Ellen’s Picks – Week of January 9 and beyond

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All addresses are in Hudson, unless otherwise indicated.

 

 

Monday-Sunday, January 9 through 14, 2018

Films at TSL:

On the Beach at Night Alone – Art imitates life in this quietly devastating masterpiece from Hong Sangsoo.  Kim Minhee (The Handmaiden), in the role that won her the Silver Bear for best actress in  Berlin, plays Younghee, an actress reeling in the aftermath of an affair with a married director.  She visits Hamburg then returns to Korea, but as she meets with friends and has her fair share to drink, confessions emerge.  In English, Korean, and German with subtitles.

The Other Side of Hope – This wry, melancholic comedy, a response to the current refugee crisis, follows two people searching for a place to call home.  Displaced Syrian Khaled lands in Helsinki, while middle-aged salesman Wikstrom buys an unprofitable seafood restaurant.  After Khaled is denied asylum he decides not to return to Aleppo and the paths of the two men cross.  The film is “a bittersweet tale of human kindness in the face of indifference.”  In English, Finnish, and Arabic with subtitles

Song of Granite – Enigmatic and complex, Joe Heaney was one of the greats of traditional Irish singing (sean nos).  Shaped by the myths and songs of his upbringing in the west of Ireland, his emergence as a gifted artist came at a personal cost… [The film is] a remarkable portrait of Heaney and a marvelous exploration of music and song.  In English and Gaelic with subtitles

The Killing of a Sacred Deer – Dr. Steven Martin is a surgeon presiding over a spotless household with his ophthalmologist wife Anna, and their two children.  Lurking at the margins of this idyllic existence is a fatherless teen who Steven has taken under his wing…Starring Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman – In Norwegian with subtitles

Trouble No More – A showcase of Bob Dylan’s creative and spiritual mindset during his gospel era, from Slow Train Coming to Saved to Shot of Love….

Shadowman – In the 1980s, Richard Hambleton was the Shadowman, a specter in the night who painted hundreds of startling silhouettes on the walls of lower Manhattan and, along with Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, sparked the street art movement.  After drug addiction and homelessness sent him spinning out of the art scene for 20 years, the Shadowman gets a second chance, but will he take it?

Jane – Drawing from never-before-seen-footage that was tucked away in the National Geographic archives for over 50 years, director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research challenged the male-dominated scientific consensus of her time and revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.  Set to a rich orchestral score from legendary composer Philip Glass, the film offers an unprecedented portrait of Goodall, a trailblazer who defied the odds to become one of the world’s most admired conservationists.

Thelma – Thelma, a shy student, has left her religious family in a small town on the coast of Norway to study at a university in Oslo.  While at the library, she experiences a violent seizure.  Soon after, she finds herself intensely drawn toward Anja, a beautiful student who reciprocates Thelma’s powerful attraction.  Thelma becomes increasingly overwhelmed by her intense feelings for Anja.  As it becomes clearer that her seizures are a symptom of supernatural abilities, Thelma is confronted with tragic secrets of her past, and the terrifying implications of her powers.  In Norwegian with subtitles.

Schedule and tickets at 518-822-8448 or www.timeandspace.org  – Time & Space Limited., 434 Columbia Street

Tuesday, January 9

Helsinki Open Mic – Try out new material on the big Helsinki stage – Hosted by Cameron Melville and Ryder Cooley – Information at 518-828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – Sign-up begins at 6:30 pm – Performance from 7 to 10 pm – Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street (Call ahead to confirm!)

Friday, January 12

HWM Free Tasting –In-store wine tasting with small bites and good company – Information at 518-828-6411 – 5 to 7 pm – Hudson Wine Merchants, 341 Warren Street

The Elvis Birthday Bash with Mark Gamsjager & The Lustre Kings—“…longtime stars of the Capitol Region’s thriving rockabilly revival scene” celebrate Elvis’s music and that of his contemporaries—Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly – An annual Helsinki event – Information at 518-828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com –Doors open at 6 pm; show at 9 pm – Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street

Saturday, January 13

Stage Russia HD presents Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya – Beginning at 11:30 am, a Proletarian Platter of pork sausage and cabbage salad, soup and bread is available; TSL treats the audience to a shot of vodka at intermission. – Information and tickets at 518-822-8448 or www.timeandspace.org  – 1 pm – Time & Space Limited., 434 Columbia Street

The Columbia County Historical Society, in cooperation with Historic Hudson, presents Dutch Restoration Architect Andre Hoek, delivering an illustrated lecture on Dutch culture in the second half of The Dutch Golden Age  called “Discovering Layers in Time: Life in the Netherlands 1650-1700.” – Hoek prepared for his lecture by examining visual evidence in what remains of Dutch 17th-century villages, farms, buildings and gardens and also studying the famous paintings of the time which captured interiors and landscapes.  He will explain how appearances of dwellings, paint colors, building materials and techniques, and even cooking methods, can be discovered in the layers of historic buildings.  He will also present the complications of restoring a structure that has been changed and adapted for new uses over time and how difficult it is to retain the ‘spirit of place’ in historic buildings and landscapes.  The lecture is a fundraiser for both organizations – 4 to 6 pm – Lecture at Van Buren Hall, on the second floor of Kinderhook Village Hall, 6 Chatham Street, Village of Kinderhook, followed by refreshments at CCHS Museum & library, 5 Albany Avenue, Village of Kinderhook

The Opera House: A Metropolitan Opera Special Documentary –  Documentarian Susan Froemke chronicles the creation of the Met’s storied home of the last 50 years, against the backdrop of the artists, architects, and politicians who shaped the cultural life of New York City in the 50s and 60s.  Notable figures include the famed soprano Leontyne Price; Rudolph Bing, the Met’s imperious General Manager; and Robert Moses, the unstoppable city planner who bulldozed an entire neighborhood to make room for Lincoln Center. – Information and tickets at 518-822-8448 or www.timeandspace.org – 7 pm – Time & Space Limited., 434 Columbia Street

VOLUME is a free reading and music series featuring prose, poetry, and a short DJ set, presented every second Saturday at Spotty Dog Books and Ale in Hudson, NY. – This month’s authors are Taylor Larsen, Joe Hagan, and Michele Filgate

TAYLOR LARSEN is a graduate of Columbia’s MFA program. Her debut novel, Stranger, Father, Beloved, came out in July of 2016 through Simon and Schuster. She is currently a fiction instructor at Catapult and The Sackett Street Writers Workshop. Her novel was selected as a “2017 Summer Must Read” by the Huffington Post.

JOE HAGAN has written for Rolling StoneNew York Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal, publishing profiles and exposés of Hillary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, and many others. His new book, Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine, was a two-time “New York Times Critics’ Top Books of 2017” pick.

MICHELE FILGATE is a contributing editor at Literary Hub and on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. Her work has appeared in Longreads, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, SliceTin HouseGulf CoastThe Rumpus, and many other publications.

The readings are followed by book signing and DJ Samantha Hunt. Volume is hosted and curated by Hallie Goodman and Dani Grammerstorf French. To learn more, visit the Facebook Page:www.facebook.com/volumehudson, or call 917-535-8225 – 7 pm – Spotty Dog Books & Ale, 440 Warren Street

Sunday, January 14

Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Service – Presented by the Hudson Interfaith Council – 6 pm – Shiloh Baptist Church, 14 Warren Street

Next Monday, January 15

Martin Luther King Jr. Day observed

Next Tuesday, January 16

Spotty Dog Trivia Night – The bi-weekly, all-nerd  throwdown – At the Spotty since 2006 –  Information at 518-671-6006 or visit http://www.thespottydog.com  – 6:30 pm – The Spotty Dog Books & Ale, 440 Warren Street

Helsinki Open Mic – Try out new material on the big Helsinki stage – Hosted by Cameron Melville and Ryder Cooley – Information at 518-828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – Sign-up begins at 6:30 pm – Performance from 7 to 10 pm – Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street (Call ahead to confirm!)

Wednesdays and Saturdays

The Hudson Area Library’s Minecraft Club, where kids and teens get to play and fight together on the library’s special servers, has been expanded from a once-a-week session to twice-a-week sessions—one on Wednesday and one on Saturday.  Participants can explore, gather resources, and survive against monsters that creep, crawl, and explode!  The classes on Wednesday are from 3:30 pm to 5 pm beginning Wednesday, January 3, and are led by the library’s Tech Services and Reference Librarian, Paul Tamborello,   Saturday sessions are from 1 pm to 2 pm beginning January 6, and are led by Sonia Ruscoe, artist and game enthusiast based in Hudson.  To register for either session, email [email protected], call 518-828-1792 x 100, or visit the main desk in the library.  Note: The pre-existing Wednesday session is full at the moment, but you can add your name to a waitlist.  The program is free and open to the public and is wheelchair accessible.  –Information at hudsonarealibrary.org or call 518-828-1792 x101 –  Hudson Area Library, 51 North Fifth Street (corner of State Street)

Next Friday, January 19

Rachel & Vilray  – Featuring Rachel Price of Lake Street Dive – “With simple arrangements and only a guitar for accompaniment, this duo performs original works, and revives forgotten gems of radio’s golden age” – The Brother Brothers is the opening  act – Information at 518-828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – 21 and over – Doors open at 6 pm; show at 8 pm  – Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street

Hot Dog Boat! – A free collaborative songwriting workshop and performance about Hot Dogs! – Conducted by Burt Murder – Bring an instrument and be ready to play, to write, to sing, to jam, and more! – Information at 518-671-6006 or visit http://www.thespottydog.com  – 6:30 pm – The Spotty Dog Books & Ale, 440 Warren Street – Information at 518-671-6006 or visit http://www.thespottydog.com  – 7 pm – The Spotty Dog Books & Ale, 440 Warren Street

Next Saturday, January 20

Hudson Women’s March – Starts with a rally in Seventh Street Park (aka The Public Square), followed by a march to Basilica Hudson for a party with warm food and drink, music, performance art, camaraderie and inspiration – Organized and hosted by Indivisible Chatham NY, with a host of other activist groups joining in as co-sponsors – Information at 528-424-2715 – Starts at 1 pm at Seventh Street Park, Seventh & Warren Streets, ending at Basilica Hudson, 110 South Front Street.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

Bridges Past and Present: Crossing the Hudson River – By artist Otto Miranda  – Sixty-three watercolors of bridges from the 1800’s to the present that pass over the Hudson River from New York City to the river’s beginning in the Adirondack Mountains at Lake Henderson’s Tear of the Clouds – The bridges represented include vehicle, railroad, pedestrian bridges, and even a troop bridge.   The exhibit is open for viewing during library open hours and is on view through February 28.  School groups are also invited to view this important local interest exhibition for discussions on history, engineering and art – Information at hudsonarealibrary.org or call 518-828-1792, x 101 – Hudson Area Library, 51 North Fifth Street (corner of State Street)

Sanford R. Gifford  In The Catskills – Explores the work of the Hudson River School artist, Sanford R. Gifford – Curated by Kevin J. Avery, Senior Research Scholar at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.  It explores the artist’s creative process and for the first time brings the original paintings to a venue just a few miles from the sites that inspired them. – Information at http://thomascole.org/events/ – New Studio Gallery, Thomas Cole National Historic Site, 218 Spring Street, Catskill

The Coffins of Paa Joe and the Pursuit of Happiness at Jack Shainman Gallery / The School – , Two inter-related shows at the gallery’s Chelsea location and The School, located in Kinderhook. –“ Serving as the centerpiece of the large-scale exhibition, The Gold Coast Slave Castles of Paa Joe honor the Ghanaian legacy of  abebuu adekai, or fantasy coffins. The ornate sarcophagi celebrate death and the afterlife, sculpted in the form of objects representative of the deceased and their interests….” –– Information at [email protected] – Open Saturdays from 11 am to 6 pm – The School, 25 Broad Street, Kinderhook

Columbia County Photo Club Annual Exhibition – All photos are for sale, with a percentage of proceeds benefitting the Hudson Area Library. – The exhibition is hosted by the Friends of the Hudson Area Library – Karen Davis of the Davis Orton Gallery assisted in developing the show. – The exhibition is open to the public during library open hours. – Information at 518-828-1792 x101 – Hudson Area Library, 51 North Fifth Street (corner of State Street)

Transcendent Functionalism – An exhibition featuring designers and artists who take design as a point of departure, appropriating and personalizing the forms of furniture, garments, graphics, and other useful things – Works by some 15 artists, plus objects from the Shaker Museum || Mount Lebanon – On view through January 28, 2018 – Information at 518-828-6680 or by email to [email protected]  – Jeff Bailey Gallery, 127 Warren Street Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street

Martin Dull: Sailing to Byzantium – Works using paint and found objects – On view through January 29 – Information at 518-828-5907 or by email to [email protected] – John Davis Gallery, 362½ Warren Street

Painted Cities – A group exhibition – On view through February 18 – Information at www.carriehaddadgallery.com or call 518-828-1915 – Carrie Haddad Gallery, 622 Warren Street

UIOWA PRINT – Print works by MFA printmaking students at the University of Iowa – Selected by Kimberly Datchuk – On view through the month of January – Information by email to [email protected]  – Inky Editions, 112 South Front Street (white building behind Basilica)

Into the Garden: Paintings by Kate Knapp – On view through January 28 – Information at www.510warrenstreetgallery.com or call 518-822-0510 – 510 Warren Street Gallery, 510 Warren Street

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

All content herein copyright 2018  Ellen Thurston

ellenthurston1@gmail.com

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