Bitter Cold Blues: A Remedy

If you have kids in your life, or if you've been a North Country kid yourself, you know that winter can be a lot of fun - snowball fights, sledding, skiing, and so forth - but it can also be difficult. When the temperature dips below zero, as it is predicted to do this weekend, the difficulty is magnified. Many a kid who enjoys a well-bundled snowy adventure at fifteen or twenty degrees (Fahrenheit) will burst into tears when those numbers have a minus sign.

And when antsy young-uns are penned within four walls for two days straight, they might be okay, but the grown-ups who share the dwelling might have bald patches from pulling out hair. What to do?

Art helps, of course. Set out crayons and paper, scissors and glue, and the resident grown-up might have enough peace to fortify him- or herself with a caffeinated beverage. But still. To be cooped up is no fun. When my kids were small, I would often look for indoor places to bring them on biting cold days. And these days, North Country families have the Wild Center in Tupper Lake.

At the Wild Center, weekends have been designated as Winter Wildays, and Sundays are for Family Art and Nature. Each Sunday, visitors of all ages can enjoy an educational activity followed by a related art project. For example, the program for this coming Sunday, January 31st, promises fun with astrophysics:

"What Causes Winter? - Family Art and Nature Project (activity is great for children and families)
I'm sure some of us could do without all the cold, but in the Adirondacks, winter is an annual occurrence. Learn how the sun contributes to our seasons, and make a recycled sun catcher to hang in your window or garden when the temperature outside warms up."

Click here to see the Winter Wildays program through March 28th.

Then - get up & at'em! Bundle those tinies, head to Tupper Lake, and let them explore our wonderful North Country world through science, art, and fun!

Living Waters

One thing I love about North Country Public Radio is its constant attention to the arts. This morning I was intrigued, listening to Todd Moe and Hilary Oak, to learn of an upcoming exhibit at the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.

St. Lawrence County is geographically huge:"the largest county in New York State and the fifth largest ... east of the Mississippi." But of course, the population is relatively sparse, with 32 towns, 1 city, and 13 villages. In this context, the maintenance of a county-wide arts center is both essential and challenging. The SLCAC states as its goal "developing and promoting the arts in Northern New York". All sorts of arts - performance, visual, and literary - are supported, nurtured, and shared through the amazing efforts of the small SLCAC staff.

Creativity is like a spring of fresh water: it flows from deep within, carving a small pathway onto the surface; soon other springs join it; together, these mingled waters travel in new directions, fill riverbeds, flood thirsty plains, and attract life. People are drawn to them, sometimes without even knowing why. Pictured above is an image of the Thatcherville Spring, photographed by

Phil Gallos, which expresses the irrepressible energy and attractiveness found both in water and in the human creative urge.

SLCAC is a wellspring of creativity for the North Country, and as it has grown and diversified, it has drawn more people to quench their creative thirst. And just as a powerful river requires (and makes) more space to move than does a small spring, so the SLCAC needs to expand to a new, larger, multi-arts center.

To quote the SLCAC website:

We envision a center that provides affordable access to fully-equipped art studios, rehearsal rooms, and performance spaces. We want to create a place where people of all ages and abilities - from infants to seniors - can engage in the arts and share an array of cultural activities. The center will also serve as an incubator to foster arts businesses and organizations. A multi-arts center would attract new residents, encourage economic growth, and increase tourism for our region. Arts centers exist in rural towns across the country, where they play an active role in community revitalization.

To make such a space in St. Lawrence County is a magnificent goal, and an ambitious one. Such an effort needs broad support - many creative springs - to become real. But SLCAC is an arts center: who better to develop creative initiatives to draw forth and channel that support-?

And so they have. The exhibit of which Todd and Hilary spoke this morning is called "Limited Space" - an ingenius title indicating both the need (current SLCAC space is too limited) and the format: this is to be a show of small work. Artists are invited to submit work in any medium, but pieces must not be larger than 40 square inches - a two-dimensional equivalent of 5"x8". Artists are further asked to donate the pieces for the SLCAC to sell, with all proceeds dedicated to the Multi-Arts Center.

Perhaps the united effort of many creative springs will generate a great river of life and growth for St. Lawrence County and the whole North Country. For more information, contact the SLCAC: click the link provided above, or call (315) 265-6860, or contact their headquarters at 51 Market Street, Potsdam, NY, 13676.

Re-Vision

I love to see old things re-used in creative, beneficial ways. It satisfies on so many levels: by re-using, you save resources; by restoring, you honor the original... It especially delights me when an abandoned building is revived to a new use.



I first experienced this when my sister lived in a Brooklyn building that had been a cinnamon factory. The neighborhood was iffy, but the space was splendid: ancient brick had been repaired, creaky old floors had been polished, and everywhere clung the faint, stimulating fragrance of cinnamon.



Saranac Lake is home to a great deal of old architecture crying out for re-use; fortunately, some of it has already been claimed and revived. Todd Smith, artist and visionary, has transformed a small, once-forgotten building into a community art space named for the town's latitude and longitude coordinates: 7444 Gallery.



About a hundred years ago, the railway was Saranac Lake's lifeline; at its peak, eighteen to twenty trains came through daily. Parcels were transported too, and, as passengers would await the next train at the elegant depot, packages also needed a place to wait. So a small, utilitarian warehouse of sorts was built by the Railroad Express Package Company (which evolved, over time, into the United Parcel Service).



Now owned by the New York State Department of Transportation, this little warehouse is actually on the National Register of Historic Buildings, though it does not bear a plaque. There is nothing fancy about it - no baroque flourishes or birchbark embellishments: but it is beautiful. The builders of an earlier age used quality materials, and did their work well. Today, the floor has been restored to its original warm hardwood, and the multi-paned window casements still feature sturdy brass hardware. Just as my sister's apartment bore the fragrance of its cinnamon-dusted past, so this place is redolent of history, and the dignity of honest hard work. Lay your palm on the whitewashed wall, close your eyes, and you can almost hear the voices of people collecting their goods, the shuffle of crates passing from hand to carriage.


The richness of this life long gone infuses the life now there. All year round, 7444 Gallery showcases the art of people exploring materials, methods, meanings, and minds. At present, nine different artists, called the 7444 Collective, share work in diverse media. From fiber to pottery to wood, from glass to paint, a wide range of expression is on display to illuminate the viewer. A formal opening reception will be held tomorrow, Saturday, January 9th 2010, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.


One can only speculate on the variety of belongings that may have passed through this old building. But now, one can visit, and admire, and enjoy a great variety of art. What a fine new life for an old piece of architecture.

Resolution #8,562: Will It Stick?

I've never been much for resolutions, myself. But here it is, the end of a year - of a decade - and the beginning of a new one.



So, if one were to make resolutions, now might be as good a time as any.



How about this one: can we resolve to open ourselves - more - to creativity?



Here are some classic ways...



Keep a journal of writing or sketching - or both. Scribble ideas, impressions, feelings, as the whim strikes. Alternately, discipline yourself to write or draw or otherwise be creative at a certain time each day. I used to force myself to journal every night before bed, even if only to scrawl, "Long day - need sleep"-!!



In her book The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, Julia Cameron advocates both spilling and refilling oneself. She recommends "Morning Pages": "three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness" (p 10) - to be completed every single morning. To balance this, she also suggests "an artist date": "a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist." (p 18)


Some people find it inspiring to look on the work of other artists. A visit to an art museum or even to a local gallery can spark all sorts of ideas. At galleries, you might meet artists whose work is displayed, and many love to chat and share their thoughts on the creative process.


And of course, art per se is only one form of creativity. Some people love to try new recipes for baking or just cooking dinner; others find it relaxing to knit or sew. (And yes, baking, cooking, knitting, and sewing can all be called art!) If you have a friend who enjoys a creative outlet you've never tried, perhaps you could arrange a time to try it together.


A new year, a new decade, spawns all sorts of retrospection and anticipation. If you are resolution-minded, why not aim to explore new creative parts of your mind? You never know what you might discover.

Art for Giving!

It is too easy to spend money. The other day I went to the drug store to buy toothpaste, but I came out with dog treats, a magazine, gift wrap, a package of scotch tape, a box of batteries, chewing gum, hand cream, light bulbs ... AND toothpaste!



Store owners know this: many of us are too easily distracted by the interesting, the eye-catching, the useful - and we too easily part from our money as a result.



When it comes to shopping for gifts, it is WAY easy - for me at least - to bust the budget! But I strive for discipline. I try, in choosing and purchasing gifts, to be thoughtful. Sometimes, a gift that's not too expensive or flashy provides the best return on investment: the best long-term value for enjoyment and delight.



Artists know this: many of us seek thoughtful, long-lasting, not-too-expensive gifts of beauty for those we love.



Around the North Country, many venues are trying to provide shoppers just these types of gifts.



Tomorrow, Saturday December 12, the Artists' League of Lake Placid is hosting "A Holiday Event of Original Fine Artworks: 100 (almost) UNDER $100" at St. Eustace Episcopal Church on Main St., Lake Placid. This event begins at 10 am, and will feature smaller works: pieces priced for maximum value.



In Saranac Lake, Bluseed Studios is hosting an exhibit and sale of work by members of Saranac Lake Art Works through the month of December. Like the Lake Placid event, this show highlights less expensive works, both decorative and practical.



Besides these holiday opportunities, many galleries and gift centers offer affordable art all year. The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts in Blue Mountain Lake sells the work of exhibitors. In addition to their usual offerings, the Center also has a selection of repurposed/recycled lighting fixtures which, I'm told, are fabulously creative and fun.



The Arts Center of Old Forge has a shop too, as does the St. Lawrence County Arts Council . According to the SLCAC website, their gift shop features "artwork, hand crafts, music and books by more than 200 artists from around Northern New York".



And of course there is the Adirondack Artists' Guild in Saranac Lake, whose members are always creating new, exciting works. Member artist Donna Foley has recently stocked the shelves with skeins of hand-woven, naturally-dyed yarn, as well as cozy scarves and other woolen treasures.



Chances are, there are sources for one-of-a-kind gifts near you. I am sure there are galleries and gift shops I have not mentioned here. Post a comment! Let us all know where the gems are to be found!

Time-Light Adventure

I'm old enough, and I've spent enough time around cameras, to appreciate a really new photographic adventure. While no expert myself, I have enough experience to hold great respect for those who are. In the Adirondack Artists' Guild's newest exhibit, photographer Burdette Parks bends perception, understanding, and light in ways that capture time itself.



In photography, time equals light.



Many years ago, my Dad taught me to photograph by measuring light to adjust the f-stop and shutter speed. I would record these details in a little notebook for future reference. Dad told me to bracket shots, with over- and under-exposed images on either side of a "correct" exposure, so that I could later compare and evaluate the prints.



In high school photo class, I learned to love the darkroom's red light, the chemical baths with their distinctive odors, and the string with its clips for drying. I would play with exposure there too, fiddling around to make an image lighter or darker.



Some years later, I had a Pentax SLR which did a lot of this work for me. I tucked away my light meter and grew lazy, trusting the camera's "auto" function more than my own eyes.


These days, I luxuriate in a Canon digital camera, and have grown accustomed to the flexibility of knowing I can play with the light after the fact, on my computer. (I have also learned that a bad shot is still a bad shot, no matter what the computer does to it!)



For his fascinating and ground-breaking new show, "Dimensions: The Expandable Camera", Burdette writes, "the camera defines an artificial frame around an arbitrary subject for a finite period of time ... we are accustomed, through long practice and tradition, to nearly unlimited variation and choice in the selection of ... subject and framing ... But what happens if the Time parameter is treated as variably as the parameters of subject and format?"



The old light meter would help us determine how much time to give an exposure; the newer Pentax and digital Canon can make that determination for us, if we want them to. But what if we take the whole question of light - that is, exposure time - away from the machines and own it for ourselves? Can a two-dimensional image of a three dimensional object express that fourth dimension - time?



It would seem so. This show does things with photography that I, for one, would never have imagined. You can click here to see some of the images, but they are worth seeing in person. The computer cannot represent the works' three dimensional format - much less their fourth!

The Reins of Perception

Censorship.

The very word raises the hackles on most Americans.

Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia stand in our collective memory as extreme examples. As early as 1933, the Nazi government was destroying works of art it deemed "un-German", and firing University professors whose work failed to meet their approval. In The Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn elucidates brutal repression at the hands of a Soviet government which disapproved of his art.

Censorship-related issues hit current news as well. A few years ago, the violence which erupted in response to some Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad smacked of Nazi-era repression. And, earlier this month, a piece on Morning Edition mentioned artistic censorship, along with other measures, being used to enforce new conservative rule in Chechnya. Chechen artists must now meet standards judged by the government's culture ministry as conforming to the "Chechen mentality and upbringing".

As a freedom-loving American, and as an artist, these things freeze my blood. To resort to violence over art - to limit creative expression to the vision promoted by a government - seem so obviously wrong.

But: let's look more closely. Let's take the question home. Where do we experience censorship? Is it ever justified?

As a parent, there are certainly images and works of art I don't feel comfortable allowing my children to experience. I consider this not so much censorship as guidance. Is it also guidance, then, if a teacher in a public school does not allow his or her students to see - or to create - certain types of image?

What about in the local art gallery?

A few years ago, British artist Chris Ofili sparked outcry with an exhibit which featured, amongst other controversial displays, a collaged image of the Virgin Mary which included elephant dung. This exhibit was held at the Brooklyn Art Museum; then-mayor Rudolph Guiliani threatened to withdraw city funding from the museum unless the show was cancelled. (Click here for a thought-provoking essay on this event.)

Censorship? Obviously. Justified? Well... that depends on your point of view.

What if an art gallery or museum in your town faced a similar dilemma? Would the validity of censorship depend on whose beliefs were offended - or defended?

Dear Reader, what do YOU think? Post a comment!