7444 Gallery

Applied Design | A Two Part Presence - Alexander Michael

2011-09-21T13:02:00.005-04:00

Please visit us at the 7444 Gallery in Saranac Lake, NY and Alexander Michael of Sydney, Australia (aka SILOBOY) for:

Applied Design | A Two Part Presence

PART 1 - at the 7444 Gallery
Artist at work studio tour: September 23rd thru 25th
Daily from 10a thru 4p

PART 2 - at the Lewis Missle Silo
Opening reception at the Missle Silo in Lewis, NY
Saturday, October 1st from 3p 'til late

Listen to NCPR interview here

APPLIED DESIGN
finding self in material

works by Alexander Michael

Join Alex and the 7444 Gallery for a week of integrated exposure to the work and style of Alexander Michael. Alex will be in residence at the 7444 Gallery for the weekend of the Artist at Work Studio Tour, continuing his work in composite material design and sculpture. These sculptures and others will then travel to Lewis NY, on the grounds of his renovated Atlas Missle Silo for display and installation. Tours of the silo will also be available.

www.siloboy.com
A statement from the artist:
“Truculent, irritable and aloof”, were the words from my Grade Three councillor. Well I certainly proved her right, and that set the tone for life thereafter. “Unwilling to be part of the group”, she continued, “and has a propensity for destruction.” Yes, not a truer word spoken and, I knew it at the time, but the problem was, I couldn’t see why it was a problem. It all came to a head when I was exiled to the headmaster’s “special room” after painting Lava-Lamp blobs all over the school’s dreary cement walls.
Prophetic or not, it turned out that I did like to work alone, whether sculpting or designing buildings, and as for a “propensity for destruction,” I preferred to call it Deconstruction. What was also clear from very early on; I was hopeless with my hands, which is why I became a designer, not a maker. However, after thirty years in the practice, I still yearned for a more personal expression of creativity without everyone insisting on what I can and can’t do. I wanted to be responsible for something I alone could create! But therein lies another problem: being one hundred percent responsible for anything also carries a burden, one that I hadn’t anticipated. I quickly discovered there was no one left to blame, not a client, or a builder, or even a nosy neighbour; it just might be all my fault.
Still hopeless with my hands, I eventually found the materials and techniques that were forgiving enough to tolerate my ineptitude and yet expressive enough to represent whatever vision might erupt from my truculent, irritable and aloof neocortex.
This work is the result of all that freedom, and the fear. There is also a self-evident and deeply religious aspect to this work, and I am nervous to talk about it, mostly because I’m afraid some nutcase might clock me on the head. My phobias for both religion and the religious are not extreme, at least not in a pathologically Nietzchean way, but they do exert influence on my views and my relationship with the world around me. I’ve tried to find an “ism” for it, but without any luck, so I left it to my troublesome hands and the right side of the brain to sort it out.
“The Sydney-based Interior
Designer might be an inveterate giggler,
but he’s a smart cookie, has a side-line in
science-fiction writing and a talent for
sculpture.” (Vogue, 2005)

Directions to the Missle Silo:
(Please check your travelpath prior to departure in case of road closures)

87 Hale Hill Lane, Lewis, N.Y.

From Plattsburgh:
Take the ramp onto I-87 S 20 miles
Take the exit toward US-9 S
Take the 1st right onto US-9 S 8 Miles
Turn right onto Hale Hill Rd
Up the Hill about a half mile on the Left ... Look for Signs.
Park alongside access road if parking is full.

From Albany:
Take the ramp onto I-87 N 120 miles
Take the exit Stowersville
Turn Left on Stowersville 2 Miles
Turn right onto US-9 N 4 Miles
Turn left onto Hale Hill Rd
Up the Hill about a half mile on the Left ... Look for Signs.
Park alongside access road if parking is full.

From Saranac Lake:
Take NYS 86 East to Lake Placid
Take NYS 73 East to Keene/Keene Valley
Take NYS 9N to Elizabthtown
Take NYS 9 North to Hill Hale Road (9.4 miles)
Turn left onto Hale Hill Rd
Up the Hill about a half mile on the Left ... Look for Signs.
Park alongside road/access road if parking is full.

HOBOFEST 2011

2011-08-17T12:35:00.007-04:00

HOBOFEST 2011 is the 3^rd annual, all-day free music event with the themes of railroads, the hobo-lifestyle, and economic depressions. We present the concept in celebration of the volunteer, appreciating the unappreciated, recognizing the overlooked.

Sunday, September 4th, HoboFest starts with the arrival of the first train in Saranac Lake at 11:45am. Organized by Seward's Folly Productions + Api design and hosted by 7444 Gallery at 28 Depot Street, HoboFest will continue well into the evening. Chef Andrew Chase of the Culinary Institute of America will be serving a reasonable price plate for both Lunch and Dinner, see menu. Please also bring lawn chairs or blankets for lounging while listening to a line up of music.

This year we will introduce the Carhartt Fashion Show. Attendees are encouraged to assemble their best ensemble of new and vintage wear that expresses the style and look of the Carhartt lifestyle. The show will be judged and prizes awarded.

The mix of imported and local acts Bring your instruments and a Hobo song and jamb in the crowd in between sets.

"The idea of HoboFest was born when I heard local Saranac Lake’er Danny Ryan read his story about attending the National Hobo Convention in Iowa," says organizer Peter Seward. Danny will present his latest work at Hobofest. While not a Hobo himself, Danny does not own a car and journeys out of the region hitchhiking with his "not a weirdo" sign.

HoboFest embraces the railroad as a dormant resource in our remote mountain location. While the Scenic Railroad services mostly out-of-towners visiting Lake Placid, Hobofest hopes to attract the local population of Saranac Lake to the train and the area around Depot Street. We also hope to establish an event that is truly a grassroots effort, with community cooperation, and not much overhead. Admission is free.

HOBOFEST IS SEEKING FINANCIAL SUPPORT and ASSISTANCE.

Schedule:

11:45 am – Fanfare

NOON -- Steve Langdon

(train 11:45 – 12:30)

12:30 pm -- DUSTBUNNIES

1:00 pm -- Brian Dewan

1:15 pm -- Kurt Stager & Kary Johnson

Introducing MC Bob Seidenstein

1:45 pm -- BIG SLYDE

2:45 pm -- STONEGROUND EXPRESS

(train 2:45-3:30)

3:45 pm -- CRACKIN FOXY

CARHARTT FASHION SHOW

4:45 pm -- BARN CATS

CARHARTT FASHION SHOW

5:30 pm -- PINE RIDGE ROUNDERS

CARHARTT FASHION SHOW AWARDS

(train 5:30 - 6:15)

Introducing MC Pat MacAvoy

6:30 pm -- Meadow

6:45 pm -- BLIND OWL BAND

7:30 pm -- Rafe Spada & Jeff

7:45 pm -- FRANKENPINE

8:45 pm -- Shaun Ondak & Matthew Chase

9:00 pm -- MONSTERBUCK

Food by Andrew Chase:

Lunch (12:00-3:00)

New York cheddar-beer soup

Pulled pork sandwiches

Grilled zucchini eggplant sandwiches with pesto and mozz

Warm bacon potato salad

Pasta salad

Double choc cookies, ginger cookies

Dinner (5:00-8:00)

Chili with bread

Bratwurst with sauerkraut

Grilled Seasonal vegetable kebab with hummus

Pasta salad

Double choc cookies/ginger cookies

Hot chocolate

** Waters, Coffee, and General Provisions will be available.

In praise of HoboFest:

"Hobo Fest was as down home as Saranac Lake. The venue was idylic and the music and performers were as outstanding as our little village. Which is to say the whole thing kicked ass!" –Jason Brill

John Cohen and I were pleased to be among the fresh and lively group of performers at the first Hobofest in Saranac Lake in 2009. The opportunity to offer the music of the New Lost City Ramblers and Hally Wood as well as several railroading tunes from the period when the railroads were being constructed in North America was most welcome and the audience responded enthusiastically to the authentic sounds. Songs such as "Ruby" by Cousin Emmy, "Frankie Silver" by The Stanley Brothers, the railroading classic "Jay Gould's Daughter" are rarely heard and Hobofest is the perfect venue to keep this valuable music alive. -Annabel Lee

"From a musician's point of view Hobofest 2009 was a grassroots community event at its best -- well organized and promoted, attracted crowds of people of all ages, involved collaboration and support from local businesses, fantastic music and performances, and lots of smiles all day long. All of this, and a raising of awareness for an Adirondack cultural icon -- the train running from community to community." –Christina Grant (Big Slyde)

Hobofest was a fantastical merry-go-round of talent and entertainment. It smoothly showcased amazing, eclectic talent, and brought the community together in a sea of positively. It was such a delight to be a part of. –Mike Portal (big slyde)

The Hobofest was the right thing at the right time in the right place. It was totally a community effort, and accessible to all. Although it was strictly informal & casual, the focus on the music and on the place was significant. In one simple move, joining the spirit of old railroad with the beautiful landscape, and with local artists. while the music retained a handmade, accessible quality. All these good features kept the audience in good spirits. It was memorable to have so many forces converge at this festival. music, local history, community, and joy. Looking forward and backward are gracefully joined at Hobofest. –John Cohen

Hobofest is fun for everyone, and don't cost nothin'. In this era of fancy electronic entertainments, Hobofest demonstrates that all you need to have fun is a block of wood with a nail sticking out of it, and you can pretend it's your own private sailboat. –Brian Dewan

Even the world’s biggest bindle stick couldn’t contain the amount of fun we had at Hobofest 2009. Great musicians, great crowd, great scene. And where else can a person flatten a penny on the tracks, square dance barefoot in the grass, sneak off for a dip in the lake and come back for a burger and a few hours of the rootsiest music in the time zone? If it were up to us in Frankenpine, we’d play Hobofest once a month. –Ned Rauch

Last summer’s Hobo Festival was made of happy choices, both in tone and scale.

While it had plenty of spirit, it wasn’t Loud with a big L. The tone was relaxed and inviting; the T-shirts well designed and fun (not “laugh-on-Command”) so you would want to wear them time and time again.

The venue was totally appropriate: visitors actually “heard the whistle blow” and had a train stop in their midst!

The music: many of the musicians were local talent (another plus!), and performed on a cleverly improvised, wooden deck attached to a neighboring building instead of on a metal-tubing stage monstrosity. Amplification was hardly needed; the grassy space being flanked by the railroad station and other buildings.

The experience was one of a good, old-fashioned fair, on the scale of the small Adirondack town we all share, and reminded me of the very early Bennington (VT.) craft fairs of the early 1960s.

Hopefully this “Hobo Train” will pass our way again! -Will Tissot

Adirondack Style | Book Release and Photography Show by F Stop Fitzgerald and Richard McCaffery

2011-07-14T14:22:00.010-04:00

13th August 2011 thru the 6th October 2011

('Meet the Artists' opening reception Saturday, August 13th from 5p)

ADIRONDACK STYLE

Great Camps and Rustic Lodges

works by f-Stop Fitzgerald and Richard McCaffrey

In association with Adirondack Architectural Heritage

Introduction by Dr. Howard Kirschenbaum

Foreword by Laura S. Rice, The Adirondack Museum

Text by Lynn Woods and Jane Mackintosh

ADIRONDACK STYLE is the definitive book on the architecture, design, and natural beauty of the Adirondack Great and Rustic Camps. The structures of these camps made brilliant use of the rustic materials readily available in the area—rough-hewn log exteriors contrast with the lavish and elegant interiors, featuring intricate stonework and hand-carved furniture. Natural elements such as tree roots, twigs, and bark often played an integral part in the décor, and the simple yet elegant Adirondack chair has become an international symbol of leisure. Many camps had boathouses, teahouses, game rooms, and even bowling alleys, and several were designed by top architects of the era and incorporated their international influences: Pine Knot resembled a Swiss chalet; the architectural flourishes of Santanoni were Japanese-inspired; and The Hedges had Dutch doors.

Approximately forty of these extravagant camps survive, including ten that are National Historic Landmarks. ADIRONDACK STYLE features thirty-seven of these camps, including Pine Knot, Uncas, and Sagamore, all of which were built for William West Durant, a pioneer of the Great Camp style; Wonundra, which was built for William Avery Rockefeller and his family; and White Pine, which President Calvin Coolidge once used as his Summer White House. These grand structures have maintained the greatness of their past and enhance the natural beauty of the region. With breathtaking photography of the Great Camps and their surroundings, ADIRONDACK STYLE is a celebration of these regional treasures.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS:

f-Stop Fitzgerald is a noted photographer whose work has appeared in more than 100 periodicals, including Rolling Stone, GQ, Publishers Weekly, and The Village Voice. His collaboration with Stephen King, Nightmares in the Sky, was a national best seller.

Richard McCaffrey is currently staff photographer for The Providence Phoenix. He is represented by Getty Images and his work appears in numerous national and international books and publications.

Hardcover / 224 pages / 9 1/2” x 9 1/2” / 200 color photographs

PRICE: $50.00 U.S. / $52.50 CAN / £32.50 UK

ISBN: 978-0-7893-2266-1

PUBLICATION DATE: September 2011

Universe Publishing, an imprint of Rizzoli New York

www.rizzoliusa.co

SANDY MACDONALD | Toy Portraits

2011-07-04T17:52:00.002-04:00

7th July 2011 thru the 6th August 2011

(meet the artist opening reception Thursday, July 7th from 5p)

My reason for painting has never been about the subject matter. It was important to capture a certain quality, but the subject itself never defined the end result. Painting has always been about creating form and atmosphere on a flat surface. It starts on the palette before my brush even touches the canvas. I’m obsessed with mixing the paint to create subtle shifts of hue, tone and value. It’s then the placement on the canvas, creating planes and edges in which define the form. For years I forgot this.

After graduating from Rhode Island College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, I searched for subject matter that would define me as a serious painter and make an impact on the world. This was a journey in which I was slowly becoming overwhelmed and uninspired. It wasn’t until years later when my husband requested a painting of a spark plug that inspired me to paint again. Yes, this simple inanimate object literally sparked my passion. I remembered why I liked to create and took the painting process seriously, realizing the subject matter was secondary. I then started the series of very serious paintings of not so serious subject matter.

I decided to work small scale and paint the items around me. My collection of toys proved to be great models, they sat still and worked for free. More importantly, they had personality that could be easily overlooked. I wanted to capture this presence in the style of an informal portrait instead of traditional still life.

Both inanimate objects and humans make impacts on us everyday. It’s whether these impressions stay with us that makes them significant. You, as a viewer, can decide to discard them as inconsequential or observe something that you may have overlooked at first glance.

-Sandra MacDonald

Sandra and her husband Paul reside in Pacifica, CA with their dog named Buster and a cat named Noodle.

Visit her web site: www.sandymacpainting.com

or Log on to our website for more images and information.

Gallery Summer Hours

Tuesday thru Saturday 10a-3p

or by appointment.

RUSSELL SERRIANNE | tendrils

2011-05-25T12:57:00.003-04:00

9th June 2011 thru the 4th July 2011
(meet the artist opening reception Thursday, June 9th from 5p)

'I have long been inspired by the drawn mark…line weight, swiftness and deliberate execution.'

I am captivated by the energized line naturally found in the strength and determination of the vine tendril as seen melding in a forested cluster or clinging to urban brick. I experience the individual tendrils as if evoking a written language within nature, visually reminiscent of the vertical, dripping gestures of Fujiwara Sukamasa, the tenth century Japanese calligrapher.

In my work I use the vine tendril as my drawing tool, as my mark. The twisting, gripping forms transform into a 3-dimensional line and interplay with surface shadow. Simultaneously my intent is to present a deception of perception, as when surfaces reveal to be other than they appear. In my work I alter the appearance of the vine tendril’s thin bark with burnishing techniques such as steel wool and coatings of clear shellac, creating a mark that appears to be fabricated; mechanically twisted, metalized, and disassociated from its natural intent. The assemblages and surface papers evoke a perceived interpretation while at the same time provoking a realization of the naturalness of the vine tendril. I want to present the viewer with a conscience moment of that realization.

My pencil and graphite drawings explore individual tendrils as statements of tension, power and fluidity.

Russell's studio is located in Glens Falls, NY at the historic Shirt Factory, a collective of artists studios, shoppes and galleries.

KYLE FORD | second nature

2011-05-02T17:02:00.008-04:00

on display:
14th May 2011 thru the 4th June 2011
(meet the artist opening reception Saturday, May 14th from 8p - close)

THE ULTRA MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN, WYOMISSING, PA

Archival Pigment Print

Edition of 15

32”x40”

2009

“The Ultra Majestic Mountain” is the title of the most recent iteration of the Paramount Pictures logo. Birthed from the mind of an illustrator, the infamous Paramount Mountain does not actually exist in real life. However, if asked to describe a mountain visually, most might appropriate the aesthetics of this logo as a basis for their depiction.

The Paramount Pictures logo has embedded itself in the American visual lexicon. So much so, that its non-existence often escapes us. Consequently, it has transformed our expectations of what a real mountain can/or should be.

The Ultra Majestic Mountain, Wyomissing, PA is a direct allusion to the allegory of Plato’s Cave. Socratic thought suggests that if a man is only exposed to projections of reality (shadows), then when exposed to actual reality he would believe he was gazing upon an untruth. For him, the shadows have become his reality.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

I am fascinated with the way we represent the natural world by preparing it for display and visual consumption. Decided manipulations like selective preservation and engineered wilderness, act as a lens to explore ideas of mediated experience, perpetuated aesthetics, and transformative hyper-reality. This series is a catalogue of the varied ways we go about [re] contextualizing the “natural world,” and thus, redefining the way we perceive it.

ARTIST INFO

Kyle Ford
www.kylefordphotography.com

2011 Summer/Fall Schedule

2011-05-02T16:55:00.005-04:00

5/14 . Gallery Opening. Kyle Ford. www.kylefordphotography.com . 8p - close

6/3 . First Friday Film

6/9 . Gallery Opening. Russell Serrianne. www.lanternshow.net . 5p - close

7/1 . First Friday Film

7/7 . Gallery Opening. Sandy MacDonald. www.sandymacpainting.com . 5p - close

8/5 . First Friday Film

8/13 . Book Signing/Gallery Opening. Adirondack Great Camps By F-Stop Fitzgerald and Richard McCaffrey . 5p - close

9/2 . First Friday Film

9/4 . Hobofest

10/1 . Book Signing/Gallery Opening. The 7444 Gallery

10/5 – 10/9 . Adirondack Aperture: fall foliage digital photography workshop w/Burdette Parks. www.adirondackapature.com

11/4 . First Friday Film – B Rate Horror . 8p

11/10 . Gallery Opening. The 7444 Collective . 5p - close

12/2 . First Friday Film – B Rate Horror . 8p

**Gallery Hours Tuesday thru Saturday 1a – 3p from 5/1/11 thru 1/1/12

**Gallery open by appointment from 1/1/12 thru 5/1/12

Gallery Closed until May

2011-01-21T15:12:00.002-05:00

Have a Great Winter.
Look for our summer 2011 Schedule soon

Aaron Hobson - 'Shop 'til you Drop' + 'Turkey Time' with calligraphy by Gail Brill

2010-12-06T15:35:00.027-05:00

Photographer Aaron Hobson's holiday postcard featuring panoramic narrative that one would expect from the cinemascapist. "Shop 'til you drop" features an exhausted pajama clad xmas shopper (and gifts) sprawled out on snow covered Lake Colby in the Adirondacks. "Turkey Time" shows the lower half of an axe-wielding fella being approached by a wild turkey at the scenic first hole of the Lake Placid Golf Club. These cards are offered exclusively through the 7444 Gallery.

Cards sell $10 each, shipping is $2. (add $2 for Canada and add $5 for international shipping)

Additional Custom Holiday Message (up to 30 characters, $5): Available by professional calligraphist Gail Brill (see example below).

Add the Name and Address that we will mail the card to in 'Note to seller' on Paypal payment screen or send it in an email, with your 30 character message, direct to todd@7444gallery.us

Purchase below or here.

7444 COLLECTIVE

2010-11-08T15:52:00.003-05:00

A holiday collection of artists past and future. Featuring a variety of new, unique, affordable, contemporary artistic items available in limited quantities and exclusively through the 7444 Gallery.

The 7444 Collective
"various artists"

Elaine Brown - Pottery
Jamie Dyer - Jewelry
Aaron Hobson - Photographic Cards
Richard Parrish - Fused Glass
Peter Seward - Screen Printing
Amy Coddington Burnett - Fabric
Lori Cheek - Cheek'd
Jessica Jeffery - Magnetic designs
Mark Kurtz - Photography Dossier
Api Design - Hot Sara Campaign

Show runs: November 11th through January 31st

Opening reception: Thursday, November 11th from 6 - 8p
(meet the artists)

Gallery Winter Hours
Tuesday - Saturday 10a-3p

CLOSED December 23rd 2010 thru January 1st 2011

Artist/Project Info:

AARON HOBSON has had solo exhibits in NYC, Los Angeles and London, and has a growing list of collectors and awards from around the world. Articles and reviews of his work have appeared in over 15 languages in over 24 countries from every major continent, except the one covered in ice. His work has been featured in the 2008 photo issue of Juxtapoz Magazine, DPWORLD (China '08), Urban Salir Magazine (Spain '09), Digifoto (Czech '10), and EYEmazing (Belgium '10).

Cinemascapes are a hybrid between autobiography and fiction, with Hobson himself always in the star role. They are at times, haunting and scandalous, other times inspiring, but always come across as closely personal. Reflective of his 30 years of experiences, emotions, and challenges throughout his life, Hobson creates images that not only viscerally and visually grab the conscious mind, but also linger in the viewer's imagination and memory.

PROJECT: Two holiday postcards featuring panoramic narratives that one would expect from the cinemascapist (Aaron Hobson). "Shop 'til you drop" features an exhausted pajama clad xmas shopper (and gifts) sprawled out on snow covered Lake Colby and the postcard "turkey time" shows the lower half of an axe-wielding fella being approached by a wild turkey at the scenic first hole of the Lake Placid Golf Club.

CHEEK’D: connect offline. engage online.

PROJECT: Whether it’s in a bar, at the gym or at the dog park, Cheek’d users can express their interest in someone by coyly handing them a small black card that contains a cheeky phrase such as “act natural. we can get awkward later.” or “i just put all my drinks on your tab.” The recipient is invited to go online to check out your profile and decide whether he or she would like to make contact with you through the Cheek’d internal messaging service (personal information and privacy are protected).

AMY CODDINGTON-BURNETT finds humor in most things. I am interested in trash; I stalk the streets on trash days. The old adage, “One mans’ trash is another mans’ treasure”, is my life motto. I like to attempt to transform utilitarian items into my kind of art; whimsical, sardonic, and me.

Project: Wearable childrens/adult fabric imagery; high chair, bibs, aprons

JESSICA JEFFERY graduated with a BFA in Printmaking from the Maine College of Art in 2008 and shortly after moved back to Saranac Lake. You can check out more of her work at The Fringe Artist Studio and Gallery, which she and her partner, Eric Ackerson, established in May 2010.

Bits and pieces have always fascinated me. I have worked this way in several mediums including silkscreen, woodblock, and paper cutouts. The process of rearranging them, collecting, editing and omitting pieces in order to create new compositions is quite possibly infinite. I have been searching for a medium that would allow for that infinity to happen and allow people to participate in the composition process. Voila! Magnets! Enjoy playing!

Project: Papery Bits Magnet Set set of magnetized images for rearranging and play

ELAINE BROWN. I find myself living in Lake Placid, NY and happy about that. My husband and I moved here when we became empty-nesters. Now our nest is set up for a relaxed life and visits from friends and, somehow not often enough, our daughters.

When I first found myself with some time to work with clay it was as a luxury I took for myself. It became a way for me to express myself creatively. After a career as a banker and then mother and homemaker, it was a new found outlet. I had lots of fun times at home with my girls. When they got older I spent countless hours volunteering in all sorts of ways. I would sneak away for half a day here and there and create some objects in clay and often enough I would be happy with the results.

People always ask me what I do and I generally answer with some generalities and say that I do some pottery. I would like to transition into "I am a potter".

Project: Clay lights

RICHARD PARRISH maintains a studio for kiln formed glass and architecture in Bozeman, Montana. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. He was awarded best artist in his category at the Western Design Conference Exhibition in 2008. His work was selected for the Corning Museum of Glass’s New Glass Review 27, and he was awarded the American Craft Council Award of Achievement in 2003. His artwork is in numerous public and private collections in the United States and Europe.

Richard has taught architecture and design at The University of Michigan and Montana State University. He teaches classes in kilnformed glass in his studio and throughout the United States, focusing on the visual elements of design; color theory; and inspiration, meaning and intent.

Richard’s glasswork includes speculative work; functional objects; and architectural installations and design elements. Current commissions include a memorial at St. John’s Mercy Hospital in St. Louis and nineteen glass pieces for the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay Resort.

As an artist & an architect, I find inspiration in both the human-made environment & in the vast landscape of the American west where I grew up. I am fascinated by the juxtaposition of the constructed & the natural, which I often express in my work. I find that it is critical to my existence to make things with my hands, using real materials. I focus on the integration of meaning, design and technique in my glasswork and in the classes that I teach. I am particularly interested in the interaction of light and color in the environment and in my own work.

Project: Fused Glass Platters

PETER SEWARD exhibits in New York State, as well as Connecticut, Albuquerque and most recently Vermont (Big Town Gallery in Rochester). With the opening this year of the "Upstairs Gallery" in downtown Saranac Lake, Seward now has a regular venue to display his paintings and projects.

Seward's subject's explore the human footprint in the natural environment, and the man-made attempt to integrate through the manufacture of organic form.

Project: "A Seward's Folly Production" edition of T-shirts, "the Saranac Lake Scream" parodies Edvard Munch's famous expression of angst, re-contextualized with the familiar icons at Riverside Park.

API DESIGN presents 'HOT SARA'. An urban legend in Saranac Lake returns again to realize the transformation of her place is at the top of its game. Api design introduces a support campaign in the realization mind of a sense of place. The branding of this campaign will be launched Thursday with explicit and detailed interactive information on www.WhoIshHotSara.com. From any point in Saranac Lake, HOT SARA, is present and watching over us. Through our support we will identify and record the greatness that abounds our sustainable community. Our rewards will be seen through stories and pictures sheading a positive light on the many efforts that are underway to sustain and progress into the future.

MARK KURTZ: has been providing Saranac Lake, Lake Placid and the Adirondack region with outstanding fine art, commercial and wedding photography for over 20 years. Mark's gallery of fine art black and white photography, located in downtown Saranac Lake, boasts hundreds of hand-made prints and also serves as basecamp for his commercial and wedding photography services. He recieved a BFA from Alfred University and has taught photography in high school, college and workshop environments. Mark is one of the founding members of the Adirondack Artist's Guild, and is widely recognized as one of the Adirondack region's preeminent artists.
Mark did his first darkroom work in the 8th grade and immediately fell in love with the photographic process. He continued his study of the craft through high school and college. Since then, Mark's work has been published in countless publications over the past 20 years. He is a regular contributing photographer to Adirondack Life magazine and his work has been featured in Skiing magazine, not to mention countless stunning advertisements and annual reports for regional and national clients alike.

While Mark's current commercial work is most often in the 21st Century digital format, his black and white fine art photography remains steadfastly film- and darkroom-based. For over 15 years Mark has journeyed through the Adirondacks, along the coast of Maine, into the desert southwest and beyond with the panoramic camera, and therefore the wide-format landscape is most frequently his medium of choice. However, recent explorations into the unique sensibilities of the Holga camera have only added to Mark's already evocative body of work.

The Mark Kurtz studio on main street celebrates its 10 years in business in the coming year begining this month with events and shows.

Project: Limited Edition Holga Dossier

JAMIE DYER grew up in Northern Maine and moved to NY to attend St. Lawrence University. Following graduation, she moved to the Adirondacks - a place she fell in love with while a student. Jamie spends her time working at The Wild Center, enjoying the ADK outdoors, and traveling.

Artists statement (Subtle Sophisticant):

Jewelry is form of personal expression. And, for Jamie specifically, an outlet for creativity and relaxation. The broad, lock-step style of creating a series of pieces is soothing, and inspires Jamie to branch out and alter the model.

Project: With the "pick your piece, pick your pouch" line, Jamie hopes to share the creative spirit with the admirers of her art. Various pouches and two contrasting lines of jewelry provide the opportunity to mix and match based on personal preference. Because, why shouldn't you decide how your art is packaged?

All items = guaranteed for life.

HOBO FEST 2010

2010-08-21T12:20:00.005-04:00

Come celebrate the second annual Hobofest on Sunday, September 5^th, from noon until 10 pm. Hobofest is a FREE all-day music celebration of the Hobo spirit. It happens on the lawn by the train station at 28 Depot Street in Saranac Lake, against the backdrop of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. Hobofest is a grassroots community event bringing performers from near and far. This event is hosted by 7444 Gallery, and programmed by Seward’s Folly Productions

http://www.7444gallery.us

Schedule-at-a-Glance

11:45 Hobo fanfare to welcome the first train, led by Kyle Murray (Rainbow Lake)
noon Steve Langdon (Saranac Lake)
12:40 Pete Seward & Shamim Allen (North Elba, Saranac Lake)
1:00 Keith Gorgas (Goldsmith)
1:20 Theresa Hartford (Saranac Lake)
1:40 Jamie Savage (Piercefield)
2:00 Pine Ridge Rounders, (Bloomingdale)
2:50 Barncats (Rainbow Lake/Bloomindale, Saranac Lake, Montreal)

3:45 Shamim Allen (Saranac Lake)
4:10 Roy Hurd (Saranac Lake)
4:40 Mother Banjo (Minneapolis)
5:15 Cracking Foxy (Saranac Lake)
6:10 Steve Langdon – send off for last train of the day (Saranac Lake)
6:30 Roulette Sisters (Brooklyn)
7:45 Frankenpine (Brooklyn)
9:00 Big Slyde (Lake Placid)

Performers:

New-grass-chamber power trio, Big Slyde, plays acoustic music with freshness and a contagious energy. This groove-oriented ensemble offers intricate mazes against delightful lush textures. John Doan: banjo, dobro, Mikey Portal: guitar, Christina Grant: cello. Refined instrumentation yet hardly ever “twangy.”

http://www.myspace.com/bigslydemountainmusic

Frankenpine brings home former Saranac Lakers, Ned Rauch and Colin Dehond. Its “modern waves radiate from the form of piney old bluegrass and country." (Adirondack Enterprise). Kim Chase: vocals, guitar, Matthew Chase: banjo, Ned Rauch: resonator guitar, mandolin, vocal, Liz Bisbee: violin, vocal and harmony vocals, Andy Mullen: accordion, harmonica, vocal, Colin Dehond: electric bass.

http://frankenpinemusic.com

The Roulette Sisters play a hip-shaking blend of American country blues, traditional songs, popular, and old timey music regularly to denizens of the urban environment. Gorgeous 4-part harmonies, and stone cold authentic acoustic blues playing, sweeten their innuendo-laden songs. Mamie Minch: resonator guitar, vocals, Meg Reichardt: guitar, vocals, Megan Burleyson: washboard, vocals, Karen Waltuch: viola, vocals.

http://www.myspace.com/theroulettesisters

Cracking Foxy is making it's debut appearance at Hobofest, performing vintage jazz, Hawaiian and vaudeville-era tunes. The line up features the three-part harmony of Abbey Curran, Sarah Curtis and Shamim Allen, backed by John Bouman on standup bass, Steve Langdon on guitar and Mark Hofschneider on ukelele and banjo. Dancing is not required but highly encouraged.

The Barn Cats play a bedrock mix of traditional American Roots Music; Bluegrass, Old time, Gospel, Blues and Country. They dwell on the northern slopes of the Adirondacks, and can be found almost any Wednesday night at the Shamrock in Gabriels. Addison Bickford: fiddle, vocals, Peter Reuter: guitar, Daun Reuter: mandolin, Sarah Curtis: vocals, ukelele, bodhran, Mike Wanner, bass

The Pine Ridge Rounders are a hard-driving center-of-the tracks Bluegrass ensemble, flavored with a little grit, salt, and coal dust. Ken Casler: vocals, banjo, Kris Casler, mandolin and vocals, Kevin Woolley guitar, dobro, vocals, Peter Reuter: guitar, Jonathan Bouman: bass.

Roy Hurd – A living Adirondack legend and a well-traveled storytelling song man, he has written deftly crafted commercial country hits covered by the likes of The Oak Ridge Boys. This much-loved member of our community endures.

http://www.royhurd.com

Mother Banjo – Called an "outstanding poet" by Inside Bluegrass Magazine and selected as a Midwest Finalist in the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, Mother Banjo offers the mother's milk of song, mixing original indie-folk with traditional folk and gospel music. She is currently touring behind her album The Sad and Found, which was named the #10 album of 2009 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. http://www.motherbanjo.com

Jamie Savage - Sure-footed and grounded in this land, his keen observation and deep intonation tell us of where we live and who we are.

http://www.jamiesavage.com

Theresa Hartford – A passionate, sometimes growling, song-mistress who sings of heartbreak, love, and redemption.

Keith Gorgas – Currently a resident in the ghost town of Goldsmith , population 8. Keith has spent fives years living as a real hobo; hitchhiking, hopping trains, planes, & boats, and living under bridges.

Shamim Allen –A pivotal figure on the local music scene, Shamim’s rhythmic force propels us forward; her voice soothes with soul-saving promise.

Steve Langdon – Legendary past winter-caretaker in the wilds of Lake Colden, he plays authentic country blues. Witness him go against a locomotive with his bare hands.

Kyle Murray – The Shamrockin’ pied-piper of percussion, spinning his web on an emerald loom.

MEDIA SPONSOR

www.ncpr.org

SKIN: ArtTtranscends Boundaries

2010-07-30T14:02:00.004-04:00

Skin: Art Transcends Boundaries

5th August 2010 thru the 28th August 2010
(meet the artists opening reception Thursday, August 5th from 6-8p)

The gift inherent in our world is imagination, imagination births art. Freed, it is the substantive element where a universe can reflect the wonder beyond absolutes, the awe beyond seeing and hearing and experience a depth (or insight or breath) for souls to dance with uncertainty embrace diversity and celebrate beauty as the stars behold. -Margo Fish

We celebrate the conjoining of musical performance and artistic representation.

WHAT IS SKIN?

SKIN n.: the external covering of a body, surface layer or outer covering. SKIN v. to remove or strip off.
The verb "skin" is almost implicit in the noun "skin".

Therefore, this title is used to question objective reality and to strip down to what lies beneath it's surface.

Each artists idea of SKIN results from a flow of ideas that has a physical and a metaphysical texture. How von Eicken-Kopperl and Challoner work out these ideas in physical terms is because each is drawn to certain methods, materials and metaphors to pose questions beyond the surface of their work.

Challoner covers flat granite fragments with nude forms by painting them in perspective shaped to the physical stone.

Helga von Eicken-Kopperl makes figurative skins based on a shadow, in paper, lead, gold leaf, and in a coda of jewelry - gold and silver.

Stone Paintings by Audrey Challoner: Movement: Softness + Stone
Since living in the New York artist community called DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) Audrey Challoner has been fascinated by the natural and subtle but amorphic shapes captured in stone, adopting a unique technique of painting on stone pieces as either found in nature or as found man-made fragments. Her earlier pieces were painted onto large granite slabs which spalled off the base of the anchorage of the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The image of soft flesh contrasting against the harsh surface of stone creates a play between the absolute essence of the human figure with the vagueness of the irregularity of the fragmented stone pieces. Together the effect is at once captivating and powerful. For Challoner, painting soft flesh onto this hard surface offers us a unique perspective of what the stone’s potential can be or even what the stone wants to be. As in ancient Greece and Rome, where painting on sculpted figures softened the harshness of the surrounding landscape making the marriage of nature and the manmade accessible, Challoner’s art dares to impose that touch of human softness on an otherwise harsh reality.

"Rocks speak to Audrey Challoner and reveal themselves, reluctantly, as nudes. Polished granite denies the curves of flesh, ragged outlines define their own obdurate space, and the plane of stone resists the torso’s muscular twist, but in the end the painting overwhelms the rock and takes possession of it."
-Wyatt MacGaffey

SKINS by Helga von Eicken-Kopperl: Based on a Shadow and the Alchemical Desire to
Turn Lead Into Gold.

1. Lead Tree People
2. Roman Collographs: paper
3. Subtraction/Addition: jewelry
4. Measure of Gold: gilded paper and silk

THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE SHADOW
“While looking for a universal and perhaps comforting image that embodies the present state of
human kind, I found this ambiguous shadow. It appeared after I hung an incomplete sculpture of a woman with a hand stored between her legs on the studio wall. The afternoon sun cast its
powerful shadow as an elongated puzzle. Was it, according to Stuart Nicholson of Cover Magazine, “nature's projectile or a solo being hanging out in a strange biosphere”? Critic Mayer Shapiro called this form “a metaphor of spirit without sexuality or identity...subject to gravity, in an eventual attraction to the the unspiritual earth”.

“Experimenting with different substances I was able to examine its intriguing nature and test the
limitations of the materials, lead, silk and paper. As I played with density, structure and
transparency, I became intimate with the headless, armless “shadow”, (Jung's signifier of the
instinctive, the irrational), in three installations - THE SCARLET RETREAT, LEAD TREE
PEOPLE and with a series of prints, ROMAN COLLOGRAPHS ”. The end of this alchemical trail
begins a new abstract series. MEASURE OF GOLD, 48” x 68”. Pinched,pleated and gilded waxed
paper, maps expanses and limitations of physical and spiritual resources.

Helga von Eicken-Kopperl lives in New York City. She has a long history of material driven
installations since 1993. They were made to engage the inner life - a place of private thought :
Andrew Purchuck Assistant Director for Contemporary Projects and Research Projects for the
Getty Museum, describes them as “a refuge,....a dreamscape where words are lost and
environment takes over”.

The artist employs stiffened silk, lead, light and original scores in her installations. In addition she makes sculpture , painting, fusion art, prints, soundscapes and designs singular jewelry for her clients. She graduated with a BFA in Theatre from Carnegie Mellon in 1973, studied art in New York at Parsons, Pratt, and MOMA. Helga is in the collections of MOMA, The Museo Zoologico in Rome and The Fusion Arts Museum in New York City. Her work has been shown and collected in The United States, Europe and as far afield as India and Russia. During her sojourn as a visiting artist at the American Academy In Rome, she pulled the Collographs in this current show, with Roman master printer Luciano Trina. One is in the permanent collection of MOMA. With grateful acknowledgment, she was born into a family of artists, Her father's cousin, Hill von Rebay the director of Solomon Guggenheim's Foundation was responsible for a large part of the Museum's collection. Her aunt, sculptor Gisela von Eicken - Lamprecht is in the collections of three main Montreal Museums. Her sister shows at the New York Museum of Arts and Design.

SYMBIOSIS
Where do Challoner-Desgardins and von-Eicken Kopperl's concerns coincide? Their work exists in an ambiguity of time and space while incorporating human forms into natural material; Both question the nature of perception, taking a minimalist approach to their materials; The two revel in classical art with a modernist approach, sharing both sensual and conceptual techniques.

LEAD TREE PEOPLE: ARTIST'S STATEMENT
This single smallest 5' figure is from a family of 22 rolled lead giants 8 to 9 feet tall. It comes from

LEAD TREE PEOPLE, an installation dedicated to the “old growth” spirits of the forest. Early in our history, in an attempt to understand a frightening world, imagination served nature. The natural world teemed with spirits: forces to be appeased or worshipped or as in the present day controlled by industry. Now,through ignorance and greed, these primary forests and their environments are disappearing. But the forest is a real and mythic space in which to negotiate the future; to see not only things as they are, but as they might become; to open ourselves again to inanimate objects, alive in the world, their
shadows dancing.

LEAD TREE PEOPLE: AN ESSAY
“I'm inspired by their looming yet curiously comforting presences. They flaunt their wear as a type of earned plushness . The lines and wrinkles running down them seem the record of streams of intensity, currents of pleasure still coursing down and over them like so many ripples in a stream... They are shapes of a reunion of spirit and flesh, shapes in which Lear's “forked animal” and “the body electric” of which Whitman sang , are astonishingly, yet with a strong, strange familiarity, made one and the same”.
- An essay by Fred Pfeil 1949-2005 (Critic/Writer, Colorado State University, Trinity College, CT. “Another Tale to Tell: Politics and Narrative in Post modern culture”. “What they tell you to forget”).

LEAD TREE PEOPLE: A REVIEW
“Kopperl physically renders these fluid forms that seem once molten, by shaping a10 x 4 foot sheet of lead over a carefully constructed and concealed copper armature. The flat landscape of the lead sheet is worked into cascading ridges and valleys reflecting the artists hand and a history of transformation. Are we looking at an apparition, a wisdom tooth, a curving tree trunk or simply a shadow rendered in lead. Through reworking her basic inspiration, Kopperl presents a collection of figures that elicit endless interpretations” - Tracey Hummer (Sculpture Magazine).

LEAD TREE PEOPLE: A REVIEW
Donahue/SosinskiArt, New York City
“Covering the walls of the gallery, von Eicken-Kopperl repeats her non static images, in a kind of
improvisation, times twenty two. This meditative rhythm, evokes a biomorphic collective such as in the works of Magdelena Abramowicz. The torsos resemble antique statuary, with a sublime heroism, intimating wisdom and commanding respect, their passage through time etched on their figures...”
- Stuart Nicholson (Editor, Cover Magazine, NY).

ROMAN COLLOGRAPHS: ARTIST'S STATEMENT
In Rome prior to my New York show of LEAD TREE PEOPLE I meet master printer Luciano Trina. He speaks no English but somehow we manage to make prints in the morning. I bring wheat colored scraps torn from “Viaggi e Sapori”. “Maybe we'll do backgrounds like this only 'piu grigio'”. I make a series of collographs with cardboard and gauze mimicking the texture of my long lead figures, The surfaces look similar, but more delicate, like rivers. We make a limited edition, eight images of five. They make me homesick for metal so we press a sheet of copper to make a background for the form that has followed for five years.

SUBTRACTION/ADDITION: JEWELRY ARTISTS STATEMENT
The European alchemists attempted to transform lead into gold in search for physical and
spiritual gain. Making jewelry opens one to transformation, with the kind of focus and
concentration necessary to see each drop of wax making a larger whole. Then to let the wax form
melt away and to fill that empty space with precious metal; a molded decorative skin.

SUBTRACTION/ADDITION: JEWELRY
“As a collector, the results of Ms. von Eicken Kopperl's lost wax technique speaks to me: raw, creative, substantial. The heft of the metal looks medieval yet the design is contemporary and timeless. I won't tire of this. Organic shapes pair with detailed stylization, as in the cell-like structures of a honey comb. Yet instead of identical hexagons she brings free form holes, to her intricate webs of gold and silver. As I try on her gold necklace it fits lightly without restraint, which is the craft of Kopperl's visionary
collection”. - Meghan Henke (Collector)

MEASURE OF GOLD: ARTIST'S STATEMENT
In reaching the end and on the threshold of a new alchemical search for transformation, a pinched and gilded Japanese waxed paper skin is mounted over crushed silk and foil. This large work uses the last existing Masa waxed paper made by a Japanese master whose technique died with him. The end of the paper supply and the rich gold leaf surface represents the waxing and waning of our physical and metaphysical resources.

Cluster Phobic: Intersections of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture

2010-06-25T11:06:00.001-04:00

Cluster Phobic:

Intersections of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture

1st July 2010 thru the 26th July 2010

(meet the artists opening reception Thursday, July 1st from 6-8p)

The relationship between form and function in any design is the confluence (and sometimes conflict) between what it does and what it is about, the ratio of its innovation with its performance. It is not merely the measure of its promise or desirability but also of its applicability, what it actually accomplishes.

If creativity is contingent on re-appropriation, structures are based on recombination. We do not make matter, we collect and reassemble it. We do not materialize new relationships, we enable new expressions of what we have experienced. Most of what we concern ourselves with, perhaps all, can be distilled to the eternal. The first buildings were found, not made, and as more tricks were added to the bag (post and lintel, vaulted arch, geodesic), not a single one comes primarily from the mind. They are found, they come from the structures of the world, from caves, from slabs, from volcanoes and molecules. History’s most innovative builders and makers are those that observed the world and saw new potential in old things.

It is our linear illusion of history that fibs, and society carries the trends. Although painting has enjoyed perhaps more liberty over the centuries then architectural trends, each are mired within the baggage of tradition. Materials, codes, Modernism; the painting is based on a window and the building is made as a receptacle for windows. It is the human illusion of supremacy, our presumed mastery of these grids in which we have constructed many prisons.

Those who looked in new ways, those who were deferent to the materials, processes and structures surrounding them, they are the ones who opened up new potential. Deference is perhaps the largest thread in the works before you, which are foremost the products of appropriation. Observation comes first, then study, experimentation, and realization. Each of us is asking “what can this do” both with the initial form and with the combination of processes used. The New Architecture requires not just innovation of forms; it seeks new manifestations of media, to transcend tradition.

What we have started with has yielded what is, and what could be; this installation is one set of possibilities.

Matt Burnett (www.mattburnettpaintings.com) is a native of the Adirondacks, an Assistant Professor in the Graphics and Multimedia Design Program at SUNY Canton. He has worked extensively with painting and photography; his work focusing on natural systems and wilderness philosophy. His painting and multimedia work has been exhibited in galleries both across the northeast and internationally.

Scott Fuller ( http://scottfullerart.com) is a practicing artist focusing in larger public works and small scale forms. His work has a diverse range utilizing sculpture, printmaking, photography, ceramics, large-scale metal, glass work and ephemeral materials like fire and ice. Fuller’s work has been exhibited throughout the USA and in a total of thirty-four different countries around the world. His work has been published in many international exhibition catalogs, books, periodicals and newspapers and has appeared on national television in the USA and China. Fuller received an award in Beijing for a landscape sculpture created for the Summer Olympics and also presented the work in the California Governor’s Office during a cultural exchange between Chinese and American artists. Fuller is the founder and department chair of the new BFA in Visual Arts program at Saint Joseph's College of Maine.

The Art Machine

2010-06-25T10:57:00.006-04:00

Listen Live on NCPR

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/16186/original-art-for-a-buck-you-bet

or

by Mike Lynch of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise

SARANAC LAKE - Local artists are hoping that an antiquated cigarette machine will become the newest means of promoting the growing art scene here.

Todd Smith, owner of the 7444 Gallery, and artist Matt Burnett recently purchased a coin-operated cigarette vending machine in Plattsburgh, and this week have filled it with the work of more than 20 local artists. Most of the prizes are from the Saranac Lake Artworks group, but any artists are welcome to have their work put into the vending machine.

Read Full Article: http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/513740.html

Choice Splints: muck, mire and sublimated desire by SCTY

2010-05-28T07:55:00.007-04:00

3rd June 2010 thru the 26th June 2010
(meet the artist opening reception Thursday, June 3rd from 6-8p)

In the year 2010 SCTY issues forth broken bits together to aid in healing. The alchemical exsanguination, Choice Splints, explores the trappings and travails of the creative process for this consortium. A fecund mass of fiction and artifice evoking a greater truth. Unveiled wickedness dripping with delight. A chance happening in an art gallery—as imagined by the doom of forgotten lore. Here product and consumption becomes less vital than process and creation.

SCTY is:

Joshua Ray
Joshua Ray Stephens was raised by fluffy gray kittens; he found it a shock to learn that this was an abnormal family environment. Upon completing his degree in Graphic Design at the University of Georgia he flew that very same day to Italy to begin a one year stint at Fabrica. Two years later he was inculcated into a secret organisation whose true name may not be uttered, due to legal matters beyond our control, but often introduces itself as the Society for the Advancement of the Graphic Arts. He now resides in the Bloody Hook underneath the Spotted R. He spends his time in an old warehouse concocting sacred and magick icons.

Arden Anthony de Brun Garcia
Arden Anthony de Brun Garcia no es un amigo de la Tierra. Eso es todo que tienes que saber de mi. Bueno, es importante que sabes mis huesos funciona parecido de una maquina. Imaginarse Schwarzenegger pero construido de oro y mierda. Que todo te vaya bien en 2012.

Ryan Hobbs
Hobbs is a designer, artist and entrepreneur. His work focuses on the nature of obsolete forms and the obsolesce of communication. Upon completing his degree in Graphic Design at Montana State University, he left for the hallowed grounds of Cranbrook to receive his first MFA in Design, followed by a Fulbright in Riga, Latvia. After a short stay in the Big Apple, he left for New Zealand where, in 2009, he finished his second MFA in photography. He exhibits in Latvia, New Zealand and New York. He calls Bank Street home, although at the moment he is under country arrest in New Zealand.

Ali Madad
Ali Madad is a designer, writer, educator and hierophant. His work focuses on the both the theoretical and public role design plays within culture and public space; situated in the liminal space of commercial design and private art. Ali was the first graduate in, the then nascent, New Media Design program at Rochester Institute of Technology and subsequently earned his MFA in 2D Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art. He is a Visiting Associate Professor at Pratt Institute and a Visiting Artist at Cooper Union.

www.scty.org

Beloved SCTY, what I most like in you is your unsparing quality.
- André Breton

Todd Smith | reflections of abandonment

2010-05-02T11:53:00.007-04:00

6th May 2010 thru the 29th May 2010
(meet the artist opening reception Thursday, May 6th from 6-8p)

Reflections of Abandonment

Abandonment does not equal abandoned (i.e. I was abandoned).

Abandonment = relinquishment - of an interest, claim, privilege, possession or right, especially with the intent of never again resuming or reasserting it (i.e. After something is lost/taken, I embody; Reflections of Abandonment).

The tangible value of ‘lost’ is offset by the remembrance of something lost rather than the loss itself. The cause of the loss is a collective establishment of barriers in resistance to a particular typology of growth, one that included an original foundation and demanded constant recreation not re-creation. This is our new [re]creation. We have abandoned structures deemed unsafe and not accommodated their underlying values into the structure of our re-creation. Thus, never allowing us to build as an individual with past. The re-creation is too fast for usto (see note) follow. When realization catches us, we again quickly face re-creation in fear of what we have created. We stand as the last generation who built self on the foundation of recreation, without the fear of being abandoned but with the ability to reflect abandonment and [re]create it in the future. The new playground reflects the way that we remove things that carry value and do not replace them with an equal. All elements of functional simplicity have been analyzed and removed for a more sterile, unrealistic, dispensable palette. Creativity handed not created.

Word creation:
Us to (join as in to)
Usto (Into)

First Ray Yoga | Classes + Workshops

2010-04-01T14:52:00.011-04:00

www.firstrayyoga.com

First Ray Yoga presents: a series of classes and workshops

Friday, April 30th from 7p - 8:30p
OPEN CLASS: Vinyasa Flow (all levels)
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Saturday, May 1st from 10a - Noon
WORKSHOP: Walking Yoga/Gait Therapy
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Saturday, May 1st from 4p - 5:30p
OPEN CLASS: Vinyasa Flow (all levels)

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Sunday, May 2nd from 4p -6p
WORKSHOP: Mind and Balance

Pre-registration Recommended: Classes $15, Workshops $30
Please call 518-282-4743 or email: info@7444gallery.us

Workshop descriptions:

Mind and Balance: workshop - In this powerful workshop we’ll build strength, focus and balance. Through a series of specially designed balance sequences and meditations we’ll combine the physical and mental power of our asana practice with the strength of meditation. Through this experience we’ll gain mental and physical stability. If you shy away or are turned off by the word meditation, this workshop is for you! All levels are welcome and no prior meditation experience necessary.

Walking Yoga- Gait Therapy: workshop - How we move is what determines our muscular and joint health. Each time we walk, sit, stand or exercise will make us stronger or weaker, and more or less balanced. In Walking Yoga - Gait Therapy, we look at how we move from the ground up, starting at our feet. By noticing our physical habits, we can make our body stronger, more efficient, more flexible, and heal injuries. This system of walking has numerous benefits from healing plantar faciatis to back pain. We can heal our body every day with every step we take. All levels are welcome.

Jamie Elmer e-yrt 500

Jamie’s life-long study of movement and the human body has taken her from dance, to pilates, and full circle to yoga. Through eight years as a full-time yoga teacher, Jamie has grown her craft and developed a special style of teaching that focuses on safety, strength, and healing. Jamie’s experience includes six years full-time at Exhale: Center for Sacred Movement in Venice, CA, and continued workshops and training’s at Exhale; involvement in Yoga Alliance Teacher Training; and development of nationally renowned workshop series – How to Teach Beginners, and Applied Anatomy for Yoga. Jamie’s travels nationally to studios from Los Angeles to the Adirondacks, teaching workshops, classes, and training’s. Jamie holds a BA from California Institute of the Arts, Pilates Teacher Certification from Long Beach Dance Conditioning, Yoga teacher training from Max Strom Yoga, Walk Well Practitioner from Brourman Gait Therapy and the designation of E-RYT 500 from Yoga Alliance.

Gallery Spring Hours

Tuesday thru Saturday 10a-3p

(for the month of April: by appointment)

Shannon Drowne | [re]visit

2010-03-04T19:42:00.003-05:00

Shannon Drowne

"[re]visit"

on display:
11th March 2010 thru the 3rd April 2010
(meet the artist opening reception Thursday, March 11th from 6-8p)

[re]visit is an exploration of physical and emotive responses to previous experiences.

Physically the work is created using proofs, recycled material, and images that comprise other, whole art pieces. The idea behind reusing these images stemmed from two distinct sources, the first being the need to conserve materials. I have been thinking about how my work could better address environmental concerns without being overbearing. Reusing and recycling materials such as old book illustrations has fulfilled this need. The second reason is the overwhelming amount of art being collected in flat files in my studio. I have on occasion had to cleanse my studio of work, sometimes unwillingly. I find this process spiritually uplifting as it clears out the old and makes room for new. My developed method of working, which involves using parts of older prints to create experimental collages, provides this cleansing. Printmaking is unique in that it allows for multiples of the same image. The editioning process has become less important in my artwork but it has allowed me to take elements from the same edition and combine them in different contexts.

The emotive responses I refer to stem from childhood experiences and dreams. Rather than explaining the particular incident visually I use symbols and colors to elicit reaction. Some common objects contained in the collages are hands and chairs. These items specifically reference childhood happenings. I had some rather traumatic experiences in my youth. As the oldest of four girls, I often felt the need to protect my siblings. The hand represented in many images can be interpreted as protective or violent. Likewise, the chair can reference punishment or play. In an effort to maintain peace and quiet my sisters and I would be sent outside to divert the racket. Often our entertainment would include using discarded chairs, pots, and kitchen utensils.

Gallery Winter Hours
Tuesday thru Saturday 10a-3p
or call for appointment 518-282-4743

NEXT SHOW:
Todd Smith, "reflectitons of abandonment". Opening Reception: May 6th at 6p. Show runs thru May 29th.

Nancie Battaglia | ... IN MOTION ...

2010-02-11T10:44:00.003-05:00

Nancie Battaglia
"... in motion..."

on display:
February 11th through March 6th
(there will be no formal opening for this show)

Nancie will be covering this years Olympics in Vancouver for the duration of the show.
Listen for her audio interviews on NCPR

In the spirit of the 2010 Winter Olympics, photographer Nancie Battaglia captures the moments,
the elegance in motion, and the agony/ecstasy of fast-paced competition.

Photographer Nancie Battaglia lives in Lake Placid and has been documenting Adirondack lifestyle, scenes, themes, and sporting activities for over twenty-five years. Her stock and assignment photography has seen credit in innumerable editorial publications such as Sports Illustrated, Ski, Newsweek, Boys Life, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Adirondack Life, the New York Times, USA Today as well as in books, calendars, promotional material for I Love NY, the Adirondack region and many classic Adirondack lodges, schools, businesses and establishments. Her collection exceeds 100,000 images reflecting nature’s beauty, human energy, rustic charm, life in the mountains, the spirit of place and the hardy folks that live there.
A sports photographer since her college days at Syracuse University, her portfolio contains decades of captured moments, elegance in motion, and the agony/ecstasy of fast-paced competition. She has been to nine Olympics, is credentialed for Vancouver 2010, which will be her tenth Olympics and eighth Winter Games.

Battaglia is an ADK 46er, recently adopted a lean-to, and is an avid outdoor enthusiast. She has a dog, sometimes two, and frequently adventures with four-legged and two legged friends. Camera equipment is always in her backpack. She is married.

Gallery Winter Hours
call for appointment 518-282-4743

NEXT SHOW:
Shannon Drowne. Prints + Illustrations. Opening Reception: March 11th at 6p. Show runs thru April 10th.

Wind Down | Lounge

2009-12-31T10:56:00.002-05:00

Wind Down | Lounge
01.01.10

Jam in the gallery ... Lounge in the back.

Instrument drop off from 10a - 3p and 6p-8p for those of you traveling in and need a warm place to store your sound machines.

Any questions ... email todd@7444gallery.us or call 518-282-4743
[invite only . RSVP]

The 7444 Collective | various artists

2009-11-29T13:39:00.014-05:00

The 7444 Collective

Various Artists

Please join us at the 7444 Gallery in Saranac Lake, NY for out art minded holiday gifts

Gallery Holiday Hours

Tuesday 12/14 - Thursday 12/16 10a-3p

Friday 12/17 + Saturday 12/18 10a - 7p (extended Hours)

CLOSED December 21st thru the 31st 2009

explore our blog

www.7444gallery.blogspot.com

The 7444 Collective

"various artists"

A holiday collection of artists past and future. Featuring a variety of new, unique, affordable, contemporary artistic items available in limited quantities and exclusively through the 7444 Gallery.

An post-opening reception will be held: Saturday, January 9th from 6 - 8p

(meet the artists)

ARTIST PROFILES:

Elaine Brown - Pottery

Unique Compost pots

Biography

As a 50 something retiree, I find myself living in Lake Placid, NY and happy about that. My husband and I moved here when we became empty-nesters. Now our nest is set up for a relaxed life and visits from friends and, somehow not often enough, our daughters.

When I first found myself with some time to work with clay it was as a luxury I took for myself. It became a way for me to express myself creatively. After a career as a banker and then mother and homemaker, it was a new found outlet. I had lots of fun times at home with my girls. When they got older I spent countless hours volunteering in all sorts of ways. I would sneak away for half a day here and there and create some objects in clay and often enough I would be happy with the results.

People always ask me what I do and I generally answer with some generalities and say that I do some pottery. I would like to transition into "I am a potter".

Project Description

Composting is a good thing to do. We feel good about it. We've had a counter compost pot in use for awhile now. We get to look at a nice ceramic container in our kitchen and it works like a pail carried out to the compost bins. It works for us. It is a big improvement on a plastic tub or open bowl.

I think this is a good aesthetic development within the composting movement.

Artist Statement

I love functional pottery. I believe that in using and handling the ceramic object one constantly feels what it's all about. Form and function: both need to be pleasing.

Stephanie DeJoseph - Fabric

www.lamiadesigns.com

The Adirondack Clutch

Biography

La Mia Designs is a small Independent Design business, owned and operated by Stephanie DeJoseph, that strives to create and manufacture a unique, high-quality product. We guarantee every piece we design and put customer satisfaction first. From the beginning sketches to the finished product we do everything in one studio. From handbags, accessories to home accents La Mia strives to have a niche for all…

LaMia products can be found in numerous online boutiques and several stores in North Carolina and New York.

Stephanie is an American Handbag & Accessory Designer who is passionate about creating! She has been sewing and creating since she was a little girl, inspired by her mother who is very talented and creative as well. Growing up without a t.v. she was inspired to do craft related projects in spare time and forced to think outside the box. When she got into college she really did not know what area of study , so Stephanie settled on the Interior Design field. Motivation for running a business and passion for fabrics and design has sent her down the road of entrepreneurship. She currently works in a home studio and plans to build a successful, creative business.

Project Description

My love for the outdoors, the mountains, and hiking inspired me to create a functional handbag incorporating birch bark, portions of old trail maps, and fabric that is inspired by the rustic Adirondack setting. Each bag is unique and one of a kind. With each piece there will be one common thread, an illustration of the Adirondacks and what it means to me. This project is one of constant change and progression so keep in mind that as each item is made they will take new form, color, and texture.

Artist Statement

Everything I produce is an expression of my love for fabrics, design, color, form, texture and many other things. From handbags to canvases saturated with mixed media I find some way to make them functional. I believe in recycling and giving vintage items as well as junk new life.

Shannon Drowne - Printing

Signed original prints

Artist Statement

My work is autobiographical and references containment, layering of information, and obscured memories or dreams. The items found and layered in my images include natural elements, usually seeds, and objects from daily life such as woodstoves, domestic appliances and physical body parts.

I was raised in upstate NY, where my parents relied heavily on gardening and hunting as a means for survival. As an adult nature fascinates me in ways I could never perceive as a child. This fascination, specifically of tiny elements, didn’t occur until I moved to New Mexico. Ironically it was in the desert that I became reacquainted with nature. I became obsessed with seeds, plants, and even individual trees. My obsession, in particular, with seeds, started due to their miniscule nature and ability to produce life. Seeds and plants now stand in my work as a metaphor for containers of information, information that cannot be seen or obtained, like the mind containing memories and information that is sometimes presented in dreams and obscured thoughts. The life I give the collected or represented nature specimen is an escape from containment, one that is illustrated with fragments from current events, dreams, and childhood memories.

This particular image uses nature as a point of departure. My intention in this piece is not necessarily about nature but about what we, as humans, are doing to nature. The plant represented in this piece is part of a saltbush, which is typically grown in the southwest. The saltbush is known for its ability to grow in harsh conditions with poor soil, drought, and salt. Recently this plant has been successfully in vitro regenerated. The objective was to genetically engineer the saltbush for forage quality, biomass, and tolerance. The use of this plant in my is representative of its resilience, it’s origin, and the potential engineering possibilities it offers scientists. Along with issues such as decreasing water supply, bee and bat population depletion, and widespread pollution, I feel that this scientific manipulation of nature is an area that should cause concern.

Jamie Dyer - Ceramic Art

Hand made Mason Jarz

Biography

Jamie Dyer was born and raised in Northern Maine. As a child and teenager Jamie used writing and the creation of sculptures and textile arts as a form of expression and release. While in high school Jamie traveled to France and Spain where the cultures, so far different from her own, piqued her interest in fine art and the European experience. While attending St. Lawrence University as an English writing major, Jamie became fascinated with printmaking and ceramics; these new passions led to the addition of another major – Fine Arts, studio. Fulfilling her wish to return to Europe, Jamie studied abroad in Vienna, Austria where she became fascinated with the Vienna Secession movement. Yearning to absorb as much history as possible, Jamie traveled to 13 countries while abroad, including a research trip on the Pilgrim Trail to Santiago de Compostela, Spain; she returned from Europe with further appreciation of European art and history.

Jamie now resides in Saranac Lake. She works at Paul Smith’s College as their Major Gifts and Grants Officer and stays busy living life to its fullest.

Artist Statement

As an unwilling perfectionist and inquisitive human being, I have always derived pleasure and relaxation from artistic exploration and creation.

During my undergraduate ceramic studies, my art involved taking “everyday” “normal” objects and re-creating them in a way that would undeniable change the viewer’s perception of an object they thought they knew, thought was “safe.” While I have been unable to remain as entrenched in creating art as I once was due to the daily constraints of work and the like, this theme has carried into my post graduate life. The drive has remained, though time may be crunched, and I still look to art as an outlet for pleasure and release.

Mason jars are ubiquitous. Yet, no matter how they are acquired, or what story lies inside them, when looking at the mason jar physically it is anonymous, neutral, homogenized – until now. The mason jars I create are unique and functional. While they cannot be used for canning, they can be used as vessels for flowers and drink – and always as sculptural pieces of artwork. They are colorful, funky, and different - say hello to the new, liberated mason jar.

Kelly Gorham - Publication

www.gorhamphotography.com

Signed 1st edition prints

Biography

In a professional career that spans nearly twenty years, Kelly Gorham has created engaging images from Big Sky Country to Berlin. Kelly has worked as a staff photographer for several newspapers and as a corporate photographer in addition to a continous freelance career.

Kelly’s extensive freelance client list includes such names as AAA, Bentley Motors, Holiday Inn and Harley Davidson. His editorial and advertising images have been featured in such publications as the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Forbes Life, Skiing Magazine, Robb Report and GEO. He has earned honors from the World Food Media Awards, International Color Awards, Montana Newspaper Association, University Photographers of America and Montana Addy Awards. Kelly has been an active member of the American Society of Media Photographers since 1995. To visit Kelly's commercial site and portfolio please visit

Artist Statement

Berlin had yet to recover from the devastation of World War II when it and the rest of Germany were divided up among France, Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union. The divisions that were created at this bargaining table made Berlin a city on the frontline of a struggle between two great superpowers. This tale of political unrest, dominance and oppression played out over the next four decades between the powers of East and West in the city of Berlin.

As a photojournalist and architectural photographer I’ve always been interested how history and a place can be so closely bound. Unlike the pyramids of Giza, the Eiffel Tower or Empire State Building, the history tied to Berlin is slowly becoming a quiet footnote. This project began after a life-long interest in modern European history, particularly the Cold War era. In 2008, following nearly two years of research, I set out to explore the neighborhoods of former East Berlin to create images for The Stones Have Memories. With guidance from historians at home and in Berlin, and from friends who lived on both sides of the Wall, I traced history that I felt was significant back to the location where it happened and photographed the place as it stands today. My guiding creative principal was to let the architecture speak for itself. Is it possible to document emotion without photographing a human face?

November 9, 2009, marked the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and end of the Cold War. An entire generation has passed since these events. I hope The Stones Have Memories can be both visually engaging and help to communicate a portion of the somber history of the Cold War in Berlin.

Arthur Hash - Jewelry

www.arthurhash.com

White Bird Brooches, Machine Gun Brooches, Bubble Rings, Ping Pong Brooches

Biography

Arthur Hash received his MFA in metalsmithing and jewelry design from Indiana University in 2005 and his BFA in Crafts/Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2002. Currently Arthur is a full time lecturer in the Metal Program at the State University of New York at New Paltz. In 2007, Arthur was awarded his second Fellowship from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond Virginia and named a Searchlight Artist by the American Craft Council. In May of 2006 Arthur completed his second solo exhibition entitled "Instance" at the Quirk Gallery in Richmond Virginia. Other exhibitions include: Signs of Life 08 at the Facere Gallery in Seattle, From Minimal To Bling: Contemporary Studio Jewelry at The Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston, Virtual Tangible 2.0 at the Velvet DaVinci in San Francisco and NEXT ICONOCLASTS at the Oregon College for Art and Craft. Arthur's work is included in a number of private and public collections around the United States.

His work can been seen in such publications as Metalsmith magazine, American Craft Magazine, Domino Magazine and Niche Magazine. Arthur's work comes from a commitment to participate in the contemporary exploration of what jewelry is and can be, while retaining the sense of elegance and beauty found in the long tradition of body adornment. His recent work has incorporated digital fabrication technologies such as waterjet cutting, 3D scanning, CNC routing and rapid prototyping to make one-off art jewelry pieces, large archival ink-jet prints and vinyl sticker installations.

Statement

Different materials that evoke certain feelings in connection with the body bring into question the definition of what jewelry was in the past and is today. Metal and precious stones have historical significance and value. Jewelry throughout time defined status and wealth, emphasized important dates and marked royalty. I treat unconventional materials such as toilet paper, cigarette butts, glue, spices, cough drops, plastics and animal parts as precious as their traditional counterparts: gold, diamonds and silver. By twisting the value of materials and utilizing them to create body adornment I want to re-present what jewelry can become and try and change the stereotype of what jewelry is.

Aaron Hobson - Photography

www.aaronhobson.com

Signed limited edition numbered prints

Biography

Remote Adirondack Mountains based photographer Aaron Hobson (aka the cinemascapist) has created a series of images that have gained international attention in an extremely short amount of time with their original and unique approach to the traditional genre of panoramic photography.

Hobson's work is created by combining several sequential, vertical images, thereby offering more visual information and an obscured rendition of any moment depicted by a single image. These preserved moments straddle between the contexts of fictitious, universal and isolated autobiographical experiences. At times inspired by scenery near the artist's residence in the Adirondack mountains, the work contains narratives steeped in the everyday-from the machismo American cowboy to the disheveled Wall Street staffer. In a fashion comparable to that of feminist portraiture the figure in the image is always the artist whose signified identity morphs through changes in attire and ever-changing elusory surroundings.

The nuanced details in the photographs are not forced, whether the interior of a '64 Mercury or a seemingly unconscious figure, and lack excessive or immediately shocking details. Rather, the restive energy that pervades the artist's work unexpectedly draws and subsequently arrests the viewer as the narrative unfolds exposing sensual, disturbing, and onerous undertones. The incredibly intricate and open-ended narratives are at once left to the interpretation of the viewer and restrained by details conveying the intentions of the artist; in the end, leaving the onlooker to ponder happenings within the frame incessantly.

Beth Mueller - Ceramics.

www.bethmueller.com

Variety of ceramic items and imagery available

Manifesto

We believe in the transformative power of good design. We believe that a thoughtfully designed and fabricated object can impact for the greater good. We believe in the relevance of the designer/craftsman in a post industrial age. We believe that objects designed and made on an intentionally small scale are imbued with a richer and deeper meaning and quality than those made solely to be distributed quickly and cheaply.

The final product brought to market can only be as honest and beautiful as the intentions that first brought it into being. An object is only crafted as well as the maker is devoted to it being made.

Richard Parrish - Fused Glass

www.fusiostudio.com

Full color spectrum of platters available: ROYGBIV (red shown)

Biography

Richard Parrish maintains a studio for kiln formed glass and architecture in Bozeman, Montana. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. He was awarded best artist in his category at the Western Design Conference Exhibition in 2008. His work was selected for the Corning Museum of Glass’s New Glass Review 27, and he was awarded the American Craft Council Award of Achievement in 2003. His artwork is in numerous public and private collections in the United States and Europe.

Richard has taught architecture and design at The University of Michigan and Montana State University. He teaches classes in kilnformed glass in his studio and throughout the United States, focusing on the visual elements of design; color theory; and inspiration, meaning and intent.

Richard’s glasswork includes speculative work; functional objects; and architectural installations and design elements. Current commissions include a memorial at St. John’s Mercy Hospital in St. Louis and nineteen glass pieces for the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay Resort.

Artist Statement

As an artist & an architect, I find inspiration in both the human-made environment & in the vast landscape of the American west where I grew up. I am fascinated by the juxtaposition of the constructed & the natural, which I often express in my work. I find that it is critical to my existence to make things with my hands, using real materials. I focus on the integration of meaning, design and technique in my glasswork and in the classes that I teach. I am particularly interested in the interaction of light and color in the environment and in my own work.

Peter Seward - Illustration

www.peterseward.com

Holiday Card

Biography

I grew up as one of five children. We didn't fully appreciate our artist-parents' efforts to introduce us to painting and majestic landscapes. After all these years, I am embracing early influences shaped by geography in my paintings. I worked professionally as an illustrator behind the scenes in New York City for two decades. Since moving to the Adirondack Park in 2004, I'm conscious of being part of the continuum of the Hudson River School. My recent body of work, entitled "Stealth Towers," has been showcased in solo and group exhibitions in upstate New York, New York City, New Mexico and Connecticut.

Artist Statement

This series of landscape paintings depict real and imagined "stealth towers," industry parlance for cellular telephone towers disguised to blend in to "natural" landscapes. The incognito towers are symbols of commerce co-opting sacred icons—trees. church steeples, flagpoles, totem poles—for industrial use.

Modern communication infrastructure is contrasted with wilderness, suburbia, and the 19th-century world of discovery and innovation. A persistent, symmetrical composition orders the picture plain around the tower presenting an object of worship. The central motif and the elevated height of the cell-phone towers suggests our "connectedness" has taken on religious significance.

In more recent work, images from Verplanck Colvin's Adirondack Survey (1847–1920) conjure the historical continuum of bringing technical innovation into the wilderness. Colvin built "signal towers" on freshly-cleared mountaintops, while advocating for preservation and the creation of New York State's Adirondack Park, where I live.

The conflict of preservation versus infrastructure still exists today as efforts to provide cell-phone coverage in the Adirondack Park requires an intense approval process—and state-of-the-art camouflaged tree-towers—amidst the protests of those wanting absolute protection of "Wilderness." Hence the name, "Frankenpine," was coined to campaign against its intrusion.

api design - Fire Blok

Portable Adirondack cedar wood fire block. Locally milled and manufactured at the 7444 Gallery.

1) Break apart. 2) Light. 3) Enjoy.

7444 Gallery . 28 Depot Street . Saranac Lake . NY . 12983 . 518-282-4743

kelly gorham | THE STONES HAVE MEMORIES

2009-11-02T16:26:00.005-05:00

Kelly Gorham
"The Stones Have Memories"
an exploration of Berlins cold war landmarks

November 9th - November 30th 2009
Opening Monday November 9th at 6p
(meet the artist)

Join us on the 20th anniversary of this historic occasion as we explore Berlins cold war landmarks and their stories that impacted the world.

Kelly Gorham

"The Stones Have Memories"

Throughout his life, photographer Kelly Gorham has been intrigued by scenes commonly depicted in spy movies - the secret note exchanged unobtrusively beneath a coffee cup in a crowded restaurant, the daring prisoner exchange on a dark bridge, the elaborate signals that families developed to communicate with their loved ones living on the other side of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.

To Gorham, the Cold War was also synonymous with the city of Berlin. So it should come as no surprise that the large photography project to which he has recently devoted his time addresses precisely that era in that place.

"The Stones Have Memories" exhibition includes 8 of Gorham's black and white images, 30" x 40", archival prints. The documentary photography project is a result of a visit Gorham made last fall to Berlin so that he could visually document the city's Cold War landmarks.

"The challenge that I set for myself was to try to capture history by photographing something in the present, and also to try to convey emotion through things that aren't human," he said.

Gorham's - day job is covering Montana State University as a news photographer.

Gorham travel's to Saranac Lake in upstate New York for the opening of an exhibit featuring eight of his photographs at 7444 Gallery, a gallery owned by MSU alumnus Todd Smith. The Nov. 9 opening coincides with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The events are the culmination of years of work, as well as a product of Gorham's interest in the Cold War. He said that interest dates back not only to the spy movies he has long been fond of watching, but also to his father.

"My dad served in the Army from 1959-1962 in France," Gorham explained. "He was with a unit responsible for the reconstruction of damage caused during World War II. He showed slides all the time and talked about the damage."

As a kid, Gorham, now 37, would also see news reports about East Germans defecting, and he remembers his dad talking about the Berlin Wall with distaste.

"It sounded like he had such a disgust for it that it made me curious," Gorham said. "As a kid, it was so hard to wrap my head around it."

Though the Cold War was always intriguing to Gorham, he didn't decide how he would turn that interest into a photography project until more recently.

Gorham grew up in Missoula and received a degree in photography from Montana State University in 1995. He worked as a staff photographer at three newspapers and as a corporate photographer in Seattle before joining the MSU News Service as staff photographer in 2007. He has also worked as a freelance journalist for nearly 20 years, with his images appearing in such publications as the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Forbes Life and Skiing Magazine.

Four years ago, Gorham was planning a project that he termed a "visual spy novel," in which he would photograph "cloak and dagger" scenes - the kind that would seem to fit in with James Bond movies. But the idea quickly morphed into a documentary photography project on the Cold War instead, and Gorham was convinced he needed to travel to Berlin in order to do it. He spent the next several years doing research on the Cold War during his free time. He also spent several months coming up with a list of landmarks he knew he needed to visit in the city and working with an expert on Berlin history to make sure he could get to those places.

Last October, Gorham spent a whirlwind several days in Berlin, shooting about 1,000 images at nearly 50 different locations.

"They were really long days, and I didn't get everything I wanted," Gorham said. "I felt really insignificant. I felt like there was no way that I, as an outside observer, could document what someone else would have gone through."

But when Gorham returned and started editing his photos, he found that they did tell a complete story.

Gorham's friend and former professor Dan Wise, who is an instructor at MSU, helped Gorham critique the photos and decide which ones to include in the exhibit.

The remarkable thing about Gorham's project, Wise said, is that it bridges the gap between documentary photography and fine art photography.

"The photos meet fine art criteria of composition and aesthetics very well, but they also document a piece of history," Wise said. "If you're documenting a place, you want to capture a sense of feeling about that place. I think he's done that incredibly well. We don't have to be there (in Berlin) to feel what those photographs represent."

"I was really moved by it," Wise added. "As a group of photographs, it's very powerful."

Gorham cautions, though, that the 43 black and white photos he selected are not necessarily fun to view.

"One person described the project as being hit in the head with the butt of an AK-47 assault rifle," Gorham said. "These aren't some of the happiest pictures I've made."

Gorham thinks it's important to remember the landmarks of a city where so much of the Cold War was acted out, particularly since it has been nearly 20 years since the Berlin Wall fell.

"A lot of people have done projects about the Berlin Wall, the history of Berlin or the Cold War in Berlin," Gorham said. "But nobody that I can tell has gone to photograph the actual places there."

"I hope that we can learn from history," Gorham added. "There are so many lessons from the Cold War."

The images that comprise Gorham's exhibit in Saranac Lake have been made into 30-inch by 40-inch prints. He chose to make chromogenic prints on paper that has a silver emulsion layer because of the metallic look it provides.

"I wanted a material that would showcase texture in these images, because texture was a central guiding element in my creation and editing of the images," Gorham said.

"It almost feels like you can reach in to the photo and touch it," he added. "It's very powerful."

While he is in Saranac Lake for the opening, Gorham will also speak about the Cold War with groups of schoolchildren who will be on field trips to the gallery.

"I like the idea of outreach with kids who weren't even born when the (Berlin) Wall came down," Gorham said.

Ultimately, Gorham hopes to simply inspire thought with "The Stones Have Memories" and help people become better informed about the history of the Cold War.

"I'm not trying to make a comment with this project about 'capitalism good, communism bad,'" Gorham said. "I'm not making a judgment. I'm just trying to document history."

"I feel like I've got to let the actual events communicate the lessons of the Cold War, rather than making editorial choices that do."

More info on the artist and show here:

www.ktvm.com/pages/4056577.php?channelIndex=0&mediaIndex=0

www.gorhamphotography.com/berlin.htm

7444 Gallery is now taking applications from venues that may like to house this show in 2010.

Artist Kelly Gorham will be present for the opening reception and available for a book signing also complete sets of the prints in the show avail for purchase.

richard parrish | PATTERNS

2009-09-24T10:20:00.004-04:00

Richard Parrish
"Patterns"
October 1st - November 5th 2009
Opening Thursday October 1st at 6p
(meet the artist)

Richard Parrish

"Patterns"

Artist’s Statement

As an artist & an architect, I find inspiration in both the human-made environment & in the vast landscape of the American west where I grew up. I am fascinated by the juxtaposition of the constructed & the natural, which I often express in my work. I find that it is critical to my existence to make things with my hands, using real materials. I focus on the integration of meaning, design and technique in my glasswork and in the classes that I teach. I am particularly interested in the interaction of light and color in the environment and in my own work.

Biography

Richard Parrish maintains a studio for kiln formed glass and architecture in Bozeman, Montana. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. He was awarded best artist in his category at the Western Design Conference Exhibition in 2008. His work was selected for the Corning Museum of Glass’s New Glass Review 27, and he was awarded the American Craft Council Award of Achievement in 2003. His artwork is in numerous public and private collections in the United States and Europe.

Richard has taught architecture and design at The University of Michigan and Montana State University. He teaches classes in kilnformed glass in his studio and throughout the United States, focusing on the visual elements of design; color theory; and inspiration, meaning and intent.

Richard’s glasswork includes speculative work; functional objects; and architectural installations and design elements. Current commissions include a memorial at St. John’s Mercy Hospital in St. Louis and nineteen glass pieces for the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay Resort.

www.parrishglass.com
www.fusiostudio.com

Artist at Work | Studio Tour

2009-09-24T10:08:00.002-04:00

Artist at Work Studio Tour
at the 7444 Gallery featuring: PETER SEWARD

September 25th thru September 27th 2009

3rd ANNUAL ARTIST AT WORK STUDIO TOUR

IN THE TRI-LAKES AREA OF THE BEAUTIFUL ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN NEW YORK

Welcome! to the Third Annual Artist at Work Studio Tour featuring artists who work and live in the Tri-Lakes area of the Adirondack Park - Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Lake Placid and surrounding communities. 34+ artists will be showing and selling their works at locations across the region. See first-hand how a painting or a pastel begins, observe the process of photography with and without the darkroom, watch a blacksmith. You will get to hear the whir of the potter's wheel, the thunk of the weaver's loom and even meet the sheep who produce the wool for woven tapestries.

Studio Tour Central is the Adirondack Artists' Guild Art Gallery, 52 Main Street, Saranac Lake, 518-891-2615. If you have any questions or need any help during the tour weekend you can stop in and visit the Guild Art Gallery where you will meet member artists who can direct you around the area. Artist Studio Guides, complete with examples and descriptions of each artists' work, maps and directions, are available at all of our sponsors as well as the studio locations.

The three day tour is for you to design - maps are available online and in the Artist Studio Guide. Visit a different vicinity each day. Check the studio descriptions to make sure the studios you are planning to visit are open that day. Enjoy the fall colors!

Think Green while visiting studios located in the Village of Saranac Lake. Several are within walking distance of each other. Take advantage of their proximity to each other while enjoying the Adirondack style architecture and home-town ambiance of the village.

Remember that many of the spaces are in the artist's home and private workspace. Please enter with care and respect their space. During the remainder of the year, retail gallery/studios usually have regular business hours. Individual artist welcome visitors by appointment only.

Interested in lodging and dining opportunities in the area, visit www.SaranacLake.com

'Peter R. Seward/James E. Seward/Walter J. Dittmar' at the 7444 Gallery

2009-08-29T13:44:00.004-04:00

'Peter R. Seward/James E. Seward/Walter J. Dittmar'
"End Times: Past, Present"
September 3rd - October 4th 2009
Opening Thursday September 3rd at 6p

Peter R. Seward + James E. Seward + Walter J. Dittmar

"End Times: Past, Present"

Peter Seward's recent paintings depict his own biblical mythology and are a part of his inherited legacy of religious illustration. Seward grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where Union Gospel Press has published the Gospel Herald for over a century. The work in this exhibition is by three generations of artists who contributed artwork to UGP: Walter J. Dittmar, 1879–1964, who was a follower of Jesus Christ and an art teacher; Peter's father, James E. Seward, born in 1926, is an ordained minister and still a painter and illustrator of biblical themes; and Peter Seward, agnostic, born in 1962.

When employed at the Union Gospel Press in the 1960s, Peter's father rescued about twenty of Dittmar's original illustrations from the garbage bin around the time of Dittmar's death and Peter's birth. The works date from 1907 to 1928. These works loomed large in Peter's imagination as a kid as they were "just around and out in our small house."

Six of Dittmar's wildly ambitious ink drawings and paintings are included in the exhibit. They are truly a labor of love going beyond the contractual work for hire. These artworks depict apocalyptic scenes commenting on the events of the artists' day: the Hindenburg, World War I, the Roaring Twenties. (Paradoxically, he was also a cover illustrator for many of the rag-based songs published by Vandersloot Music that were steeped in ethnic stereotypes of the times and depict racist caricatures.) Color blind, Dittmar's editorial cartoons are ink drawings with only one additional hue.

A print of James E. Seward's 2008 painting, "Peace! Be still!" depicts a story of Jesus calming the sea from the book of MARK, and hangs alongside Peter Seward's "Nascar Rapture" and "Tower of Babel."

"Nascar Rapture" is about the New Testament prophecy where Christians—living and dead—are whisked into the Heavens for everlasting life. The scene is placed at the Nascar Track where the unfortunates left behind suffer the flames of Hell-on-Earth, resulting from the crash of cars whose faithful drivers are among the "raptured," breaking the bonds of gravity into celestial light.

Seward's "Tower of Babel" is a biblical parable about man’s ambition to touch the heavens and the ruination by God of this architectural endeavor by creating different languages to thwart progress. This version of "Babel" juxtaposes the 19th-century world of Superintendent of the Adirondack Survey, Verplanck Colvin (1847–1920), with modern wireless communication infrastructure.

HOBO FEST 2009

2009-08-25T13:52:00.007-04:00

'HOBO FEST 2009'
Music Fest

Sunday September 6th 2009 from Noon - Late

HOBO FEST

HoboFest2009 is an all-day free music event with the themes of railroads, the hobo-lifestyle, and economic depressions.

Sunday, September 6th, Hobofest starts with the arrival of the first train in Saranac Lake at 11:45am. Organized by Seward's Folly Productions and hosted by 7444 Gallery at 28 Depot Street, Hobofest will continue well into the evening. An open-grill will be available for those who bring their own "vittles." Please also bring lawn chairs or blankets for lounging while listening to a line up of music.

The mix of imported and local acts include veteran roots musician, John Cohen (Hudson Valley). Brian Dewan, Frankenpine (a Brooklyn-based acoustic band which now includes former Saranac Laker Ned Rauch), Big Slyde's intricate, lush sound, The Starlights (a female vocal group led by George Bailey), Steve Langdon, and Just Jills—a new acoustic band. Open jams are scheduled, so bring your instruments and a Hobo song.

John Cohen's photographs are in major museum collections and his award-winning films, including "High Lonesome Sound" (1962), have been shown on PBS and BBC and at festivals worldwide. His trio, New Lost City Ramblers, has received several Grammy nominations. His music and field recordings have shaped the old time fiddle music revival and influenced many musicians including Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, and Ry Cooder. The Grateful Dead song "Uncle John's Band" on the Workingman's Dead album was a tribute to Cohen and his band. Recent coverage of 'The New Lost City Ramblers' log on to:
www-cdn.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111971414

Brian Dewan now lives in the town of Catskill. His talents are wildly diverse and include music from the "forgotten corners of history," home-made analog synthesizers, filmstrips, illustration, and sculpture. He has created original music for Blue-Man-Group, and Sesame Street, appeared on the Tonight Show, and painted album-cover art for David Byrne.

"The idea of HoboFest was born when I heard Saranac Lake's Danny Ryan read his story about attending the National Hobo Convention in Iowa," says organizer Peter Seward. Danny will present an updated version at Hobofest. While not a Hobo himself, Danny does not own a car and journeys out of the region hitchhiking with his "not a weirdo" sign.

HoboFest embraces the railroad as a dormant resource in our remote mountain location. While the Scenic Railroad services mostly out-of-towners visiting Lake Placid, Hobofest hopes to attract the local population of Saranac Lake to the train and the area around Depot Street. We also hope to establish an event that is truly a grassroots effort, with community cooperation, and not much overhead. Performers play for free and admission is free.

Barkeater Workshop Show

2009-08-12T17:15:00.004-04:00

'Barkeater Workshop'

Saturday August 15th 2009 from 6-9p

Barkeater Photography Workshop: with Aaron Hobson

This presentation of work will be completed by
the advanced photography students of this 3 day workshop.

Opening reception Saturday August 15th from 6p until 9p

(meet the artists. this event is a one night only opening)

Gallery Summer Hours

Tuesday - Saturday 10a-3p

or call 518-282-4743

Barkeater Photography Workshop

Presented by 7444 Gallery

and Aaron Hobson Photography

August 13th - 15th 2009

Location: 7444 Gallery, 28 Depot Street, Saranac Lake, NY, 12983, 518-282-4743

Photographer Aaron Hobson and gallery owner/curator Todd Smith present an international workshop at the 7444 Gallery. Hobson's students will present their close quarter panoramic, open ended narrative style in an engaging participatory manner. Students from around the globe will ascend on the Adirondack Park in search of inspiration and instruction in Aaron's acclaimed style. The workshop will include daily field assignments with local models and advanced computer technology sessions.

Among his many recognitions and awards, Hobson is the recent recipient of the Prix de la Photographie Paris PX3 2009 competition award in Paris, France. Hobson's work has been displayed in 2008 at Collette Blanchard Gallery, New York, NY, Drkrm. Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Tenderpixel Gallery, London, England, in 2007 at Ivy Brown's Gallery, New York, NY, Silver Eye Center for Photography, Pittsburgh, PA, and the 7444° Gallery, Saranac Lake, NY. The 7444 Gallery is a progressive contemporary gallery

Margo Fish + Usrla Wyatt Trudeau

2009-07-29T14:19:00.011-04:00

Margo Fish + Ursula Wyatt Trudeau:
paintings and thoughts
August 6th - August 31st 2009
Opening Thursday August 6th at 6p

Margo Fish

Hope

A transformative energy for earths reconciliation.

Margo Fish (B.A., A.A. Fine Arts, M.DIV.) graduated from Union Theological Seminary, married a theologian and mother of four children. She is an artist and poet and religion teacher, living in New York City and the Adirondack Mountains. She has had many one person shows in the United States and has shown in Edinburgh Festival, Scotland, Oxford University, and Hydra Greece. The Hanover Gallery in Edinburgh shows her work. Her paintings are in private collections in Europe and North America.

She is currently co-authoring a book on art and music in Celtic cultures. Her Graduate Thesis, "God as Creator to Gaia as Process," has been recommended for publication. Her paintings try to converse with the universality of relationship, like some mystic lantern seeing into the cells of all creation.

"To look at any art without a sense of poetry, without a capacity for metaphor, leaves us with nothing but dead objects to decorate our walls." Joseph Campbell

Ursula Wyatt Trudeau

Fleeting Impressions

Soft focus, of minimal surreal landscapes, creatures & figure. Linear detail.

Montreal born and educated, Usrla (B.F.A.) studied art at the Montreal Ecole des Beaux Arts and painting with the late Hans Hoffman in Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Stanley Cosgrove and Alfred Pellan in Montreal, Quebec. She resides and Paints in the Adirondacks and Caribbean.

Extensive traveling has offered a wide variety of freelance and commercial art work ranging from visualization (layouts), fashion illustration, hand painted billboards, costume design, and set designing for both theater and television, window displays, child portraiture, teaching children's art classes and textile designing.

Her work is included in private collections in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Palm Springs, Burlington, Atlanta, Albany, Ottawa, San Fransisco, Williamsburg, St. John, USVI, Newport, RI, Connecticut, London, and Paris.

shu juan LU

2009-07-01T17:37:00.004-04:00

shu juan LU: fashion art
July 9th - August 3rd 2009
Opening Thursday July 9th at 5p

SHU JUAN LU

Born in China in 1973.
Studied fashion design and haute couture dress making between 2002-2006 in New York and Paris. Designed the " Circle" collection Oct. 2004: hand cut wool felt and wool jersey in circles. Recipient of 2007 American Craft Council Award of Excellence . First prize winner at 2007 Washington Craft Show. Selected as exhibiting artist for 2008 Smithsonian Museum Craft Show and 2007 Philadelphia Museum craft show.

What was your inspiration for the line?
I was out of ideas at the time when I started to design this collection. I picked up one of mistakes I made months ago: I tried to make a circle skirt from silk organza without putting a zipper in. So I cut a circle as the waistline in the center of a bigger circle. when the center circle is the waist size, I couldn't pull over the hip. so I cut the inner circle big enough to pull over the hip, but it wouldn't fit the waist. I didn't know what to do with it for a long time. One day I started to play with it, I put it on the body in many different ways. The circle collection started with one of the ways I liked.

What encouraged you to get involved in fashion design?
I was always very picky. A lot of times I couldn't find something to buy when I was shopping. So I started to study fashion just to make something for myself .

Why is the circle shape chosen to be the basis of this collection?
I didn't choose it. It just happened. It stared from a mistake. One thing leads to another. Before I knew it, I found more then 10 ways to cut a circle already. I believe there are more ways to be discovered.

What is the most distinct feature about your work?
The most distinct feature is by putting a flat circle on a human body , instantly it turns into a wearable sculpture. By cutting alone--no seam, no sewing ,in a circle form only, to create a very sculptural collection--coat , vest, dress, skirt, cape and possible more . By cutting a different body of fabric--stiff and soft-- like wool felt and wool jersey into a same circle pattern, the results are totally different. Most of the cuts can be worn in few different ways. Especially, "the magic circle", this is one cut in wool jersey which can be worn in more than 8 different ways.

beth MUELLER: illustrations and ceramics

2009-05-31T22:28:00.007-04:00

beth MUELLER: illustrations and pottery
June 4th - July 4th 2009
Opening Thursday June 4th at 7p

BETH MUELLER

Crafted of simple shapes and happy patterns, Beth Mueller's pottery and illustrations have such spirit. Striving to make 'clear and honest' objects like those she remembers from her Indiana childhood - the quilts and yarns and beautiful bottles she found on her grandmothers farm, Beth succeeds across all levels of art and craft. Mueller's endless hours of experimentation allowed her to meld a desire for sophisticated craftsmanship results without the use of cadmium, lead, and other toxic chemicals that are so often part of the process.

www.bethmueller.com

2009 Schedule of Events: Summer

2009-05-13T13:44:00.005-04:00

Please join us at the 7444 Gallery this year!

Schedule of events thru September 2009

www.7444gallery.us

Location: 28 Depot Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983, (518)282-4743

**Beginning June 1st the 7444 Gallery will open its doors for year round exhibitions.

June
6/4 Gallery Opening: Beth Mueller, Illustration + Ceramics. 5-7p.
6/5 Outdoor Movie: (TBA), Friday Films. 8:15p or Sunset.
6/18 Art Walk: 4-8p, www.saranaclakeartworks.com

July
7/9 Gallery Opening: Shu Juan Lu, Fashion Artist, 5-7p.
7/10 Outdoor Movie (TBA). Friday Films. 8:30p.
7/16 Art Walk: 4-8p, www.saranaclakeartworks.com

August
8/6 Gallery Opening: Margo Fish + Ursla Trudeau, Paintings, 5-7p.
8/7 Outdoor Movie (TBA). Friday Films. 8:30p.
8/13 - 8/15 Photography workshop, www.barkeaterphotography.com
8/20 Art Walk: 4-8p, www.saranaclakeartworks.com

September
9/3 Gallery Opening. Peter Seward, Painting + Illustration, 5-7p.
9/4 Outdoor Movie (TBA). Friday Films. 8:30p.
9/6 1st Annual Hobo Music Festival.
9/17 Art Walk: 4-8p, www.saranaclakeartworks.com
9/25 - 9/27 Studio Tour: (TBA), www.adirondackartistsguild.com

* Shows and performances will be added.

kyle COFFIN: Waiting

2008-07-27T21:14:00.008-04:00

kyle COFFIN: Waiting

July 19 - August 3rd 2008

Opening Friday, July 20th at 6p

My paintings are examinations of myself. I am investigating my own relationships with other people and personal fears concerning my acceptance into society. I place the figure in various surroundings to enhance the truth that we are all inevitably alone regardless of our circumstances. Each setting appears recognizable; however each figure remains alienated from its surroundings, thus illuminating the tension between people and their situation.

My interest lies predominantly in surrealism, in particular I use imagery that reflects my own feelings of solitude, anonymity and discomfort amidst a media-frenzied world. I utilize a sense of realistic representation accompanied by characteristic marks derived from emotional context. I believe the human face describes what many people are unable or unwilling to convey verbally. I employ the use of masks to communicate the ambiguity that people portray as they interact in society.

The latest work derived from a particular place I have felt the most uncomfortable intertwined with certain emotions and changes I am experiencing as I begin to write a new chapter my life. I have found an outlet in painting allowing me to reveal the reservations that attribute to the imagery I create.