Interactive Artist

Daily Gazette: Works at Mohawk Hudson Regional creating a tactile, emotional response
Materials grab viewer as much as themes, ideas in Regional show

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This year’s Regional at the University Art Museum, juried by Matthew Higgs, has to be one of the most unusual in the history of the 73-year-old exhibit.
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Inventor-artist Abraham Ferraro of Rensselaer takes a Pop Art twist with “One Morning I Woke With a Bright Idea,” an eight-foot-wide mound of bright-colored wires and flashing lights, topped with a giant, circus-like light switch.

2009 Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region

June 25 - August 8, 2009
University Art Museum, University at Albany [maps]
Hours: Tues.- Fri. 10 am to 5 pm; Sat. & Sun. 12 to 4 pm. Closed Mondays
Free and open to the public

See more interactive art at abeZart YouTube videos or this Abraham Ferraro portfolio.

Music in the Park, Rensselaer

Free Live Music! Wed. evenings, 6-8 pm during July & August
Riverfront Park, Broadway and 5th Ave, Rensselaer, NY

Bring your lawn chair and dine with us in the park! Hosted by the Rensselaer Area Senior Service Center. Our heartfelt thanks to all of our sponsors for making this concert series possible and special thanks to the Musicians Trust Fund and Local #14 of the American Federation of Musicians.

Jul. 1, The Reverberators, Sponsor: Walter S. Pratt & Sons

Jul. 8, Gold Standard Trio, Sponsor: AccuCare Health Services

Jul. 15, Joy Adler Trio, Sponsor: Mike Stammel, County Legislator

Jul. 22, Charlie Smith Blues Band, Sponsor: Rockefeller Funeral Home

Jul. 29, April Marie & Friends, Sponsor: Century Monument

Aug. 5, Bill Dexter Quartet, Sponsor: Realty USA - John Mooney

Aug. 12, Doc Scanlon Trio, Sponsor: Albertine Felts, 2nd Ward Alderman

Aug. 19, The Rizzo's, Sponsor: Rensselaer Senior Center

Aug. 26, Georgie Wonders Big Band, Sponsor: Lyons Funeral Home

Lego My LiteBrite?

The enterprising and creative tenants at the Odd Fellows Hall on Broadway are putting out an open call for submissions to an art show. The theme is "Lego my LiteBrite" and pieces should use or be inspired by those classic toys.

Read all about it in their Open Call for Submissions (more here with photos) on Craigslist, and see a few images from their last show on Flickr. They will be open for the exhibit on the 25th and 26th of April and then move the show to a vacant artist spot in Troy. You should be able to see it on May 29th at Troy Night Out.

If you're not artistic but think it would be a cool way to get rid of a Lego or LiteBrite set, they'd welcome donations. Deadline for artwork submissions is April 22. For more info, including information about selling or buying pieces, please e-mail silleeeputteee@gmail.com.

Rensselaer High Musical

From The Independent (Indenews.com): School musical at stake due to budget cuts

By ASHLEY SALVINSKI 01/11/2009

RENSSELAER--It has been 10 years since the Rensselaer High School Drama Club was founded. A few years ago, drama club advisor and founder Deb Sklar's picture was posted on the wall of character, a very high honor. But will the show go on?
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Ashley Salvinski, the editor in chief of the Rensselaer Rambler, is doing an internship with The Independent.

The Rensselaer Rambler has an issue available online (October 2008), which includes an interview with the Mayor: "DWYER’S PLANS FOR RECONSTUCTION ON HOMES DAMAGED IN THE FLOOD."

Author Bruce Hiscock

The Rensselaer Public Library [810 Broadway] will be hosting a talk by an upstate NY author on Friday, January 2nd at 3 PM.

Author and illustrator Bruce Hiscock will talk and show slides about the process of creating his children's book about the Alaskan Arctic. A quick look-up on Amazon shows he has several books about the Arctic. The latest is called Ookpik: The Travels of a Snowy Owl.

The author lives at the edge of the Adirondacks, and has some great photos of his woods on his web site.

Evelyn Edwards Exhibit

I believe there are still a few days left to see paintings by Rensselaer artist Evelyn Edwards at the East Greenbush Library [10 Community Way, E. Greenbush]. Library hours on Mon. and Tue. are 9am - 9pm. This Wed. they are open 9am - 5pm (closing early for New Year's Eve.) This is their December exhibit, and I'm not sure what day the paintings will be removed.

Since the description on the library's Exhibits List will probably change soon, I'm quoting their December 2008 posting here:

Walls: Watercolors & Prints by Evelyn Edwards

Evelyn Edwards is a local artist whose work is primarily in watercolor media of landscapes, still life and some figure drawings. She has exhibited her work at Columbia-Greene Community College, Hudson Valley Community College and at the Chatham Mini Mall with much success. Evelyn is currently 95 years of age.

There is a profile of the artist in today's Times Union as well:

Therapy by the brush stroke
At 94, Rensselaer woman wants her art to make people feel good