Friday, December 16, 2011

Windows Project: Elisabeth Meyer: Black Night/White Night
The Warehouse Gallery

The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

The Window Project features an installation by Elisabeth Meyer consisting of organic forms embroidered onto an organza fabric. The overall patterning evokes an association with ocean waves and a net. The transparent quality of the organza background allows the viewer to see through the piece that is hanging from the ceiling covering the entire window front. The work addresses the issue of displacement through traveling. Meyer, who is based in Ithaca, developed the concept for this exhibition while at a residency in Iceland, traveled to India to oversee the production of the embroidery, and created the work on site in Syracuse.

Learning to Write American: Works by Jennifer Drinkwater
Redhouse

Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

These incredibly innovative pieces directly involve the viewer to create meaning, through imagining the missing term, through opening compartments of the painting to explore what is hidden beneath the surface, or by rearranging magnets to create a composition.

Read a review!

Sculpted Sound: From Art to Wood to Music -- Works of John & Sondra Bromka
LeMoyne College

Price: Free
Wilson Art Gallery, Noreen Reale Falcone Library
LeMoyne College, Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-445-4153.

Spanglish: Drawing, Collage, Photography and Video
Point of Contact Gallery

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

Spanglish is a project made specifically for the Point of Contact Gallery by New York City artist Celeste Fichter, based on Point of Contact's work in the verbal and the visual arts, and its ties to the Latin American literary and visual arts. Comprised of drawing, collage, photography and video, Spanglish is based solely on the artist's understanding and misunderstanding of the Spanish language.

For several months Fichter studied the Spanish/English dictionary page by page, definition by definition in alphabetical order, pronouncing each word aloud in search of words that sound like other words (in either English or Spanish), and looking for definitions that have intriguing double meanings or spellings that can be manipulated. As a non-Spanish speaker, the attempt to learn a new language through a list of definitions presented many limitations; however it is within the narrow confines of these limitations, and maybe because of them, that new understanding is created.

Fichter is interested in the fluidity of language in general as a tool of expression and visual language specifically. Spanglish is beyond a spoken language, beyond a hybrid of the English and Spanish languages — a visual language made up of words, images, signs and symbols.

Open Apple Steve. Memoriam: an aesthetic homage to Steve Jobs
Syracuse Technology Garden Gallery

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

Exhibit features works by local artists Vicki Harris, Matthew Keeney, Ellen Leahy, Paul Melnikow, and Kathryn Petrillo, plus works from artists in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Utah, Washington DC, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Philippines, and Portugal

Read a review!

Just One Word: Plastics
Syracuse University Library Special Collections Research Center

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

For more than a century, plastics have transformed our lives -- from bathroom to battlefield; from supermarket to spacecraft. Begun as a 19th-century replacement material for billiard balls and piano keys, plastics spurred 20th century developments in industry, transportation, medicine, entertainment, and other aspects of contemporary life. The original objects of "Just One Word: Plastics" represent a material history of the modern world.

This exhibition features a representative sample of the Plastics Collection at the Syracuse University Library and presents an overview of major trends in the development of plastics in everyday life. The exhibit focuses on personal and household objects rather than the use of plastics in industry where they are also widely used. Approximately 250 objects divided into 12 categories will be on view. In addition, a small selection of manuscripts and printed materials will be included.

Specific objects to be featured in the exhibition are:
* ornate celluloid combs and a wide variety of plastic toiletries
* phenolic (Bakelite) objects from the 1920s and 30s including jewelry, radios, and other appliances and games
* musical instruments
* post-war toys, dishes, and household items
* original patent books of John Wesley Hyatt, inventor of Celluloid
* product catalogues from the 1930s and 1950s for popular items such as DuPont French Ivory dresser sets, Boltaware molded "stoneware" dishes, and Tupperware, and
* the Pleur-evac, a revolutionary plastic medical device for draining fluid and maintaining pressure in the lungs that helped save the life of President Ronald Reagan.

The Plastics Collection was begun in 2007 as a joint project of the Syracuse University Library and the Plastics History & Artifacts Committee of the Plastics Pioneers Association. The Collection expanded dramatically when the National Plastics Center and Museum in Leominster, MA, closed and transferred its artifacts, books, and manuscripts to Syracuse University's care in 2008.

Westcott Holiday Group Show
Westcott Community Art Gallery

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

Photos, paintings and prints by Steve Susman, Molly Susman, Jessica Breedlove and Kristina Starowitz.

Whereas I Took the Butterfly: Works by Deloss McGraw
YMCA Arts Branch GallerY

Price: Free
YMCA Downtown
340 Montgomery St., Syracuse

This exhibit of literary "poster paintings" features Deloss McGraw's reflections/interpretations of such writers as Dickinson, Hemingway, Snodgrass and others, often using photographs of the authors, book covers, or other borrowed images.

Untold Stories
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Featuring the diverse works of Alison Fisher: acrylic and mixed media paintings; jewelry made of unique mixed metals and found objects; one-of-a-kind textiles including handbags, scarves, pillows, and throws.

"Off the Wall" Holiday Art Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Child of the Universe: Works by George Kilpatrick
Community Folk Art Center

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

Local media figure George Kilpatrick is featured in his exhibition Child of the Universe, a tribute to the life and work of his late father George Kilpatrick Sr. The exhibition features a variety of paintings and sculptures that evoke Kilpatrick's philosophical views on humanity and its place in the universe.

26th Annual Gingerbread Gallery
Erie Canal Museum

Price: $5 regular, $4 seniors, $2 children, members free
Erie Canal Museum
318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

The museums transforms into a festive 1800s street scene with more than 40 gingerbread creations in storefront windows.

Gifts for the Home
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece of home décor? Then check out this exhibition featuring original watercolors, wooden clocks and spoons, ceramic mugs, blown glass vases, and other handcrafted gifts at a variety of price points.

Artists represented include:
Lucie Wellner, of Pompey, watercolor paintings
Dennis MacDonald, of Fabius, brooms
Emily Reason, of Marshall, N.C., porcelain pottery
Rick Barrick, of Lancaster, Pa., candles
Jonathan Simons, of Kempton, Pa., wooden spoons
Schlabaugh & Sons, of Kalona, Iowa, clocks

VisualBooks: Works by Scott McCarney
Light Work Gallery

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

This unique and beautiful exhibition explores the book as a sculptural object that employs a variety of image-making processes. McCarney's carefully hand-bound editions and found-altered books incorporate photographic imagery and utilize the space of the gallery to explore reading as display (on pedestals and shelves, hanging from the ceiling, mounted on the wall).

McCarney creates his sculptural objects and photo-based editions as one-of-a-kind, hand-made pieces as well as small runs of print-on-demand books. According to Hannah Frieser, director of Light Work, "Scott McCarney rethinks the book form, considering books as a starting point rather than a mere vehicle for information and images."

Read a review!

Landmarks of New York
Onondaga Historical Association

Price: Free
Onondaga Historical Association
321 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Landmarks of New York is a traveling exhibit of 90 stunning black and white photographs of New York City buildings that have been accorded landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The exhibit is curated by Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, New York City's first director of cultural affairs and acclaimed author of the book that serves as the basis for the exhibit, The Landmarks of New York: An Illustrated Record of the City's Historic Building. In conjunction with the show, Dennis Connors, OHA's Curator of History, selected over 20 contemporary and historic photographs to highlight Onondaga County's own architectural inheritance.

Six Sides of Japanese Package Design
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

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

The exhibition focuses on the way the design of the package relates to Japanese culture and consumerism.

Based on a collection of different Japanese products, "Six Sides of Japanese Package Design" is the result of a collaboration between undergraduate communications design students in the class Problem-Solving Strategies, taught by Roderick Martinez, and graduate museum studies students in the class Museum Studies Practicum, taught by Bradley Hudson. Divided into six groups, the students selected themes that each highlight a different dimension of package design in Japan. Each section of the gallery is a realization of the groups' respective themes in the form of a museum exhibition.

The Design Gallery is located on the first floor of The Warehouse. Patrons should enter The Warehouse via the ground-floor door, adjacent to the café on West Fayette Street or the first-floor door on West Washington Street.

The Art of Gift Giving
Szozda Gallery

Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

This group show of new works by favorite artists includes an eclectic mix of photography, paintings, drawings and mixed media, with as varied a host of subject matter as the techniques used to create them. Featured artists includ Rob Glisson, Harry-Freeman Jones, Kwangpyo (Steve) Koh, Emily Elizabeth, Ray Trudell, Phil Parsons, Barbara Conte-Gaugel, R.L. Mercer, C. J. Hodge, Roscha Folger, Diana Godfrey, Dona Flaherty and Linda Esterley. These are artists who have successfully shown before and now, in the spirit of giving, have produced new art especially for this show as a way of thanking the many audiences who continue to enjoy and appreciate their particular creations.

Expressions of Joy: Annual Holiday Show
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fine art and fine craft created by local artists.

Holiday Show 2011
Gandee Gallery

Gandee Gallery
7846 Main St., Fabius

The Holiday Show features jewelry, ceramics, photography, painting, and fiber art created by regionally and nationally recognized artists. Participating artists include Dana Stenson (Syracuse), Jen Gandee (Fabius), Jeanann Wieners (Syracuse), Elisabeth Groat (Syracuse), Sarah Saulson (Syracuse), Lucie Wellner (Pompey), and Errol Willett (Fabius).

The Holiday Group Show emphasizes the important role that handmade objects and fine art plays in domestic life, enriching living spaces and adorning the body.

57th Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

City Hall Commons Atrium
201 East Washington St., Syracuse

Our gift shop of fine art and crafts handmade by local guild and independent artists is Syracuse's one-stop shopping haven during the holiday season. Find unique pottery, stained glass, paintings, jewelry, hand-crafted soaps and candles, and much more.

For more information, phone 315-243-6359 or 315-637-6562.

Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World
Syracuse University Art Museum

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

"Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World" examines how depictions of the railroad transformed our perception of the railroad industry. Whether the purpose of an artistic work was to entertain the viewer, to provide cultural commentary, or to call attention to the railroad's impact on the economic climate, each one inevitably had an effect on the way the audience viewed and understood the railroad in modern society.

In partnership with the Syracuse University Art Galleries and the Special Collections Research Center, the students enrolled in the Advanced Curatorship course in the Graduate Program in Museum Studies have worked together to thematically demonstrate visual testimonies to the railroad's reign over the industrialized world.

Sources & Structures: The Art of Robert Stackhouse
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

This 25-year retrospective, organized by the SUArt Galleries, surveys the development of Robert Stackhouse as an artist. In addition to investigating the roots of his best-known imagery -- Viking ships, whales, snakes, and wood A-frame constructs -- this exhibition examines how he conceives of these designs through his drawings, watercolors, and prints. "Sources and Structures" considers how Stackhouse has made a personal examination of these natural and man-made forms and developed a body of work that explores affinities between architecture and biological anatomy.

Emilio Sanchez: No Way Home--Images of the Caribbean and New York City
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

"No Way Home" features a selection of 24 paintings, watercolors, drawings and prints drawn from the recently acquired collection of work by Cuban-American artist Emilio Sanchez (1921-1999). Best known for his brightly colored, strongly shadowed images of Caribbean and New York City architecture, this exhibition reveals the artist's ongoing interest in repetitive patterns. The show highlights a recent gift to the University Art Collection from the Emilio Sanchez Foundation of over 250 paintings, drawings and prints.

From Here to There: Alec Soth's America
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $10 regular, $8 students/seniors/military, members and children under 5 free
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

"From Here to There: Alec Soth's America" provides a focused look at an extraordinary photographer whose compelling images of the American road and its unexpected turns form powerful narrative vignettes. The exhibition will be the artist's first major survey assembled in the United States, exploring over 15 years of his career, and including an extensive new body of work.

Since his inclusion in the 2004 Whitney and São Paulo biennials, Soth's reputation as one of the most interesting voices in contemporary photography has continued to grow. Though he has followed the itinerant path laid forth by photographers such as Robert Frank, William Eggleston, and Stephen Shore, Soth's is a distinct perspective, one in which the wandering, searching, and the process of telling is as resonant as the record of these remarkable encounters. When considered together, Soth's pictures probe the individualities of people, objects, and places he encounters; offer insight to broader sociologies, and in the process form a collective portrait of an unexpected America.

Featuring approximately 100 photographs made between 1994 and the present, "From Here to There" will include rarely-seen early black-and-white images as well as examples from Soth's best-known series "Sleeping by the Mississippi" and "Niagara." Interspersed throughout the exhibition will be a broad range of portraits made over the past 15 years. The exhibition will also include a new body of work the artist has been developing since 2006, exploring places of escape in America and individuals who seek to flee civilization for a life off the grid. To add insight into Soth's process, the exhibition additionally features a Library space, which includes a reading area for publications, a selection of maquettes for book and 'zine projects, short video works, and ephemera gathered on the road.

Margie Hughto: A Fired Landscape
Everson Museum of Art

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

Internationally renowned ceramic artist Margie Hughto presents her first site-specific museum installation entitled A Fired Landscape, a "clay painting" spanning 50 feet of gallery wall space. Inspired by the artist's spectacular backyard gardens and natural landscape just steps from her studio, The Fired Landscape installation consists of Setting Sun, a brilliantly colored ceramic wall relief displayed continuously on five angled walls. The visitor encounter is reminiscent of what one experiences when surrounded by the natural environment. Overall, Setting Sun is a ceramic abstraction, but Hughto establishes a connection to the landscape that inspired it by adding impressions of natural objects such as native ferns, marine life and fossils, into the wet clay and then coating the surfaces with brilliant color. The rich palette of burnt oranges and fiery reds evoke the sun’s glowing light and radiating warmth. Tiny pieces of glass embedded in the clay prior to firing add sparkle to the glossy green and blue glazes used to suggest the artist's lily pond.

Deng Guo Yuan
The Warehouse Gallery

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

This exhibit will highlight ink brush paintings by Tianjin-based Chinese artist Deng Guo Yuan. His work reveals the tradition of Chinese landscape painting and a profound knowledge of modern and international contemporary aesthetics. The film "Deng Guo Yuan" (2010) by French filmmaker Pierre Creton, presented in the Gallery's vault, meticulously documents the creation of one of Deng Guo Yuan's ink paintings in his Tianjin studio. Widely exhibited in China and Europe, this will be the artist's first solo museum exhibition in the United States. The show originated at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts Museum (Tianjin, China), and then traveled in modified form to the Samek Art Gallery at Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA), to the Provenance Center (New London, CT), and to its last venue, the Warehouse Gallery, for which Deng Guo Yuan will create additional site-specific works.

Sculpture Club Exhibition
XL Projects

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

A collaborative group show displaying a wide variety of work done by the undergraduate members of SU's Sculpture Club. With more than 20 artists being shown, the exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to see the vast array of artwork students have been creating in the sculptural field. The show is curated by Alex Svoboda and Sarah Whitehouse.

Dies Irae
Echo

745 N. Salina St. (formerly Craft Chemistry)
Syracuse

Dies Irae, a group show with Thomas Ward III, Heidi Josephine, and Nik Moore featuring a mix of collaborative and original paintings.

Daughters of Ixchel: The Photography of Mary Lawyer O'Connor
ArtRage Gallery

Price: Free
ArtRage Gallery
505 Hawley Ave., Syracuse

"Daughters of Ixchel" is a collection of images of Maya women and their hand-woven textiles that brings awareness and understanding of vibrant Maya cultures and the challenges they face. The exhibit will be a look into the lives of women weavers from Guatemala and Southern Mexico. Portrait and documentary photography along with text will tell their stories and will include original textiles. We will highlight fair-trade, worker-owned cooperatives and the political history of Guatemala where, despite persecution and genocide, Maya weavers maintain traditional methods, patterns, colors and styles that flourish and evolve.

Mary Lawyer O'Connor lives in Pompey and is a founder and current head of the Montessori School of Syracuse.

Always After (the Glass House)
Urban Video Project

Price: Free
Everson Museum of Art Plaza
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Urban Video Project is pleased to present Always After (the Glass House), 2006, by internationally recognized multimedia artist, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle.

Employing footage shot on a high-speed film camera, Always After focuses on the broken glass accumulated after the windows of the Mies-designed Illinois Institute of Technology's Crown Hall were smashed by the architect's own grandson as part of a ceremony in advance of the building's renovation. Manglano-Ovalle scrupulously edits out all clear reference to this odd 'kill your fathers' ritual, leaving the viewer with a dream-like sequence in which well-shod anonymous masses eternally exit and equally anonymous custodians endlessly move in to sweep up the crystalline debris of modernism. The precise nature of the event--whether it is a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, or just routine construction--never becomes clear. Instead, the narrative unfolds like a Jacob's ladder: never reaching the end, passing again and again through the point where modernist progress and crisis become indistinguishable--a point that is always already "after."

Nathaniel Sullivan: On the Way to the Theatre, We Egged a Trans-am
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

In this 1 minute-23 second video, Sullivan depicts the pressures brought to bear in teenage boys--most of which are pressures to be pleased, injunctions to enjoy. While at first glance this looks like an easy row to hoe, the work makes it clear that in fact there are consequences to taking one's pleasures liberally, without reserve. As Plato said, pleasure deranges as efficiently as pain.

Nathaniel Sullivan is an artist and writer. He received his MFA degree from the Transmedia Department at Syracuse University in Spring 2011. His practice is a balance of artwork, critical writing, and curating. His work has been shown in exhibitions and screenings in Syracuse, New York City, and widely across Canada. In 2006, he was awarded a Special Mention from the prestigious Montreal Film Festival.

The Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers Trio
Creekside Coffeehouse

Creekside Books
35 Fennell St., Skaneateles

Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, with Wendy Ramsey and Josh Dekaney.

A Holiday Evening with Sloan Wainwright
Folkus Project

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

Make merry this holiday with one of folk music's most passionate singers, as Sloan Wainwright brings her festive seasonal show to Syracuse. The evening will be a jubilant, uplifting celebration of the season and the upcoming new year. There will be laughs and good spirits, reflections and inspirations, all held together by Wainwright's distinctive music style and rich contralto. For this concert, she'll be joined by her working companion of 15 years, Stephen Murphy on guitars, along with Cadence Carroll on percussion, and Doug Wray on bass. The evening promises something for everyone -- a stirring, joyous gala sure to move our sprits and capture our hearts.

The Wizards of Winter
Westcott Theater

Westcott Theater
524 Westcott St., Syracuse

Nuncrackers
Encore Presentations

Price: $37.25 dinner and show, $20 show only
Glen Loch Restaurant
4626 North St., Jamesville

Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical is the first "TV Special" taped by the sisters in their convent basement studio for Cable Access. It stars the nuns you love plus Father Virgil and some of Mt. Saint Helen's most talented students. It features all new songs including: Twelve Days Prior to Christmas, Santa Ain't Comin' To Our House, We Three Kings of Orient Are Us, and It's Better to Give Than To Receive. This show is filled with "Nunsense" humor, some of your favorite carols, a "Secret Santa," and an uproarious take on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet. Nuncrackers will make you laugh and maybe tug at your heartstrings. It's the perfect way to insure your holiday season is merry and bright.

Dinner begins at 6:30 pm; show at 8:00 pm.

Read a Review!

A Christmas Carol
Christian School of Performing Arts

Price: $13
Roxboro Road Middle School
Bernard St., Mattydale

For more information, phone 315-278-7914.

The Rockin' Tale of Snow White
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

The Old Time Christmas Radio Hour
Appleseed Productions
Lois Haas, director

Price: $10
Atonement Lutheran Church
116 W. Glen Ave., Syracuse

Set in the fictional town of Redwing, NY, the original production centers on a small town radio station, "WHRT," as it attempts a live, holiday-themed variety hour.

Local actor Edward Mastin reprises his role of emcee "Mr. Ed in the Morning," and is joined by Tom Minion, Tracy Martin, Bernard Kaplan and Lois Haas. The cast is completed by a number of additional performers, soloists and special guests.

The Old Time Christmas Radio Hour will feature a warm mix of seasonal music, variety acts, sketch comedy ... along with all the trimmings of a "live broadcast” as can only be produced by our friends in "Redwing."

Read a Review!

Red Light Series: Joey Arias in "White Holiday"
Redhouse

Price: $15
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Legendary drag performance artist Joey Arias is coming to Syracuse for the holidays! Monster diva, fashion icon, and extraordinary vocalist, Arias is one of the greatest post-modern performance artists of his time. Famous for his legendary cabaret acts, his appearance in the movie Too Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar and his six-year engagement as the Mistress of Seduction in Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity at the New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Enjoy this dazzling holiday extravaganza, as Arias channels iconic Billie Holiday songs that will leave the audience begging for more.

Make sure to come dressed to impress for the Red Carpet Meet & Greet after every show! Meet this
extraordinary artist in the Redhouse Cafe to benefit the Q-center @ AIDS Community Resources. The Redhouse will be donating 50% of the cafe's proceeds for both days to this essential non-profit organization, so see the show, enjoy a glass of wine, and support the community.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Linda Hartzell, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Narnia comes to life in a mystical adventure, dramatized by Adrian Mitchell, with music composed by Shaun Davey.

London. The war is on and the bombs are falling. Four children -- Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy -- flee the perils of the Blitz to the safety of the countryside. In an old wardrobe they discover a portal to the land of Narnia, where a fearsome White Witch holds the inhabitants spellbound in a winter lasting 100 years. There the children enter a deadly struggle, joining with the great lion, Aslan, to battle the White Witch and her army. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and rarely produced stateside, this thrilling musical adaptation of C.S. Lewis' inspiring tale delivers excitement for the whole family. Musical direction by Dianne Adams McDowell.

Read a Review!

*CANCELLED* A Twist Cabaret Christmas
Twist Cabaret Theatre

Price: $20
Twist Ultra Lounge
252 W. Genesee St., Syracuse

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Windows Project: Elisabeth Meyer: Black Night/White Night
The Warehouse Gallery

The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

The Window Project features an installation by Elisabeth Meyer consisting of organic forms embroidered onto an organza fabric. The overall patterning evokes an association with ocean waves and a net. The transparent quality of the organza background allows the viewer to see through the piece that is hanging from the ceiling covering the entire window front. The work addresses the issue of displacement through traveling. Meyer, who is based in Ithaca, developed the concept for this exhibition while at a residency in Iceland, traveled to India to oversee the production of the embroidery, and created the work on site in Syracuse.

Learning to Write American: Works by Jennifer Drinkwater
Redhouse

Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

These incredibly innovative pieces directly involve the viewer to create meaning, through imagining the missing term, through opening compartments of the painting to explore what is hidden beneath the surface, or by rearranging magnets to create a composition.

Read a review!

"Off the Wall" Holiday Art Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Dies Irae
Echo

745 N. Salina St. (formerly Craft Chemistry)
Syracuse

Dies Irae, a group show with Thomas Ward III, Heidi Josephine, and Nik Moore featuring a mix of collaborative and original paintings.

Untold Stories
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Featuring the diverse works of Alison Fisher: acrylic and mixed media paintings; jewelry made of unique mixed metals and found objects; one-of-a-kind textiles including handbags, scarves, pillows, and throws.

26th Annual Gingerbread Gallery
Erie Canal Museum

Price: $5 regular, $4 seniors, $2 children, members free
Erie Canal Museum
318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

The museums transforms into a festive 1800s street scene with more than 40 gingerbread creations in storefront windows.

Margie Hughto: A Fired Landscape
Everson Museum of Art

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

Internationally renowned ceramic artist Margie Hughto presents her first site-specific museum installation entitled A Fired Landscape, a "clay painting" spanning 50 feet of gallery wall space. Inspired by the artist's spectacular backyard gardens and natural landscape just steps from her studio, The Fired Landscape installation consists of Setting Sun, a brilliantly colored ceramic wall relief displayed continuously on five angled walls. The visitor encounter is reminiscent of what one experiences when surrounded by the natural environment. Overall, Setting Sun is a ceramic abstraction, but Hughto establishes a connection to the landscape that inspired it by adding impressions of natural objects such as native ferns, marine life and fossils, into the wet clay and then coating the surfaces with brilliant color. The rich palette of burnt oranges and fiery reds evoke the sun’s glowing light and radiating warmth. Tiny pieces of glass embedded in the clay prior to firing add sparkle to the glossy green and blue glazes used to suggest the artist's lily pond.

From Here to There: Alec Soth's America
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $10 regular, $8 students/seniors/military, members and children under 5 free
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

"From Here to There: Alec Soth's America" provides a focused look at an extraordinary photographer whose compelling images of the American road and its unexpected turns form powerful narrative vignettes. The exhibition will be the artist's first major survey assembled in the United States, exploring over 15 years of his career, and including an extensive new body of work.

Since his inclusion in the 2004 Whitney and São Paulo biennials, Soth's reputation as one of the most interesting voices in contemporary photography has continued to grow. Though he has followed the itinerant path laid forth by photographers such as Robert Frank, William Eggleston, and Stephen Shore, Soth's is a distinct perspective, one in which the wandering, searching, and the process of telling is as resonant as the record of these remarkable encounters. When considered together, Soth's pictures probe the individualities of people, objects, and places he encounters; offer insight to broader sociologies, and in the process form a collective portrait of an unexpected America.

Featuring approximately 100 photographs made between 1994 and the present, "From Here to There" will include rarely-seen early black-and-white images as well as examples from Soth's best-known series "Sleeping by the Mississippi" and "Niagara." Interspersed throughout the exhibition will be a broad range of portraits made over the past 15 years. The exhibition will also include a new body of work the artist has been developing since 2006, exploring places of escape in America and individuals who seek to flee civilization for a life off the grid. To add insight into Soth's process, the exhibition additionally features a Library space, which includes a reading area for publications, a selection of maquettes for book and 'zine projects, short video works, and ephemera gathered on the road.

Snow Days Eco-Igloo
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Step into the arctic! Warm up inside the Everson's life-sized igloo, made completely from recycled plastic milk cartons, collected by the Syracuse community and constructed by Everson staff. The igloo twinkles with lights, turning the Everson's Rosamond Gifford Sculpture Court into a snowy wonderland. Pose behind penguin cut-outs for a fun family photo. Take a moment to relax inside the igloo on comfy "icebergs" (bean bag chairs). The igloo materials will be recycled at the close of Everson Snow Days.

Everson Snow Days is a series of special programs to celebrate the arrival of winter.

Expressions of Joy: Annual Holiday Show
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fine art and fine craft created by local artists.

Gifts for the Home
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece of home décor? Then check out this exhibition featuring original watercolors, wooden clocks and spoons, ceramic mugs, blown glass vases, and other handcrafted gifts at a variety of price points.

Artists represented include:
Lucie Wellner, of Pompey, watercolor paintings
Dennis MacDonald, of Fabius, brooms
Emily Reason, of Marshall, N.C., porcelain pottery
Rick Barrick, of Lancaster, Pa., candles
Jonathan Simons, of Kempton, Pa., wooden spoons
Schlabaugh & Sons, of Kalona, Iowa, clocks

The Art of Gift Giving
Szozda Gallery

Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

This group show of new works by favorite artists includes an eclectic mix of photography, paintings, drawings and mixed media, with as varied a host of subject matter as the techniques used to create them. Featured artists includ Rob Glisson, Harry-Freeman Jones, Kwangpyo (Steve) Koh, Emily Elizabeth, Ray Trudell, Phil Parsons, Barbara Conte-Gaugel, R.L. Mercer, C. J. Hodge, Roscha Folger, Diana Godfrey, Dona Flaherty and Linda Esterley. These are artists who have successfully shown before and now, in the spirit of giving, have produced new art especially for this show as a way of thanking the many audiences who continue to enjoy and appreciate their particular creations.

Holiday Show 2011
Gandee Gallery

Gandee Gallery
7846 Main St., Fabius

The Holiday Show features jewelry, ceramics, photography, painting, and fiber art created by regionally and nationally recognized artists. Participating artists include Dana Stenson (Syracuse), Jen Gandee (Fabius), Jeanann Wieners (Syracuse), Elisabeth Groat (Syracuse), Sarah Saulson (Syracuse), Lucie Wellner (Pompey), and Errol Willett (Fabius).

The Holiday Group Show emphasizes the important role that handmade objects and fine art plays in domestic life, enriching living spaces and adorning the body.

57th Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

City Hall Commons Atrium
201 East Washington St., Syracuse

Our gift shop of fine art and crafts handmade by local guild and independent artists is Syracuse's one-stop shopping haven during the holiday season. Find unique pottery, stained glass, paintings, jewelry, hand-crafted soaps and candles, and much more.

For more information, phone 315-243-6359 or 315-637-6562.

Landmarks of New York
Onondaga Historical Association

Price: Free
Onondaga Historical Association
321 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Landmarks of New York is a traveling exhibit of 90 stunning black and white photographs of New York City buildings that have been accorded landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The exhibit is curated by Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, New York City's first director of cultural affairs and acclaimed author of the book that serves as the basis for the exhibit, The Landmarks of New York: An Illustrated Record of the City's Historic Building. In conjunction with the show, Dennis Connors, OHA's Curator of History, selected over 20 contemporary and historic photographs to highlight Onondaga County's own architectural inheritance.

Emilio Sanchez: No Way Home--Images of the Caribbean and New York City
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

"No Way Home" features a selection of 24 paintings, watercolors, drawings and prints drawn from the recently acquired collection of work by Cuban-American artist Emilio Sanchez (1921-1999). Best known for his brightly colored, strongly shadowed images of Caribbean and New York City architecture, this exhibition reveals the artist's ongoing interest in repetitive patterns. The show highlights a recent gift to the University Art Collection from the Emilio Sanchez Foundation of over 250 paintings, drawings and prints.

Sources & Structures: The Art of Robert Stackhouse
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

This 25-year retrospective, organized by the SUArt Galleries, surveys the development of Robert Stackhouse as an artist. In addition to investigating the roots of his best-known imagery -- Viking ships, whales, snakes, and wood A-frame constructs -- this exhibition examines how he conceives of these designs through his drawings, watercolors, and prints. "Sources and Structures" considers how Stackhouse has made a personal examination of these natural and man-made forms and developed a body of work that explores affinities between architecture and biological anatomy.

Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World
Syracuse University Art Museum

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

"Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World" examines how depictions of the railroad transformed our perception of the railroad industry. Whether the purpose of an artistic work was to entertain the viewer, to provide cultural commentary, or to call attention to the railroad's impact on the economic climate, each one inevitably had an effect on the way the audience viewed and understood the railroad in modern society.

In partnership with the Syracuse University Art Galleries and the Special Collections Research Center, the students enrolled in the Advanced Curatorship course in the Graduate Program in Museum Studies have worked together to thematically demonstrate visual testimonies to the railroad's reign over the industrialized world.

Daughters of Ixchel: The Photography of Mary Lawyer O'Connor
ArtRage Gallery

Price: Free
ArtRage Gallery
505 Hawley Ave., Syracuse

"Daughters of Ixchel" is a collection of images of Maya women and their hand-woven textiles that brings awareness and understanding of vibrant Maya cultures and the challenges they face. The exhibit will be a look into the lives of women weavers from Guatemala and Southern Mexico. Portrait and documentary photography along with text will tell their stories and will include original textiles. We will highlight fair-trade, worker-owned cooperatives and the political history of Guatemala where, despite persecution and genocide, Maya weavers maintain traditional methods, patterns, colors and styles that flourish and evolve.

Mary Lawyer O'Connor lives in Pompey and is a founder and current head of the Montessori School of Syracuse.

Deng Guo Yuan
The Warehouse Gallery

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

This exhibit will highlight ink brush paintings by Tianjin-based Chinese artist Deng Guo Yuan. His work reveals the tradition of Chinese landscape painting and a profound knowledge of modern and international contemporary aesthetics. The film "Deng Guo Yuan" (2010) by French filmmaker Pierre Creton, presented in the Gallery's vault, meticulously documents the creation of one of Deng Guo Yuan's ink paintings in his Tianjin studio. Widely exhibited in China and Europe, this will be the artist's first solo museum exhibition in the United States. The show originated at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts Museum (Tianjin, China), and then traveled in modified form to the Samek Art Gallery at Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA), to the Provenance Center (New London, CT), and to its last venue, the Warehouse Gallery, for which Deng Guo Yuan will create additional site-specific works.

Sculpture Club Exhibition
XL Projects

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

A collaborative group show displaying a wide variety of work done by the undergraduate members of SU's Sculpture Club. With more than 20 artists being shown, the exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to see the vast array of artwork students have been creating in the sculptural field. The show is curated by Alex Svoboda and Sarah Whitehouse.

SUArt Kids
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

We welcome you and your family to participate in SUArt KIDS, an interactive art gallery experience that includes guided exhibition tours, projects, and art related stories, designed specifically to engage your family with the exhibition "Sources and Structures: The Art of Robert Stackhouse." Come and explore the SUArt Galleries and introduce the world of art to your family.

About the Exhibition:
This 25-year retrospective surveys the development of Robert Stackhouse as an artist. In addition to investigating the roots of his best-known imagery Viking ships, whales, snakes, and wood A-frame constructs, this exhibition examines how he conceives of these designs through his drawings, watercolors, and prints. Sources and Structures considers how Stackhouse has made a personal examination of these natural and man-made forms and developed a body of work that explores affinities between architecture and biological anatomy.

Let us know you're interested! Please contact us at suart@syr.edu
or RSVP to this event on Facebook.

Always After (the Glass House)
Urban Video Project

Price: Free
Everson Museum of Art Plaza
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Urban Video Project is pleased to present Always After (the Glass House), 2006, by internationally recognized multimedia artist, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle.

Employing footage shot on a high-speed film camera, Always After focuses on the broken glass accumulated after the windows of the Mies-designed Illinois Institute of Technology's Crown Hall were smashed by the architect's own grandson as part of a ceremony in advance of the building's renovation. Manglano-Ovalle scrupulously edits out all clear reference to this odd 'kill your fathers' ritual, leaving the viewer with a dream-like sequence in which well-shod anonymous masses eternally exit and equally anonymous custodians endlessly move in to sweep up the crystalline debris of modernism. The precise nature of the event--whether it is a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, or just routine construction--never becomes clear. Instead, the narrative unfolds like a Jacob's ladder: never reaching the end, passing again and again through the point where modernist progress and crisis become indistinguishable--a point that is always already "after."

Nathaniel Sullivan: On the Way to the Theatre, We Egged a Trans-am
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

In this 1 minute-23 second video, Sullivan depicts the pressures brought to bear in teenage boys--most of which are pressures to be pleased, injunctions to enjoy. While at first glance this looks like an easy row to hoe, the work makes it clear that in fact there are consequences to taking one's pleasures liberally, without reserve. As Plato said, pleasure deranges as efficiently as pain.

Nathaniel Sullivan is an artist and writer. He received his MFA degree from the Transmedia Department at Syracuse University in Spring 2011. His practice is a balance of artwork, critical writing, and curating. His work has been shown in exhibitions and screenings in Syracuse, New York City, and widely across Canada. In 2006, he was awarded a Special Mention from the prestigious Montreal Film Festival.

Holiday Film Series: National Lampoon Christmas Vacation

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

(PG-13) A popular holiday comedy starring Chevy Chase

Liberty Heights
Temple Society of Concord

Price: Free (donations welcome)
Temple Society of Concord
910 Madison St., Syracuse

Funny and dramatic, Liberty Heights is a look at the fabric of life at a pivotal time in American social history. In this, the fourth of his Baltimore-based films, Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson revisits his home, the location of some his most memorable work, including Diner, Tin Men and Avalon. This time he examines the changing times of the mid-1950s and the issues of race, class and religious distinction as seen through the eyes of a Jewish family, Nate (Joe Mantegna) and Ada (Bebe Neuwirth) Kurtzman, their sons Van (Adrien Brody) and Ben (Ben Foster), and their friends.

The Shop Around the Corner
ArtRage Gallery

Price: Free
ArtRage Gallery
505 Hawley Ave., Syracuse

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch, Starring Margaret Sullivan and James Stewart, 1940.

With vast wit and wisdom, director Ernst Lubitsch graced his films with what became known as The Lubitsch Touch. The holiday offering,The Shop Around the Corner, is one of his best-loved and most charming works. Set in a gift shop in Budapest, it is beautifully performed by a very young James Stewart and radiant Margaret Sullivan. They play battling shop clerks who do not realize they have been falling in love with each other as penpals ... until Christmas Eve rolls around. Filmgoers may remember the musical remake, In the Good Old Summertime (1949) and the updated You've Got Mail (1998). Both were successful but this rarely-seen original is the honey.

A Harmony of Harps
Fayetteville Free Library

Price: Free
Fayetteville Free Library
300 Orchard St., Fayetteville

Holiday Concert
Liverpool Community Chorus
With the Liverpool Children's Chorus

Price: $6-$8
Liverpool High School Auditorium
4338 Wetzel Rd., Liverpool

For more information, phone 315-313-0767.

Kevin Dorsey and FORE
Creekside Coffeehouse

Creekside Books
35 Fennell St., Skaneateles

Christmas Concert with Don Malcolm
Syracuse Wurlitzer

Price: $15 adults, $2 children
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 '20s up through 2011. Currently from Toronto, 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 on audience participation, where the audience is always encouraged to sing along! On occasion he brings his old buddy, "Clarence the Monkey" for some honkytonk music that "really blows the dust out of the pipes"! Come, enjoy a great musical treat with an entertainer that really puts "a smile on your face and a song in your heart." Having become a Syracuse favorite, you should arrive early to ensure a good seat for a night you will remember for a long, long time.

The Andrew and Noah Band, with Joy Telepathy Project

Price: $7
Funk 'n Waffles University
727 S. Crouse Ave. (Campus Plaza, behind Marshall , Syracuse

Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand's band performing songs from their new, self-title album.

The BlackLites R&B Christmas Party

Price: $20 in advance, $25 atthe door
Goodtime Banquet Hall, Klub Polski
526 Teall Ave., Syacuse

Price includes buffet dinner.

*RESCHEDULED* Empire Brass Quintet with Elisabeth Von Trapp
Onondaga Community College

Price: $20-$45
SRC Arena and Events Center
Onondaga Community College campus, Syracuse

The concert was rescheduled by management to December 2012. The same seating configuration will apply and tickets that were purchased can be held on to or refunded at the SRC Box Office on the OCC campus.

Granddaughter of legendary Maria and Baron von Trapp, whose story inspired The Sound of Music performs with North America's finest brass quintet. Ranging from Bach and Handel to jazz and Broadway and featuring classic carols. With a voice that critics have called "hauntingly clear" (New York Times), Elizabeth, along with the Empire Brass, "...will send a thrill of pleasure through your nervous system" (Boston Globe).

The highlight of the evening is a wonderful medley from The Sound of Music, wherein the guitar solo Edelweiss flows into an extraordinary rendition of Stille Nacht.

*SOLD OUT* Redhouse Regulars: The Dean Brothers
Redhouse

Price: $15 regular, $10 members
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

The members of The Dean Brothers Band started playing music together in the 1960s. "We were part of an explosion of new, creative and electrifying ideas." This folk rock band mesmerizes with solid songwriting and gorgeous vocal harmonies.

New York Voices Jazz Christmas Concert
Syracuse Jazz Fest

Price: $25, $35 (regular); $50 (includes pre-show reception)
Palace Theater
2384 James St., Syracuse

The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble The New York Voices will return to Syracuse after more than 10 years. Darmon Meader, Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian and Lauren Kinhan will bring their pipes along with an instrumental trio, piano, bass and drums, to ring in the holidays with a Christmas repertoire to benefit the Dunbar Association.

Tickets go on sale Sat., Nov. 5 at 10:00 am at Sound Garden, 310 W. Jefferson St., Syracuse.

For more information on the event or to reserve tickets, call 315-506-8592.

Dark Hollow (Grateful Dead Tribute)
Westcott Theater

Westcott Theater
524 Westcott St., Syracuse

The Rockin' Tale of Snow White
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Little Red Riding Hood
Magic Circle Children's Theatre

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

In this interactive version, the children in the audience are invited to come dressed up as fairytale characters, and become the witnesses, jury, and judge at the wolf's trial (for trying to trick Little Red and her Grandmother).

For reservations, phone 315-449-3823.

The Rockin' Tale of Snow White
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Linda Hartzell, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Narnia comes to life in a mystical adventure, dramatized by Adrian Mitchell, with music composed by Shaun Davey.

London. The war is on and the bombs are falling. Four children -- Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy -- flee the perils of the Blitz to the safety of the countryside. In an old wardrobe they discover a portal to the land of Narnia, where a fearsome White Witch holds the inhabitants spellbound in a winter lasting 100 years. There the children enter a deadly struggle, joining with the great lion, Aslan, to battle the White Witch and her army. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and rarely produced stateside, this thrilling musical adaptation of C.S. Lewis' inspiring tale delivers excitement for the whole family. Musical direction by Dianne Adams McDowell.

Read a Review!

Nuncrackers
Encore Presentations

Price: $37.25 dinner and show, $20 show only
Glen Loch Restaurant
4626 North St., Jamesville

Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical is the first "TV Special" taped by the sisters in their convent basement studio for Cable Access. It stars the nuns you love plus Father Virgil and some of Mt. Saint Helen's most talented students. It features all new songs including: Twelve Days Prior to Christmas, Santa Ain't Comin' To Our House, We Three Kings of Orient Are Us, and It's Better to Give Than To Receive. This show is filled with "Nunsense" humor, some of your favorite carols, a "Secret Santa," and an uproarious take on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet. Nuncrackers will make you laugh and maybe tug at your heartstrings. It's the perfect way to insure your holiday season is merry and bright.

Dinner begins at 6:30 pm; show at 8:00 pm.

Read a Review!

A Christmas Carol
Christian School of Performing Arts

Price: $13
Roxboro Road Middle School
Bernard St., Mattydale

For more information, phone 315-278-7914.

The Rockin' Tale of Snow White
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

The Old Time Christmas Radio Hour
Appleseed Productions
Lois Haas, director

Price: $10
Atonement Lutheran Church
116 W. Glen Ave., Syracuse

Set in the fictional town of Redwing, NY, the original production centers on a small town radio station, "WHRT," as it attempts a live, holiday-themed variety hour.

Local actor Edward Mastin reprises his role of emcee "Mr. Ed in the Morning," and is joined by Tom Minion, Tracy Martin, Bernard Kaplan and Lois Haas. The cast is completed by a number of additional performers, soloists and special guests.

The Old Time Christmas Radio Hour will feature a warm mix of seasonal music, variety acts, sketch comedy ... along with all the trimmings of a "live broadcast” as can only be produced by our friends in "Redwing."

Read a Review!

The Santaland Diaries
LeMoyne College
Featuring Matt Chiorini

Price: $20 regular, $15 Le Moyne community (with ID)
Coyne Center for the Performing Arts
LeMoyne College, Syracuse

He wears yellow velvet knickers, a forest green velvet smock, and a perky little hat decorated with spangles. This is his work uniform. Yes, it's Crumpet the Elf from The Santaland Diaries, David Sedaris' sardonic look at his employment as an elf at Macy's during the holiday season. Out of work, our slacker decides to become a Macy's elf during the seasonal crunch. At first the job is simply humiliating, but once the thousands of visitors start pouring through Santa's workshop, he becomes battle weary and bitter. Taking consolation in the fact that some of the other elves were television extras on "One Life to Live," he grins and bears it, occasionally taking out his frustrations on the children and parents alike.

This hilarious one-man show will be performed by theatre professor Matt Chiorini in his fifth performance of the role.

This one-night-only fundraiser will benefit the Le Moyne College theater department as it continues to expand its off-campus opportunities for students, including visits to New York City, Philadelphia and the American College Theatre Festival.

For additional information and ticket reservations, please call 315-445-4523 or visit www.lemoyne.edu/vpa.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Linda Hartzell, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Narnia comes to life in a mystical adventure, dramatized by Adrian Mitchell, with music composed by Shaun Davey.

London. The war is on and the bombs are falling. Four children -- Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy -- flee the perils of the Blitz to the safety of the countryside. In an old wardrobe they discover a portal to the land of Narnia, where a fearsome White Witch holds the inhabitants spellbound in a winter lasting 100 years. There the children enter a deadly struggle, joining with the great lion, Aslan, to battle the White Witch and her army. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and rarely produced stateside, this thrilling musical adaptation of C.S. Lewis' inspiring tale delivers excitement for the whole family. Musical direction by Dianne Adams McDowell.

Read a Review!

*CANCELLED* A Twist Cabaret Christmas
Twist Cabaret Theatre

Price: $20
Twist Ultra Lounge
252 W. Genesee St., Syracuse

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Windows Project: Elisabeth Meyer: Black Night/White Night
The Warehouse Gallery

The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

The Window Project features an installation by Elisabeth Meyer consisting of organic forms embroidered onto an organza fabric. The overall patterning evokes an association with ocean waves and a net. The transparent quality of the organza background allows the viewer to see through the piece that is hanging from the ceiling covering the entire window front. The work addresses the issue of displacement through traveling. Meyer, who is based in Ithaca, developed the concept for this exhibition while at a residency in Iceland, traveled to India to oversee the production of the embroidery, and created the work on site in Syracuse.

26th Annual Gingerbread Gallery
Erie Canal Museum

Price: $5 regular, $4 seniors, $2 children, members free
Erie Canal Museum
318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

The museums transforms into a festive 1800s street scene with more than 40 gingerbread creations in storefront windows.

The Art of Gift Giving
Szozda Gallery

Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

This group show of new works by favorite artists includes an eclectic mix of photography, paintings, drawings and mixed media, with as varied a host of subject matter as the techniques used to create them. Featured artists includ Rob Glisson, Harry-Freeman Jones, Kwangpyo (Steve) Koh, Emily Elizabeth, Ray Trudell, Phil Parsons, Barbara Conte-Gaugel, R.L. Mercer, C. J. Hodge, Roscha Folger, Diana Godfrey, Dona Flaherty and Linda Esterley. These are artists who have successfully shown before and now, in the spirit of giving, have produced new art especially for this show as a way of thanking the many audiences who continue to enjoy and appreciate their particular creations.

Expressions of Joy: Annual Holiday Show
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fine art and fine craft created by local artists.

Holiday Show 2011
Gandee Gallery

Gandee Gallery
7846 Main St., Fabius

The Holiday Show features jewelry, ceramics, photography, painting, and fiber art created by regionally and nationally recognized artists. Participating artists include Dana Stenson (Syracuse), Jen Gandee (Fabius), Jeanann Wieners (Syracuse), Elisabeth Groat (Syracuse), Sarah Saulson (Syracuse), Lucie Wellner (Pompey), and Errol Willett (Fabius).

The Holiday Group Show emphasizes the important role that handmade objects and fine art plays in domestic life, enriching living spaces and adorning the body.

Gifts for the Home
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece of home décor? Then check out this exhibition featuring original watercolors, wooden clocks and spoons, ceramic mugs, blown glass vases, and other handcrafted gifts at a variety of price points.

Artists represented include:
Lucie Wellner, of Pompey, watercolor paintings
Dennis MacDonald, of Fabius, brooms
Emily Reason, of Marshall, N.C., porcelain pottery
Rick Barrick, of Lancaster, Pa., candles
Jonathan Simons, of Kempton, Pa., wooden spoons
Schlabaugh & Sons, of Kalona, Iowa, clocks

Landmarks of New York
Onondaga Historical Association

Price: Free
Onondaga Historical Association
321 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Landmarks of New York is a traveling exhibit of 90 stunning black and white photographs of New York City buildings that have been accorded landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The exhibit is curated by Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, New York City's first director of cultural affairs and acclaimed author of the book that serves as the basis for the exhibit, The Landmarks of New York: An Illustrated Record of the City's Historic Building. In conjunction with the show, Dennis Connors, OHA's Curator of History, selected over 20 contemporary and historic photographs to highlight Onondaga County's own architectural inheritance.

Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World
Syracuse University Art Museum

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

"Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World" examines how depictions of the railroad transformed our perception of the railroad industry. Whether the purpose of an artistic work was to entertain the viewer, to provide cultural commentary, or to call attention to the railroad's impact on the economic climate, each one inevitably had an effect on the way the audience viewed and understood the railroad in modern society.

In partnership with the Syracuse University Art Galleries and the Special Collections Research Center, the students enrolled in the Advanced Curatorship course in the Graduate Program in Museum Studies have worked together to thematically demonstrate visual testimonies to the railroad's reign over the industrialized world.

Sources & Structures: The Art of Robert Stackhouse
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

This 25-year retrospective, organized by the SUArt Galleries, surveys the development of Robert Stackhouse as an artist. In addition to investigating the roots of his best-known imagery -- Viking ships, whales, snakes, and wood A-frame constructs -- this exhibition examines how he conceives of these designs through his drawings, watercolors, and prints. "Sources and Structures" considers how Stackhouse has made a personal examination of these natural and man-made forms and developed a body of work that explores affinities between architecture and biological anatomy.

Emilio Sanchez: No Way Home--Images of the Caribbean and New York City
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

"No Way Home" features a selection of 24 paintings, watercolors, drawings and prints drawn from the recently acquired collection of work by Cuban-American artist Emilio Sanchez (1921-1999). Best known for his brightly colored, strongly shadowed images of Caribbean and New York City architecture, this exhibition reveals the artist's ongoing interest in repetitive patterns. The show highlights a recent gift to the University Art Collection from the Emilio Sanchez Foundation of over 250 paintings, drawings and prints.

From Here to There: Alec Soth's America
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $10 regular, $8 students/seniors/military, members and children under 5 free
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

"From Here to There: Alec Soth's America" provides a focused look at an extraordinary photographer whose compelling images of the American road and its unexpected turns form powerful narrative vignettes. The exhibition will be the artist's first major survey assembled in the United States, exploring over 15 years of his career, and including an extensive new body of work.

Since his inclusion in the 2004 Whitney and São Paulo biennials, Soth's reputation as one of the most interesting voices in contemporary photography has continued to grow. Though he has followed the itinerant path laid forth by photographers such as Robert Frank, William Eggleston, and Stephen Shore, Soth's is a distinct perspective, one in which the wandering, searching, and the process of telling is as resonant as the record of these remarkable encounters. When considered together, Soth's pictures probe the individualities of people, objects, and places he encounters; offer insight to broader sociologies, and in the process form a collective portrait of an unexpected America.

Featuring approximately 100 photographs made between 1994 and the present, "From Here to There" will include rarely-seen early black-and-white images as well as examples from Soth's best-known series "Sleeping by the Mississippi" and "Niagara." Interspersed throughout the exhibition will be a broad range of portraits made over the past 15 years. The exhibition will also include a new body of work the artist has been developing since 2006, exploring places of escape in America and individuals who seek to flee civilization for a life off the grid. To add insight into Soth's process, the exhibition additionally features a Library space, which includes a reading area for publications, a selection of maquettes for book and 'zine projects, short video works, and ephemera gathered on the road.

Margie Hughto: A Fired Landscape
Everson Museum of Art

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

Internationally renowned ceramic artist Margie Hughto presents her first site-specific museum installation entitled A Fired Landscape, a "clay painting" spanning 50 feet of gallery wall space. Inspired by the artist's spectacular backyard gardens and natural landscape just steps from her studio, The Fired Landscape installation consists of Setting Sun, a brilliantly colored ceramic wall relief displayed continuously on five angled walls. The visitor encounter is reminiscent of what one experiences when surrounded by the natural environment. Overall, Setting Sun is a ceramic abstraction, but Hughto establishes a connection to the landscape that inspired it by adding impressions of natural objects such as native ferns, marine life and fossils, into the wet clay and then coating the surfaces with brilliant color. The rich palette of burnt oranges and fiery reds evoke the sun’s glowing light and radiating warmth. Tiny pieces of glass embedded in the clay prior to firing add sparkle to the glossy green and blue glazes used to suggest the artist's lily pond.

Snow Days Eco-Igloo
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Step into the arctic! Warm up inside the Everson's life-sized igloo, made completely from recycled plastic milk cartons, collected by the Syracuse community and constructed by Everson staff. The igloo twinkles with lights, turning the Everson's Rosamond Gifford Sculpture Court into a snowy wonderland. Pose behind penguin cut-outs for a fun family photo. Take a moment to relax inside the igloo on comfy "icebergs" (bean bag chairs). The igloo materials will be recycled at the close of Everson Snow Days.

Everson Snow Days is a series of special programs to celebrate the arrival of winter.

Sculpture Club Exhibition
XL Projects

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

A collaborative group show displaying a wide variety of work done by the undergraduate members of SU's Sculpture Club. With more than 20 artists being shown, the exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to see the vast array of artwork students have been creating in the sculptural field. The show is curated by Alex Svoboda and Sarah Whitehouse.

"Off the Wall" Holiday Art Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Learning to Write American: Works by Jennifer Drinkwater
Redhouse

Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

These incredibly innovative pieces directly involve the viewer to create meaning, through imagining the missing term, through opening compartments of the painting to explore what is hidden beneath the surface, or by rearranging magnets to create a composition.

Read a review!

SUArt Kids
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
Syracuse University Art Museum, Shaffer Art Building
Syracuse University, Syracuse

We welcome you and your family to participate in SUArt KIDS, an interactive art gallery experience that includes guided exhibition tours, projects, and art related stories, designed specifically to engage your family with the exhibition "Sources and Structures: The Art of Robert Stackhouse." Come and explore the SUArt Galleries and introduce the world of art to your family.

About the Exhibition:
This 25-year retrospective surveys the development of Robert Stackhouse as an artist. In addition to investigating the roots of his best-known imagery Viking ships, whales, snakes, and wood A-frame constructs, this exhibition examines how he conceives of these designs through his drawings, watercolors, and prints. Sources and Structures considers how Stackhouse has made a personal examination of these natural and man-made forms and developed a body of work that explores affinities between architecture and biological anatomy.

Let us know you're interested! Please contact us at suart@syr.edu
or RSVP to this event on Facebook.

Always After (the Glass House)
Urban Video Project

Price: Free
Everson Museum of Art Plaza
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Urban Video Project is pleased to present Always After (the Glass House), 2006, by internationally recognized multimedia artist, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle.

Employing footage shot on a high-speed film camera, Always After focuses on the broken glass accumulated after the windows of the Mies-designed Illinois Institute of Technology's Crown Hall were smashed by the architect's own grandson as part of a ceremony in advance of the building's renovation. Manglano-Ovalle scrupulously edits out all clear reference to this odd 'kill your fathers' ritual, leaving the viewer with a dream-like sequence in which well-shod anonymous masses eternally exit and equally anonymous custodians endlessly move in to sweep up the crystalline debris of modernism. The precise nature of the event--whether it is a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, or just routine construction--never becomes clear. Instead, the narrative unfolds like a Jacob's ladder: never reaching the end, passing again and again through the point where modernist progress and crisis become indistinguishable--a point that is always already "after."

Nathaniel Sullivan: On the Way to the Theatre, We Egged a Trans-am
Urban Video Project

Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

In this 1 minute-23 second video, Sullivan depicts the pressures brought to bear in teenage boys--most of which are pressures to be pleased, injunctions to enjoy. While at first glance this looks like an easy row to hoe, the work makes it clear that in fact there are consequences to taking one's pleasures liberally, without reserve. As Plato said, pleasure deranges as efficiently as pain.

Nathaniel Sullivan is an artist and writer. He received his MFA degree from the Transmedia Department at Syracuse University in Spring 2011. His practice is a balance of artwork, critical writing, and curating. His work has been shown in exhibitions and screenings in Syracuse, New York City, and widely across Canada. In 2006, he was awarded a Special Mention from the prestigious Montreal Film Festival.

Contemporary Film Series: Elf -- Snow Days Film for Families and Costume Contest
Everson Museum of Art

Price: Free
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Bring the whole family to enjoy a hilarious holiday favorite, Elf. Buddy was a baby who stowed away in Santa's toy bag and ended up at the North Pole. The elves raise him as one of their own, but when he begins to notice he is different than the other elves he goes to New York City to find his birth father in this sweet holiday comedy. Warm up with hot chocolate and cookies at the intermission. Kids are invited to come in their best elf costumes. A prize will be awarded to the best costume after the screening. Directed by Jon Favreau, starring Will Ferrell, rated PG, 95 minutes, 2003.

Silverwood Clarinet Choir Holiday Concert

Price: Free
Betts Branch Library
4862 S. Salina St., Syraucse

Holiday Pops
Syracuse Orchestra (formerly Symphoria)
Ron Spigelman, conductor
Featuring Steven Stull, baritone

Price: $25, $40 regular; $10 students, 10% discount for seniors
Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Symphony Syracuse presents the Holiday Pops, a sleigh full of music and holiday cheer. Seasonal classics are featured, including traditional carols, music from the Nutcracker, popular favorites like White Christmas and Sleigh Ride, a visit from Santa, and the ever-popular audience sing-along to close the concert. One of your special holiday songs is sure to be on the program. The Holiday Pops is a good way to get into the spirit of the season. You are guaranteed to leave the concert with a smile on your face and wonderful music in your ears.

Holiday Concert
Liverpool Community Chorus
With the Liverpool Children's Chorus

Price: $6-$8
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church
3494 State Route 31, Clay

For more information, phone 315-313-0767.

Finger Lakes Wind Quintet
Creekside Coffeehouse

Creekside Books
35 Fennell St., Skaneateles

Holiday favorites for kids of all ages.

Annual Christmas Concert
MasterWorks Chorale
Maureen McCauley, conductor

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

Festival of Lessons and Carols

Price: Free
Holy Cross Church
4112 E. Genesee St., Dewitt

Ave Maria
Schola Cantorum of Syracuse
Barry Torres, conductor

Price: $15 regular, $10 students/seniors
Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church
5299 Jamesville Rd., Dewitt

Ave Maria: Music of the season inspired by the Mother of the Child. Continuing the DuFay Mass series, Schola will sing his stunning Missa Ecce Ancilla Domini (Behold the handmaid of the Lord) along with works by Lassus (Missus est Gabriel), Victoria, Ockeghem (Alma Redemptoris Mater) and others.

DeSantis Orchestra Christmas

Price: $20
Palace Theater
2384 James St., Syracuse

A musical holiday celebration featuring inspirational and holiday favorites arranged by Jay Owen and Joe Riposo for 14-piece band, along with Gail Lyons, harp, and vocals by Keith Condon, Ronnie Leigh, Doug Moncrief, and Maria DeSantis.

A portion of the proceeds with benefit Fr. Champlin's Guardian Angel Society.

Yuletide Concert for St. Nicholas
Bells & Motley Consort

Price: Freewill offering
Holy Transfiguration Church
783 Franklin Park Dr., East Syracuse

Sondra and John Bromka present their annual musical celebration of holiday traditions on a panoply of historic instruments. Hear Medieval, Renaissance, and Traditional French, Celtic, and Merrie Olde English yuletide music in this resplendent and evocative setting. This year's 7th annual Yuletide concert will be dedicated to St. Nicholas, another window into the lore of "The 12 Days of Christmas." In addition to festive music, you'll be treated to refreshments and good company to enjoy after the program.

Messiah Sing-Along
Tully Council for the Arts

Price: Free
Tully Junior-Senior High School
Elm St., Tully

For more information, phone 315-696-6236, or visit www.tullyarts.org.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Linda Hartzell, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Narnia comes to life in a mystical adventure, dramatized by Adrian Mitchell, with music composed by Shaun Davey.

London. The war is on and the bombs are falling. Four children -- Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy -- flee the perils of the Blitz to the safety of the countryside. In an old wardrobe they discover a portal to the land of Narnia, where a fearsome White Witch holds the inhabitants spellbound in a winter lasting 100 years. There the children enter a deadly struggle, joining with the great lion, Aslan, to battle the White Witch and her army. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and rarely produced stateside, this thrilling musical adaptation of C.S. Lewis' inspiring tale delivers excitement for the whole family. Musical direction by Dianne Adams McDowell.

Read a Review!

*CANCELLED* A Twist Cabaret Christmas
Twist Cabaret Theatre

Price: $20
Twist Ultra Lounge
252 W. Genesee St., Syracuse

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Linda Hartzell, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Narnia comes to life in a mystical adventure, dramatized by Adrian Mitchell, with music composed by Shaun Davey.

London. The war is on and the bombs are falling. Four children -- Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy -- flee the perils of the Blitz to the safety of the countryside. In an old wardrobe they discover a portal to the land of Narnia, where a fearsome White Witch holds the inhabitants spellbound in a winter lasting 100 years. There the children enter a deadly struggle, joining with the great lion, Aslan, to battle the White Witch and her army. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and rarely produced stateside, this thrilling musical adaptation of C.S. Lewis' inspiring tale delivers excitement for the whole family. Musical direction by Dianne Adams McDowell.

Read a Review!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Windows Project: Elisabeth Meyer: Black Night/White Night
The Warehouse Gallery

The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

The Window Project features an installation by Elisabeth Meyer consisting of organic forms embroidered onto an organza fabric. The overall patterning evokes an association with ocean waves and a net. The transparent quality of the organza background allows the viewer to see through the piece that is hanging from the ceiling covering the entire window front. The work addresses the issue of displacement through traveling. Meyer, who is based in Ithaca, developed the concept for this exhibition while at a residency in Iceland, traveled to India to oversee the production of the embroidery, and created the work on site in Syracuse.

Spanglish: Drawing, Collage, Photography and Video
Point of Contact Gallery

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

Spanglish is a project made specifically for the Point of Contact Gallery by New York City artist Celeste Fichter, based on Point of Contact's work in the verbal and the visual arts, and its ties to the Latin American literary and visual arts. Comprised of drawing, collage, photography and video, Spanglish is based solely on the artist's understanding and misunderstanding of the Spanish language.

For several months Fichter studied the Spanish/English dictionary page by page, definition by definition in alphabetical order, pronouncing each word aloud in search of words that sound like other words (in either English or Spanish), and looking for definitions that have intriguing double meanings or spellings that can be manipulated. As a non-Spanish speaker, the attempt to learn a new language through a list of definitions presented many limitations; however it is within the narrow confines of these limitations, and maybe because of them, that new understanding is created.

Fichter is interested in the fluidity of language in general as a tool of expression and visual language specifically. Spanglish is beyond a spoken language, beyond a hybrid of the English and Spanish languages — a visual language made up of words, images, signs and symbols.

Open Apple Steve. Memoriam: an aesthetic homage to Steve Jobs
Syracuse Technology Garden Gallery

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

Exhibit features works by local artists Vicki Harris, Matthew Keeney, Ellen Leahy, Paul Melnikow, and Kathryn Petrillo, plus works from artists in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Utah, Washington DC, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Philippines, and Portugal

Read a review!

Just One Word: Plastics
Syracuse University Library Special Collections Research Center

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

For more than a century, plastics have transformed our lives -- from bathroom to battlefield; from supermarket to spacecraft. Begun as a 19th-century replacement material for billiard balls and piano keys, plastics spurred 20th century developments in industry, transportation, medicine, entertainment, and other aspects of contemporary life. The original objects of "Just One Word: Plastics" represent a material history of the modern world.

This exhibition features a representative sample of the Plastics Collection at the Syracuse University Library and presents an overview of major trends in the development of plastics in everyday life. The exhibit focuses on personal and household objects rather than the use of plastics in industry where they are also widely used. Approximately 250 objects divided into 12 categories will be on view. In addition, a small selection of manuscripts and printed materials will be included.

Specific objects to be featured in the exhibition are:
* ornate celluloid combs and a wide variety of plastic toiletries
* phenolic (Bakelite) objects from the 1920s and 30s including jewelry, radios, and other appliances and games
* musical instruments
* post-war toys, dishes, and household items
* original patent books of John Wesley Hyatt, inventor of Celluloid
* product catalogues from the 1930s and 1950s for popular items such as DuPont French Ivory dresser sets, Boltaware molded "stoneware" dishes, and Tupperware, and
* the Pleur-evac, a revolutionary plastic medical device for draining fluid and maintaining pressure in the lungs that helped save the life of President Ronald Reagan.

The Plastics Collection was begun in 2007 as a joint project of the Syracuse University Library and the Plastics History & Artifacts Committee of the Plastics Pioneers Association. The Collection expanded dramatically when the National Plastics Center and Museum in Leominster, MA, closed and transferred its artifacts, books, and manuscripts to Syracuse University's care in 2008.

Westcott Holiday Group Show
Westcott Community Art Gallery

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

Photos, paintings and prints by Steve Susman, Molly Susman, Jessica Breedlove and Kristina Starowitz.

Whereas I Took the Butterfly: Works by Deloss McGraw
YMCA Arts Branch GallerY

Price: Free
YMCA Downtown
340 Montgomery St., Syracuse

This exhibit of literary "poster paintings" features Deloss McGraw's reflections/interpretations of such writers as Dickinson, Hemingway, Snodgrass and others, often using photographs of the authors, book covers, or other borrowed images.

"Off the Wall" Holiday Art Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

26th Annual Gingerbread Gallery
Erie Canal Museum

Price: $5 regular, $4 seniors, $2 children, members free
Erie Canal Museum
318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

The museums transforms into a festive 1800s street scene with more than 40 gingerbread creations in storefront windows.

Gifts for the Home
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece of home décor? Then check out this exhibition featuring original watercolors, wooden clocks and spoons, ceramic mugs, blown glass vases, and other handcrafted gifts at a variety of price points.

Artists represented include:
Lucie Wellner, of Pompey, watercolor paintings
Dennis MacDonald, of Fabius, brooms
Emily Reason, of Marshall, N.C., porcelain pottery
Rick Barrick, of Lancaster, Pa., candles
Jonathan Simons, of Kempton, Pa., wooden spoons
Schlabaugh & Sons, of Kalona, Iowa, clocks

Six Sides of Japanese Package Design
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

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

The exhibition focuses on the way the design of the package relates to Japanese culture and consumerism.

Based on a collection of different Japanese products, "Six Sides of Japanese Package Design" is the result of a collaboration between undergraduate communications design students in the class Problem-Solving Strategies, taught by Roderick Martinez, and graduate museum studies students in the class Museum Studies Practicum, taught by Bradley Hudson. Divided into six groups, the students selected themes that each highlight a different dimension of package design in Japan. Each section of the gallery is a realization of the groups' respective themes in the form of a museum exhibition.

The Design Gallery is located on the first floor of The Warehouse. Patrons should enter The Warehouse via the ground-floor door, adjacent to the café on West Fayette Street or the first-floor door on West Washington Street.

Expressions of Joy: Annual Holiday Show
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fine art and fine craft created by local artists.

57th Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

City Hall Commons Atrium
201 East Washington St., Syracuse

Our gift shop of fine art and crafts handmade by local guild and independent artists is Syracuse's one-stop shopping haven during the holiday season. Find unique pottery, stained glass, paintings, jewelry, hand-crafted soaps and candles, and much more.

For more information, phone 315-243-6359 or 315-637-6562.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Windows Project: Elisabeth Meyer: Black Night/White Night
The Warehouse Gallery

The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

The Window Project features an installation by Elisabeth Meyer consisting of organic forms embroidered onto an organza fabric. The overall patterning evokes an association with ocean waves and a net. The transparent quality of the organza background allows the viewer to see through the piece that is hanging from the ceiling covering the entire window front. The work addresses the issue of displacement through traveling. Meyer, who is based in Ithaca, developed the concept for this exhibition while at a residency in Iceland, traveled to India to oversee the production of the embroidery, and created the work on site in Syracuse.

Spanglish: Drawing, Collage, Photography and Video
Point of Contact Gallery

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

Spanglish is a project made specifically for the Point of Contact Gallery by New York City artist Celeste Fichter, based on Point of Contact's work in the verbal and the visual arts, and its ties to the Latin American literary and visual arts. Comprised of drawing, collage, photography and video, Spanglish is based solely on the artist's understanding and misunderstanding of the Spanish language.

For several months Fichter studied the Spanish/English dictionary page by page, definition by definition in alphabetical order, pronouncing each word aloud in search of words that sound like other words (in either English or Spanish), and looking for definitions that have intriguing double meanings or spellings that can be manipulated. As a non-Spanish speaker, the attempt to learn a new language through a list of definitions presented many limitations; however it is within the narrow confines of these limitations, and maybe because of them, that new understanding is created.

Fichter is interested in the fluidity of language in general as a tool of expression and visual language specifically. Spanglish is beyond a spoken language, beyond a hybrid of the English and Spanish languages — a visual language made up of words, images, signs and symbols.

Open Apple Steve. Memoriam: an aesthetic homage to Steve Jobs
Syracuse Technology Garden Gallery

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

Exhibit features works by local artists Vicki Harris, Matthew Keeney, Ellen Leahy, Paul Melnikow, and Kathryn Petrillo, plus works from artists in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Utah, Washington DC, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Philippines, and Portugal

Read a review!

Just One Word: Plastics
Syracuse University Library Special Collections Research Center

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

For more than a century, plastics have transformed our lives -- from bathroom to battlefield; from supermarket to spacecraft. Begun as a 19th-century replacement material for billiard balls and piano keys, plastics spurred 20th century developments in industry, transportation, medicine, entertainment, and other aspects of contemporary life. The original objects of "Just One Word: Plastics" represent a material history of the modern world.

This exhibition features a representative sample of the Plastics Collection at the Syracuse University Library and presents an overview of major trends in the development of plastics in everyday life. The exhibit focuses on personal and household objects rather than the use of plastics in industry where they are also widely used. Approximately 250 objects divided into 12 categories will be on view. In addition, a small selection of manuscripts and printed materials will be included.

Specific objects to be featured in the exhibition are:
* ornate celluloid combs and a wide variety of plastic toiletries
* phenolic (Bakelite) objects from the 1920s and 30s including jewelry, radios, and other appliances and games
* musical instruments
* post-war toys, dishes, and household items
* original patent books of John Wesley Hyatt, inventor of Celluloid
* product catalogues from the 1930s and 1950s for popular items such as DuPont French Ivory dresser sets, Boltaware molded "stoneware" dishes, and Tupperware, and
* the Pleur-evac, a revolutionary plastic medical device for draining fluid and maintaining pressure in the lungs that helped save the life of President Ronald Reagan.

The Plastics Collection was begun in 2007 as a joint project of the Syracuse University Library and the Plastics History & Artifacts Committee of the Plastics Pioneers Association. The Collection expanded dramatically when the National Plastics Center and Museum in Leominster, MA, closed and transferred its artifacts, books, and manuscripts to Syracuse University's care in 2008.

Westcott Holiday Group Show
Westcott Community Art Gallery

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

Photos, paintings and prints by Steve Susman, Molly Susman, Jessica Breedlove and Kristina Starowitz.

Whereas I Took the Butterfly: Works by Deloss McGraw
YMCA Arts Branch GallerY

Price: Free
YMCA Downtown
340 Montgomery St., Syracuse

This exhibit of literary "poster paintings" features Deloss McGraw's reflections/interpretations of such writers as Dickinson, Hemingway, Snodgrass and others, often using photographs of the authors, book covers, or other borrowed images.

Untold Stories
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Featuring the diverse works of Alison Fisher: acrylic and mixed media paintings; jewelry made of unique mixed metals and found objects; one-of-a-kind textiles including handbags, scarves, pillows, and throws.

"Off the Wall" Holiday Art Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

26th Annual Gingerbread Gallery
Erie Canal Museum

Price: $5 regular, $4 seniors, $2 children, members free
Erie Canal Museum
318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

The museums transforms into a festive 1800s street scene with more than 40 gingerbread creations in storefront windows.

Gifts for the Home
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece of home décor? Then check out this exhibition featuring original watercolors, wooden clocks and spoons, ceramic mugs, blown glass vases, and other handcrafted gifts at a variety of price points.

Artists represented include:
Lucie Wellner, of Pompey, watercolor paintings
Dennis MacDonald, of Fabius, brooms
Emily Reason, of Marshall, N.C., porcelain pottery
Rick Barrick, of Lancaster, Pa., candles
Jonathan Simons, of Kempton, Pa., wooden spoons
Schlabaugh & Sons, of Kalona, Iowa, clocks

Six Sides of Japanese Package Design
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

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

The exhibition focuses on the way the design of the package relates to Japanese culture and consumerism.

Based on a collection of different Japanese products, "Six Sides of Japanese Package Design" is the result of a collaboration between undergraduate communications design students in the class Problem-Solving Strategies, taught by Roderick Martinez, and graduate museum studies students in the class Museum Studies Practicum, taught by Bradley Hudson. Divided into six groups, the students selected themes that each highlight a different dimension of package design in Japan. Each section of the gallery is a realization of the groups' respective themes in the form of a museum exhibition.

The Design Gallery is located on the first floor of The Warehouse. Patrons should enter The Warehouse via the ground-floor door, adjacent to the café on West Fayette Street or the first-floor door on West Washington Street.

Expressions of Joy: Annual Holiday Show
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fine art and fine craft created by local artists.

57th Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

City Hall Commons Atrium
201 East Washington St., Syracuse

Our gift shop of fine art and crafts handmade by local guild and independent artists is Syracuse's one-stop shopping haven during the holiday season. Find unique pottery, stained glass, paintings, jewelry, hand-crafted soaps and candles, and much more.

For more information, phone 315-243-6359 or 315-637-6562.

Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World
Syracuse University Art Museum

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

"Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World" examines how depictions of the railroad transformed our perception of the railroad industry. Whether the purpose of an artistic work was to entertain the viewer, to provide cultural commentary, or to call attention to the railroad's impact on the economic climate, each one inevitably had an effect on the way the audience viewed and understood the railroad in modern society.

In partnership with the Syracuse University Art Galleries and the Special Collections Research Center, the students enrolled in the Advanced Curatorship course in the Graduate Program in Museum Studies have worked together to thematically demonstrate visual testimonies to the railroad's reign over the industrialized world.

Snow Days Eco-Igloo
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Step into the arctic! Warm up inside the Everson's life-sized igloo, made completely from recycled plastic milk cartons, collected by the Syracuse community and constructed by Everson staff. The igloo twinkles with lights, turning the Everson's Rosamond Gifford Sculpture Court into a snowy wonderland. Pose behind penguin cut-outs for a fun family photo. Take a moment to relax inside the igloo on comfy "icebergs" (bean bag chairs). The igloo materials will be recycled at the close of Everson Snow Days.

Everson Snow Days is a series of special programs to celebrate the arrival of winter.

Margie Hughto: A Fired Landscape
Everson Museum of Art

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

Internationally renowned ceramic artist Margie Hughto presents her first site-specific museum installation entitled A Fired Landscape, a "clay painting" spanning 50 feet of gallery wall space. Inspired by the artist's spectacular backyard gardens and natural landscape just steps from her studio, The Fired Landscape installation consists of Setting Sun, a brilliantly colored ceramic wall relief displayed continuously on five angled walls. The visitor encounter is reminiscent of what one experiences when surrounded by the natural environment. Overall, Setting Sun is a ceramic abstraction, but Hughto establishes a connection to the landscape that inspired it by adding impressions of natural objects such as native ferns, marine life and fossils, into the wet clay and then coating the surfaces with brilliant color. The rich palette of burnt oranges and fiery reds evoke the sun’s glowing light and radiating warmth. Tiny pieces of glass embedded in the clay prior to firing add sparkle to the glossy green and blue glazes used to suggest the artist's lily pond.

From Here to There: Alec Soth's America
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $10 regular, $8 students/seniors/military, members and children under 5 free
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

"From Here to There: Alec Soth's America" provides a focused look at an extraordinary photographer whose compelling images of the American road and its unexpected turns form powerful narrative vignettes. The exhibition will be the artist's first major survey assembled in the United States, exploring over 15 years of his career, and including an extensive new body of work.

Since his inclusion in the 2004 Whitney and São Paulo biennials, Soth's reputation as one of the most interesting voices in contemporary photography has continued to grow. Though he has followed the itinerant path laid forth by photographers such as Robert Frank, William Eggleston, and Stephen Shore, Soth's is a distinct perspective, one in which the wandering, searching, and the process of telling is as resonant as the record of these remarkable encounters. When considered together, Soth's pictures probe the individualities of people, objects, and places he encounters; offer insight to broader sociologies, and in the process form a collective portrait of an unexpected America.

Featuring approximately 100 photographs made between 1994 and the present, "From Here to There" will include rarely-seen early black-and-white images as well as examples from Soth's best-known series "Sleeping by the Mississippi" and "Niagara." Interspersed throughout the exhibition will be a broad range of portraits made over the past 15 years. The exhibition will also include a new body of work the artist has been developing since 2006, exploring places of escape in America and individuals who seek to flee civilization for a life off the grid. To add insight into Soth's process, the exhibition additionally features a Library space, which includes a reading area for publications, a selection of maquettes for book and 'zine projects, short video works, and ephemera gathered on the road.

Dies Irae
Echo

745 N. Salina St. (formerly Craft Chemistry)
Syracuse

Dies Irae, a group show with Thomas Ward III, Heidi Josephine, and Nik Moore featuring a mix of collaborative and original paintings.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Linda Hartzell, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Narnia comes to life in a mystical adventure, dramatized by Adrian Mitchell, with music composed by Shaun Davey.

London. The war is on and the bombs are falling. Four children -- Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy -- flee the perils of the Blitz to the safety of the countryside. In an old wardrobe they discover a portal to the land of Narnia, where a fearsome White Witch holds the inhabitants spellbound in a winter lasting 100 years. There the children enter a deadly struggle, joining with the great lion, Aslan, to battle the White Witch and her army. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and rarely produced stateside, this thrilling musical adaptation of C.S. Lewis' inspiring tale delivers excitement for the whole family. Musical direction by Dianne Adams McDowell.

Read a Review!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Windows Project: Elisabeth Meyer: Black Night/White Night
The Warehouse Gallery

The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

The Window Project features an installation by Elisabeth Meyer consisting of organic forms embroidered onto an organza fabric. The overall patterning evokes an association with ocean waves and a net. The transparent quality of the organza background allows the viewer to see through the piece that is hanging from the ceiling covering the entire window front. The work addresses the issue of displacement through traveling. Meyer, who is based in Ithaca, developed the concept for this exhibition while at a residency in Iceland, traveled to India to oversee the production of the embroidery, and created the work on site in Syracuse.

Spanglish: Drawing, Collage, Photography and Video
Point of Contact Gallery

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

Spanglish is a project made specifically for the Point of Contact Gallery by New York City artist Celeste Fichter, based on Point of Contact's work in the verbal and the visual arts, and its ties to the Latin American literary and visual arts. Comprised of drawing, collage, photography and video, Spanglish is based solely on the artist's understanding and misunderstanding of the Spanish language.

For several months Fichter studied the Spanish/English dictionary page by page, definition by definition in alphabetical order, pronouncing each word aloud in search of words that sound like other words (in either English or Spanish), and looking for definitions that have intriguing double meanings or spellings that can be manipulated. As a non-Spanish speaker, the attempt to learn a new language through a list of definitions presented many limitations; however it is within the narrow confines of these limitations, and maybe because of them, that new understanding is created.

Fichter is interested in the fluidity of language in general as a tool of expression and visual language specifically. Spanglish is beyond a spoken language, beyond a hybrid of the English and Spanish languages — a visual language made up of words, images, signs and symbols.

Open Apple Steve. Memoriam: an aesthetic homage to Steve Jobs
Syracuse Technology Garden Gallery

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

Exhibit features works by local artists Vicki Harris, Matthew Keeney, Ellen Leahy, Paul Melnikow, and Kathryn Petrillo, plus works from artists in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Utah, Washington DC, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Philippines, and Portugal

Read a review!

Westcott Holiday Group Show
Westcott Community Art Gallery

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

Photos, paintings and prints by Steve Susman, Molly Susman, Jessica Breedlove and Kristina Starowitz.

Whereas I Took the Butterfly: Works by Deloss McGraw
YMCA Arts Branch GallerY

Price: Free
YMCA Downtown
340 Montgomery St., Syracuse

This exhibit of literary "poster paintings" features Deloss McGraw's reflections/interpretations of such writers as Dickinson, Hemingway, Snodgrass and others, often using photographs of the authors, book covers, or other borrowed images.

Untold Stories
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Featuring the diverse works of Alison Fisher: acrylic and mixed media paintings; jewelry made of unique mixed metals and found objects; one-of-a-kind textiles including handbags, scarves, pillows, and throws.

"Off the Wall" Holiday Art Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

26th Annual Gingerbread Gallery
Erie Canal Museum

Price: $5 regular, $4 seniors, $2 children, members free
Erie Canal Museum
318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

The museums transforms into a festive 1800s street scene with more than 40 gingerbread creations in storefront windows.

Gifts for the Home
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece of home décor? Then check out this exhibition featuring original watercolors, wooden clocks and spoons, ceramic mugs, blown glass vases, and other handcrafted gifts at a variety of price points.

Artists represented include:
Lucie Wellner, of Pompey, watercolor paintings
Dennis MacDonald, of Fabius, brooms
Emily Reason, of Marshall, N.C., porcelain pottery
Rick Barrick, of Lancaster, Pa., candles
Jonathan Simons, of Kempton, Pa., wooden spoons
Schlabaugh & Sons, of Kalona, Iowa, clocks

Landmarks of New York
Onondaga Historical Association

Price: Free
Onondaga Historical Association
321 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Landmarks of New York is a traveling exhibit of 90 stunning black and white photographs of New York City buildings that have been accorded landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The exhibit is curated by Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, New York City's first director of cultural affairs and acclaimed author of the book that serves as the basis for the exhibit, The Landmarks of New York: An Illustrated Record of the City's Historic Building. In conjunction with the show, Dennis Connors, OHA's Curator of History, selected over 20 contemporary and historic photographs to highlight Onondaga County's own architectural inheritance.

Six Sides of Japanese Package Design
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

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

The exhibition focuses on the way the design of the package relates to Japanese culture and consumerism.

Based on a collection of different Japanese products, "Six Sides of Japanese Package Design" is the result of a collaboration between undergraduate communications design students in the class Problem-Solving Strategies, taught by Roderick Martinez, and graduate museum studies students in the class Museum Studies Practicum, taught by Bradley Hudson. Divided into six groups, the students selected themes that each highlight a different dimension of package design in Japan. Each section of the gallery is a realization of the groups' respective themes in the form of a museum exhibition.

The Design Gallery is located on the first floor of The Warehouse. Patrons should enter The Warehouse via the ground-floor door, adjacent to the café on West Fayette Street or the first-floor door on West Washington Street.

The Art of Gift Giving
Szozda Gallery

Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

This group show of new works by favorite artists includes an eclectic mix of photography, paintings, drawings and mixed media, with as varied a host of subject matter as the techniques used to create them. Featured artists includ Rob Glisson, Harry-Freeman Jones, Kwangpyo (Steve) Koh, Emily Elizabeth, Ray Trudell, Phil Parsons, Barbara Conte-Gaugel, R.L. Mercer, C. J. Hodge, Roscha Folger, Diana Godfrey, Dona Flaherty and Linda Esterley. These are artists who have successfully shown before and now, in the spirit of giving, have produced new art especially for this show as a way of thanking the many audiences who continue to enjoy and appreciate their particular creations.

Expressions of Joy: Annual Holiday Show
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fine art and fine craft created by local artists.

57th Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

City Hall Commons Atrium
201 East Washington St., Syracuse

Our gift shop of fine art and crafts handmade by local guild and independent artists is Syracuse's one-stop shopping haven during the holiday season. Find unique pottery, stained glass, paintings, jewelry, hand-crafted soaps and candles, and much more.

For more information, phone 315-243-6359 or 315-637-6562.

Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World
Syracuse University Art Museum

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

"Engineered Perspectives: Railroad Culture in the Modern World" examines how depictions of the railroad transformed our perception of the railroad industry. Whether the purpose of an artistic work was to entertain the viewer, to provide cultural commentary, or to call attention to the railroad's impact on the economic climate, each one inevitably had an effect on the way the audience viewed and understood the railroad in modern society.

In partnership with the Syracuse University Art Galleries and the Special Collections Research Center, the students enrolled in the Advanced Curatorship course in the Graduate Program in Museum Studies have worked together to thematically demonstrate visual testimonies to the railroad's reign over the industrialized world.

Snow Days Eco-Igloo
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Step into the arctic! Warm up inside the Everson's life-sized igloo, made completely from recycled plastic milk cartons, collected by the Syracuse community and constructed by Everson staff. The igloo twinkles with lights, turning the Everson's Rosamond Gifford Sculpture Court into a snowy wonderland. Pose behind penguin cut-outs for a fun family photo. Take a moment to relax inside the igloo on comfy "icebergs" (bean bag chairs). The igloo materials will be recycled at the close of Everson Snow Days.

Everson Snow Days is a series of special programs to celebrate the arrival of winter.

From Here to There: Alec Soth's America
Everson Museum of Art

Price: $10 regular, $8 students/seniors/military, members and children under 5 free
Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

"From Here to There: Alec Soth's America" provides a focused look at an extraordinary photographer whose compelling images of the American road and its unexpected turns form powerful narrative vignettes. The exhibition will be the artist's first major survey assembled in the United States, exploring over 15 years of his career, and including an extensive new body of work.

Since his inclusion in the 2004 Whitney and São Paulo biennials, Soth's reputation as one of the most interesting voices in contemporary photography has continued to grow. Though he has followed the itinerant path laid forth by photographers such as Robert Frank, William Eggleston, and Stephen Shore, Soth's is a distinct perspective, one in which the wandering, searching, and the process of telling is as resonant as the record of these remarkable encounters. When considered together, Soth's pictures probe the individualities of people, objects, and places he encounters; offer insight to broader sociologies, and in the process form a collective portrait of an unexpected America.

Featuring approximately 100 photographs made between 1994 and the present, "From Here to There" will include rarely-seen early black-and-white images as well as examples from Soth's best-known series "Sleeping by the Mississippi" and "Niagara." Interspersed throughout the exhibition will be a broad range of portraits made over the past 15 years. The exhibition will also include a new body of work the artist has been developing since 2006, exploring places of escape in America and individuals who seek to flee civilization for a life off the grid. To add insight into Soth's process, the exhibition additionally features a Library space, which includes a reading area for publications, a selection of maquettes for book and 'zine projects, short video works, and ephemera gathered on the road.

Margie Hughto: A Fired Landscape
Everson Museum of Art

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

Internationally renowned ceramic artist Margie Hughto presents her first site-specific museum installation entitled A Fired Landscape, a "clay painting" spanning 50 feet of gallery wall space. Inspired by the artist's spectacular backyard gardens and natural landscape just steps from her studio, The Fired Landscape installation consists of Setting Sun, a brilliantly colored ceramic wall relief displayed continuously on five angled walls. The visitor encounter is reminiscent of what one experiences when surrounded by the natural environment. Overall, Setting Sun is a ceramic abstraction, but Hughto establishes a connection to the landscape that inspired it by adding impressions of natural objects such as native ferns, marine life and fossils, into the wet clay and then coating the surfaces with brilliant color. The rich palette of burnt oranges and fiery reds evoke the sun’s glowing light and radiating warmth. Tiny pieces of glass embedded in the clay prior to firing add sparkle to the glossy green and blue glazes used to suggest the artist's lily pond.

Dies Irae
Echo

745 N. Salina St. (formerly Craft Chemistry)
Syracuse

Dies Irae, a group show with Thomas Ward III, Heidi Josephine, and Nik Moore featuring a mix of collaborative and original paintings.

J.T. Hall Jazz Consort

Price: Free
Syracuse Suds Factory
320 S. Clinton St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-471-2253.

Sam Glaser in Concert

Price: $5 in advance, $8 at the door
Temple Adeth Yeshurun
450 Kimber Rd., DeWitt

Composer and performer of contemporary Jewish music. For more information, phone 315-445-0002, or visit www.adath.org.

Quintessential Vocal Quintet

Price: Free
St. Patrick's Church
216 N. Lowell Ave., Tipperary Hill, Syracuse

Concert featuring 500 years of songs, motets and poetry for the season of Christmas. Let us help to make your season bright.

*POSTPONED* Holiday Concert
Lyncourt Community Band
Anthony DeAngelis, conductor

Price: Free
St. Daniel's Church
3004 Court St., Syracuse

Concert will be rescheduled for sometime in January.

45 minutes of holiday favorites and other selections.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Drama Department
Linda Hartzell, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Narnia comes to life in a mystical adventure, dramatized by Adrian Mitchell, with music composed by Shaun Davey.

London. The war is on and the bombs are falling. Four children -- Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy -- flee the perils of the Blitz to the safety of the countryside. In an old wardrobe they discover a portal to the land of Narnia, where a fearsome White Witch holds the inhabitants spellbound in a winter lasting 100 years. There the children enter a deadly struggle, joining with the great lion, Aslan, to battle the White Witch and her army. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and rarely produced stateside, this thrilling musical adaptation of C.S. Lewis' inspiring tale delivers excitement for the whole family. Musical direction by Dianne Adams McDowell.

Read a Review!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Windows Project: Elisabeth Meyer: Black Night/White Night
The Warehouse Gallery

The Warehouse Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

The Window Project features an installation by Elisabeth Meyer consisting of organic forms embroidered onto an organza fabric. The overall patterning evokes an association with ocean waves and a net. The transparent quality of the organza background allows the viewer to see through the piece that is hanging from the ceiling covering the entire window front. The work addresses the issue of displacement through traveling. Meyer, who is based in Ithaca, developed the concept for this exhibition while at a residency in Iceland, traveled to India to oversee the production of the embroidery, and created the work on site in Syracuse.

Open Apple Steve. Memoriam: an aesthetic homage to Steve Jobs
Syracuse Technology Garden Gallery

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

Exhibit features works by local artists Vicki Harris, Matthew Keeney, Ellen Leahy, Paul Melnikow, and Kathryn Petrillo, plus works from artists in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Utah, Washington DC, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Philippines, and Portugal

Read a review!

Westcott Holiday Group Show
Westcott Community Art Gallery

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

Photos, paintings and prints by Steve Susman, Molly Susman, Jessica Breedlove and Kristina Starowitz.

Whereas I Took the Butterfly: Works by Deloss McGraw
YMCA Arts Branch GallerY

Price: Free
YMCA Downtown
340 Montgomery St., Syracuse

This exhibit of literary "poster paintings" features Deloss McGraw's reflections/interpretations of such writers as Dickinson, Hemingway, Snodgrass and others, often using photographs of the authors, book covers, or other borrowed images.

Untold Stories
Edgewood Gallery

Edgewood Gallery
216 Tecumseh Rd., Syracuse

Featuring the diverse works of Alison Fisher: acrylic and mixed media paintings; jewelry made of unique mixed metals and found objects; one-of-a-kind textiles including handbags, scarves, pillows, and throws.

"Off the Wall" Holiday Art Sale
Associated Artists of Central New York

Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

26th Annual Gingerbread Gallery
Erie Canal Museum

Price: $5 regular, $4 seniors, $2 children, members free
Erie Canal Museum
318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse

The museums transforms into a festive 1800s street scene with more than 40 gingerbread creations in storefront windows.

Gifts for the Home
Imagine

Imagine
38 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece of home décor? Then check out this exhibition featuring original watercolors, wooden clocks and spoons, ceramic mugs, blown glass vases, and other handcrafted gifts at a variety of price points.

Artists represented include:
Lucie Wellner, of Pompey, watercolor paintings
Dennis MacDonald, of Fabius, brooms
Emily Reason, of Marshall, N.C., porcelain pottery
Rick Barrick, of Lancaster, Pa., candles
Jonathan Simons, of Kempton, Pa., wooden spoons
Schlabaugh & Sons, of Kalona, Iowa, clocks

Landmarks of New York
Onondaga Historical Association

Price: Free
Onondaga Historical Association
321 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Landmarks of New York is a traveling exhibit of 90 stunning black and white photographs of New York City buildings that have been accorded landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The exhibit is curated by Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, New York City's first director of cultural affairs and acclaimed author of the book that serves as the basis for the exhibit, The Landmarks of New York: An Illustrated Record of the City's Historic Building. In conjunction with the show, Dennis Connors, OHA's Curator of History, selected over 20 contemporary and historic photographs to highlight Onondaga County's own architectural inheritance.

Six Sides of Japanese Package Design
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

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

The exhibition focuses on the way the design of the package relates to Japanese culture and consumerism.

Based on a collection of different Japanese products, "Six Sides of Japanese Package Design" is the result of a collaboration between undergraduate communications design students in the class Problem-Solving Strategies, taught by Roderick Martinez, and graduate museum studies students in the class Museum Studies Practicum, taught by Bradley Hudson. Divided into six groups, the students selected themes that each highlight a different dimension of package design in Japan. Each section of the gallery is a realization of the groups' respective themes in the form of a museum exhibition.

The Design Gallery is located on the first floor of The Warehouse. Patrons should enter The Warehouse via the ground-floor door, adjacent to the café on West Fayette Street or the first-floor door on West Washington Street.

The Art of Gift Giving
Szozda Gallery

Szozda Gallery
Delavan Center, 501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

This group show of new works by favorite artists includes an eclectic mix of photography, paintings, drawings and mixed media, with as varied a host of subject matter as the techniques used to create them. Featured artists includ Rob Glisson, Harry-Freeman Jones, Kwangpyo (Steve) Koh, Emily Elizabeth, Ray Trudell, Phil Parsons, Barbara Conte-Gaugel, R.L. Mercer, C. J. Hodge, Roscha Folger, Diana Godfrey, Dona Flaherty and Linda Esterley. These are artists who have successfully shown before and now, in the spirit of giving, have produced new art especially for this show as a way of thanking the many audiences who continue to enjoy and appreciate their particular creations.

Expressions of Joy: Annual Holiday Show
Gallery 54

Gallery 54
54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Fine art and fine craft created by local artists.

Holiday Show 2011
Gandee Gallery

Gandee Gallery
7846 Main St., Fabius

The Holiday Show features jewelry, ceramics, photography, painting, and fiber art created by regionally and nationally recognized artists. Participating artists include Dana Stenson (Syracuse), Jen Gandee (Fabius), Jeanann Wieners (Syracuse), Elisabeth Groat (Syracuse), Sarah Saulson (Syracuse), Lucie Wellner (Pompey), and Errol Willett (Fabius).

The Holiday Group Show emphasizes the important role that handmade objects and fine art plays in domestic life, enriching living spaces and adorning the body.

57th Annual Art Mart
Syracuse Allied Arts, Inc.

City Hall Commons Atrium
201 East Washington St., Syracuse

Our gift shop of fine art and crafts handmade by local guild and independent artists is Syracuse's one-stop shopping haven during the holiday season. Find unique pottery, stained glass, paintings, jewelry, hand-crafted soaps and candles, and much more.

For more information, phone 315-243-6359 or 315-637-6562.