has chosen imagination as its theme.

Paid parking is available in the Marion visitor lot.

Gallery Exhibit: OCC Faculty Art Show
Onondaga Community College

Price: Free
Ann Felton Multicultural Center and Gallery
Onondaga Community College, Syracuse

Green Towers
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Atrium Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibit exploring the "green" design of the Bank of America tower, currently under construction at 1 Bryant Park in Manhatten.

Off the Wall Show and Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Unlike most gallery shows, this sale allows buyers to purchase fine artwork that can be taken home immediately, and so it's "Off The Wall." A portion of each sales commission helps to support the Manlius Library general fund and the remainder subsidizes the various community activities and educational programs of Associated Artists. Enjoy the artwork of the many talented and well-known members of this group. This is a wonderful opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts, so bring your family and friends! Purchases can be made at the main desk.

Three Brothers: The Art of Oren Lyons, Rick Hill and Tracy Thomas
Community Folk Art Center

Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

The Community Folk Art Center will present the works of three Haudenosaunee artists in this exhibition, guest curated by Summer Frazier.

Oren Lyons, a member of the Onondaga Nation, is a Faithkeeper, a guardian of traditional knowledge, and a Professor of American Studies at SUNY Buffalo, where he is Director of the Native American Studies program. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University. He worked in New York City as a commercial artist, and served as planning director of Norcross Greeting Cards. Lyons has exhibited his works extensively. Since returning to Onondaga in 1970, he has been a leading advocate for Native American causes. On May 25, 2006, the Trustees of the New York State Department of Education awarded him their highest honor, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor.

Rick Hill is a member of the Tuscarora Nation. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and holds a Master's Degree in American Studies from SUNY Buffalo. He has taught Native Art History and other courses at SUNY Buffalo. He has held numerous museum positions, including Museum Director at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico as well as Assistant Director for Public Programs of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. His artwork can be found in several museum collections.

Tracy Thomas is a member of the Mohawk Nation. He resides at the Onondaga Nation. An artist since childhood, Thomas has exhibited his work internationally. He exhibits primarily with other Haudenosaunee artists. He has designed logos for Amnesty International's Year of the Indigenous Peoples, the North American Indigenous Games and Team Haudenosaunee.

Learning Through The Lens: Collaborations with Children at the Edward Smith Elementary School
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery
Schine Student Center, 306 University Ave., Syracuse

Rik Pinkcombe: Perception and Deception
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The images in the exhibition, taken mostly in the Syracuse area, are digitally distorted and manipulated to represent the way that people's vision can become altered by outside pressures and influences such as consumerism, religion, government, education, and sports. One of the main themes behind Pinkcombe's work is identity -- he is particularly interested in how outside influences affect who people are. In some photographs he looks at racial identity through images of borders, bridges, and traffic stops, which link communities and also symbolize immigration and emigration. He also creates what he calls "theater images," where the photographs are manipulated and stripped of so much information that they begin to look like film sets or models.

Pinkcombe currently lives in London, England. He attended school at Blackpool College of Lancaster University. Recent exhibition venues include the Stephen Lawrence Gallery in Greenwich and the 921 Gallery in Hackney, Great Britain. Originally trained as a commercial photographer, Pinkcombe shifted to art photography after a prolonged battle with leukemia made him reevaluate his life. He participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in March 2005. Pinkcombe's residency was sponsored by Autograph: The Association of Black Photographers located in London.

2006 Light Work Grants
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The exhibition "2006 Light Work Grants" features the work of three Central New York photographers -- Laura Heyman, Thilde Jensen, and Rishi Singhal -- who were awarded grants through the 2006 Light Work Grant program. The Light Work Grants in Photography program is a part of Light Work's ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to artists working in photography. The grants also aim to foster an understanding and appreciation for photographic arts in Central New York.

52nd Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

Price: Free
401 S. Salina St.
(formerly Dey Brothers Department Store building), Syracuse

Artists participating include members of the Camillus Art Association, Marcellus-Skaneateles Art Guild, North Syracuse Art Guild, Onondaga Art Guild, and Syracuse Ceramic Guild, as well as those participating independently, from the Central New York area.

The show and sale features paintings, sculptures, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, fabrics, soaps, wood, ceramics, and more! It's the perfect place to find those special holiday gifts for your friends and family.

ART MART is sponsored by Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc., and is a unique sale of original crafts and fine arts by artists and craftspeople from Central New York. Art Mart is supported, in part, by grants from Senator John A. DeFrancisco and Onondaga County, administered by the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

For more information, phone 315-468-2616.

Faux Naturel
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Cheerfully dark exhibition of young Canadian and American artists ponders deceit, nature, temptation and excess. Seven artists in Philadelphia, Montréal, Syracuse, and Toronto have created stunning visions of larger-than-life sculpture, tragicomedic video, striking collages, and intricate printmaking.

The exhibit contains recent works by Alex Da Corte (Philadelphia), Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby (Syracuse), Nick Lenker (Philadelphia), Annie MacDonell (Toronto), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), and Andrea Vander Kooij (Montreal).

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

American Woodblock Prints
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

In this exhibit, 50 images illustrate the diversity of 20th century American woodblock printing. Important artists in the show include Milton Avery, Fritz Eichenberg, Werner Drewes and Jim Dine.

The exhibition displays the work of more than 40 artists who made woodblock relief prints an important part of their artistic output. Divided into thematic groups the show allows the viewer to see how different artists utilized the media throughout the century to create landscapes, urban scenes, figurative images and expressionist pictures. It is important to note that many women artists not only worked in these media but had a profound impact on their use and popularity.

Parking is available at the Marion parking lot on Waverly Avenue. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

War News and Strange Brews: The Art of Boris Artzybasheff
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Boris Artzybasheff was a Russian émigré artist who painted over 200 cover illustrations for Time magazine. His most important work dates to World War II when he depicted the politicians, military leaders and the issues that governed the course of the conflict. His unique abilities in portraiture led Time to select him to paint several Man of the Year covers including portraits of Joseph Stalin and Harry Truman.

Artzybasheff was possibly more famous for his illustrations that gave machinery human characteristics. His sly talent for choosing just the right amount of human anatomy gave each machine a personality that ranged from sympathetic to sinister. Viewers were therefore compelled to have an emotional reaction to the machine and its purpose.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Meaning and Metaphor
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Meaning and Metaphor presents a group of 10 large contemporary paintings and two distinctly different sculptures. Made by American and British artists, the works challenge preconceived notions of what art is and its purpose.

Several pieces reject the idea that art needs to be realistic. Large paintings by Bernard Cohen and Walter Darby Bannard explore abstraction in uniquely different ways. Bannard's Sun Flood, 1972 is an excellent late example of Abstract Expressionism while Cohen's Somewhere Between, 1975 pushed Op Art to its philosophical extreme.

Other works examine the role of narration in art. Robert Birmelin's Night Driving, 1964, Sidney Goodman's Eclipse and Rico Lebrun's Lazarus, 1962 develop stories that leave the viewer with more questions than answers.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Holiday Presence
Delavan Art Gallery

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

David Beale - watercolors
Robert L. Kasprzycki - oils and acrylics
Nine Members of the Syracuse Ceramic Guild:
Sue Canizares - porcelain
Dee Gage - Raku
Lisa Goodlin - ceramics
Bobbi Lamb - ceramics
Shawn McGuire - wood fired and Raku fired pottery
Paul Molesky - wood fired ceramics
Lauren Ritchie - stoneware lanterns
Tim See - porcelain and wood fired vesselss
Burton Thomas - wall sculpture (bronze glazed and Raku)

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t)
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t) surveys the intense paintings created by the artist since her 1990 retrospective held at the New Jersey State Museum. Many of Beerman's paintings are inspired by traumatic and agonizing historical events. Eloquent Pain(t) will highlight how poetry has been a consistent element of inspiration in the artist's later works. After opening at the Everson, the exhibition will travel to the Queensborough Art Gallery.

Dialogues and Solos: Contemporary Photography, Collage and Installation by Liliana Porter and Ana Tiscornia
Point of Contact Gallery

Price: Free
Point of Contact Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Since Liliana Porter last presented her prints and paintings at Syracuse University (Crossing Boundaries, 1990), this world-renowned Argentinean artist has continued to explore and grow into new dimensions in photography and installation art. Her figurines and toys, her characters, are social, down to earth human creations, made in society's image and likeness.

Born in Uruguay, Ana Tiscornia was a witness-participant of Latin America's recent painful history. Her world is made out of digitalized photography intermingled with maps, fragmented objects, rolled pieces of paper, leftovers -- what we recall are broken sequences, broken at some critical point in our imagery, in our memory.

About the nature of this exhibit, the artists comment: "In order to say where our work intercepts, first we should establish that both artworks are different. While one is more philosophical, related to recurrent questions (Liliana), the other is more political and relates to current events (Ana). While one is dramatic, the other confronts human tragedy with humor. We do not pretend to erase that diversity but to use it as material for the new constructions. What we want is for the fusion of both languages to give birth to a narrative that could be for all intents and purposes fictional and mysterious, where the visual ambiguity opens new ways of interpretation and uncovers unexpected conflicts."

Michael Matthews: Out of India
Redhouse

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

This collection of Expressionist style landscape paintings were executed in India by this Canadian born artist. Matthews' states that his love affair with the art of India began over 15 years ago when he was drawn to the Islamic galleries of the Persian, Moghul and Rajput collections in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since that time he has made three visits to India, culminating in several months of immersion into the culture, flavor and appeal of the people and surroundings. It is apparent that Matthews was overwhelmed by the grand architecture of India, which form the core of this exhibition.

These works on paper are very reminiscent of Indian textiles, and the various techniques used to bleed and run natural pigmented dyes, like batik and block printing. Matthews' spontaneous way of working exemplifies his expressive style and is enhanced by his use of water-based paints on paper. The melding together of the paints with the paper forms a rich surface in these quickly rendered compositions. Each painting epitomizes Matthews' enchantment with India while celebrating the splendor of Indian architecture and textile through his simple color choices, strong outlines, and an energetic use of pattern.

Christmas Around the World

Price: $1
Ste. Marie Among the Iroquois
106 Lake Dr., Liverpool

During the holiday season, Sainte Marie is transformed into a festive holiday center! Stroll through the Visitor Center and enjoy a nostalgic tour of decorated trees, international versions of Santa, various holiday symbols, light refreshments and wonderful musical entertainment. A working display of trains will return this year and new for 2006 - an Oz tree will celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Syracusan L. Frank Baum. As weather permits, venture out to the candle/fire lit mission compound where costumed interpreters perform daily chores associated with the 1656 mission residents. A gift shop featuring unique holiday items will be open.

5:15-5:45pm -- Bishop Ludden Sax Quartet
6:00-6:45pm -- Northern Voices
7:00-7:45pm -- Nate Perry School Chorus
8:00-8:45pm -- King of Kings Brass Ensemble

Folkus Project
Chris Smither

Price: $15
May Memorial Unitarian Society
3800 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Art made with voice, guitar, and stomping foot.

Winter Solstice: A Music & Light Experience

Price: $25 in advance - general seating; $35 in advance - reserved seating; $30 at the door
Syracuse Center for the Performing Arts
728 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Two-hour music & light show celebrating the Winter Solstice featuring guest vocalists Joe Whiting and Donna Colton; the orchestra will feature guest artists Jeff Stockham, horns; Loren Barrigar, guitar; Kevin Dorsey, bass; Joe Carello, saxes and flute; Pearson Constantino, drums; Van Norstrand Brothers, strings; Avery Head, bagpipes; David Etse Nyadedzor, Akuma Dance Ensemble from Ghana, Africa; and the Soulstice Singers under the direction of Marcia Hagan. Copies of live Solstice CDs will be available at every show.

Tickets are available at the Syracuse Center for the Arts box office, Creekside Bookstore in Skaneateles, or by calling 315-685-5503 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

Read a review!

Hodie
Syracuse Chorale
Warren Ottey, conductor

Price: $15 regular, $12 students/seniors, $8 children 15 and under ($3 discount for advance purchase prior to 12/5)
Hendricks Chapel
Syracuse University, Syracuse

R. Vaughan Williams' Hodie (This Day), selections from the Messiah, and other songs of the season.

To purchase tickets or for more information, phone 315-437-1995.

Pops Series: Holiday Pops
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Grant Cooper, conductor
Featuring Lianne Coble, soprano; Steven Stull, baritone

Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Enjoy the holidays with the Syracuse Symphony and experience the sights and sounds of the season as Resident Conductor Grant Cooper is joined by a stage-full of special guests including the Onondaga County Select High School Chorus, the Bucknell University Rooke Chapel Bell Choir, and soprano Lianne Coble. You also be on the edge of your seat when baritone Steven Stull tells the fun-filled tale by Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Disney's High School Musical
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $20 regular, $18 students/seniors, $16 children 12 and under
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Read a review!

A Christmas Carol
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Rodney Hudson, director

Price: $48, $45, $22 (adults); $20 (teens); $16 (children)
Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

"... and it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well." The spirit of the season fills the stage in a fantastical telling of this family, holiday tale. At heart, A Christmas Carol is the story of Scrooge, of his transformation from the darkness and bitterness of greed and loneliness to the light of kindness and generosity. It is a tale of hope embodied in an old man's decision to do perhaps the hardest thing of all: admit his failings and change. As Dickens notes, "May that be truly said of us, and all of us."

Read a Review!

The Spitfire Grill
Appleseed Productions
Sharee Lemos, director

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

A feisty parolee follows her dreams, based on a page from an old travel book, to a small town in Wisconsin and finds a place for herself working at Hannah's Spitfire Grill. It is for sale but there are no takers for the only eatery in the depressed town, so newcomer Percy suggests to Hannah that she raffle it off. Entry fees are one hundred dollars and the best essay on why you want the grill wins. Soon, mail is arriving by the wheelbarrow full and things are definitely cookin' at the Spitfire Grill. A musical filled with hope and promise, just right for the Christmas season. Music and book by James Valcq, lyrics and book by Fred Alley.

Read a Review!

Mr. Jacobs' Remarkable Snowflake Collection
Open Hand Theater

International Mask and Puppet Museum
518 Prospect Ave., Syracuse

A new interactive story by Geoffrey Navias about memories and helping hands.

Read a review!

Men Fake Foreplay
Redhouse

Price: $28 regular; $25 students/seniors
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Mike Dugan's one-man play is a funny, poignant performance within which Dugan draws on the insight and comic timing that earned him an Emmy award and several appearances on the Tonight Show with both Jay Leno and Jonny Carson.

Dugan brings the audience into the mind of men, how they think and deal with issues such as trust, feelings commitment, sex, and behavior toward women. His wisdom and wry sense of humor take the edge off of these uncomfortable topics but there is no escaping the secrets that are revealed.

Mike Dugan has won major awards with celebrated people in the entertainment business. He was a member of the writing team that received an Emmy in 1994 for the first season of "Dennis Miller Live" on HBO. Earlier in his career he garnered the San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition. In addition, he has opened for musical artists such as Roy Orbison, Ricki Lee Jones, Chuck Berry, Harry Belafonte, and Shawn Colvin. Dugan has written television series or specials for a long list of comedians, including Keenen Ivory Wayans, Tom Arnold, Rich Hall, Paul Rodriguez, and Stephanie Miller.

Foreplay is directed by Frances Fisher, star of films such as the blockbuster Titanic, Clint Eastwood's classic western, Unforgiven, and of such hit television series as ER, Boston Legal, and Grey's Anatomy.

This is the production's last stop before it appears off-Broadway in New York City.

Read a review!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Off the Wall Show and Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Unlike most gallery shows, this sale allows buyers to purchase fine artwork that can be taken home immediately, and so it's "Off The Wall." A portion of each sales commission helps to support the Manlius Library general fund and the remainder subsidizes the various community activities and educational programs of Associated Artists. Enjoy the artwork of the many talented and well-known members of this group. This is a wonderful opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts, so bring your family and friends! Purchases can be made at the main desk.

Holiday Presence
Delavan Art Gallery

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

David Beale - watercolors
Robert L. Kasprzycki - oils and acrylics
Nine Members of the Syracuse Ceramic Guild:
Sue Canizares - porcelain
Dee Gage - Raku
Lisa Goodlin - ceramics
Bobbi Lamb - ceramics
Shawn McGuire - wood fired and Raku fired pottery
Paul Molesky - wood fired ceramics
Lauren Ritchie - stoneware lanterns
Tim See - porcelain and wood fired vesselss
Burton Thomas - wall sculpture (bronze glazed and Raku)

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t)
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t) surveys the intense paintings created by the artist since her 1990 retrospective held at the New Jersey State Museum. Many of Beerman's paintings are inspired by traumatic and agonizing historical events. Eloquent Pain(t) will highlight how poetry has been a consistent element of inspiration in the artist's later works. After opening at the Everson, the exhibition will travel to the Queensborough Art Gallery.

Learning Through The Lens: Collaborations with Children at the Edward Smith Elementary School
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery
Schine Student Center, 306 University Ave., Syracuse

52nd Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

Price: Free
401 S. Salina St.
(formerly Dey Brothers Department Store building), Syracuse

Artists participating include members of the Camillus Art Association, Marcellus-Skaneateles Art Guild, North Syracuse Art Guild, Onondaga Art Guild, and Syracuse Ceramic Guild, as well as those participating independently, from the Central New York area.

The show and sale features paintings, sculptures, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, fabrics, soaps, wood, ceramics, and more! It's the perfect place to find those special holiday gifts for your friends and family.

ART MART is sponsored by Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc., and is a unique sale of original crafts and fine arts by artists and craftspeople from Central New York. Art Mart is supported, in part, by grants from Senator John A. DeFrancisco and Onondaga County, administered by the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

For more information, phone 315-468-2616.

Faux Naturel
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Cheerfully dark exhibition of young Canadian and American artists ponders deceit, nature, temptation and excess. Seven artists in Philadelphia, Montréal, Syracuse, and Toronto have created stunning visions of larger-than-life sculpture, tragicomedic video, striking collages, and intricate printmaking.

The exhibit contains recent works by Alex Da Corte (Philadelphia), Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby (Syracuse), Nick Lenker (Philadelphia), Annie MacDonell (Toronto), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), and Andrea Vander Kooij (Montreal).

Three Brothers: The Art of Oren Lyons, Rick Hill and Tracy Thomas
Community Folk Art Center

Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

The Community Folk Art Center will present the works of three Haudenosaunee artists in this exhibition, guest curated by Summer Frazier.

Oren Lyons, a member of the Onondaga Nation, is a Faithkeeper, a guardian of traditional knowledge, and a Professor of American Studies at SUNY Buffalo, where he is Director of the Native American Studies program. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University. He worked in New York City as a commercial artist, and served as planning director of Norcross Greeting Cards. Lyons has exhibited his works extensively. Since returning to Onondaga in 1970, he has been a leading advocate for Native American causes. On May 25, 2006, the Trustees of the New York State Department of Education awarded him their highest honor, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor.

Rick Hill is a member of the Tuscarora Nation. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and holds a Master's Degree in American Studies from SUNY Buffalo. He has taught Native Art History and other courses at SUNY Buffalo. He has held numerous museum positions, including Museum Director at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico as well as Assistant Director for Public Programs of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. His artwork can be found in several museum collections.

Tracy Thomas is a member of the Mohawk Nation. He resides at the Onondaga Nation. An artist since childhood, Thomas has exhibited his work internationally. He exhibits primarily with other Haudenosaunee artists. He has designed logos for Amnesty International's Year of the Indigenous Peoples, the North American Indigenous Games and Team Haudenosaunee.

Michael Matthews: Out of India
Redhouse

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

This collection of Expressionist style landscape paintings were executed in India by this Canadian born artist. Matthews' states that his love affair with the art of India began over 15 years ago when he was drawn to the Islamic galleries of the Persian, Moghul and Rajput collections in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since that time he has made three visits to India, culminating in several months of immersion into the culture, flavor and appeal of the people and surroundings. It is apparent that Matthews was overwhelmed by the grand architecture of India, which form the core of this exhibition.

These works on paper are very reminiscent of Indian textiles, and the various techniques used to bleed and run natural pigmented dyes, like batik and block printing. Matthews' spontaneous way of working exemplifies his expressive style and is enhanced by his use of water-based paints on paper. The melding together of the paints with the paper forms a rich surface in these quickly rendered compositions. Each painting epitomizes Matthews' enchantment with India while celebrating the splendor of Indian architecture and textile through his simple color choices, strong outlines, and an energetic use of pattern.

Christmas Around the World

Price: $1
Ste. Marie Among the Iroquois
106 Lake Dr., Liverpool

During the holiday season, Sainte Marie is transformed into a festive holiday center! Stroll through the Visitor Center and enjoy a nostalgic tour of decorated trees, international versions of Santa, various holiday symbols, light refreshments and wonderful musical entertainment. A working display of trains will return this year and new for 2006 - an Oz tree will celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Syracusan L. Frank Baum. As weather permits, venture out to the candle/fire lit mission compound where costumed interpreters perform daily chores associated with the 1656 mission residents. A gift shop featuring unique holiday items will be open.

5:00-5:45pm -- Winsome
6:00-6:45pm -- CNY Suzuki Violins
7:00-7:45pm -- In Achord-Jamesville-Dewitt High School

Three Brothers Artists Gallery Talks
Community Folk Art Center

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

Artists in the Three Brothers exhibition will discuss their artwork.

Pops Series: Holiday Pops
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Grant Cooper, conductor
Featuring Lianne Coble, soprano; Steven Stull, baritone

Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Enjoy the holidays with the Syracuse Symphony and experience the sights and sounds of the season as Resident Conductor Grant Cooper is joined by a stage-full of special guests including the Onondaga County Select High School Chorus, the Bucknell University Rooke Chapel Bell Choir, and soprano Lianne Coble. You also be on the edge of your seat when baritone Steven Stull tells the fun-filled tale by Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

A Very Merry Musicale

Price: $13 regular, $9 students/seniors, free for ages 5 and younger ($3 advance purchase discount available)
First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles
97 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Dickens cast presents holiday music and stories. For more information, phone 315-685-0552.

Holiday Concert
Liverpool Community Chorus

Price: $8 regular, $6 students/seniors
Liverpool High School Auditorium
4338 Wetzel Rd., Liverpool

Winter Solstice Concert: A Call for Peace
Syracuse Community Choir
Karen Mihalyi, conductor
Featuring Raging Grannies

Price: Adults $10-$25 sliding scale; children free
Plymouth Church
232 E. Onondaga St., Syracuse

The Syracuse Community Choir presents "A Call for Peace," a concert inviting the community to envision and work for peace in hearts, homes, nations, and the world. Last year the choir celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of voices raised in solidarity and steadfast commitment to social justice and peace. In this, their 21st year, the choral members reaffirm this goal and dedicate their collective energies and hearts to honoring and acknowledging our connection to the earth and each other.

For more information, phone 315-428-8151.

Winter Solstice: A Music & Light Experience

Price: $25 in advance - general seating; $35 in advance - reserved seating; $30 at the door
Syracuse Center for the Performing Arts
728 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Two-hour music & light show celebrating the Winter Solstice featuring guest vocalists Joe Whiting and Donna Colton; the orchestra will feature guest artists Jeff Stockham, horns; Loren Barrigar, guitar; Kevin Dorsey, bass; Joe Carello, saxes and flute; Pearson Constantino, drums; Van Norstrand Brothers, strings; Avery Head, bagpipes; David Etse Nyadedzor, Akuma Dance Ensemble from Ghana, Africa; and the Soulstice Singers under the direction of Marcia Hagan. Copies of live Solstice CDs will be available at every show.

Tickets are available at the Syracuse Center for the Arts box office, Creekside Bookstore in Skaneateles, or by calling 315-685-5503 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

Read a review!

Pops Series: Holiday Pops
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Grant Cooper, conductor
Featuring Lianne Coble, soprano; Steven Stull, baritone

Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Enjoy the holidays with the Syracuse Symphony and experience the sights and sounds of the season as Resident Conductor Grant Cooper is joined by a stage-full of special guests including the Onondaga County Select High School Chorus, the Bucknell University Rooke Chapel Bell Choir, and soprano Lianne Coble. You also be on the edge of your seat when baritone Steven Stull tells the fun-filled tale by Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Mr. Jacobs' Remarkable Snowflake Collection
Open Hand Theater

International Mask and Puppet Museum
518 Prospect Ave., Syracuse

A new interactive story by Geoffrey Navias about memories and helping hands.

Read a review!

Aladdin
Magic Circle Children's Theatre

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

Mr. Jacobs' Remarkable Snowflake Collection
Open Hand Theater

International Mask and Puppet Museum
518 Prospect Ave., Syracuse

A new interactive story by Geoffrey Navias about memories and helping hands.

Read a review!

Disney's High School Musical
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $20 regular, $18 students/seniors, $16 children 12 and under
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Read a review!

A Christmas Carol
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Rodney Hudson, director

Price: $45, $40, $22 (adults); $20 (teens); $16 (children)
Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

"... and it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well." The spirit of the season fills the stage in a fantastical telling of this family, holiday tale. At heart, A Christmas Carol is the story of Scrooge, of his transformation from the darkness and bitterness of greed and loneliness to the light of kindness and generosity. It is a tale of hope embodied in an old man's decision to do perhaps the hardest thing of all: admit his failings and change. As Dickens notes, "May that be truly said of us, and all of us."

Read a Review!

Disney's High School Musical
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $20 regular, $18 students/seniors, $16 children 12 and under
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Read a review!

A Christmas Carol
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Rodney Hudson, director

Price: $48, $45, $22 (adults); $20 (teens); $16 (children)
Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

"... and it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well." The spirit of the season fills the stage in a fantastical telling of this family, holiday tale. At heart, A Christmas Carol is the story of Scrooge, of his transformation from the darkness and bitterness of greed and loneliness to the light of kindness and generosity. It is a tale of hope embodied in an old man's decision to do perhaps the hardest thing of all: admit his failings and change. As Dickens notes, "May that be truly said of us, and all of us."

Read a Review!

The Spitfire Grill
Appleseed Productions
Sharee Lemos, director

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

A feisty parolee follows her dreams, based on a page from an old travel book, to a small town in Wisconsin and finds a place for herself working at Hannah's Spitfire Grill. It is for sale but there are no takers for the only eatery in the depressed town, so newcomer Percy suggests to Hannah that she raffle it off. Entry fees are one hundred dollars and the best essay on why you want the grill wins. Soon, mail is arriving by the wheelbarrow full and things are definitely cookin' at the Spitfire Grill. A musical filled with hope and promise, just right for the Christmas season. Music and book by James Valcq, lyrics and book by Fred Alley.

Read a Review!

Mr. Jacobs' Remarkable Snowflake Collection
Open Hand Theater

International Mask and Puppet Museum
518 Prospect Ave., Syracuse

A new interactive story by Geoffrey Navias about memories and helping hands.

Read a review!

Men Fake Foreplay
Redhouse

Price: $28 regular; $25 students/seniors
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Mike Dugan's one-man play is a funny, poignant performance within which Dugan draws on the insight and comic timing that earned him an Emmy award and several appearances on the Tonight Show with both Jay Leno and Jonny Carson.

Dugan brings the audience into the mind of men, how they think and deal with issues such as trust, feelings commitment, sex, and behavior toward women. His wisdom and wry sense of humor take the edge off of these uncomfortable topics but there is no escaping the secrets that are revealed.

Mike Dugan has won major awards with celebrated people in the entertainment business. He was a member of the writing team that received an Emmy in 1994 for the first season of "Dennis Miller Live" on HBO. Earlier in his career he garnered the San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition. In addition, he has opened for musical artists such as Roy Orbison, Ricki Lee Jones, Chuck Berry, Harry Belafonte, and Shawn Colvin. Dugan has written television series or specials for a long list of comedians, including Keenen Ivory Wayans, Tom Arnold, Rich Hall, Paul Rodriguez, and Stephanie Miller.

Foreplay is directed by Frances Fisher, star of films such as the blockbuster Titanic, Clint Eastwood's classic western, Unforgiven, and of such hit television series as ER, Boston Legal, and Grey's Anatomy.

This is the production's last stop before it appears off-Broadway in New York City.

Read a review!

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Learning Through The Lens: Collaborations with Children at the Edward Smith Elementary School
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery
Schine Student Center, 306 University Ave., Syracuse

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t)
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t) surveys the intense paintings created by the artist since her 1990 retrospective held at the New Jersey State Museum. Many of Beerman's paintings are inspired by traumatic and agonizing historical events. Eloquent Pain(t) will highlight how poetry has been a consistent element of inspiration in the artist's later works. After opening at the Everson, the exhibition will travel to the Queensborough Art Gallery.

Off the Wall Show and Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Unlike most gallery shows, this sale allows buyers to purchase fine artwork that can be taken home immediately, and so it's "Off The Wall." A portion of each sales commission helps to support the Manlius Library general fund and the remainder subsidizes the various community activities and educational programs of Associated Artists. Enjoy the artwork of the many talented and well-known members of this group. This is a wonderful opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts, so bring your family and friends! Purchases can be made at the main desk.

A Cavalcade of Popular Music
CNY Jazz Arts Foundation
Featuring Phil Klein, piano

Price: $10
Jazz Central
441 E. Washington St., Syracuse

One-man show highlighting the best in American song of the last two centuries.
Reservations are recommended -- phone 315-469-4675.

Keys for Christmas
Featuring Linda Griffin

Price: Free
Liverpool Public Library
310 Tulip St., Liverpool

Holiday tunes

Christmas Concert
MasterWorks Chorale
Maureen McCauley, conductor
Featuring Karen Bartlett-Morse

St. Mary's of the Lake Church
81 Jordan St., Skaneateles

Program features Bach's Magnificat, along with seasonal anthems and carols.

St. Nicholas Festival
United Church of Fayetteville Handbell Choir and S.U. Brass Ensemble

Price: Donation requested
United Church of Fayetteville
310 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville

For more information, phone 315-443-3133.

A Feast of Byrd for the Christmas Season
Schola Cantorum of Syracuse
Joyce Irwin, conductor

Price: $12 regular, $8 students/seniors
Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church
5299 Jamesville Rd., Dewitt

With appetizers of Advent Motets and a main course of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from the Great Service, Schola Cantorum of Syracuse celebrates William Byrd's choral creativity.

Viol consort prelude at 3:30 pm.

Organ concert
Featuring Gail Archer

Price: $10 donation requested
St. Joseph's Church of Camillus
5600 W. Genesee St., Camillus

Information: 488-8490.

Nancy Kelly and Friends

Price: $15; advance purchase recommended
Jazz Central
441 E. Washington St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-443-1833.

Theatre Pipe Organ Pops Christmas Concert
Syracuse Wurlitzer
Featuring Don Malcolm, organist

Price: $15 adults; $2 children; members free
Empire Theater
New York State Fairgrounds, Geddes

Don Malcolm has performed for thousands with his enthusiastic, up-beat cheery attitude. His professional career started in the Toronto Organ Grinder Restaurant, playing for families visiting for pizza and his unique musical performances. Don's specialty is making people smile, laugh and have a great time. Don also has a serious side with a rather large repertoire of classical music and standards of the twenties up through 2006. Currently from Toronto, Ontario Canada, he is right in the middle of all the Broadway musicals that hit Toronto, and always sneaks your favorites in his programs. Don prides himself with "audience participation," where they are encouraged to sing, clap, hoot and holler! On occasion he brings his old buddy, Clarence the Monkey, for some honky-tonk music that "really blows the dust out of the pipes!"

Men Fake Foreplay
Redhouse

Price: $28 regular; $25 students/seniors
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Mike Dugan's one-man play is a funny, poignant performance within which Dugan draws on the insight and comic timing that earned him an Emmy award and several appearances on the Tonight Show with both Jay Leno and Jonny Carson.

Dugan brings the audience into the mind of men, how they think and deal with issues such as trust, feelings commitment, sex, and behavior toward women. His wisdom and wry sense of humor take the edge off of these uncomfortable topics but there is no escaping the secrets that are revealed.

Mike Dugan has won major awards with celebrated people in the entertainment business. He was a member of the writing team that received an Emmy in 1994 for the first season of "Dennis Miller Live" on HBO. Earlier in his career he garnered the San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition. In addition, he has opened for musical artists such as Roy Orbison, Ricki Lee Jones, Chuck Berry, Harry Belafonte, and Shawn Colvin. Dugan has written television series or specials for a long list of comedians, including Keenen Ivory Wayans, Tom Arnold, Rich Hall, Paul Rodriguez, and Stephanie Miller.

Foreplay is directed by Frances Fisher, star of films such as the blockbuster Titanic, Clint Eastwood's classic western, Unforgiven, and of such hit television series as ER, Boston Legal, and Grey's Anatomy.

This is the production's last stop before it appears off-Broadway in New York City.

Read a review!

A Christmas Carol
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Rodney Hudson, director

Price: $45, $40, $22 (adults); $20 (teens); $16 (children)
Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

"... and it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well." The spirit of the season fills the stage in a fantastical telling of this family, holiday tale. At heart, A Christmas Carol is the story of Scrooge, of his transformation from the darkness and bitterness of greed and loneliness to the light of kindness and generosity. It is a tale of hope embodied in an old man's decision to do perhaps the hardest thing of all: admit his failings and change. As Dickens notes, "May that be truly said of us, and all of us."

Read a Review!

Monday, December 18, 2006

Visual Arts Showcase #57
CNY Arts

Price: Free
WCNY
415 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Visual Arts Showcase #57 features 19 local visual artists presenting work in varied media.
Featured Artists: Joan Applebaum, Dan Bacich, Marna Bell, Michael Berman, Judith Brown-Roenbeck, Robert Carroll, Joe Cerio, Anne Childress, Mary Lou Colgin, Shelly Coryell, Ben Donzella, Joy Englehart, Kathy Gibbons, Richard Karuzas, Steve Koh, Allen Kosoff, Joe LeFevre, Yolanda Tooley, Noelle Uebele

Green Towers
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Atrium Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibit exploring the "green" design of the Bank of America tower, currently under construction at 1 Bryant Park in Manhatten.

Off the Wall Show and Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Unlike most gallery shows, this sale allows buyers to purchase fine artwork that can be taken home immediately, and so it's "Off The Wall." A portion of each sales commission helps to support the Manlius Library general fund and the remainder subsidizes the various community activities and educational programs of Associated Artists. Enjoy the artwork of the many talented and well-known members of this group. This is a wonderful opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts, so bring your family and friends! Purchases can be made at the main desk.

Learning Through The Lens: Collaborations with Children at the Edward Smith Elementary School
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery
Schine Student Center, 306 University Ave., Syracuse

2006 Light Work Grants
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The exhibition "2006 Light Work Grants" features the work of three Central New York photographers -- Laura Heyman, Thilde Jensen, and Rishi Singhal -- who were awarded grants through the 2006 Light Work Grant program. The Light Work Grants in Photography program is a part of Light Work's ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to artists working in photography. The grants also aim to foster an understanding and appreciation for photographic arts in Central New York.

Rik Pinkcombe: Perception and Deception
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The images in the exhibition, taken mostly in the Syracuse area, are digitally distorted and manipulated to represent the way that people's vision can become altered by outside pressures and influences such as consumerism, religion, government, education, and sports. One of the main themes behind Pinkcombe's work is identity -- he is particularly interested in how outside influences affect who people are. In some photographs he looks at racial identity through images of borders, bridges, and traffic stops, which link communities and also symbolize immigration and emigration. He also creates what he calls "theater images," where the photographs are manipulated and stripped of so much information that they begin to look like film sets or models.

Pinkcombe currently lives in London, England. He attended school at Blackpool College of Lancaster University. Recent exhibition venues include the Stephen Lawrence Gallery in Greenwich and the 921 Gallery in Hackney, Great Britain. Originally trained as a commercial photographer, Pinkcombe shifted to art photography after a prolonged battle with leukemia made him reevaluate his life. He participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in March 2005. Pinkcombe's residency was sponsored by Autograph: The Association of Black Photographers located in London.

52nd Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

Price: Free
401 S. Salina St.
(formerly Dey Brothers Department Store building), Syracuse

Artists participating include members of the Camillus Art Association, Marcellus-Skaneateles Art Guild, North Syracuse Art Guild, Onondaga Art Guild, and Syracuse Ceramic Guild, as well as those participating independently, from the Central New York area.

The show and sale features paintings, sculptures, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, fabrics, soaps, wood, ceramics, and more! It's the perfect place to find those special holiday gifts for your friends and family.

ART MART is sponsored by Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc., and is a unique sale of original crafts and fine arts by artists and craftspeople from Central New York. Art Mart is supported, in part, by grants from Senator John A. DeFrancisco and Onondaga County, administered by the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

For more information, phone 315-468-2616.

Holiday Presence
Delavan Art Gallery

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

David Beale - watercolors
Robert L. Kasprzycki - oils and acrylics
Nine Members of the Syracuse Ceramic Guild:
Sue Canizares - porcelain
Dee Gage - Raku
Lisa Goodlin - ceramics
Bobbi Lamb - ceramics
Shawn McGuire - wood fired and Raku fired pottery
Paul Molesky - wood fired ceramics
Lauren Ritchie - stoneware lanterns
Tim See - porcelain and wood fired vesselss
Burton Thomas - wall sculpture (bronze glazed and Raku)

Highland Winds Clarinet Quartet
Featuring John Delia, Tom Soccocio, John Flaver, and Tom McKay

Price: Free
Onondaga County Central Library
The Galleries of Syracuse, 447 S. Salina St., Syracuse

Bagatelle, Grundman
Pavane, Ravel
Licorice Stick Suite, Sears
Fuga XVI, Bach
Selections from the Nutcracker Suite, Tchaikovsky: Overture, March, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Russian Dance, Arabian Dance and Chinese Dance
Un Bel Di, Puccini
Scherzo, Tchaikovsky
The Entertainer, Joplin
Sabre Dance, Katchaturian
Stars & Stripes Forever, Sousa

Syracuse Set List: Holiday Songs
Redhouse

Price: $10
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Local songwriting powerhouses team up for one night of original holiday music. Ashley Cox, Jackie Warren-Moore, Loren Barrigar, Larry Hoyt, Timothy Daniel, and Klezmercuse will be performing. Concert-goers will encounter a wide range of positive material including instrumental, Christian, Jewish, Kwanza, and non-religious original music inspired by this time of year.

Redhouse will honor the season of giving by accepting canned goods for The Food Bank of Central New York at the concert.

Respect Sextet
New Thing Productions

Price: $12 regular, $10 with student ID
Jazz Central
441 E. Washington St., Syracuse

Formed in 2001, The Respect Sextet is a powerhouse ensemble dedicated to performing a wide variety of improvisational musics. Relying on their explosive energy, rare telepathy, outstanding musicianship, and a deep friendship, Respect pieces together free improvisations, original compositions, free jazz classics, television commercial jingles, text pieces, jazz standards, game pieces and more into "a whirling collage," shouts Exclaim! Magazine, "that ransacks and reshapes the entire jazz tradition, from New Orleans march to Misha Mengelberg, Sun Ra to Charlie Parker."

The group comprises Josh Rutner (reeds, radio, toys), Eli Asher (trumpet, toys), James Hirschfeld (trombone, toys), Malcolm Kirby (bass), Red Wierenga (piano, keyboard, accordion) and Ted Poor (drums).

For more info, phone 315-569-4529.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Visual Arts Showcase #57
CNY Arts

Price: Free
WCNY
415 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Visual Arts Showcase #57 features 19 local visual artists presenting work in varied media.
Featured Artists: Joan Applebaum, Dan Bacich, Marna Bell, Michael Berman, Judith Brown-Roenbeck, Robert Carroll, Joe Cerio, Anne Childress, Mary Lou Colgin, Shelly Coryell, Ben Donzella, Joy Englehart, Kathy Gibbons, Richard Karuzas, Steve Koh, Allen Kosoff, Joe LeFevre, Yolanda Tooley, Noelle Uebele

Green Towers
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Atrium Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibit exploring the "green" design of the Bank of America tower, currently under construction at 1 Bryant Park in Manhatten.

Off the Wall Show and Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Unlike most gallery shows, this sale allows buyers to purchase fine artwork that can be taken home immediately, and so it's "Off The Wall." A portion of each sales commission helps to support the Manlius Library general fund and the remainder subsidizes the various community activities and educational programs of Associated Artists. Enjoy the artwork of the many talented and well-known members of this group. This is a wonderful opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts, so bring your family and friends! Purchases can be made at the main desk.

Three Brothers: The Art of Oren Lyons, Rick Hill and Tracy Thomas
Community Folk Art Center

Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

The Community Folk Art Center will present the works of three Haudenosaunee artists in this exhibition, guest curated by Summer Frazier.

Oren Lyons, a member of the Onondaga Nation, is a Faithkeeper, a guardian of traditional knowledge, and a Professor of American Studies at SUNY Buffalo, where he is Director of the Native American Studies program. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University. He worked in New York City as a commercial artist, and served as planning director of Norcross Greeting Cards. Lyons has exhibited his works extensively. Since returning to Onondaga in 1970, he has been a leading advocate for Native American causes. On May 25, 2006, the Trustees of the New York State Department of Education awarded him their highest honor, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor.

Rick Hill is a member of the Tuscarora Nation. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and holds a Master's Degree in American Studies from SUNY Buffalo. He has taught Native Art History and other courses at SUNY Buffalo. He has held numerous museum positions, including Museum Director at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico as well as Assistant Director for Public Programs of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. His artwork can be found in several museum collections.

Tracy Thomas is a member of the Mohawk Nation. He resides at the Onondaga Nation. An artist since childhood, Thomas has exhibited his work internationally. He exhibits primarily with other Haudenosaunee artists. He has designed logos for Amnesty International's Year of the Indigenous Peoples, the North American Indigenous Games and Team Haudenosaunee.

Rik Pinkcombe: Perception and Deception
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The images in the exhibition, taken mostly in the Syracuse area, are digitally distorted and manipulated to represent the way that people's vision can become altered by outside pressures and influences such as consumerism, religion, government, education, and sports. One of the main themes behind Pinkcombe's work is identity -- he is particularly interested in how outside influences affect who people are. In some photographs he looks at racial identity through images of borders, bridges, and traffic stops, which link communities and also symbolize immigration and emigration. He also creates what he calls "theater images," where the photographs are manipulated and stripped of so much information that they begin to look like film sets or models.

Pinkcombe currently lives in London, England. He attended school at Blackpool College of Lancaster University. Recent exhibition venues include the Stephen Lawrence Gallery in Greenwich and the 921 Gallery in Hackney, Great Britain. Originally trained as a commercial photographer, Pinkcombe shifted to art photography after a prolonged battle with leukemia made him reevaluate his life. He participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in March 2005. Pinkcombe's residency was sponsored by Autograph: The Association of Black Photographers located in London.

2006 Light Work Grants
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The exhibition "2006 Light Work Grants" features the work of three Central New York photographers -- Laura Heyman, Thilde Jensen, and Rishi Singhal -- who were awarded grants through the 2006 Light Work Grant program. The Light Work Grants in Photography program is a part of Light Work's ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to artists working in photography. The grants also aim to foster an understanding and appreciation for photographic arts in Central New York.

Learning Through The Lens: Collaborations with Children at the Edward Smith Elementary School
Light Work Gallery

Price: Free
Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery
Schine Student Center, 306 University Ave., Syracuse

52nd Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

Price: Free
401 S. Salina St.
(formerly Dey Brothers Department Store building), Syracuse

Artists participating include members of the Camillus Art Association, Marcellus-Skaneateles Art Guild, North Syracuse Art Guild, Onondaga Art Guild, and Syracuse Ceramic Guild, as well as those participating independently, from the Central New York area.

The show and sale features paintings, sculptures, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, fabrics, soaps, wood, ceramics, and more! It's the perfect place to find those special holiday gifts for your friends and family.

ART MART is sponsored by Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc., and is a unique sale of original crafts and fine arts by artists and craftspeople from Central New York. Art Mart is supported, in part, by grants from Senator John A. DeFrancisco and Onondaga County, administered by the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

For more information, phone 315-468-2616.

Faux Naturel
The Warehouse Gallery

Price: Free
The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Cheerfully dark exhibition of young Canadian and American artists ponders deceit, nature, temptation and excess. Seven artists in Philadelphia, Montréal, Syracuse, and Toronto have created stunning visions of larger-than-life sculpture, tragicomedic video, striking collages, and intricate printmaking.

The exhibit contains recent works by Alex Da Corte (Philadelphia), Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby (Syracuse), Nick Lenker (Philadelphia), Annie MacDonell (Toronto), Allyson Mitchell (Toronto), and Andrea Vander Kooij (Montreal).

American Woodblock Prints
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

In this exhibit, 50 images illustrate the diversity of 20th century American woodblock printing. Important artists in the show include Milton Avery, Fritz Eichenberg, Werner Drewes and Jim Dine.

The exhibition displays the work of more than 40 artists who made woodblock relief prints an important part of their artistic output. Divided into thematic groups the show allows the viewer to see how different artists utilized the media throughout the century to create landscapes, urban scenes, figurative images and expressionist pictures. It is important to note that many women artists not only worked in these media but had a profound impact on their use and popularity.

Parking is available at the Marion parking lot on Waverly Avenue. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Meaning and Metaphor
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Meaning and Metaphor presents a group of 10 large contemporary paintings and two distinctly different sculptures. Made by American and British artists, the works challenge preconceived notions of what art is and its purpose.

Several pieces reject the idea that art needs to be realistic. Large paintings by Bernard Cohen and Walter Darby Bannard explore abstraction in uniquely different ways. Bannard's Sun Flood, 1972 is an excellent late example of Abstract Expressionism while Cohen's Somewhere Between, 1975 pushed Op Art to its philosophical extreme.

Other works examine the role of narration in art. Robert Birmelin's Night Driving, 1964, Sidney Goodman's Eclipse and Rico Lebrun's Lazarus, 1962 develop stories that leave the viewer with more questions than answers.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

War News and Strange Brews: The Art of Boris Artzybasheff
Syracuse University Art Museum

Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Boris Artzybasheff was a Russian émigré artist who painted over 200 cover illustrations for Time magazine. His most important work dates to World War II when he depicted the politicians, military leaders and the issues that governed the course of the conflict. His unique abilities in portraiture led Time to select him to paint several Man of the Year covers including portraits of Joseph Stalin and Harry Truman.

Artzybasheff was possibly more famous for his illustrations that gave machinery human characteristics. His sly talent for choosing just the right amount of human anatomy gave each machine a personality that ranged from sympathetic to sinister. Viewers were therefore compelled to have an emotional reaction to the machine and its purpose.

Parking is available at the Marion Avenue parking lot. For further information please contact the Galleries' David Prince at 315-443-4097.

Holiday Presence
Delavan Art Gallery

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

David Beale - watercolors
Robert L. Kasprzycki - oils and acrylics
Nine Members of the Syracuse Ceramic Guild:
Sue Canizares - porcelain
Dee Gage - Raku
Lisa Goodlin - ceramics
Bobbi Lamb - ceramics
Shawn McGuire - wood fired and Raku fired pottery
Paul Molesky - wood fired ceramics
Lauren Ritchie - stoneware lanterns
Tim See - porcelain and wood fired vesselss
Burton Thomas - wall sculpture (bronze glazed and Raku)

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t)
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Miriam Beerman: Eloquent Pain(t) surveys the intense paintings created by the artist since her 1990 retrospective held at the New Jersey State Museum. Many of Beerman's paintings are inspired by traumatic and agonizing historical events. Eloquent Pain(t) will highlight how poetry has been a consistent element of inspiration in the artist's later works. After opening at the Everson, the exhibition will travel to the Queensborough Art Gallery.