KyMar Hosting 2015 Arts Awards Celebration

On Wednesday, April 22 at the KyMar Distillery in Charlotteville at 6:30 P.M., the Greene County Council on the Arts will be awarding state funds to arts and producers in Schoharie County as part of the New York State Council on the Arts Community Arts Grants Program.

These taxpayer monies are used to produce art and art events in Schoharie County for the benefit of all Schoharie County residents. Fiscal year 2015 recipients include: The Richmondville Historical Society for the Bunn Mill Music Series, The Theater Project of Schoharie County, The Schoharie Colonial Heritage Association for their children's summer workshops as well as Sonny Ochs for The Not So Quiet Music Series and more. 

The celebration on April 22 will include live music, tours, and tasting. This part is free and is an excellent opportunity for Schoharie County residents to meet and know their fellow artists and producers as well as sample some of Schoharie County's first "legal" distillery's products. All are invited.

For details about the Community Arts Grant Program, please contact Grant Coordinator, Renee Nied at www.schoharieartsgrants@gmail.com 

Schoharie County Arts Education Grants for 2015 Spring School Year

Greene County Council on the Arts is offering funds provided by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) for in-school arts programming in Schoharie Counties through the Arts Education (AE) Partnership grant program.  These grants provide funds for artists/arts groups or cultural organizations to work in a K-12 public school setting in their county in collaboration with subject teachers.  Artists from outside the county may apply through a nonprofit conduit.  Projects need to address NYS Learning Standards.  Average grant award $500 - $2500.  

The application deadline is March 31, 2015 for Spring 2015 school year programs. A quick turnaround is guaranteed. Technical assistance is available to potential and returning applicants. Give us a shout!  We’re here to help.

Eligible projects must focus on the exploration of art and artistic process. Projects must take place during the school day and center on sequential, skills-based study that incorporates one or more art forms and includes a minimum of 3 participatory learning sessions with the same core group of students.

AE regrants fund a maximum of 50% of the project's total cash expenses and should include costs for project evaluation and documentation.

Eligible partnerships must involve a direct collaboration between artist/arts organization applicants and at least one K-12 class at a public school in Schoharie County.  Artists/organizations partnering with a school in the same county in which they reside may apply to the program directly. Artists/organizations outside our tri-county service area, those partnering with schools based in counties other than those the artist resides in, and arts organizations who have applied for and/or received NYSCA funding are also eligible but must apply through a locally-registered nonprofit. 

Contact: For Applications/Information contact Director of Community Arts & Arts Education Grants at Greene County Council on the Arts, 398 Main Street, P.O. Box 463, Catskill, NY 12414. 518-943-3400 or email Colettegcca@hotmail.com. 

The Arts Education Partnership grant program is funded and supported by the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), a state agency, with additional support from Stewarts Shops.

Community Arts Grants Awarded in Schoharie

Greene County Council on the Arts (GCCA) is pleased to announce the recipients of 2015 regrant awards through the Community Arts Grants Program.  Through this decentaliazation program, Schoharie, Columbia and Greene counties were awarded a total of $103,200. This amount will be regranted into local communities as $80,141 for support of cultural programming and activities, $18,059 for Arts Education, and $5000 for two Individual Artist awards (Columbia and Greene Counties only).

The Community Arts Grants/Decentralization Program is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). This program provides support for local not-for-profit organizations and artists working with community partners. These funds are intended to reward programs with strong artistic merit that directly benefit our tri-county residents.

All funding awards are competitive and determined by a panel of local artists, nonprofit professionals, and community members. These individuals deserve a round of applause for their active commitment to broadening the reach and accessibility of the arts in our region.

Schoharie County received 11 Project Support requests totaling $39,020. Eight organizations shared $23,850.  Recipients include Landis Arboretum for Live at Landis, Richmondville Historical Society for Music at the Mill, Schoharie Library for Heroes in Our Midst family programs, Sonny Ochs for The Not So Quiet Concert Series at Middleburgh Library, Theater Project of Schoharie County for a staged reading of an adaptation of Tom Stoppard’s “Le Vent Des Peupliers,” Upper Catskill String Quartet for Signature Pieces of Great Composers, West Fulton Puppet Festival for performances, maskmaking & workshops, Schoharie Colonial Heritage Association for Irish song, story & dance workshops for youth.  

The intent of these awards is to foster high quality, accessible cultural programs in our own backyard.  Please congratulate these organizations and individuals on their dedication to excellence and show them you appreciate their efforts by participating in this exciting medley of offerings.

A "public-invited" award celebration is slated for Spring where residents can learn more about the programs above as well as hear live music and meet the producers/artists behind these events (date TBA).

For information about the Community Arts Grant program, contact coordinator Renee Nied at: schoharieartsgrants@gmail.com

Artisan's Gallery to Host Local Artist August 8th

The Artisan's Gallery, located on 322 Main Street in the Village of Middleburgh, is inviting the general public to an opening reception of watercolors and prints by local artist Sherry Holmes on Friday, August 8th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Patrons will have the opportunity to meet and greet the local artist, and view other work produced locally to enhance your home and special gifts. Light refreshments will be served. Ms. Holmes' work will be show as the guest artist until August 30th.

Regular Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday's 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Schoharie County Arts Grants Information Available

The Community Arts Grants program of the New York State Council on the Arts is pleased to announce that the Fiscal Year 2015 Guidelines and Applications are now available.  The taxpayer dollars that these grants utilize are used to partially fund arts events, programs and experiences in Schoharie County.

The administrating organization for these grants is the Greene County Council on the Arts but all  taxpayer dollars allocated are for events and experiences in Schoharie County.

If you are an individual, organization or group of citizens interested in bringing arts and cultural events to Schoharie County, this funding opportunity may be right for you.

Informational workshops are scheduled for: August 16, 2014 between 10:00-11:30AM at 349 Mineral Springs Rd., Cobleskill and September 11, 2014 at the Middleburgh Library, 323 Main Street, Middleburgh from 6:30PM-8:00PM.  

New applicants are required to attend a workshop and returning applicants are encouraged to attend.

Link to grants is: http://www.greenearts.org/about/grants or visit schoharieartsgrants on Facebook.

Questions can be sent to grant coordinator, Renee Nied at: schoharieartsgrants@gmail.com

The Smithy's Third Annual Fundraiser Set for July 31

Cooperstown, NY - For the third year, The Smithy will be hosting their Annual Fundraiser featuring a live auction with Don Raddatz and Mike Stein as the auctioneers. This year the event will also include a silent auction, raffles, heavy horderves, and dessert and the company of those in the local arts community. Live music will be provided by The Dharma Bums, while local magician The Amazing Great returns to mystify attendees after a highly successful solo performance. Additionally, attendees receive a free, beautifully handcrafted ceramic vase with admission. Several of the exciting auction items from the past will be returning such as the chance to bid on a ski house in Tahoe, art from the gallery’s Member Artists and a tour at The Baseball Hall of Fame. There will also be some intriguing new items such as a water skiing / tubing adventure on Otsego Lake with a packed lunch from Black Cat Café, donations from the Cooperstown Distillery and several generous gift certificates to your favorite local restaurants, as well as a Thai dinner and cocktail party. Silent Auction Items will be on display at the Smithy from July 24 to July 30 with pre-bidding as an option. 

The event will run from 5:30 t0 9:00pm with the live auction taking place from 7:15 to 8:15pm. Tickets are $55 for adults, $100 for couples and $35 for children over 12 years of age. Join your community for a night to support the arts that will help the Smithy to bring new exhibits, workshops, concerts and performances to Cooperstown. It will be a great event where all donations will be used to keep The Smithy a central place for local entertainment and arts education.

The newly affiliated Smithy and Cooperstown Arts Association offers many opportunities to become involved with the arts, such as exhibits, classes, writers’ circles, concerts, performing arts and much more. The Smithy Gallery is free and open to the public Tuesday to Saturday from 10 - 5pm, Sunday from 12 - 5pm, closed on Monday. The Clay Studio offers classes and workshops with experienced instructors. We are located on 55 Pioneer Street, just past Cooley's Tavern. For more information on what is offered, call (607) 547-8671 or visit our website at www.smithyarts.org.

Wellington's to Host Garden Stroll & Art Opening

COBLESKILL, NY – Schoharie Valley Farm to School Project of Cornell Cooperative Extension is proud to announce its first fundraiser. Conducted in partnership with Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, it will feature the acclaimed local artist, Jason Schultz.

A Garden Stroll and Art Opening will be held from 12 Noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, at Wellington’s Herbs and Spices on Schoharie’s Rickard Hill Road. The public will have a chance to stroll through Wellington’s herb garden and art gallery to observe the exhibit of Jason Schultz's sculptures of reclaimed metal, wood and stone, with a chance to buy the pieces for their own home or business. An opportunity to “Meet the Artist” will be afforded to everyone who attends the exhibit opening.

The Tea Room at Wellington’s will have available lunch service, and there will be music, door prizes, and light refreshments offered, without a charge for admission.  A portion of all proceeds from the sales of Jason’s art works, from the time of the opening on July 13th through the exhibit period ending in September, will benefit the Schoharie Valley Farm to School Project, coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties.

With this, Jason Schultz’s first exhibit in the Schoharie County region as well as being his first ever solo show, he acknowledges that he is extremely excited about the location, and the cause. “Wellington’s is a beautiful place with so many great features, perfect for an open air exhibit.” He adds that the cause that will benefit from his exhibit, Schoharie Valley Farm to School Project, is a positive program that he would like to help get much better recognition.  

He explains that more kids need to be educated on their nutritional needs, on where food really comes from and that, “it is hopefully coming from a local farm.”

Jason Schultz is an award-winning landscape designer and self-taught artist living in Albany, N.Y. Jason currently works at Faddegon's Nursery doing residential design, retail sales, garden consultations and lectures. He states that he views life from a perspective that allows his innate sense of creativity to influence all aspects of his work and play. 

Working with reclaimed materials, whereas others may see scrap metal or refuse, Jason envisions their potential for engaging art. He welds, grinds, chainsaws and paints to transform discarded materials into fearsome warriors, robust bird baths, impressive sculptures and whimsical pooches. Jason’s works are in demand for the residential backyard, for professional landscaping applications, and by art collectors. His hand carved flutes and figurines will also be on exhibit. 

For more information about the garden stroll, art opening and exhibit, contact Schoharie Valley Farm to School Project Coordinator, Regina Tillman, via email at rmt371@live.com, or call the office of Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties at (518) 234-4303 / (518) 296-8310. Owners Carolyn and Frederick Wellington, of Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, may also be reached at 518-295-7366.

Artisan's Gallery to Host Vroman's Gnomes Opening

Gnomes are coming to Middleburgh...

Starting Friday, June 13th at the Artisan's Gallery located on 322 Main Street, Middleburgh, NY, artists Mike and Joe Galli will be unveiling their Vroman's Gnomes. The Gallery will be open from 6-8 pm for the special event, and light refreshments will be served. 

The artists foretold that, "When the clock strikes 6 on the evening of June 13th under the strawberry moon, you are invited to experience the newly discovered land of Vroman's Gnomes. These mystical creatures have been living amongst us since the Devonian Period and have rarely been seen. Emerging from the Ancient Forest and migrating to different regions of Schoharie County, these gnomes hiked from Vroman's Nose and have surfaced to reveal themselves to Humankind." 

Residents and art aficionados are invited to come and see the Gnomes in their natural habitat. For more information on these mysterious creatures, you can visit their official facebook page here which states they were discovered atop Vroman's Nose; protecting the landmark.

Woodstock Artist Opens Local Exhibit at the Schoharie Hive

On Saturday evening the Hive hosted Woodstock artist Norm Magnusson's art opening at its gallery and shop on Main Street in Schoharie. Magnusson has recently installed six sculptures across Schoharie County.

Photo credit: Bob Nied

The sculptures are cast aluminum and resemble blue and yellow historic markers but instead carry fictitious stories related to important cultural, economic, and environmental issues. They are located in in several local communities, including one outside of the Hive in Schoharie. 

A map of the markers is available here.

Magnussom discussed his motivations for creating the sculptures and took questions from visitors attending the two-hour long opening, which was presented by the Center for Sustainable Rural Communities and funded in party by the Decentralized Program of the New York Council on the Arts administered by the Green County Arts Council.

Stamford Residents Invited to Attend Forums on Performing Arts Center

STAMFORD - In 2009 Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council, Inc. (WCCRC) acquired the property formerly known as the Stamford Performing Arts Center, located at 76 Main Street in the Village of Stamford.  At the time, WCCRC believed strongly that having an arts venue in the center of the Village was important to the Village’s continuing revitalization and economic growth.  Five years later, WCCRC believes that this is still true,

 

The arts center will once again be available for community use as of July 1, 2014.  The complex includes two venues:  a two-story Carriage House, which includes a 99-seat performance theater on the first floor and a workshop / studio space on the second floor, and what is locally referred to as, “the coffee house.” The coffee house is a small performance venue in the Main Street storefront and can accommodate up to 50 people. 

 

WCCRC is inviting residents of the region to attend a series of community forums to discuss ideas about how these special performance venues can be used to benefit the area in the future.  Community members have many fond memories of performances that have been held at the site over its long history as an arts center, including plays, concerts, workshops and art shows. 

 

There are two forums scheduled and everyone is invited to attend to share their thoughts.  Both will be held in the Community Room at the Stamford Village Apartments at 125 Main Street in the Village of Stamford.  Join the staff of WCCRC on Wednesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. or on Saturday, May 31 at 2 p.m. to contribute your ideas.  An open house at the venues will be scheduled for the month of July, where community input will be shared.

 

WCCRC is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit Rural Preservation Company with a mission to cooperate with local, state and federal governmental and civic bodies in aiding, assisting and fostering the planning, development, renewal, and improvement of housing and other buildings for the primary purpose of revitalizing communities in their service area.  WCCRC’s service area covers the towns of Harpersfield, Kortright, Middletown, Roxbury and Stamford in Delaware County; Blenheim, Broome, Conesville, Fulton, Gilboa, Jefferson, and Summit in Schoharie County, and Ashland, Halcott, Hunter, Jewett, Lexington, and Prattsville in Greene County.

 

For more information on other WCCRC projects visit www.westerncatskills.org.

The Hive to Host Local Arts Reception, Program Opening

The Greene County Council on the Arts is pleased to announce the recipients of Community Arts Grants in Schoharie County. These grants, used to fund arts and cultural programming in Schoharie County, are provided by the New York State Council on the Arts via a decentralization program and are intended to benefit the community by bringing underrepresented art forms to residents throughout the County.

On April 26, from 7PM-9PM, the Schoharie Community Arts Grants will celebrate the 2014 funding season with a dessert reception at the Hive (321 Main Street, Schoharie). We invite you to attend this opportunity for funded organizations to outline their project(s) as well as thank elected officials for their support of the decentralization program. This event is open to the public and will feature live music by local fiddler Barb Nark.

Also at the Hive on April 26, is the much-anticipated opening of Michael Breitbach's show, “Panes,” for which he received a 2013 Individual Artist grant which provides support for artists in the production of a new, original work influenced by a dialogue with a Schoharie County community that inspires or impacts the artist's creative process and by encouraging personal artistic growth.

Please join artists and producers for this special evening of acknowledgment and art. For additional information email Renee Nied at: schoharieartsgrants@gmail.com

Schoharie County Organizations Receive Grants for Local Art Programs

The Greene County Council on the Arts is proud to announce the recipients of 2014 DECentralization Grant awards.  These awards, a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, utilize taxpayer monies to make the arts accessible to all citizens of New York State.

Greene County Council of the Arts

In Schoharie County eight organizations received funding to produce and offer arts and cultural programming throughout the county in 2014.  Projects include: a multi-site art installation featuring the work of Norm Magnusson sponsored by The Center for Sustainable Rural Communities, "Stories, Rhythms and Vocals of West Africa" sponsored by the Schoharie Colonial Heritage Association (as part of a summer children's workshop series), string quartet performances by the Upper Catskill String Quartet as well as an original play reading featuring the work of local playwright Phil Potak (Jefferson Historical Society), the 2014 Theater Season brought to by the Theater Project of Schoharie County, a performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture with live cannon fire as well as performances by Skip Parson's Riverboat Jazz Band and the Burnt Hills Melody Makers (Schoharie County Historical Society), "Music at the Mill" summer concert series (Richmondville Historical Society) and a performance by the Mettawee River Theater at the George Landis Arboretum.

The DECentralization Grant Program is administered by the Greene County Council on the Arts (on behalf of Schoharie County) and operates this program year-round with a new funding cycle beginning in June.

Questions can be directed to Grant Coordinator, Renee Nied at: schoharieDEC@gmail.com