All phone numbers are in area code 518 unless otherwise indicated.  All addresses are in Hudson unless otherwise indicated.

 

 

 

HUDSON MEETINGS

Next Monday, April 10

Hudson Common Council Informal Meeting – 7 pm – City Hall

Next Thursday, April 13

Hudson Planning Board Meeting – 6:30 pm – City Hall

ELLEN’S PICKS

Wednesday, April 5

The Hudson, A River at Risk – The Hudson River, like many waterways around the world, has long been treated like an infinite waste barrel, a dumping ground for toxic chemicals, hazardous waste and trash.  But for the past fifty years an amazing collection of environmental groups—Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson, Clearwater, and many more—have worked to revive the Hudson and the beautiful valley that surrounds it.  These accomplishments remind us what a resilient resource the river is.  The expanding web series, The Hudson, A River at Risk, by Oceans 8 Films, reports on a handful of serious and growing threats to the river.  The film will be screened and followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and representatives from Hudson River advocacy groups including Andy Bicking, Director of Public Policy & Special Projects at Scenic Hudson; Cliff Weathers, Communications Director at Riverkeeper; Jon Bowermaster, filmmaker of The Hudson: A River at Risk; and Sam Merrett, Captain of the Schooner Apollonia.  A suggested donation at the door will help support the work of the filmmakers and Basilica Hudson – Information at basilicahudson.org – 7 pm – Basilica Hudson, 110 South Front Street

Vieux Farka Toure/Last Good Tooth – Information at http://thehalfmoonhudson.com/events/ or 828-1562 – 7 pm – The Half Moon, 48 South Front Street

Thursday. April 6

The Hudson-Chatham Outfit plays jazz at Or Gallery & Tavern every Thursday – Information at 917-873-4503 – 7 pm to 9:30 pm – Or Gallery and Tavern, 35 South Third Street

Thursday-Saturday, April 6-8

TSL Films:

The Lure – “In this bold, genre-defying horror-musical mashup, a pair of carnivorous mermaid sisters are drawn ashore in an alternate 1980s Poland to explore the wonders and temptations of life on land.  Their tantalizing siren songs and other worldly aura make them overnight sensations as nightclub singers in the half-glam, half-decrepit fantasy world of director Smoczynska’s imagining.  In a visceral twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s original Little Mermaid tale, one sister falls for a human, and as the bonds of sisterhood are tested, the lines between love and survival are blurred.”  In Polish with English subtitles.

The Salesman – After their old flat becomes damaged, Emad and Rana, a young couple living in Tehran, are forced to move into a new apartment.  However, once relocated, a sudden eruption of violence linked to the previous tenant of their new home dramatically changes the couple’s life, creating a simmering tension between husband and wife.  In Persian with English subtitles.

Apprentice – When ambitious young correctional officer Aiman is transferred to the country’s highest-security prison, he catches the attention of the seasoned chief executioner Rahim.  Aiman’s desire to become the hangman’s apprentice is not only professional but born of an unspeakable urge to reconnect with a past that haunts him.  In English and Malay with English subtitles.

The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism – In 1886, a French art dealer brought his impressionist paintings to New York, changing the course of art in the US forever.  Americans cheered the French new wave—painting outdoors with a newfound brilliance and vitality. As Europe recoiled against Monet, Degas, and Renoir, Americans embraced it and created their own style of impressionism

Simone de Beauvoir – Two interviews illuminate the historic role and personality of Simone de Beauvoir, the novelist and philosopher who paved the way for Second-Wave Feminism.  In a 1959 interview, de Beauvoir explains her existentialism and theories on atheism and free love.  In the second 1975 interview about her book, The Second Sex, de Beauvoir speaks with conviction about feminism and its future.  In French with English subtitles

> Information and schedule at 822-8448 or www.timeandspace.org – Time & Space Ltd., 434 Columbia Street

Friday, April 7

The Lavender Blues: A Showcase of Queer Music Before World War II – Sarah Kilborne’s Performance & Release Party – “People commonly believe that the LGBT movement began in 1969 with the Stonewall Riots, but a hundred years ago queer men and women were claiming their identities in the public sphere, and singing about it too. “ Written and performed by cabaret artist Sarah Kilborne, “The Lavender Blues is a musical journey to a courageous and colorful time in America’s past when artists sang boldly about sexual and gender fluidity—something daring even for today, and as deliciously fun and inspiring as ever.” Chosen as one of 2017’s “exciting new works in development” by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. – Information at 828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – 8 pm – Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street

Xylouris White / Pigeons – Information at http://thehalfmoonhudson.com/events/ or 828-1562 – 8 pm – The Half Moon, 48 South Front Street

Saturday, April 8 

The Hudson Winter Farmers’ Market – The market is still going strong, with favorite vendors providing the essentials including greens, eggs. cheeses, meats, breads, quiches, soups, pot pies and other prepared foods, tarts and cookies, nuts, fair trade coffee, and more – 10 am to 1 pm – 601 Union Street, at the southern end of Sixth Street

Hudson Area Library Open House Celebrating One Year at the Armory – See what the library has done, enjoy Music in the Stacks, learn about the wide array of library programs and services available, record your memories of the historic Hudson Armory, see a sampling of the History Room’s unique and rare historic photo collection, enjoy refreshments, and help the Library celebrate! – Open House activities and entertainment include “Music in the Stacks” on the hour, and “Highlights of the Hudson Area Library’s First Year at the Armory” on the half hour – For a complete schedule of events, including music and dance acts, teen digital media presentations, a story hour, a Bengali language and culture presentation, and a Beginner Yoga class, visit http://hudsonarealibrary.org/ – Regular library  programs and services will be available, but this will not be a regular day at the library.  Expect some noise! – 10:30 am to 3 pm – Hudson Area Library, 51 North Fifth Street, at the corner of State Street

Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary first Public Open Day of the 2017 season – Spend a few hours meeting the Sanctuary’s 80 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, most of whom have been  rescued from slaughter, abuse and/or neglect, but are now happily enjoying their new life at the sanctuary. Graphics are posted at each paddock so visitors can learn about the animal and its history. Feel free to picnic at the pond, one of the most serene spots at the sanctuary.  Please note that all visitors will need to sign a release form upon arrival. No pets are allowed. This is a free program, but donations are greatly appreciated – Equine Advocates is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to the protection of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules – Open from 11 am to 4 pm – Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary, 3212 State Route 66, (2 miles north of the Village of Chatham)

The Chatham Film Club in partnership with WMHT Public Media, presents a free Indie Lens Pop-up preview screening of National Bird, a film directed by Sonia Kennebeck – The film follows whistleblowers who, despite possible consequences, are determined to break the silence around one of the most controversial issues of our time—the secret U.S. drone war. The film gives rare insight through the eyes of both survivors and veterans who suffer from PTSD while plagued by guilt over participating in the killing of faceless people in foreign countries – The film’s director and local activists will be available after the film for Q&A.  Please note that the film has been edited down to one hour from its full length of 92 minutes to provide time for the Q&A – The film will premiere locally on Monday, May 1 at 10 pm on WMHT-TV – Information at [email protected] – This screening is at 12 noon, Crandell Theatre, 48 Main Street, Chatham

Two new exhibitions at Jeff Bailey Gallery:

> Timothy Hull: Sophist Leaving Syria – Syria was an important hub of Greek and Roman trade and learning.  The fact that the man of reason is leaving Syria has contemporary parallels with the current mass exodus of refugees.

> Seth Koen: Wayward – Recent sculptures – At first glance, these sculptures could be characterized as lines in space.  Meticulously carved from single pieces of wood and seeming to float on the wall or floor, their apparent simplicity belies their hard won forms.  The exhibition title—Wayward—refers not only to a material that can be hard to control, but also to the unusual and precarious shapes of the sculptures themselves.

> Both exhibitions are on view through May 7 – Information at [email protected] or 828-6680 – Open Friday through Sunday from 12 noon to 6 pm and by appointment – Jeff Bailey Gallery, 127 Warren Street

National Theatre of London Live presents its modern production of Ibsen’s masterpiece, Hedda Gabler – Information and reservations at 822-8448 – 1 pm – Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia Street

Exhibition Opening – Time and Tide: Frank Curran – Painter and printmaker Frank Curran has been with the Gallery since it opened in 2010.  His work has been included in several group shows; Time and Tide is his first solo show at the Gallery. – Since 2002, Curran has been making painting trips to a pair of unique locations—Perce, Quebec, Canada and Monhegan Island, Maine.  All of the work in this exhibition is based on his visits over the years.  One oil on canvas  and twelve etchings from Perce are on view.  The Monhegan work consists of oil paintings and sketches on paper, as well as woodcuts and block prints using artwork done on the island as source material – The Gallery maintains a flat-file collection of Curran’s earlier work in all sizes and media, available for viewing any time. – Exhibition on view through May 21 – Information at [email protected] or 392-3336 – 4 to 6 pm – Thompson Giroux Gallery, 57 Main Street, Catskill

Cookie Tasting – Meet the baker! – Andre Kreft, founder of the aptly-named Savor Cookies, offers a free tasting of his product – Sample sweet, savory and spicy shortbread cookies such as the Emma Jean, a trio of coconut, lime and hot pepper, or the Naugatuck, with birch concentrate that gives a zesty, root beer-like zing – All will be paired with, of course, Verdigris’s delectable teas – Free and open to the public – Information at www.VerdigrisTea.com or 828-3139 – 5 to 7 pm – Verdigris Tea & Chocolate Bar, 135 Warren Street (corner of Second Street)

BeLo3rd Gallery Stroll – Various art and design locations welcome visitors to view a broad range of artworks including paintings, photographs, sculpture, drawings, antiques, and artifacts – This spring-to-summer monthly open gallery event presents thirteen galleries on Warren and Front Streets open for viewing, five with exhibition openings – See listings for details – All open from 5 to 7 pm; the five galleries in Riverfront Design & Antique Center are open until 8 pm.

Participating galleries on Warren Street are:  Kea Tribal Rug Gallery, 238 Warren Street;

1. Damiani Gallery, 237 Warren Street; FRG Objects and Design/Art, 2^nd Floor, 217 Warren Street; Jeff Bailey Gallery, 127 Warren Street, Limner Gallery, 123 Warren Street; BCB ART, 116 Warren Street; Davis Orton Gallery, 114 Warren Street

Participating galleries off Warren Street are: Inky Editions, 112 South Front Street (big white building behind the Basilica); Riverfront Antiques & Design Center (RADC), 99 South Third Street, Door 21—Five galleries within RADC: ART HOUSE, Earle Mitchell Gallery, Wasserbach Fine Art, Sarah Berney Art, and Tery Fugate-Wilcox Gallery Information on the Gallery Stroll at 567-4056 – 5 to 7 pm

Photographic Exhibition Opening – Flora – Using alternative processes—both 19^th century and the 21^et –artists respond to personal loss amidst the fortitude of trees and comment on the tangled  beauty of the natural world

Two Solo Exhibitions:

> To Capture a Shadow – Carla Shapiro – Sanded, platinum-palladium prints

> Bloom – Carol March – Collaged pigment prints

Portfolio Showcase:

> Emily Hamilton Laux – Invasive: Beauty vs. Beauty

> Michael Bogdanffy-Kriegh – Meditations: Flora

On view through May 14 – Information at davisortongallery.com or 567-4056 – 5 to 7 pm – Davis Orton Gallery, 114 Warren Street

RADC Exhibition Viewings and Openings:  Riverfront Antiques & Design Center (RADC), 99 South Third Street, Door 21—Five galleries:

> ART HOUSE – Grand Opening of the Gallery – On the Jersey Side – Exhibition features artworks by American artist Ron Erickson – Information at 201-920-3920

> Earle Mitchell Gallery – Exhibition Opening features artwork from the past 15 years by local Hudson artist Reggie Madison – Information at 518-852-0622

> Sarah Berney Art – New and existing work by Sarah Berney – Information at 491-3692

> Tery Fugate-Wilcox Gallery – Features artworks by Barry Gerson, Amanda Park Taylor, Jethro Nisson, Tom McGill, and Tara Angell – Information at 646-544-7139

> Wasserbach Fine Art – Features found objects sculptures by Mark Wasserbach – Information at 518-368-5340

> Information at 518-368-5340 – 5 to 8 pm – Riverfront Antiques & Design Center (RADC), 99 South Third Street, Door 21

Art Omi Writers’ Reading – The Art Omi Writers spring 2017 writers and translators in residence read and share their work with an intimate, live audience.  This is the first in a series of readings hosted by Art Omi in 2017.  The Art Omi Writers residency program provides opportunities to literary voices working in all genres of literature.  Participating writers in this reading are from Germany, Nigeria, Vietnam, France, South Africa, Tibet, Syria, Italy, and Belgium – Reading is followed by refreshments and a chance to meet the writers – Hosted by Hudson Wine Merchants – Free and open to the public – Information at 828-6411 or hudsonwinemerchants.com – 5:30 pm – Third Floor Gallery, Hudson Wine Merchants, 341 Warren Street

Stockholm, Pennsylvania A Special Screening of a film written and directed by filmmaker Nikole Beckwith – The film premiered at Sundance in 2015, and follows a young woman who was abducted as a child and is returned home to her biological parents after living seventeen years with her abductor.  She struggles to feel at home in the life she doesn’t remember, as her mother wrestles with the reality that her daughter is more lost to her than ever. Discussion with the filmmaker after the screening – All proceeds benefit TSL – Information and reservations at 822-8448 – 7 pm – Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia Street

Volume Reading & Music Series – A free reading and music series featuring prose, poetry, and a short DJ set – Every second Saturday at 7 pm at Spotty Dog Books and Ale in Hudson. – This month’s program features Melissa Febos and Paul La Farge.

> Melissa Febos is the author of the memoir, Whip Smart (St. Martin’s Press 2010), and the essay collection, Abandon Me (Bloomsbury 2017). Her work has recently appeared in Tin House, Granta, The New York Times, Vogue, and Lenny Letter.  She lives in Brooklyn.

> Paul La Farge is author of the novels The Night Ocean (2017), Luminous Airplanes (2011), Haussmann, or the Distinction (2001), and The Artist of the Missing (1999). His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Believer, McSweeney’s, and elsewhere. He lives in Red Hook, NY.

The reading is followed by a book signing, with DJ Blake to follow. Volume is produced by Hallie Goodman and Dani Grammerstorf  French – For information, please visit: www.facebook.com/volumehudson  or call 917-535-8225

Hot Jazz and Cool Blues – A fundraising benefit to help air condition The Ghent Playhouse, featuring The Joe Adee Band and Celebration of the theater’s “Costumer Extraordinaire, Joanne Maurer – Dessert bar and libations, a silent auction, and music for dancing in the aisles! – Information and tickets at ghentplayhouse.org or 392-6264 – Doors open at 7 pm; program starts at 7:30 pm – Ghent Playhouse, 6 Town Hall Road, Ghent

Rob Fisch’s Intentional Jazz Ensemble celebrates and pays tribute to Miles Davis’s 1959 recording, Kind of Blue, “the best-selling jazz album of all time, and the spearhead of an artistic revolution.  Everyone, even people who say they don’t like jazz, like Kind of Blue…” says  music critic Fred Kaplan – Information at spencertownacademy.org – 7:30 pm – Spencertown Academy Arts Center, 790 Route 203, Spencertown

James McMurtry – with Ray Mason opening – “Award-winning rock singer-songwriter James McMurtry writes literate, politically charged songs with country, folk, Americana, and Texas influences – Son of famed novelist Larry McMurtry, James has a strong cult following, devoted to his smart lyrics, laconic vocals, and deft guitar playing….Pioneer Valley-based rock singer-songwriter Ray Mason has been on his own never-ending tour since 1982.  Accompanying himself on his road-worn 1965 Silvertone guitar, he writes classic-style catchy garage-rock tunes with a laid-back vibe…”  – Information at 828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – 9 pm – Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street

Sunday, April 9

Bolshoi Ballet HD presents A Hero of Our Time, a new production by choreographer Yuri Possokhov—“a tragic poetic journey that can only be seen at the Bolshoi.” – Information and reservations at 822-8448 – 1 pm – Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia Street

Rose* WineTasting – Meet the “lady farmers” from Ironwood Farm and hear about their summer veggie CSA program – Tender vittles from the farm and a selection of roses* from Hudson Wine Merchants will be offered –Free and open to the public – Information at 828-6411 or hudsonwinemerchants.com – 1 to 3 pm – Hudson Wine Merchants, 341 Warren Street  (*rose the wine, not the flower)

Thomas Cole National Historic Site Sunday Salon – A Painter’s Paradise: Thomas Cole and His Transformative Experience in Florence, 1831-32 – Although Thomas Cole’s fame as a largely self-taught American artist was launched in 1825, it was his tutelage in Florence, Italy in 1831-32 with two of the most eminent artists then working in Tuscany—Giuseppe Bezzuoli, who became his drawing master, and Pietro Benvenuti, president of the Accademia delle Belle Arti—and the seminal influence of Scottish landscape painter George Augustus Wallis, that heralded Cole’s shift from being a gifted artist to his emergence as a great one.  At this month’s  salon, independent scholar John McGuigan explores the critical twelve months Cole lived and worked in Florence, the place Cole’s biographer called “next to home itself, the happiest place in which he ever lived,” and where he produced some of the finest paintings of his career. – In addition to the Salon, Winter Tours, scheduled at 1 pm and 3:30 pm, provide a sneak preview into the installation of the Parlors Project – Information and tickets at 943-7465 or www.thomascole.org  – Salon at 2 pm – Thomas Cole National Historic Site, 218 Spring Street, Catskill

Bard at Beattie – Award-winning young artists from the Bard College Conservatory of Music—cellist Chris Beroes-Haigis; and the pianists Domantas Karalius and JongSun Woo–will perform Prokofiev’s dramatic Piano Sonata No. 7, the Schumann arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 3, and the Beethoven Cello Sonata No. 4 – Free admission, but reservations are required. – Information and reservations by email to [email protected] – 2 pm – Beattie-Powers Place, Prospect Avenue & Bridge Street, Catskill

An Afternoon of Korean Culture & Food – The Won Dharma Center and the Claverack Free Library invite adults and teens to a free program introducing Korea’s long and rich artistic history, the spirit of its people, and its cultural values. The program begins with a documentary film about Korean history and culture along with a demonstration of the traditional Korean wedding ceremony in traditional costume. Following the program, a traditional Korean meal will be served. Works of art, including paintings, objects, and costumes, will be on display. – The program is part of the Korean Spirit & Culture Promotion Project to promote Korean history and culture to the wider world – This is a free program, but donations to either the Claverack Library or Won Dharma Center will be welcome. – Space is limited, so attendees are asked to pre-register by email to [email protected] , or [email protected] , call 851-7120, or sign up at the library desk – 2 pm – Won Dharma Center, 361 State Route 23, Claverack.

Varla Jean Merman – Varla Jean is a character originated and portrayed by Jeffery Roberson, an American actor, singer, and drag performer.  Varla’s fictitious pedigree boasts that Ernest Borgnine is her father and Ethel Merman is her mother.  Varla has been a star of stage, screen, TV, cabaret and concert halls.  Her cabaret shows are a staple of summer entertainment in Provincetown, Massachusetts – Presented by GayHudson.com, BigGayHudsonValley.com, and Trixie’s Bed, Bath & Biscotti  – Information at 828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – Dinner is available.  Please make dinner reservations at 828-4800 – Doors open at 5 pm, show starts at 7pm – Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street

The Fabulous Versatones – This five-man local band plays for dancing and general fooling around – Information at 828-1562 or http://thehalfmoonhudson.com/events/ – Music and dancing from 7 to 9ish pm – The Half Moon, 48 South Front Street

Next Tuesday, April 11

Helsinki Open Mic – Try out new material on the big Helsinki stage – Hosted by Cameron Melville and Ryder Cooley – Information at 828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – Sign-up begins at 6:30 pm – Performance from 7 to 10 pm – Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street

For more information on Columbia County events, visit www.columbiacountytourism.org

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