Peggy Abt, Professor Emeritus, SUNY Orange leads the discussion.  In this Pulitzer Prize winning novel the protagonist is Quoyle, a big man with a huge chin who is an established loser. A rapid succession of momentous events changes his life and that of his family.Film will be shown the following week. Oct. 13 at 7:00 PM.

Discussion:
Wednesday 7 October 2009
7-9 p
Film screening, 13 October 7 pm

Middletown Thrall Library
11-19 Depot St
Middletown, NY

Here’s a trailer for the movie itself:

First up, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby.  Bauby was the French editor of Elle magazine.  In 1995, he suffered a stroke that lead him to be paralyzed except for a little movement in his head and eyes.  He transcribed the entire book through a series of eye blinks, over 200,000 communicated over 10 months to a scribe. Bauby’s essays are remarkable simply because they exist. His observations are amazingly full of humor, generosity, and devoid of much self-pity.  More amazing, he died just two days after the publication of his work.

His story was turned into a movie directed by American Julian Schnabel.

Chris Godwin, Professor Emeritus, SUNY Orange will lead the discussion.  The story is fascinating, but does the movie hold up to the book?  Join the discussion

Tuesday, September 22, 2009
7:00pm-9:00pm
Film will be shown the following week. Sept. 29 at 7:00 PM.

Middletown Thrall Library
11-19 Depot St
Middletown, NY

Here’s the trailer to the movie:

Sunday, 20 September at  1.30 p
Free

Middletown Center
70 West Main St
Middletown, NY

Two local watercolorists present an indepth look at local and exotic flowers, foliage and vegitation. Details, brilliant colors, a scientific and realistic look into the glorious world of nature and botany. The exhibition has thirty two small studies to larger works of art. Most of the paintings are for sale. Prints can be ordered from both artists. To learn more about the arists visiti their web sites: www.robertarosenthal.com and www.rosalindhodgkins.com.

As part of this year’s Hidden Garden’s Tour by the Middletown Garden Lover’s Club, artists from the Wallkill River School and broader community painted and photographed each garden. An exhibit and silent auction of works created during the tour is on display at Orange Hall, at Orange County Community College from July 24, through Aug. 16. A reception with live piano music by Judy Garrett, and homemade appetizers will be this Sat. July 25, from 1-4pm. Come see the gardens in full bloom again, and bid on your favorite painting! Over 50 paintings by all your favorite local artists! Proceeds benefit the Garden Lover’s Club and individual artists.

Gallery hours:

9 am – 7 pm. Mondays – Thursday in July and in August 9 am – 7 pm Monday – Friday.

SUNY Orange County Community College
Grandview Ave. and Waywayanda Ave.
Parking lot 1
Orange Hall Building
Middletown, NY
Wheel Chair accessible
http://www.sunyoran ge.edu/lyceum/
For additional information call: (845) 341-4891

The exhibit will travel to three locations from September 2009 until January of 2010.

Sept-Oct – Seligmann Studio Orange County Citizens Foundation Sugar Loaf
Oct-Dec – Orange Hall Gallery Orange County Community College Middletown
Jan 2010 – Executive Suite Orange County Government Center Goshen

For more information, contact Dorothy Szefc, Cultural Affairs Coordinator, Orange County Community College, Orange County Citizens Foundation Exhibit Committee dorothy.szefc@sunyorange. edu (845) 341-4891

Jeff Flaster is an artist in Middletown whose work puts a deep focus on his life as a gay man involved in the punk scene.  Unafraid and uncensored, Jeff is very raw whose work borders the line of brash and intimacy.

Jeff Flaster
punk street art
Queer Punk Artist Forum
http://nomadicempath.deviantart.com

What is your favorite word?
empath

What is your least favorite word?
Shut up

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Expanding my knowledge & getting new ideas

Tell us about your earliest memory that led you to becoming an artist.
My grandmother showed me how to express my self being an introverted person

What kind of space do you like to exist in when you are working?
I typically do my art on my bed due to lack of room but my ideal would be to have a room set up for just being creative.

What inspirations do you draw on in Orange County or the Hudson Valley?
Being from here is my grounding point. To express all the ideas I get when I’m traveling, living & learning.

What have you learned from other artists in the area?
Unfortunately I have not been exposed to many other local artists.

What profession outside of the arts would you like to attempt?
Being a case manager in the mental health & social service industry.

If you could no longer work in your discipline, how else do you think you would express yourself?
Whatever is around, I will adapt.

What are you working on this year?
A bunch of new drawing that represent individuals & couples from a gay punk perspective

Afro-Cuban Dance Class

Come and dance to the warm rhythms of Cuba! Learn popular and folkloric dances of Cuba, including rumba, orisha and comparsa (carnival). Each class will begin with stretching exercises. Fun choreography that is a fat-burning workout! No prior dance experience necessary!

Description: In this eight-week series, participants will learn the African-derived dances of Cuba, including Orisha, Arara, Comparsa and Rumba. Some popular styes (Son and Salsa) will be taught as well .

Offered through Orange Community College, Office of Continuing and Professional Education. Classes to the be held at the Middletown Campus, Physical Education Building.

For registration, please visit SUNY Orange to register, r for more information on the instructors, visit their web site.

Date: Saturday, September 12, 2009 (8 Saturdays)
Time: 11:00am-12:30pm

The Chorale is pleased to announce the appointment of Lucas Rau, music teacher at Middletown High School, to serve as interim director, and that he will direct the concerts this June. Mr Rau is a graduate of The Crane School of Music.

Founded in 1996 as The Middletown City Chorale, under the talented leadership of Eileen Mackintosh (nee Hampshire), the Chorale performs in Spring and Fall Seasons, collaborates with other chorales and symphonies, has performed several times at Carnegie Hall, and often at the Paramount Theatre and Festival Square. New members are welcome when the Fall season begins in September.

For further information, please contact Lucas Rau at: lucasadamrau@ gmail.com; or at Tel: (207) 577-2507.

For the uninitiated, click on the above links to be introduced to some fantastic and modern Greek traditions, then join Julie and the Greek community, Thursday through the weekend and see it for yourself.  Did we mention that there is continuous music, great, inexpensive Greek traditional entrees and pastries, traditional dancers, vendors, flea market, raffles, potted flowers and games for the children?  It’s a tented event, rain or shine.

$2 admission

“THE GREEK EXPERIENCE” FESTIVAL
Friday, June 5, 7 pm.
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church,
2250 Goshen Turnpike
Middletown, NY 10940
For more info call: 845-695-1976

The festival is from 12:00
noon to 11:00 pm all weekend starting Thursday night

About Julie, from this web site:

Soprano Julie Ziavras, is known for her diversity of repertory and styles and her ability to infuse a classical technique with the popular and folk genres. She has been featured as both a folk and classical singer in concert, radio and television in the U.S. and abroad in a repertory ranging from opera and traditional folk, to Greek and international ballads. She holds both bachelor and master’s degrees in voice from the Manhattan School of Music. A New York Times reviewer described her as “an estimable vocalist with a silvery voice…cradling her guitar, Miss Ziavras sang a variety of Greek numbers , plaintive to rhythmic, then rounded out the set with a group of English folk ballads…she held the spotlight alone.” Dr. James Cotter of the Times Herald Record said that “Soprano Julie Ziavras masters the most difficult instrument, wowing her Montgomery listeners with her warm and compelling voice, appealing presence and wide range of repertoire… pour(ing) her full energy into each number with virtuosity and verve.”

Exhibit
Friday, March 27 to Sunday, May 24, 2009

Class of 1929 Gallery
Eisenhower Hall, 5th Floor
USMA at West Point

Gallery Hours
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, (except holidays).
Also open prior to all theater performances.

Lucille Devereaux (1922-1999) was active in the Middletown Art Group and spent the majority of her time living in Orange County.  While she did not pick up a brush in earnest until the early 1980s, her work is beautiful and was very active in the local arts scene.