“We are pleased that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed level funding for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) for FY 2012-13,” says ArtsWestchester CEO Janet T. Langsam. “This ensures support of this important grass roots arts program.  The variety of Arts Alive projects that will receive funding this year range from outdoor heritage festivals and concerts in parks, to painting workshops, to community theater productions and fully-staged operas, to a presentation of Gospel Choirs – all of which truly show that the arts are thriving in Westchester County.”

“Art, in all of its forms, provides an important outlet of cross-cultural expression for the people of Westchester County, and I am proud to support ArtsWestchester for all that they do to enhance our quality of life and bring our communities together,” said Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (35th District- D/WF/I). “This year’s Arts Alive and Arts Partners Challenge recipients represent artistic expression from cultures all around the world and through various mediums including dance, film, music and visual arts.  They deserve congratulations for all of their hard work and I wish them continued success in their upcoming projects.” 

Arts Alive Grants are awarded in two categories. Arts Alive Project Grants, which are funded by the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), provide financial and technical support for Westchester-based organizations and artists at the grassroots level. As the name indicates, these grants offer project support rather than general operating funds. Priority is given to emerging cultural groups, ethnically-based cultural activities, and services to areas where the need is greatest. This year, ArtsWestchester will be awarding $39,500 in this category.    

ARTS ALIVE PROJECT GRANTS

The following organizations/artists will receive Arts Alive Project Grants (30 grants totaling $34,500). 

ARTS ALIVE ARTIST GRANTS

Each of the following artists will receive a $2,500 Arts Alive Artist Grant (two grants totaling $5,000).

Arts Alive Artist Grants are also funded by the Artist Tier of the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, which provides direct support to artists to create original new work that incorporates the community in some way.

ARTS PARTNERS CHALLENGE GRANTS

The following seven projects will receive grants up to $2,000 (the seven grants total $11,100).

The Arts Partners Challenge Grant Program is a local arts-in-education funding program that is administered by ArtsWestchester.  This program is funded and supported by the Local Capacity Building Initiative of the Arts in Education Program at the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).  For the 2012 Arts Partners Challenge Grants cycle, ArtsWestchester is administering this grant for Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and Westchester Counties.  The Local Capacity Building Initiative is a statewide effort to provide local support for widespread participation in arts in education.  ArtsWestchester was invited by NYSCA to make grants in support of partnerships between schools and teaching artists or cultural organizations that focus on the integrated study of the arts and non-arts subjects.

Freedom and the Firebird: Exploring Emancipation through Stories

Andrea Elam and Oakside Elementary School, Peekskill. Two hundred and fifty third grade students will explore themes of slavery and freedom through Folk Tales and Dance focusing on the social studies, English Language Arts (ELA) and art curriculum.

Global Cultures and Storytelling through Music

Sharon Roffman and Hutchinson Elementary School, Pelham.  Fifty-nine third grade students will learn the way in which music can convey emotions, tell a story, describe and celebrate community events, and represent its surroundings.  Students will focus on the study of a variety of cultures and customs from Italy, Germany, Argentina, Israel, Palestine, and Spain, and will become familiar with the music from each of these regions. 

The Living Environment  

Concordia Conservatory of Music & Art and William H. Holmes Elementary, Mount Vernon.  Sixty third grade students will learn about the living environment and the ELA curriculum through the creation of poetry, drawing and watercolor paintings.  Students will explore shapes and forms of trees during different seasons and create a book of poetry and visual art that will be presented to the school at a final assembly. 

Outdoor Courtyard Mosaic Project: The Rainforest

Haifa Bint-Kadi and Colonial School, Pelham. The goal of this project is complete the third portion of a large outdoor mosaic mural related to science that teachers can use as a learning guide.  Previously completed projects in the courtyard include a second grade mosaic of the seashore and a fifth grade forest habitat mosaic.  The final project will focus on the rainforest created by 119 fourth and fifth grade students. The project will act as a community-building tool where students learn to have an empowered voice in designing and completing an architectural aspect for the environment. 

Free Will at Blythedale Children’s Hospital  

The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and Mt-Pleasant-Blythedale (UFSD), Valhalla. The Mt. Pleasant- Blythdale Union Free School District educates children grades K-12 who are in the hospital with rare medical or physical conditions.  The school district, along with the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF), will provide these students an opportunity to participate in activities they would not normally be able to do because of their ailments and injuries.  HVSF will work closely with a group of 50 sixth through twelfth grade students to help them learn about basic acting skills, Shakespeare and his theater, and to explore the plays’ characters, language and themes through performance activities and scene work. 

Free Will at Pearls School         

The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and Pearls Hawthorne School, Yonkers. Three hundred seventh & eighth grade students will learn about basic acting skills, Shakespeare and his theater, and explore the plays’ characters, language and themes through performance activities and scene work. 

Roosevelt School Mural

Pedro Ospina and Roosevelt School, Ossining. Through a collaborative effort with artist Pedro Ospina, Roosevelt School will merge the arts with the grade-level social studies curriculum. Three hundred and seven fifth grade students will be immersed in creating a mural for the school that will reflect the diverse groups – ethnic, religious, cultural – found in their study of the history of New York State, and those groups found in their own community and their own homes. 

Working in collaboration with guest curator and Cortlandt Manor resident Bob Baldwin, who is also a jazz pianist, composer and radio and music producer, ArtsWestchester continues to celebrate the life and local talents of this great American art form through the work of Westchester County’s own masters of the form. 

“It’s an honor to collaborate with my friends at ArtsWestchester to develop a music series that showcases the great talent of the County of Westchester,” says Baldwin, a Mount Vernon native. “It would be a disservice to call them local artists. It would be better to say that they are national artists who live locally. It’s about developing a scene from the inside out, not vice-versa, and we are doing our part to ensure that they receive the celebrity they all deserve.”

Saturday, February 4 – Hiroshi Yamazaki Quartet

Pianist Hiroshi Yamazaki, a member of the Music Conservatory of Westchester Jazz faculty, leads his own quartet in an evening of original compositions and interpretations of the jazz repertoire. Performing with him will be Steve LaSpina (bass), Tony Jefferson (drums) and Peter Furlan (Tenor Sax). 

Saturday, February 25 – Vaneese Thomas

Vaneese Thomas, one of the great voices of our time and daughter of R&B pioneer Rufus Thomas, has brought her virtuoso vocal styling to hundreds of recordings. Currently touring with the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, Ms. Thomas will perform with her full band.

Saturday, March 3 – Tony Jefferson Quartet

Acclaimed singer and multi-instrumentalist Tony Jefferson leads his own quartet on vocals with James Weidman (piano), Richie Goods (bass), Alvester Garnett (drums), and special guest Jay Hoggard (vibraphone).

Saturday, March 17 – The John Patitucci Trio

John Patitucci, Rivertowns’ jazz master and Grammy award-winning bassist for Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter, will perform with his trio featuring Jon Cowherd (piano) and Adam Cruz (drums).

For more information about  each artist, please visit www.artsw.org/newurbanjazz .

ArtsWestchester’s artist residency program provides individuals of all ages with creative and productive outlets.  This program is designed to enhance the work conducted in school and human service settings by integrating the arts. From classrooms to after-school programs, daycare centers to senior residences, the arts can make a tremendous difference in reaching and teaching.  ArtsWestchester’s teaching artists have a variety of experience both as professional artists and in conveying their specialized skills to children and adults.  

Exhibiting artists include: visual artists Judith Aronow, Nicoletta Barolini, Deborah Beck, Haifa Bint-Kadi, Diane Cherr, Donna Faranda, Randy Frost, Mary Louise Gladstone, Dara Kane, Andrea Kantrowitz, Judith Leire, Mary Ann Lomonaco, Joe Mullins, Ron Mineo, Jill Parry, Matteo Pungello, Terry Kessler Schwarz, Peter Siegel, Ezra Silverman, Joseph Squillante, Jeannie Thomma, Vicky Youngman, Yardena Donig Youner and Wilmer Orellana; performing artists: Scarlett Antonia, Rae Ballard, Frank Ingrasciotta, Elyse Knobloch, Linda Russell, Hillary Sweeney and MJ Territo.

Collage – the piecing together of fragmentary, often disassociated, images into a new whole – is a personal and obsessive art form with as much emphasis placed on process as on finished product. It was an important medium in the development of modern art, and by the 21^st century, the definition of collage has expanded to include an unimagined range of materials and techniques. The artists on view at ArtsWestchester exemplify this broader definition of collage, working with everything from recycled aluminum cans to album covers to shreds of vintage fabric.

Featured Artists:

Natalya Aikens (Pleasantville, NY) A graduate of the Pratt Institute, Aikens has been a fashion designer, an illustrator, and a costume designer. She was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is deeply influenced by her heritage. Russian fairytales and decorative traditions intermingle with imagery of her birth city in the series “St. Pete’s Stories,” works made from found paper and vintage fabrics.

Michael Albert (White Plains, NY) Michael Albert has been making art since his days studying business at New York University. A prolific artist, his new wave Pop-Art collages deconstruct familiar objects, logos and text and refashions them into colorful paper tapestries. He is also the author of An Artist’s America, published by Henry Holt & Co.

Glenn Fischer (Yonkers, NY) Glenn Fischer, whose work has appeared on magazine covers and in academic texts on the medium, builds his geometric collages out of carefully cut strips from vintage books and album covers. Patterns play with colors. He holds an MA from New York University and is based in Yonkers, NY.

Rima Grad (Larchmont, NY) Ms. Grad is attracted to the randomness and unpredictability of collage. Her small-scale intimate images pull together fragments of her own photographs from recent sojourns abroad and pieces of billboard advertisements. “Humor and sadness seem to coexist,” she says, and her work is a personal exploration in this reality of the human condition.

Bryan Michael Green (Bedford Corner, NY) Bryan Michael Green holds a BFA and MFA from The School of Visual Arts. His photomontages explore ideas of self-representation and self-therapy. Juxtaposing skulls against flowering orchids, Greene layers one digital painting over another to create imaginary scenes that are at once beautiful and unsettling.

Mary Ann Lomonaco (Larchmont, NY) As an artist, Mary Ann Lomonaco turns to her environment for inspiration, sourcing materials from her everyday life. Labels from pantry items or Crayola crayons are transformed into whimsical collages that take familiar items and turn them from the practical into the decorative. 

Luis Perelman (Yonkers, NY) Luis Perelman has been an active member of the Westchester artistic community for close to forty years. He holds a Masters in Architecture from Columbia University and has exhibited works in a number of the country’s best known museums, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Neuberger Museum. His “Metallic Quilts” are made from found aluminum cans which he then painstakingly cuts, manipulates and treats before piecing them together into elaborate metal collages.

Jill Parry (Mamaroneck, NY) Using torn fabrics, yarns and pastels on board, Jill Parry’s “Horizon Series” is an exploration of a sense of place. She layers fiber to intensify and subdue color, creating works that “are an expression of the movement of changing colors around the static line of a horizon.” Ms. Parry is a teaching artist of ArtsWestchester and has exhibited widely in the UK, Papua New Guinea and USA.

According to The Creative Industries report, which is based on Dun & Bradstreet data and geo-economic analysis:

• Westchester County ranks 13^th in the number of people employed by arts businesses per capita, ahead of Cook County (Chicago) and King County (Seattle). Moreover, Westchester is poised to overtake Travis County (Austin) and Denver County (Colorado).

• Westchester ranks 16^th in the number of arts businesses per capita, well ahead of Monroe (Rochester), Dallas (Texas) and Cook (Chicago) Counties.

Click here to download the The Creative Industries report.

The results also show that 3,332 arts-related businesses operate in Westchester County, and they employ 13,572 people. As a result, the creative industries in Westchester account for nearly 5.4 percent of the 61,214 local businesses and 3 percent of the 444,866 people employed in the county. Both of these findings are larger than the national average.

“In light of the recently proposed 50% budget cut to the arts, we need to underscore a well-kept secret: that arts enterprises are a significant force in Westchester’s economy,” says Janet T. Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester. “The arts mean jobs. They impact people who work in our community. The creative sector attracts and retains businesses, and is an important ecosystem critical to Westchester County’s economic engine.”

“Twenty years ago, Westchester was considered a bedroom community. Since that time, a significant investment in the arts has made Westchester a desirable location for architects, designers and filmmakers, who rely on proximity to New York City and thrive on a creative environment,” adds John Peckham, Chairman of the ArtsWestchester Board of Trustees and Chairman and CEO of Peckham Industries.

“The arts are a fundamental component of true prosperity and are a vital element to the health of America’s economy,”adds Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “This study is a necessary reminder that the arts play a significant role in building and sustaining an economically vibrant community in Westchester and across the country.”

Americans for the Arts

Developed by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, The Creative Industries report tracked six creative industries: museums and collections; performing arts; visual arts and photography; film, radio, and TV; design and publishing; and arts schools and services. The industries include both nonprofit organizations and for-profit operations such as architecture, advertising and design firms. The Creative Industries report is based on Dun & Bradstreet data and geo-economic analysis. Dun & Bradstreet is the most comprehensive and trusted source for business information in the United States.

ArtsWestchester

With the belief that the arts are for everyone, ArtsWestchester began its journey in 1965 to build support for artists and cultural organizations in the county. Since then, ArtsWestchester has become the largest private not-for-profit arts council in New York State. ArtsWestchester also owns and operates the Arts Exchange, a beacon in downtown White Plains that houses a gallery and performance space, artist studios, creative businesses, and our office. In partnership with government, business, and community leaders, ArtsWestchester: distributes over $ 1.5 million annually to Westchester artists and arts organizations, integrates arts into curricula to improve learning, collaborates with businesses to stimulate economic growth in the region, and promotes the arts on behalf of the entire arts community.

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Support from Business Leaders working in Creative Industries

“As an architect in Westchester, I am blessed to have a client base which understands and appreciates high quality arts and architecture. Residents and the business community are savvy about their environment. They seek a distinctive lifestyle and a creative landscape. That’s why we have both a balance of historic structures and a legacy of buildings in our county designed by celebrated architects such as Edward Larabee Barnes and Philip Johnson.  It is an ecosystem of good design.”

John P. Sullivan, FAIA, Sullivan Architecture

“As a major Westchester publisher, my business depends upon a creative talent pool which we have here in abundance. When it’s time to start a family, many creative couples leave Manhattan and head for Westchester because of its vibrant cultural life. For them, it’s the closest thing to having one’s cake and eating it, too. For our publications, it’s a tremendous resource.”

Ralph Martinelli, Publisher, Westchester Magazine

“As a filmmaker with a special interest in stories about the natural world, I live in Westchester because it offers a diversity of artistic opportunities for both my work and my children’s enrichment. We can film river otters and beavers on the pond right out our back door, and then 45 minutes later, be in the heart of the urban jungle in Times Square. Westchester’s Jacob Burns Film Center, Hudson River Museum, Croton/Cortlandt Center for the Arts and Katonah Museum are all important resources we enjoy on a regular basis. The investment the County makes in these organizations is essential to keeping this culture alive and directly benefits all aspects of our local economy. The village we live in, Croton on Hudson, is home to writers, musicians, painters and fellow filmmakers who support and stimulate an active arts culture, contributing to our local schools and to our community life. The arts simply make life more livable!”

Susan Todd, CoCreator, Archipelago Films

“Civic leaders all across the country are using the arts as a means of attracting creative people and businesses.  I was the Business Administrator for the City of Newark when we initiated a strategy to leverage arts and culture to spur redevelopment. Let me tell you, it is working. One of the competitive advantages Westchester has is its arts and culture assets.  Westchester needs to continue to invest in its areas of competitive advantage and arts and culture are one of its top advantages.” 

Bo Kemp, Managing Partner, Hudson Biofuels

“I’ve headquartered my business – Chris Madden Inc. – in Westchester County since 1982. I’ve been able to recruit talented and creative people from the county – a tribute to the cultured and artsy ambiance that permeates Westchester.”

Chris Madden, Chief Executive Officer, Chris Madden Inc.

“It has always been important to me to live and work in a culturally rich environment, such as we have here in Westchester and particularly in White Plains where my office is located.  My company specializes in interactive marketing and promotion campaigns that rely heavily on creatively developed visual components. It is important to know that my design team can feed off the creative energy we have here in Westchester.  And, as more and more creative businesses locate here, we enjoy the camaraderie of this creative county. “

 Rick Berlin, President, Berlin Productions

“Growing up in Kashmir, the arts have always been central to my life. The colors, design and arts of my upbringing have inspired my work and informed my life here in Westchester. I realized long ago that art is fundamental at every level of my business. At Ethan Allen Interiors, we combine great art and design. And then we make it livable.”

Mr. Farooq Kathwari, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc.

Live@Artswestchester is made possible with support from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), a state agency, and our generous supporters: Entergy, Emigrant Savings Bank, Inspiria Media, Macy’s, Green Mountain Energy and Jacqueline and Arthur Walker. To order tickets for Live@ArtsWestchester events, or for more information, please visit www.artsw.org/things-to-do/live/ or call (914) 428-4220 x 330.

Thursday, December 1 through Sunday, December 4 Holiday Boutique
Opening reception: Thursday, December 1 from 5:30-8pm. Shopping days: Friday-Saturday, December 2-3 from 11am-6pm and Sunday, December 4, 11 am-4 pm. Buy an original gift this holiday season and support local artists. Works for sale at this eclectic holiday boutique include everything from ceramics, painting, photography, jewelry and handmade clothing. This event is free and open to the public.

Friday, December 9 at 8pm, Global Fusion: Music of North India   
Featuring Indrajit Roy (sitar), Naren Budhakhar (Tabla) and Sraboni Roy Chowdhury (tanpura), with special guest Steve Gorn (bansuri flute). North Indian Classical music has inspired western musicians and composers from the Beatles and John Coltraine to Philip Glass.

Sunday, December 10 at 7 pm, Dance of Bulgaria and Macedonia
Acclaimed Balkan and Eastern European dance master and musician Michael Ginsberg brings the sounds of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the Arts Exchange along with the musical group Cherven Traktor. These musicians plays Bulgarian and Macedonian folk music in the traditional style on traditional instruments. During this ArtsWestchester event, expert dance instruction will be accompanied by culturally relevant foods and a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Saturday, December 17 at 8 pm, Global Fusion: Music with Trio Shalva
Part III of the Nigunim festival 2011 –Israeli Folk and Jazz with Yonkers’ own acclaimed Israeli folk and jazz ensemble featuring Assaf Gleizner (Piano, Melodica), Koby Hayon (Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Oud) and Nadav Snir-Zelniker (Drums, Percussion). Born and raised in Israel, each of the musicians eventually found themselves in the heart of New York, where they spent years developing their individual style and technique. Sponsored by Jacqueline and Arthur Walker. 

Live@ArtsWestchester continues in January, February and March with eight additional performances. For more information, visit www.artsw.org/things-to-do/live/

As with past years, residents will enjoy free admission to historic sites (elegantly festooned for the holidays), free admission to museums, free films, free concerts, and free art-making workshops for the entire family. Just in time for the holidays, ArtsWestchester will also be giving away a free iPad to one lucky Free Arts Day visitor. To enter, residents just need to attend a Free Arts Day event and fill out a survey form. At each Free Arts Day site, residents may fill out a new site survey entry, and thus increase their odds of winning an iPad by attending multiple Free Arts Day sites. 

Highlights of this year’s Free Arts Day include felt and ornament making workshops at ArtsWestchester (White Plains); free admission to Historic Hudson Valley’s sites, including Sunnyside (Irvington), Van Cortlandt Manor (Croton) and Philipsburg Manor (Sleepy Hollow), Union Church (Pocantico Hills); free admission to Westchester’s leading museums, including The Hudson River Museum (Yonkers), The Katonah Museum of Art, a Diwali Celebration at the Pelham Art Center; and free films at The Jacob Burns Film Center (Pleasantville) and The Picture House (Pelham). 

Westchester’s Free Arts Day was initiated in 2001, as a positive way to bring the community together in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedies. Since then, the event has steadily grown in popularity, attracting thousands each December and becoming the signature event of the holiday season in Westchester County.

“As Westchester County’s largest bank, Chase is committed to giving back to communities where we operate,” said Cathie Schaffer, senior vice president of Chase Commercial Banking.  “We are proud to sponsor Free Arts Day, which provides a plethora of fun and affordable events that the whole family can enjoy.”

“Free Arts Day is an opportunity to build audiences for the arts,” adds ArtsWestchester’s Board President Joseph Oates. “Free admission provides residents with an opportunity to discover (or re-discover) the many wonderful cultural attractions that are right in their own backyards. Afterwards, we know that they will be so impressed by these cultural attractions that they will want to return with family and friends.”

“Every year, we try to plan a broad array of activities for Free Arts Day,” adds ArtsWestchester CEO Janet T. Langsam. “This year ArtsWestchester’s affiliates put together a great slate of offerings for kids and the young at heart. At the same time, adults can enjoy free tours of historic sites, world-class exhibitions, and an award winning documentary. We’re all looking forward to Free Arts Day and a chance to share our county’s cultural offerings with the public.”

Sunday, December 4

Calendar of Free Arts Day Events
(for an up to date schedule, visit www.artsw.org/freeartsday)

ArtsWestchester  
31 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, Ground Floor
Create colorful artwork out of felted wool with artist Mary Louise Gladstone 
Time: 10:00 am – 12:15 pm
Info: (914)-428-4220

Create an ornament out of clay and paint with Vicky Youngman
Time: 12:45 pm-3 pm
Info: (914) 428-4220

Holiday Boutique
Purchase items from ArtsWestchester’s Holiday Boutique, featuring the best artisans from and around Westchester County. Artists in all media, from the ceramic arts to the pastry arts, will be participating.
Time: 11 am –to 4pm
Info: (914) 428-4220

Clay Art Center  
40 Beech Street, Port Chester
Empty bowls: Create a handmade bowl for donation to the annual soup kitchens fundraiser
Time: 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Info: (914) 937-2047

Potter Wheel and Hand building demonstration: Watch professional artists make ceramic creations before your eyes.
Time: 10am-4 pm
Info: (914) 937-2047

Historic Hudson Valley
Free Admission to Washington Irving’s Sunnyside (Irvington)  
3 W. Sunnyside Lane, Irvington
An enchanted house and landscape designed by the well-known American writer.
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Info: (914) 631-8200

Free Admission to Philipsburg Manor (Sleepy Hollow)
381 N. Broadway (route 9), Sleepy Hollow 
A 1750 era house and milling complex
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Info: (914) 631-8200

Free Admission to Van Cortlandt Manor (Croton)  
525 S. Riverside, Croton
Experience the lives of an American patriot family in the years just after the American Revolution
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Info: (914) 631-8200

Free Admission to Union Church (Pocantico Hills)
555 Broadway, Pocantico Hills
Enjoy stained glass windows by Chagall and Matisse at this gorgeous stone church in the heart of Rockefeller Country
Time: 10 am to 4pm
Info: (914) 631-8200 

Hudson River Museum
511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers
Free admission to the HRM’s current exhibitions (12-5 pm) including “Voyage on the Nile,” featuring works by 19^th century artist Elihu Vedder a nd “The Curious World of Patent Models,” a look at 19^th century innovations that changed how Americans live. Also at the HRM for Free Arts Day,an exhibition of Nybelwyck Hall Doullhouse (a 24 room dollhouse featuring 900 miniature objects)  a workshop where participants will make a doll house room (1-3 pm), ginger bread house making workshops with Liv Hansen of Riviera Bakehouse(1pm-1:45 pm & 2:15-3 pm ) and a performance by the Bond Street Euterpean Singing Society (3 pm-4:30 pm).  
Info: (914) 963-4550

Hudson Valley Writers Center
300 Riverside Drive, Sleepy Hollow, NY
The Hudson Valley Writers Center (HVWC)  will present a reading of the play “Return,” by Erin Browne, one of the winners of this year’s Setting the Stage: HVWC’s new play reading series.
Time: 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Info: (914) 332-5953

Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art
1701 Main Street, Peekskill, NY
 Free admission to the exhibition Circa 1986, an exhibition of 47 important artists who emerged in the years between 1981 and 1991 (12-6 pm). From 2pm to 2:30 pm enjoy a dance performance by Andrea Elam with original composition by Brian Taylor. The dance piece will be inspired by HVCCA’s current exhibition Circa 1986.   
Info: (914) 788-0100

Jacob Burns Film Center (Pleasantville)
405 Manville Road, Pleasantville, NY 
A free screening (12- pm-2pm) of the film “Of Gods and Men. “ This solemn yet uplifting tragedy recounts the lives of eight French Christian monks caught up in religious violence in North Africa. This film won the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Time: 12pm-2pm
Info: (914) 747-5555

Katonah Museum of Art (Katonah)
134 Jay Street (Route 22), Katonah, NY
Free admission to the museum’s current exhibitions, New York, New York! The 20^th Century, an exhibition which celebrates the city as artistic muse, and Storied City: New York in Picture Book Art. Also,
Time: 12-5 pm
Info: (914) 232-9555

Neuberger Museum of Art (Purchase)
735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY
Free admission to the museum’s current exhibitions (12-5 pm), Dana Schutz:If the Face Had Wheels (figurative paintings that combine fantasy, reality, horror, and humor) and When Modern Was Contemprary: Selections from the Roy R. Neuberger Collection (including 4 paintings by Milton Avery), as well as the Neuberger’s permanent display of African Art.
Time: 12-5 pm  
Info: (914) 251-6100

New Rochelle Public Library (New Rochelle)
1 Library Plaza, New Rochelle,  NY 
The 49^th Annual Westchester Musicians Guild Young Artists Concert will feature top musicians in grades 7-12, performing a wide variety of classical works.
Time: 2pm-4pm
Info: (914) 632-7878

Pelham Art Center
155^th Avenue, Pelham, NY 
Diwali, Hindu Festival of Lights
Watch a classical Indian dance performance, receive a henna tattoo, and participate in art making activities.
Time: 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Info: (914) 738-3161   

Craft –Tastic
A sale of hand made goods. On Free Arts Day, visitors will have the opportunity to buy unique hand made objects at 15% off.
Time: 12 pm – 5 pm, 6:30 pm-8:00 pm-opening reception
Info: (914) 738-2525

The Picture House (Pelham)
175 Wolffs Lane, Pelham, NY 
Free screening of The Princess Bride, a classic fairy tale with swordplay, giants, an evil prince and a beautiful princess.
Time: 1:30 pm to 3:15 pm
Info: (914) 738-7337

Westchester Fashion Academy for Children (White Plains)
31 Mamaroneck Avenue, 6^th floor, White Plains, NY
The Westchester Fashion Academy for Children will present an art-making workshop where fashionistas will learn how to properly draw their design ideas the same way designers do. They will learn the necklines, sleeves, etc…
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Info: (914) 428-1047  

Applications are also available by contacting Eric Siegel, ArtsWestchester’s Programs Associate for Cultural Services, at (914) 428-4220 x 272 or esiegel@artswestchester.org. All applications must be received (not postmarked) by Friday, December 2, 2011 at 5pm.

This prestigious award recognizes individuals and organizations whose vision, commitment and leadership enrich Westchester, its communities, and its citizens. Past awardees have included Former New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee, former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins, the Westchester Philharmonic, the Katonah Museum of Art…and many others. Awardees must live, work, or have some connection with Westchester County.

“Awardees can be an artist who is nationally acclaimed, or someone who has used the arts as a vehicle to empower and enrich people in a small school or community site,” says Joseph Oates, the President of ArtsWestchester’s Board of Trustees. “The impact the arts have can be measured in many ways. But even more importantly, by recognizing the accomplishments of these individuals and organizations, we pause for a moment and become aware of how much the arts mean to the quality of life here in Westchester County.”

Arts Award Categories:

Arts Patron- A person who lives or works in Westchester County and has made a significant contribution to the arts through his/her extraordinary leadership, personal commitment, and philanthropic activities, thereby advancing artistic excellence and enriching the community. Awardees must have made contributions without receiving direct financial compensation.

Artist- An artist who lives or works in Westchester County and whose achievements in his/her artistic discipline are nationally recognized.

Arts Organization- A Westchester County non-profit organization that has made an important contribution to the growth of Westchester’s cultural life over a significant period of time, and has had an impact beyond its immediate community.

Community- An artist, individual, group, organization or agency that has demonstrated extraordinary vision in using the arts to enhance community life, to increase access to cultural experiences, or to enrich the county’s cultural heritage. Candidates have longstanding involvement in the arts rather than involvement in a one-time initiative.

Education- An artist or individual, group, school, district or organization that, through extraordinary vision and leadership, has enriched arts education in Westchester.

A panel consisting of Westchester artists and community leaders will review nominations and make recommendations to the Arts Award Committee of the Arts Council’s Board of Trustees.

The panelists represent a diverse range of experience and points of view. In addition, the Board of Trustees may bestow special “Presidents’ Awards,” to individuals or organizations who they deem deserving, but who have not been officially nominated.  The Arts Awards will be presented during a luncheon in the Spring of 2011 (date/location TBA). Awardees must be present to accept the Award.

The “Anything Goes” gala got its name from Broadway but its inspiration from fashion…an increasingly popular art.  Explains ArtsWestchester CEO Janet T. Langsam, “Fashion is so much in the public’s mind these days that we thought it would be a wonderful theme for our annual gala.”  After being “wowed” by the Alexander McQueen exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art this past summer, Ms. Langsam and her creative team decided to challenge gala  guests by inviting them to “Be the décor…wear something wild… think Alexander McQueen.”  With all the serious issues in the world today, this gala will be an opportunity for people to relax and enjoy themselves while providing important financial support for the local arts community.

A centerpiece of the gala is the Silent Auction, one of the most dazzling in the county, where bidding starts even before the event online at www.artswauction.cmarket.com.  Prizes include a 7-night stay in Anguila, a Tiffany Watch, 4 VIP Tickets to the Daily Show with John Stewart, wining and dining at 4-star restaurants such as The Iron Horse Grill in Pleasantville, a football signed by members of The New York Jets, coveted Metropolitan Opera rehearsal tickets, and much, much more.  Plus electronic bidding at the event using handsets gives guests that competitive edge and stimulates bidding, completely eliminating paper and pens.

Gala sponsors include: PLATINUM:  Entergy, JPMorgan Chase, First Niagara, Pernod Ricard, Reckson, a Division of SL Green Realty, RPW Group, Wells Fargo,  GOLD: Carol Schmidt, Houlihan Lawrence, Jacob Burns Foundation, Westchester Magazine, SILVER: Con Edison, Froma and Andrew Benerofe, Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc., Emily and Eugene Grant, Peckham Industries, Inc., PepsiCo, Inc. Sherry and Robert Wiener , BRONZE: Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP, Barbara and Paul Elliott, Betty Himmel, IBM, Jacqueline and Arthur Walker, FRIENDS: A&A Maintenance, Deborah and Alan Simon, Nancy and Ted Dacey.

Westchester-based and New York artists are included in this exhibition that will feature installations, large scale sculpture, functional objects,  as well as a display of handmade cups collected from an open call to the Westchester community.  Some artists act as agents of social change, using their work to shout a warning or encourage changed behavior. Other pieces will encourage us to appreciate the beauty and/or fragility of our surroundings, urging our reverence and respect. Still others will comment on the state of our earth, pointing to the impact technology, science and industrialism has had on our existence.

The exhibition is curated by Leigh Taylor Mickelson, the Program Director at the Clay Art Center. “I am most excited about the scope of this exhibit,” says Ms. Taylor Mickelson. “We will see a broad spectrum of perspectives on the theme of nature, sustainability and the environment, and we’ll also see the breadth of what can be created with clay.   From functional objects to sculptural installation, we will see that this simple medium, excavated from our earth and made permanent by fire and heat, can be a powerful vehicle of expression. My hope is that eARTh will open our eyes, broaden our minds and change our hearts.”

“With 40-foot high ceilings, our gallery at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue allows for the display of some monumental ceramic installations,” adds ArtsWestchester CEO Janet T. Langsam.  “Considering that we will be showing the work of more than 64 artists across two levels of our building, this will be quite an ambitious undertaking and a rewarding experience for our visitors.”

Profiles of specific artists demonstrate the extraordinary range in approach that contemporary ceramic artists take, as well as the numerous sub-themes and ideas that the ‘green movement’ can generate.  Artist Judy Moonelis, for example, finds inspiration in the human body, using medical imagery and anatomical illustrations to make connections between our interior life as biological entities and our exterior participation in the wider social and physical environment. Nidhi Jalan is an Indian artist who divides her time between New York and Calcutta. She explores themes of metamorphosis and transmogrification (change appearance or form grotesquely). Anat Shiftan, by contrast, experiments with how the use of contemporary digital technology and traditional techniques influence the creative process.

Most of the sculptural installations will be for sale. Those looking for functional ceramic items for their home will also be able to buy unique items from a “Community Tabletop.”  For this collaborative installation, thirty four artists have created 22 separate place settings (each made up of more than one item (i.e., plate, bowl, etc.). Other items for sale on the Community Tabletop include centerpieces, vases, serving dishes, and salt and pepper shakers.

In the spirit of the type of concerted community effort that will be required to address environmental issues, all Westchester residents are also invited to create their own ceramic cups that will be displayed as part of eARTh: Residents can find out more about the “Call for Cups” by visiting www.artswestchester.org/call-for-cups-form.

Free family workshops at ArtsWestchester on select afternoons (from 1-4pm), (October 15, 22, 29 & November 5 & 12) will allow residents to partake in the joy of making ceramics. For more information, call (914) 428-4220 x 306 or visit www.artsw.org/earth.

Artists Showcasing Sculpture or Installation Include:

Artists:

1. Tomoko Abe (Rye)   CAC artist
2. Keiko Ashida ( Hopewell Junction)
3. Dalia Berman  (Scarsdale)  CAC artist
4. Liz  Biddle (Croton)
5. Lisa  Breznak  (Peekskill)
6. Jo-Ann Brody  (Peekskill)
7. Sharbani Das Gupta (New Mexico)
8. Leslie Ferst  (Cambridge, NY)
9. Gail  Heidel  (Brooklyn)
10. Linda Huey  (Alfred Station)
11. Nidhi Jalan  (in collaboration with Sharbani Das Gupta (NM)  (Brooklyn)
12. Denis Licul
13. Firth MacMillan (New York)
14.  Jeffrey  Mongrain (New York)
15. Doris Montagna (Rye Brook)
16. Judy Moonelis (New York)
17. Tony Moore (Cold Spring)
18. Sana Musasama (St. Albans)
19. Patti Nelson (Philadelphia, PA)   – she just moved from the area
20. Brooke Noble (Bloomingdale)
21. Marlene Parillo (Lincolndale)
22. Rina Peleg (New York)
23. Ariel Plantz (Brooklyn) CAC artist
24. Keith  Renner (Mt. Vernon)
25. Marilyn Richeda  (South Salem)  CAC artist
26. Barbara Rittenberg  (deceased) (White Plains)
27. Tim   Rowan (Stone Ridge)
28. Kathy Ruttenberg (White Plains)
29. Lily Schor (Hastings-on-Hudson)
30. Jeff Shapiro (Accord, NY)
31. Anat Shiftan (New Paultz, NY)
32. Roy Steele (Jachoon Heights, NY)
33. Florence Suerig (Greenwich, CT)
34. Priya Tambe
35. Sheryl Zacharia (New York, NY)

Participating artists in the Community Tabletop installation include:

1. Posey Bacopolous (New York)
2. Roger  Bauman (Lake Peekskill)
3. Douglas Breitbart (Long Island City) – CAC artist
4. Jennifer Cherpock (Old Tappan, NJ) – CAC artist
5. Paula Cook (Ridgefield, CT) – CAC artist
6. Andrew Coombs (SC)  – CAC artist just moved
7. Jessica  Dubin (Peekskill)
8. Brooke Evans (Monroe)
9. Karen Ford (Westport, CT) – CAC artist
10. Robin Henschel,  (Rye) CAC artist
11. Debra Holiber (New York) CAC artist
12. Bryan  Hopkins (Buffalo)
13. Stepanka Horalkova, (New York)
14. Natalie Kase (Sleepy Hollow)
15. Reena Kashyap (Rye)   CAC artist
16. Sarah Koster (New York) CAC artist
17. Deb  Lecce (Carmel)
18. Janet Lipow (Riverside, CT) – CAC artist
19. Loren Maron (Ossining) CAC artist
20. Deborah Mawhinney  (Rye) CAC artist
21. Bob Miranti (New Rochelle)  CAC artist
22. Rimmie Mosley (Old Greenwich, CT) CAC artist
23. Rene Murray (New York)
24. Brooke  Noble  (Bloomingdale)
25. Kiyomi Noda (New York) CAC artist
26. Mari Ogihara (White Plains)  CAC artist
27. Brenda  Quinn (Mt. Vernon)
28. Harriet  Ross (Hartsdale)
29. Roberta Shapiro (Bronx) CAC artist
30. Hatsumi Suyama (Mamaroneck) CAC artist
31. Georgia Tenore  (Ramsey, NJ) CAC artist
32. Judith Weber (New Rochelle)
33. Susan Wortman (Sleepy Hollow) CAC artist
34. Sheryl Zacharia (New York)

Clay Art Center is a not-for-profit ceramic art organization offering exhibitions, clay classes for adults and children, studio spaces for clay artists and outreach programs in the community.  For over 50 years, Clay Art Center has been the largest and most active ceramic facility in Westchester county, dedicated solely to the advancement of the ceramic arts. Believing strongly that the arts has the ability to touch and enrich lives, its mission is to offer a stimulating space for studio practice, exhibition and educational opportunities to better serve the community. Its vision is to “kindle a passion for the ceramic arts and provide a community for that passion to flourish.”   Clay Art Center is located in the heart of Port Chester at 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY 10573.   Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am-4pm or by appointment.