From their web site:

Come join us for the first Gypsy Nomads live DVD filming on March 25th 2010! Scott and Samantha will be celebrating 10 years of creative collaboration and what better way than to have a concert at a mid 1800s brewery!

We need the most fun, lively, creative, rambunctious gypsy cabaret fans to come out and play with us. Costumes are a must to enter the filming area which will be in the “Bottling Works Tavern” a space that just oozes atmosphere. A vaudeville-esque stage with balcony and the entire room is wooded with original post and beam construction. A perfect location for an evening a la Moulin Rouge! Costumes galore PLEASE! Faerie/Ren/Steampunk/Gypsy/Vaudeville/Cabaret – go all the way!

We will have other guest performers whose talents will delight you throughtout the evening, the hypnotizing belly dancing of Elizabeth Muise, the myriad talents of the stiltwalking, glass ball contact juggling of the lovely Noelle Burk [of Cirque Voila fame], the entrancing fire and poi spinning of Adam Beatty and much more!

The location is amazing. A brewery that was built by German immigrant, Alois Bube, in the 1800s. The inside is like walking into Europe, you will instantly be transported. Don’t miss this magickal event! This is a 21+ event.

Tickets are $20. For more information, see their web site.

Our new address:

Arts in Orange
15 Main St
Pine Bush, NY  12566

Mailing address:

P.O. Box 1145
Pine Bush, NY 12566

Stop by and say hello if you are in the area -

Her live transformations of sand on a back-lit table, shown on a screen projection using a camera above her, is just beautiful.

Her name is Kseniya Simonova, is just 24 years old and while she’s a trained artist, has been drawing in sand for only about a year.  She uses a very expensive volcanic sand from Italy which she found works best for this medium.

Here is her winning live drawing performance:

The story itself does not need a context to follow, but for the Ukraine it was a well known story – the Soviet battle against the Nazi’s during the last World War.  For those in that side of the world, the personal battle between the Soviets and the Nazi’s is referred to as the Great Patriotic War and is considered separate from the wider WWII theater.

She won the top prize for the show and gave the vast majority of her prize money to charity, and in fact entered the contest to help save a young girl suffering from a staphylococcus infection and, she claimed, no doctor in the Ukraine wanted to treat her.  While the young girl died on her way to a hospital in Italy, she started a charity with her mother to work with other children who need similar help.

Her performance drawing honoring the child Nika Fesenko is here:

The Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn, NY is holding a juried show open to all 2 and 3 dimensional New York State artists.

From their web site:

Made in NY 2010 is an annual juried exhibition featuring New York State artists. Two and three-dimensional work  is considered including, but not limited to, photography, sculpture, ceramics, painting, drawing, fiber and digital art.

All work must be completed in the last three years. Artists may submit up to two artworks for consideration. Entry is free for members and $25 for non-members. NEW Entry Deadline: January 15, 2010.

For more information and a prospectus, please see their web site.

NYSCA loses $384,000 from the remaining local assistance funds in the CURRENT budget.

The State Legislature passed a $2.8 billion mid year deficit reduction plan on Wednesday.

The Governor, however, says the gap is more than $3.2 billion, indicating that the Legislature fell far short of addressing the full deficit, while the Comptroller DiNapoli estimates the gap at $4 billion. And conventional wisdom says that in a few months the gap will be even bigger…perhaps $6 to $9 billion.

In addition, the Governor is threatening to delay payments to schools, hospitals and municipalities to ensure that the State does not run out of money. Remember this is all about the CURRENT 2009-2010 budget. The Governor will be presenting his budget for 2010-11 in about a month. So prepare for a very, very tough 2010-11 budget fight for the State Arts Council!

Please see their web site for more information about what’s happening with the state and the arts, and join them on their Arts Day in Albany, 2 February.

UpFront Art Gallery: Creepy Image Exhibit & Dead Pirate Costume Art Party… 6pm-midnight…31 Jersey Ave, Port Jervis, NY…costume party and contest, wine and snacks, live music and a little storytelling

Samhain/Halloween Celebration!! Hosted by Brid’s Closet of Cornwall…The wheel has turned again, and the veil is quite thin…Let us all come together and celebrate the pagan/celtic/wiccan new year!! We will be at the Plympton House again this year! Cold cuts will be provided, but this event is a POT LUCK! This years theme is “REPO~THE GENETIC OPERA!” Dressing up is recommended, but not required. Elizabeth Muise will be performing, shimmying her best for us and Liron Peled from “Raquy and the Cavemen” will be providing the music!  $30 The Plympton House, Plympton Street, New Windsor, NY 12553.  There will be a midnight celebration that is outdoors.  If you would like to attend the midnight celebration – bring something warm.  Otherwise you will be left inside with a sad plate of leftovers…  and you will be missed.

Evening of Edgar Allen Poe….Milford, PA  for over 4 years ART, which includes Middletown artist Jeff Stocker, has performed at Grey Towers…following the performance there will be a get together at the Muir House for those who would like to have dinner or drinks….(cash bar)…Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling 570-296-9672…151 Grey Towers Drive PO Box 188. Milford, PA 18337

Lee Randazzo is a school teacher and storyteller living in the Hudson Valley.  He has performed for libraries, museums, schools, camps, and public events.   His stories, folktales from around the world, are a delight for all ages.

Mr. Randazzo, who has traveled the world will be telling mostly folk tales from Native Americans and United States History, in keeping with the museum’s mission to educate about history.

This event will be held at the D & H Canal Park Visitor’s Center, 58 Hoag Road, (just off Route 209) Cuddebackville, NY. Admission is by donation.  Refreshments will be served.

The Neversink Valley Area Museum is open Thursday through Sunday from noon until 4:00pm through October 31 and by appointment.

For more information about the museum, its mission to preserve local history or any events, call 754-8870 or check the website: www.neversinkmuseum.org.  The museum is at 26 Hoag Road, in Cuddebackville.

The Orange County Arts Council presents Orange County Open Studio Weekend 2009, a county-wide event during which Orange County artists and craftspeople open their studios to the public for the sale and demonstration of their work. This event will be held on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 from 11am to 5pm

Over 40 artists and craftspeople are participating including Art In The Barn, Amity Arts Pottery, Beatrice Bloom Ceramics, Bertoni Gallery, Big Pig Designs, Boogiehouse, Cedarwood Center For the Arts, Daniel Mack Studio, Di Bello Gallery/ Frame Shop, Exposures Gallery, Fine Art Studios, Gallery Warwick, Gourd Art By Claudia, Holton – Smith Photos, J.Howard Fatta and Louis Fatta, Rahl Nadas Gallery and Potshop, Linton Designs, M.E Whitehill- Watercolors, Mary Cathryn Roth, Michael Tobin Fine Art, Orange County Ballet Theatre, Susan Miiller Fine Art, The Blue Rose Studio, Michael Piotrowski, RG Bruer, Roslyn Fasset Studio, Fine Art Studios, Strazza Fine Arts & Photography, and Wallkill River School.

A full, 17 page brochure is available for download here.  It gives a fantastic map broken down for each area making it easy to plan your driving between studios -

23 artists in and around Rhinebeck are opening their doors through Labor Day Weekend (Sat/Sun, not Monday) as they celebrate their 2nd open studio event.

5-6 September 2009
11a-5p

Tour maps and more information is available on their web site.

Artists include:

• Molly Ahearn
• Jennifer Axinn-Weiss
• David Borenstein
• Margarita Carreras
• Richard Chianella
• Doris Cultraro
• Kari Feuer
• Dan Goldman
• Betsy Jacaruso
• Roxie Johnson
• Vera Lambert Kaplan
• Joanne Klein
• John Lavin
• Joan Blazis Levitt
• Lisa Pinto
• James Ransome
• Jeff Romano
• Pierce Smith
• James L. Stevenson
• Anne-Marie Uebbing
• Dean Vallas
• Joel Weisbrod
• Reese Williams

From their press release:

$2.1 billion shortfall in NYS’s budget -  a result of plummeting sales and income tax receipts.

Although lawmakers cut more than $17 billion to produce the current FY 09-10 $131.8 billion NYS budget, it appears clear that new spending cuts-or new revenue-will be needed

Income tax collections already dropped 35% in the first quarter of the 2009-10 fiscal year.

Sales tax collections fell 6%.

Wages across the state are projected to fall 4.8% in 2009, the largest drop ever recorded.

And these are all first quarter reports.

Their suggestion, if you want to limit or reduce the potential loss of funding for the arts in your community, is to contact your state representatives and tell them how much the arts means to you, and your community.

You can find out who to speak to here.