What fun! I have just a few more gifts to pick up and hope to make it to Unison's 7th annual Holiday Crafts Fair at the New Paltz Middle School, 196 Main Street, New Paltz, on Saturday or Sunday. That's where you can buy gallery-quality handcrafted gift items, ceramics, jewelry, leatherwork, woodwork, children's clothing, wreaths, blown glass and more from 50 master craftspeople and fine artists. This takes place this weekend from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. -- $3 adult admission (includes raffle ticket) and free admission for children.
A few of the participating artists:
Hot Stuff Blown Glass - Kevin Van Buren Photography - Brad Kato Pottery - Rain Barrel Soap - The Hat Junkie - Grey Mouse Farm - Kaete Brittin Shaw - Louis Booth Jewelry - Art & Sole Dolls
For more creative shopping ops in the area, read Kathleen Wereszynski Murray's article about local crafts events. (Be sure to read the dates of the events carefully, as this was published last week in the Poughkeepsie Journal.)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Original voice
And if you happen to find yourself at the southern end of the valley on Friday and unable head up north to attend the James Taylor DVD release party, there's always Manhattan. The always fab Whitney Museum of American Art is presenting its Friday night Composers' Showcase with Andy Biskin this week, starting at 7 p.m. It's in the Lower Level Gallery and admission is free.
Here is more about Andy:
"...subtle improvisation and nuanced group interaction"-- All About Jazz
Andy Biskin has emerged out of the jazz and new music scene as a composer with a distinctly original voice and an extremely broad range of interests. With the Andy Biskin Quartet and special guest Theo Bleckmann, Biskin presents Early American: The Melodies of Stephen Foster, as well as new works for various ensembles, commissioned specifically for this performance.
Sweet Baby James
I am a longtime James Taylor fan and the news that he has a new CD/DVD set (James Taylor One Man Band) out made me happy. It was recorded over the summer at The Colonial Theater in his hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts (not so far from the Columbia County border). By the way, I have already bought the new release (found it recently at Starbucks) – and it’s great!
On Friday, The Colonial will host a James Taylor DVD Release Party, starting at 6 p.m. in the Colonial lobby with live music by local band Micah Stone. You can buy specialty cocktails and fresh popcorn (and you’ll be able to bring both into the theater to enjoy during the film!) and bid in the silent auction featuring an autographed James Taylor guitar. The James Taylor One Man Band film begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by more live music by the Justin Allen Trio. The DVD (by veteran television events producer and director Don Mischer and executive producer and acclaimed filmmaker Sydney Pollack) tells the story of Taylor’s songs through exclusive interviews and rare multi-media footage, including home movies and photographs from Taylor’s personal archives. I can vouch that it’s an intimate, fascinating look at the musician and offers a lot of insight into his songs. And you have to see his "drum machine!"
Now this is the amazing part: Tickets are JUST $10 and can be purchased in person at The Colonial Theatre Ticket Office at 111 South Street, during office hours by calling 413-997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org
Here is an excerpt from the DVD liner notes, written by James Taylor:
“Full summer in the dear, lovely Berkshire hills. Mossy and green and abundant with that flinty New England resolve, to weather the test of the winter to come. It’s a time for music. Tanglewood is here, the summer home of the Boston Symphony. That’s what brought me here in the beginning. It was a place to play, a yearly stop on the summer tour for me and my band. The last time I toured solo was in the late ‘70s. That’s how I started out, just the guitar and a handful of songs. As time went by, I added other musicians because it’s great playing in a big band. But from time to time, it’s good to go back to the well. It’s good to get back to basics and to present the songs in their original form. So it’s been in my mind for a while to work small again. The Colonial Theatre in my hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts just managed to escape the wrecking ball. There are small community theaters all over the country that have been saved at the eleventh hour by the very communities they serve. People have invested time, money, and themselves resurrecting the old girl. And along the way, they have found a new sense of belonging: a sense of place; a place called home. When we were given the change to film and record this One Man Band thing, I knew at once that The Colonial would be the right place. If you travel for a living, and you do it for a long enough time, you can get so good at it that you never really have a home. I’ve lived and worked in New York and Los Angeles, London and Paris, Sydney and Rio. Kim has traveled the world too. But the Berkshires are our home at last. And somehow The Colonial Theatre, that plucky survivor, is at the heart of the place.”
On Friday, The Colonial will host a James Taylor DVD Release Party, starting at 6 p.m. in the Colonial lobby with live music by local band Micah Stone. You can buy specialty cocktails and fresh popcorn (and you’ll be able to bring both into the theater to enjoy during the film!) and bid in the silent auction featuring an autographed James Taylor guitar. The James Taylor One Man Band film begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by more live music by the Justin Allen Trio. The DVD (by veteran television events producer and director Don Mischer and executive producer and acclaimed filmmaker Sydney Pollack) tells the story of Taylor’s songs through exclusive interviews and rare multi-media footage, including home movies and photographs from Taylor’s personal archives. I can vouch that it’s an intimate, fascinating look at the musician and offers a lot of insight into his songs. And you have to see his "drum machine!"
Now this is the amazing part: Tickets are JUST $10 and can be purchased in person at The Colonial Theatre Ticket Office at 111 South Street, during office hours by calling 413-997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org
Here is an excerpt from the DVD liner notes, written by James Taylor:
“Full summer in the dear, lovely Berkshire hills. Mossy and green and abundant with that flinty New England resolve, to weather the test of the winter to come. It’s a time for music. Tanglewood is here, the summer home of the Boston Symphony. That’s what brought me here in the beginning. It was a place to play, a yearly stop on the summer tour for me and my band. The last time I toured solo was in the late ‘70s. That’s how I started out, just the guitar and a handful of songs. As time went by, I added other musicians because it’s great playing in a big band. But from time to time, it’s good to go back to the well. It’s good to get back to basics and to present the songs in their original form. So it’s been in my mind for a while to work small again. The Colonial Theatre in my hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts just managed to escape the wrecking ball. There are small community theaters all over the country that have been saved at the eleventh hour by the very communities they serve. People have invested time, money, and themselves resurrecting the old girl. And along the way, they have found a new sense of belonging: a sense of place; a place called home. When we were given the change to film and record this One Man Band thing, I knew at once that The Colonial would be the right place. If you travel for a living, and you do it for a long enough time, you can get so good at it that you never really have a home. I’ve lived and worked in New York and Los Angeles, London and Paris, Sydney and Rio. Kim has traveled the world too. But the Berkshires are our home at last. And somehow The Colonial Theatre, that plucky survivor, is at the heart of the place.”
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Food for thought
If you're up for more cerebral activities this weekend, how about taking part in a forum looking at ways that we can continue America’s legacy of independent farmers and fresh, healthy food in the 21st century?
Food for Thought - Food for the Future Series: Climate Change, Agriculture, & Community Planning, a forum for community leaders, farmers, and local officials in the Hudson Valley takes place on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the beautiful Glynwood Center in Cold Spring. Advance registration is required, which you can do by calling Anita Barber at 845-265-3338 or by sending her an e-mail at atabarber@glynwood.org
Speakers and participants will discuss the impacts of climate change on agriculture in the Hudson Valley, and ways that community planning can help mitigate these changes. The featured speakers are Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, a NASA scientist and leading climate change expert, and Joel Russell, a nationally known community planner and land use lawyer. In addition, several Hudson Valley farmers will share their experiences with climate change and the steps they are taking to deal with its effects.
Workshop fee is $35 for general public, and $15 for farmers; it includes light
breakfast (9:30 - 10:00) and lunch. (Please arrive at 9:30 so you have time to park and sign-in.)
Food for Thought - Food for the Future Series: Climate Change, Agriculture, & Community Planning, a forum for community leaders, farmers, and local officials in the Hudson Valley takes place on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the beautiful Glynwood Center in Cold Spring. Advance registration is required, which you can do by calling Anita Barber at 845-265-3338 or by sending her an e-mail at atabarber@glynwood.org
Speakers and participants will discuss the impacts of climate change on agriculture in the Hudson Valley, and ways that community planning can help mitigate these changes. The featured speakers are Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, a NASA scientist and leading climate change expert, and Joel Russell, a nationally known community planner and land use lawyer. In addition, several Hudson Valley farmers will share their experiences with climate change and the steps they are taking to deal with its effects.
Workshop fee is $35 for general public, and $15 for farmers; it includes light
breakfast (9:30 - 10:00) and lunch. (Please arrive at 9:30 so you have time to park and sign-in.)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Countdown to the feast ...
I have a 16-pound turkey waiting for me this year at Fleisher's market (which sells grass-fed, local, sustainably raised meat) and a host of choices for preparing it. I believe I'll follow Chef Tom Griffiths's brining directions for making the most delicious turkey (which he wrote about last year in Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine and which we're offering as a free download on the magazine's Web site.) I also just read in a recent Poughkeepsie Journal ad that the McEnroe Organic Farm on Route 22 in northeast Dutchess County is selling their own heritage breed turkeys. Might be worth a call to see if there are any left ...
And although I'm not in charge of selecting the wine for our meal this year, I believe I will steer the person entrusted with that job to that same download, where HVC magazine wines columnist, CIA wine and spirits professor Michael Arthur Weiss, lists wines that pair extraordinarily well with holiday foods. ;-)
A few locally grown or produced foods that might very well make it onto our menu: kale from Migliorelli Farmstand on Route 199 in Rhinebeck (the east side of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge approach)-- my family eats their kale a lot -- YUM!; Yukon gold potatoes from Story Farm in Catskill; cider from Stone Ridge Orchards (love the Asian pear cider); cornbread stuffing with cornmeal ground by Don Lewis in Pleasant Valley (you can find it at the local Amish market in Hyde Park and the Adams Fairacre Farms markets in Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Newburgh if you ask); milk from Hudson Valley Fresh; garlic we picked up at this year's Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties (haven't decided yet on which variety); cherry tomatoes that were the last of the season in my garden and which have ripened perfectly in my cellar; apple pie, apple crisp, apple sauce, apple cake ... using fruit from all the wonderful apple orchards in the area (my personal favorite is Montgomery Place Orchards on Route 9G in Red Hook but I know our designated apple pie baker likes to pick up her apples at Dolan Orchards on Route 208 in Wallkill.)
Please share any of your fave places for picking up local ingredients for your Thanksgiving meal -- I'd love to know what's going to be on your table. And be sure to visit the magazine's Web site to download the turkey and wine information. Bon appetit!
And although I'm not in charge of selecting the wine for our meal this year, I believe I will steer the person entrusted with that job to that same download, where HVC magazine wines columnist, CIA wine and spirits professor Michael Arthur Weiss, lists wines that pair extraordinarily well with holiday foods. ;-)
A few locally grown or produced foods that might very well make it onto our menu: kale from Migliorelli Farmstand on Route 199 in Rhinebeck (the east side of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge approach)-- my family eats their kale a lot -- YUM!; Yukon gold potatoes from Story Farm in Catskill; cider from Stone Ridge Orchards (love the Asian pear cider); cornbread stuffing with cornmeal ground by Don Lewis in Pleasant Valley (you can find it at the local Amish market in Hyde Park and the Adams Fairacre Farms markets in Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Newburgh if you ask); milk from Hudson Valley Fresh; garlic we picked up at this year's Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties (haven't decided yet on which variety); cherry tomatoes that were the last of the season in my garden and which have ripened perfectly in my cellar; apple pie, apple crisp, apple sauce, apple cake ... using fruit from all the wonderful apple orchards in the area (my personal favorite is Montgomery Place Orchards on Route 9G in Red Hook but I know our designated apple pie baker likes to pick up her apples at Dolan Orchards on Route 208 in Wallkill.)
Please share any of your fave places for picking up local ingredients for your Thanksgiving meal -- I'd love to know what's going to be on your table. And be sure to visit the magazine's Web site to download the turkey and wine information. Bon appetit!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Do you have a long gift list?
Lots of opportunities to buy unique and thoughtful gifts this weekend.
On Saturday, there's the opening reception (6 to 8 p.m.) of the Tivoli Artists Co-Op Holiday Show and Sale, with fine art and affordable gifts, ornaments and artist-made cards. The gallery is at 60 Broadway in Tivoli, and hours are Fridays, 5-9pm; Saturdays, 1-9pm; & Sundays, 1-5pm.
Then there's the Dutchess County Arts Council's Fine Art & Craft Market, which takes place on Saturday (10-5) and Sunday (11-5) at the Poughkeepsie Tennis Club, 135 South Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie. There is a list of participating artists and a discount coupon for admission tickets online!
On Saturday, there's the opening reception (6 to 8 p.m.) of the Tivoli Artists Co-Op Holiday Show and Sale, with fine art and affordable gifts, ornaments and artist-made cards. The gallery is at 60 Broadway in Tivoli, and hours are Fridays, 5-9pm; Saturdays, 1-9pm; & Sundays, 1-5pm.
Then there's the Dutchess County Arts Council's Fine Art & Craft Market, which takes place on Saturday (10-5) and Sunday (11-5) at the Poughkeepsie Tennis Club, 135 South Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie. There is a list of participating artists and a discount coupon for admission tickets online!
Friday, November 9, 2007
Bagging it?
I recently read an article in the New York Times that looked at whether the status handbag is dead. I quote:
Status handbags, you see, are a lot like housing. After the rise of the $1,000 purse, fashion’s equivalent of the $1 million studio, there inevitably comes talk of a backlash. Are we now living in a handbag bubble?
You can read the entire article here.
I really like my red leather Ameribag -- it's a good utility and common sense kind of purse. It's not inexpensive -- but also not Prada prices. (Not that there's anything wrong with Prada, but I just don't live a Prada price kind of life. If I'm ever going to blow a mortgage payment on a fashion accessory, it's going to involve a transAtlantic flight, a nice hotel and a key ring from a little shop called Hermes.)
I have a handbag poll at right. Go ahead -- be honest. :-)
HANDBAG TRIVIA: Ameribag has its origin in the Hudson Valley (Woodstock/Kingston areas) -- and there's a local tie to Coach bags too -- anyone want to guess?
Status handbags, you see, are a lot like housing. After the rise of the $1,000 purse, fashion’s equivalent of the $1 million studio, there inevitably comes talk of a backlash. Are we now living in a handbag bubble?
You can read the entire article here.
I really like my red leather Ameribag -- it's a good utility and common sense kind of purse. It's not inexpensive -- but also not Prada prices. (Not that there's anything wrong with Prada, but I just don't live a Prada price kind of life. If I'm ever going to blow a mortgage payment on a fashion accessory, it's going to involve a transAtlantic flight, a nice hotel and a key ring from a little shop called Hermes.)
I have a handbag poll at right. Go ahead -- be honest. :-)
HANDBAG TRIVIA: Ameribag has its origin in the Hudson Valley (Woodstock/Kingston areas) -- and there's a local tie to Coach bags too -- anyone want to guess?
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Market & farm-to-table tours and lunch
Some good eating opportunities this weekend -- two farm tours: urban and not-so-urban.
SATURDAY IN MANHATTAN
Join Gramercy Tavern’s Executive Chef Michael Anthony on a special tour of the Union Square Greenmarket followed by a four-course lunch at Gramercy Tavern. 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Space is limited, and tickets cost $110. More info and reservations here.
Chef Anthony was formerly part of the team that opened Blue Hill at Stone Barns -- the acclaimed restaurant that produces most of its food on the Rockefeller family farm in Westchester County. Discover how the Greenmarket’s ingredients influence this chef’s menu, find out what he loves most about this famed farmers market, and feast on a unique meal at Gramercy Tavern featuring the Greenmarket’s vast bounty (some of it coming from our very own Hudson Valley farmers). This event is endorsed by Slow Food New York City.
SUNDAY IN ORANGE COUNTY
There’s a farm tour taking place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday in Orange County's famed Black Dirt region. The W. Rogowski Farm, a biodiverse farm in Pine Island, is run by Cheryl Rogowski, an innovative community-oriented farmer, MacArthur genius grant awardee, and Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine’s first Notable. Here are more details on the event, sponsored by Slow Food Hudson Valley:
Cheryl developed one of the earliest CSAs in the area, serving East New York and Williamsburg Brooklyn, leading the Glynwood Center to honor her in 2003 for her innovative work connecting urban communities with agriculture. Her Certified Naturally Grown farm includes winter growing tunnels, a year-round farm store that, in the spirit of encouraging local agriculture, sells products from many farms throughout the region. A professional kitchen hosts cooking classes and may also be the production site for some foods in the store -- join us Sunday to find out more! We'll begin with a farm tour and then sit down to enjoy a potluck meal together in her warm farm kitchen. Gather in the kitchen (in back room of the store) at 11:30 this Sunday. Local wineries may also participate. Bring a dish of food to share and your own mess kit (plates, silverware, napkins, etc). We'll have an opportunity to purchase locally grown products from her farm store, so bring your grocery list. More info and link to rvsp for Sunday's event.
(And yes, I am a member of Slow Food, but unfortunately won't be able to attend either of these two events. If you go, please send me a note or leave a comment about how they went!)
SATURDAY IN MANHATTAN
Join Gramercy Tavern’s Executive Chef Michael Anthony on a special tour of the Union Square Greenmarket followed by a four-course lunch at Gramercy Tavern. 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Space is limited, and tickets cost $110. More info and reservations here.
Chef Anthony was formerly part of the team that opened Blue Hill at Stone Barns -- the acclaimed restaurant that produces most of its food on the Rockefeller family farm in Westchester County. Discover how the Greenmarket’s ingredients influence this chef’s menu, find out what he loves most about this famed farmers market, and feast on a unique meal at Gramercy Tavern featuring the Greenmarket’s vast bounty (some of it coming from our very own Hudson Valley farmers). This event is endorsed by Slow Food New York City.
SUNDAY IN ORANGE COUNTY
There’s a farm tour taking place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday in Orange County's famed Black Dirt region. The W. Rogowski Farm, a biodiverse farm in Pine Island, is run by Cheryl Rogowski, an innovative community-oriented farmer, MacArthur genius grant awardee, and Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine’s first Notable. Here are more details on the event, sponsored by Slow Food Hudson Valley:
Cheryl developed one of the earliest CSAs in the area, serving East New York and Williamsburg Brooklyn, leading the Glynwood Center to honor her in 2003 for her innovative work connecting urban communities with agriculture. Her Certified Naturally Grown farm includes winter growing tunnels, a year-round farm store that, in the spirit of encouraging local agriculture, sells products from many farms throughout the region. A professional kitchen hosts cooking classes and may also be the production site for some foods in the store -- join us Sunday to find out more! We'll begin with a farm tour and then sit down to enjoy a potluck meal together in her warm farm kitchen. Gather in the kitchen (in back room of the store) at 11:30 this Sunday. Local wineries may also participate. Bring a dish of food to share and your own mess kit (plates, silverware, napkins, etc). We'll have an opportunity to purchase locally grown products from her farm store, so bring your grocery list. More info and link to rvsp for Sunday's event.
(And yes, I am a member of Slow Food, but unfortunately won't be able to attend either of these two events. If you go, please send me a note or leave a comment about how they went!)
Out of gift ideas? Buy local art!
When you’re done buying books and wine in Millbrook on Saturday, be sure to head over to the Great Hudson Valley Fine Art Auction at the historic Locust Grove estate in Poughkeepsie that same evening.
Hosted by Barrett Art Center and Locust Grove, this auction will feature 100 works by artists from the Hudson Valley. You’ll choose from among paintings, watercolors, prints, drawings, photographs, sculpture, ceramics and works in mixed media. Bidding for all works will start at $200. All proceeds benefit the featured artists, the Barrett Art Center and Locust Grove. Admission is $15 per person and includes a catered reception of wine and hors d’oeuvres and bidders paddle.
Preview reception is from 3 to 5 p.m. Silent auction opens at 3 p.m. Live auction takes place from 5-7 p.m. More info at Locust Grove Web site or by calling 845-454-4500.
There are LOTS of opportunities to stock up on presents this weekend -- or just to treat yourself!
Hosted by Barrett Art Center and Locust Grove, this auction will feature 100 works by artists from the Hudson Valley. You’ll choose from among paintings, watercolors, prints, drawings, photographs, sculpture, ceramics and works in mixed media. Bidding for all works will start at $200. All proceeds benefit the featured artists, the Barrett Art Center and Locust Grove. Admission is $15 per person and includes a catered reception of wine and hors d’oeuvres and bidders paddle.
Preview reception is from 3 to 5 p.m. Silent auction opens at 3 p.m. Live auction takes place from 5-7 p.m. More info at Locust Grove Web site or by calling 845-454-4500.
There are LOTS of opportunities to stock up on presents this weekend -- or just to treat yourself!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Even MORE local jewelry!
First of all -- I like the name. The jewelry is not bad either. Manic Trout is owned by Sierra Bailey, who makes unique, dramatic pieces of jewelry in Millbrook. She uses vintage buttons, silver plate wire, brass chains, venetian glass, metal, chandelier crystal, bottle caps, and the like. As she says in her press materials: "Manic Trout is industrial and beautiful." I think it's fun.
And who couldn't use at least one pink and green necklace?
Monday, November 5, 2007
Sip & shop ...
Sipping local wine at a beautiful winery and meeting a bunch of authors with local ties -- this sounds like a nice way to spend an autumn Saturday and get some shopping done for the upcoming holidays ...
Sip & Sign: A Holiday Book Signing with 25 Authors takes place from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 10) at Millbrook Winery.
According to the winery, authors at Saturday's event will include Margaret & Michael Korda (Ike: An American Hero, Horse Housekeeping, Cat People, Country Matters), Larry Beinhart (Wag The Dog), Laura Shaine Cunningham (Sleeping Arrangements), Monica Randall (Phantoms Of The Hudson), Steve Charney (Hocus Jokus), Priscilla Buckley (Living It Up At The National Review), Ric Orlando, owner of New World Home Cooking, (We Want Clean Food!), wine expert Steven Kolpan (Exploring Wine), Hardie Truesdale (Hudson River Journey), Kathy Stevens (Where The Blind Horse Sings) and Scott Ian Barry (Wolf Empire).
Samples of Millbrook's fine wines will be available and the Keeper’s Market gourmet store will have savory spreads and dips to sample and purchase. Call 845-677-8383 ext. 17 for more information.
Sip & Sign: A Holiday Book Signing with 25 Authors takes place from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 10) at Millbrook Winery.
According to the winery, authors at Saturday's event will include Margaret & Michael Korda (Ike: An American Hero, Horse Housekeeping, Cat People, Country Matters), Larry Beinhart (Wag The Dog), Laura Shaine Cunningham (Sleeping Arrangements), Monica Randall (Phantoms Of The Hudson), Steve Charney (Hocus Jokus), Priscilla Buckley (Living It Up At The National Review), Ric Orlando, owner of New World Home Cooking, (We Want Clean Food!), wine expert Steven Kolpan (Exploring Wine), Hardie Truesdale (Hudson River Journey), Kathy Stevens (Where The Blind Horse Sings) and Scott Ian Barry (Wolf Empire).
Samples of Millbrook's fine wines will be available and the Keeper’s Market gourmet store will have savory spreads and dips to sample and purchase. Call 845-677-8383 ext. 17 for more information.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Take a chance
Would you like to have dinner with Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep and her husband, noted sculptor Don Gummer, at Tom Colicchio's oh-so-fab restaurant Craft? And a tour of Gummer's studio?
Or a two-night stay at Robert Rauschenberg's Florida beach house, with tours of his and Darryl Pottorf’s studios and a Rauschenberg lithograph? If that's not enough, you'll also have dinner with Rauschenberg and Pottorf.
Or how about tickets to see the Steeplecats (the North Adams, Massachusetts semi-pro baseball team) AND dinner with former Major League Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent (he was also chairman of Coca-Cola and Columbia Pictures.) Don't worry about driving home afterwards -- you'll get to spend 2 nights at the luxurious Porches Inn at MASS MoCA (the acclaimed Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, Massachusetts.)
Wow.
How do you get in on this? Be the lucky winning bidder on these packages (and many other excellent items) during MASS MoCA's benefit auction on Wednesday (Nov. 7) in New York. The live auction event is sold out but that's OK -- they are accepting advance bids until 5 p.m. TUESDAY, NOV 6. (See note below for changes to this.) Auction items include important art, and lots of one-of-a-kind experiences donated by MASS MoCA's friends and supporters. Go to this Web site. Bid. And please, let me know if you win something good
11-05-2007 UPDATE: Just got a message from MASS MoCA that they now will be accepting absentee bids until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7. Anyone can place bids for the auction online by downloading an absentee bid form from http://www.massmoca.org/benefit.php.
Other neat items include:
An autographed copy of the 1980 shooting script from Barry Levinson's Diner, which was the first of a series of films set in the Baltimore of Levinson's youth. Accompanying the script is an abstract print by Diana Levinson.
"Sundance Film Festival" includes tickets for two for a VIP trip to Sundance January 24-28, 2008. MASS MoCA's performing arts curator will serve as guide for the best films and package includes four nights at Sundance Resort, four breakfasts and dinners, tickets to numerous screenings, and VIP festival credentials. The winner also will receive the first public copy (signed) of the script for Academy Award winner Barry Levinson's most recent film, What Just Happened?, which stars Robert DeNiro, Bruce Willis, and Sean Penn, and is a likely Sundance selection.
"Whistler Ski Vacation" offers a seven-night stay in a stunning two bedroom, two bath slope-side townhome at the exclusive Cedar Creek in Whistler, British Columbia.
Or a two-night stay at Robert Rauschenberg's Florida beach house, with tours of his and Darryl Pottorf’s studios and a Rauschenberg lithograph? If that's not enough, you'll also have dinner with Rauschenberg and Pottorf.
Or how about tickets to see the Steeplecats (the North Adams, Massachusetts semi-pro baseball team) AND dinner with former Major League Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent (he was also chairman of Coca-Cola and Columbia Pictures.) Don't worry about driving home afterwards -- you'll get to spend 2 nights at the luxurious Porches Inn at MASS MoCA (the acclaimed Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, Massachusetts.)
Wow.
How do you get in on this? Be the lucky winning bidder on these packages (and many other excellent items) during MASS MoCA's benefit auction on Wednesday (Nov. 7) in New York. The live auction event is sold out but that's OK -- they are accepting advance bids until 5 p.m. TUESDAY, NOV 6. (See note below for changes to this.) Auction items include important art, and lots of one-of-a-kind experiences donated by MASS MoCA's friends and supporters. Go to this Web site. Bid. And please, let me know if you win something good
11-05-2007 UPDATE: Just got a message from MASS MoCA that they now will be accepting absentee bids until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7. Anyone can place bids for the auction online by downloading an absentee bid form from http://www.massmoca.org/benefit.php.
Other neat items include:
An autographed copy of the 1980 shooting script from Barry Levinson's Diner, which was the first of a series of films set in the Baltimore of Levinson's youth. Accompanying the script is an abstract print by Diana Levinson.
"Sundance Film Festival" includes tickets for two for a VIP trip to Sundance January 24-28, 2008. MASS MoCA's performing arts curator will serve as guide for the best films and package includes four nights at Sundance Resort, four breakfasts and dinners, tickets to numerous screenings, and VIP festival credentials. The winner also will receive the first public copy (signed) of the script for Academy Award winner Barry Levinson's most recent film, What Just Happened?, which stars Robert DeNiro, Bruce Willis, and Sean Penn, and is a likely Sundance selection.
"Whistler Ski Vacation" offers a seven-night stay in a stunning two bedroom, two bath slope-side townhome at the exclusive Cedar Creek in Whistler, British Columbia.
Musical Saturday
Two great CLASSIC(al) choices for Saturday evening:
Classics at Vassar: The Borromeo String Quartet performs the music of Haydn, Shostakovich, and Beethoven at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College, Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie. Part of the college’s on-campus music series, this event is free. Visit the Web site or call 845-437-7294.
AND
Classic Guitar: Unison Arts brings two acclaimed young "guitaristas" to perform together for the first time 8 p.m. Saturday at Studley Theatre, SUNY New Paltz. Tickets $15 students / $20 members / $25 non-members in advance / $30 at the door. More info and reservation inquiries at www.unisonarts.org.
Ana Vidovic, from Croatia, is a rising star who was invited to study at the Peabody Conservatory with Manuel Barrueco. Ana has given more than 1,000 public performances in New York, London, Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, Rome, Budapest, Baltimore, San Francisco, and many other cities. See her on YouTube.
Zaira Meneses, from Xalapa, Mexico, performs as a soloist and with the famed Orquesta de Guitarras. Contributing member of the Boston Guitar Project, she is also an accomplished operatic soloist and Flamenco dancer. She recently performed the music of Manuel Ponce at Boston GuitarFest's 2007 "Mexico Day" with Santiago Diaz. See her on YouTube.
Ana and Zaira will each play specially selected solos but as a special, first-time treat for Unison's classical guitar audience, they will also perform duos, notably "Tango" by the great master Astor Piazzolla and "Vida Breve" by Manuel DeFalla.
Talking turkey too
Wow, it's NOVEMBER already and time to start planning for my favorite holiday -- Thanksgiving. Fleisher's markets (which sell grass-fed, local, sustainably raised meat) are holding a couple of Thanksgiving preparation open houses this weekend, where they will serve samples of their prepared holiday meals, showcase wines that are turkey-friendly, and present demos on turkey trussing and carving and creating the perfect cheese plate. The first is today from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Kingston store at 307 Wall Street. The second takes place on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. at the Rhinebeck shop at 47 E. Market St.
And don't forget -- as a treat to Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine readers, we've included a free download of last year's column about brining as the way to make the most delicious turkey, written by our food columnist Tom Griffiths. Tom is a noted chef and an associate dean at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park -- and he knows what he's talking about. We've also repeated a list of wines that pair extraordinarily well with holiday foods, as suggested by our wines columnist, CIA wine and spirits professor Michael Arthur Weiss. Please visit the magazine's Web site to download the pages and let me know how you enjoy it!
And don't forget -- as a treat to Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine readers, we've included a free download of last year's column about brining as the way to make the most delicious turkey, written by our food columnist Tom Griffiths. Tom is a noted chef and an associate dean at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park -- and he knows what he's talking about. We've also repeated a list of wines that pair extraordinarily well with holiday foods, as suggested by our wines columnist, CIA wine and spirits professor Michael Arthur Weiss. Please visit the magazine's Web site to download the pages and let me know how you enjoy it!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Making great gardens
I've long admired Tovah Martin's work -- and now you can hear her talk about just what makes a garden great. Join the author, photographer and horticulturalist from 2-4 p.m. Saturday for Begged, Borrowed and Stolen -- Secrets from the Country's Foremost Gardeners, a slide-illustrated lecture at Berkshire Botanical Garden in wonderful Stockbridge, Massachusetts (an easy drive from much of the Hudson Valley.) Cost is $16 for BBG members and $21 for everyone else. Directions and additional info at BBG Web site.
Here is more info about the event from BBG: With her astute observations of gardens and gardeners, Tovah will take participants on a visually beautiful whirlwind tour of some of the most original gardens around. She will share the secrets of the gardeners that made them and how to realize these ideas in your own garden. Whether inheriting an established garden or starting from scratch, learn these simple ways to make a garden yours!
Tovah Martin is a garden writer, photographer and horticulturalist. She is the author of many gardening books including co-author of Tasha Tudor's Garden that won the highest award from the Garden Writers Association of Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
Here is more info about the event from BBG: With her astute observations of gardens and gardeners, Tovah will take participants on a visually beautiful whirlwind tour of some of the most original gardens around. She will share the secrets of the gardeners that made them and how to realize these ideas in your own garden. Whether inheriting an established garden or starting from scratch, learn these simple ways to make a garden yours!
Tovah Martin is a garden writer, photographer and horticulturalist. She is the author of many gardening books including co-author of Tasha Tudor's Garden that won the highest award from the Garden Writers Association of Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
Web pops!
Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart (a Poughkeepsie native and Roy C. Ketcham High School grad) is taking over the World Wide Web!
The Boston Pops announced today that they are the first orchestra to launch an Internet television broadcast: "Oscar and Tony". It will feature award-winning music of Hollywood and Broadway. That means tunes from Chicago, Titanic, The Phantom of the Opera, 42nd Street, The Sound of Music, Lawrence of Arabia, and Out of Africa! This Boston Pops Internet broadcast will be offered for free at www.bostonpops.tv
The broadcast will also have behind-the-scenes footage of a recording session, interviews with musicians, a conducting lesson with Lockhart, who also serves as the program host, and more. Local guy makes good -- again!
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