WNBZ Community Calendar

The Adirondack Artists Guild will host an opening reception for Totems and Vessels, an exhibit of new work in clay by Mary Lou Reid on Friday, August 3, from 5-7 PM at the Artists Guild gallery at 52 Main St., Saranac Lake. The show will run through August 29, 2012.

Artist Statement for Photographic Exhibit “Simplexity”:

 Simplexity: An emerging theory that proposes a possible complementary relationship between complexity and simplicity.

Local photographer Burdette Parks is the featured artist for the month of August in the lobby gallery of Pendragon Theatre. An exhibit of his photographs titled “Simplexity” opens on August 7th with an Artist’s Reception from 5:30 to 7:00 and will run through Labor Day.

According to Mr. Parks’ artist statement for the show:

“The natural Order (pun intended) of Nature is Chaos. Nature tends not to do things in an orderly way. The natural world is a chaotic jumble of random occurrences of complexly ordered systems. There are too many variables and influences at work for order to be sustained. So when we observe nature in it’s unadulterated state, we see mostly the resulting chaos.

In this series of images, my goal as a photographer has been to make images of the natural world that simplify nature’s inherent chaos. This, I think, is a rather normal impulse for many photographers when framing and composing an image. But for this series, I have concentrated on the essentials. I worked to emphasize the graphic qualities of the subject, eliminating unnecessary detail and focusing on shapes, forms, colors, textures and relationships. As one focuses in more and more closely to natural subjects, the truth of the old aphorism that one can find a world in a grain of sand becomes abundantly clear. Things that appear extremely simple, even orderly, from a distance become intricately complex on closer inspection. On the other hand, by reducing the apparent detail in a larger perspective (akin to squinting at a landscape) detail is diminished and basic forms predominate.”

The display system for the images in this exhibit is a marked departure from the more traditional matting and framing of prints under glass. In collaboration with a skilled woodworker, a unique shadowbox-like presentation was created with the images “floating free” within a finely crafted natural wood box. The images were printed on specially coated photo-canvas using archival pigment inks. After drying, they were given two coatings of sealant to protect the surfaces from scrapes, water and UV light. (Though like any photo image, they should not be displayed in direct sun.) The canvases were then “stretched” onto wooden panels, positioned over background panels and locked in place. “Floating” within the box gives the images an added impression of depth.

William Blake: “To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower.”

Burdette’s Photo Bio:

Burdette was born and educated inNorth Dakotareceiving a BA in Theater Arts from the University of North Dakota. He developed an early interest in photography through his father, an inveterate and prolific family picture taker. That interest was cemented in 1964 when he sold two nature slides to the North Dakota State Travel Department. In college at the University of North Dakota, Burdette did yearbook photography for the Journalism Department, learned processing and darkroom basics doing work-study at the University News Bureau and was mentored in photography by a commercial photographer and a successful photojournalist while pursuing first a pre-med degree and ultimately a degree in Theatre Arts. A brief invitational stint with the U.S. Army got him toTexaswhere he managed and owned live theaters over fourteen years in bothSan AntonioandAustin.

During more than two decades directing and producing live theater, Burdette incorporated photography—doing publicity and production photography for his own and other theaters. His first formal gallery show was in 1980 at aSan Antoniogallery and for thirty years a sculptural piece of his has graced theSculptureGardenat the San Antonio Museum of Art.

In 1982, he took his act on the road with one-man theater performances. Frankly, B. Franklin was his first foray into the exhilarating realm of solo performance and his first in-depth exposure to Ben Franklin (if you overlook an earlier episode asFranklinin the musical 1776.) In 1985 he wrote and began performing a second solo show, Shakespeare Live! – resulting in him traveling with two alter-egos, Ben and Will—Benjamin Franklin and William Shakespeare—not bad company.

Since 1990, he has been living in the Adirondacks with the wife he met through the amorous influence ofSaranacLake’s Pendragon Theater and since 2001, has enthusiastically resumed a decades long affair with photography.

Photographically, the shift from film to digital happened for Burdette in 2001 and he has been diligently working to keep pace with this rapidly advancing technology ever since. Specializing in fine art landscape/nature work, he has had work showcased in numerous juried shows in the Adirondack region (photographs of his were awarded Best of Show in the Art’s Council of the Northern Adirondack’s 2009 Cover Art competition and an Honorable Mention in their 2011 show) and has been featured in numerous exhibits. As a relatively early convert to digital photography, Burdette has accumulated a vast store of information on this rapidly evolving medium and has been sharing his discoveries and enthusiasm through classes and workshops. And as a year-round resident in the endlessly scenicAdirondackPark, he is constantly striving to refine and improve his vision of this special landscape.

While people and theatre remain strong photographic interests, Burdette finds the natural studio of the Adirondacksa beguiling place to explore expanding photographic horizons. His web address is: www.roundlakestudios.com.

For further information about Pendragon’s gallery or any of the summer offerings, contact the theatre at 518-891-1854, on the web: pendragontheatre.org or via e-mail: pdragon@northnet.org.

New York State Police, Troop “B”, along with theAdirondackMedicalCenter, Tupper Lake Police Department and the Franklin County Traffic Safety Board will be hosting a child safety seat clinic at theMunicipalPark,TupperLakeon Saturday (August 11th, 2012) from 10:00AM to 2:00PM.  Adults who are responsible for providing transportation for children of all ages are encouraged to attend.   Technicians will be on hand to inspect seats, assist with installations, provide information and answer questions regarding child seat safety.  For more information contact T/Sergeant Brian Goetz at (518)897-2023 or email brian.goetz@troopers.ny.gov

Celebrate the Adirondack’s rich snow-sport heritage and support its future!

28^th Annual NYSEF Summer Benefit – Saturday, August 11, 2012, 6:30-9:30 pm
Turf & Field Club, Lake Placid Horseshow Grounds

 Lake Placid, NY, August 11, 2012 – The New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) is hosting the 28^th Annual Summer Benefit, Saturday, August 11^th in the Turf & Field Club at the Lake Placid Horseshow Grounds from 6:30-9:30 pm. Join NYSEF for a special evening to support local youth – step into the past with wooden skis and leather boots, traditional European cuisine, cocktails, music and silent auction.

Adirondack tradition has a history rich in snow sports and Olympic heritage. Let’s preserve that heritage by supporting and investing in its future. Lake Placid has hosted two historical Olympic Winter Games, and continuously aspires to update and maintain the venues for World class competitions and training; and to mold young athletes to pursue their dreams.

NYSEF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to providing professional guidance and support to athletes of all ages in Alpine, Freestyle, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding, Biathlon, and Nordic Combined. NYSEF athletes represent the United States Ski and Snowboard Teams competing at Olympic, World, Jr. World and National Team levels. Join us for an evening to support the continuation of this tradition!

Open to ages 21 and up – advance purchase tickets are $80/person, $150/couple and $40/ages 21-35. Tickets are $90 at the door. For details and to purchase tickets visit NYSEF online at: www.nysef.org or call the NYSEF office at 518-946-7001.

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“A.F. Tait: Artist of the Adirondacks” at the Adirondack Museum

Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. - Join Adirondack Museum Senior Art Historian/Director Emerita Caroline Welsh on Monday, August 13 for “A.F. Tait: Artist of the Adirondacks.” The program is part of the Monday Evening Lecture series.

Few painters are so closely associated with images of the Adirondacks as Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819-1905). Tait’s pictures of wildlife, sportsmen, landscape, and rural community life resonated with nineteenth-century Americans seeking respite from the fast pace of urban living. Tait’s iconic paintings were reproduced as prints and marketed to a mass audience, and helped to create and perpetuate an image of the Adirondack wilderness as a sportsman’s paradise, a place to find camaraderie among men and test one’s mettle against the forces of nature. His images defined what is “Adirondack” about the Adirondacks in the public imagination and introduced a new dimension to American landscape and wildlife painting by portraying the interactions between wildlife and sportsmen.

The presentation will be held in the Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The lecture will be offered at no charge to museum members; the fee for non-members is $5.00. For additional information, please visit www.adirondackmuseum.org or call (518) 352-7311.

The exhibition: “The Adirondack World of A.F. Tait” is currently on display at the Adirondack Museum. The museum is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 14, 2012.

Caroline Mastin Welsh is an art historian and Director Emerita of the Adirondack Museum. She is a graduate of the Kent School and Wellesley College and was awarded a fellowship in museum studies at the Smithsonian Institution and a fellowship in museum leadership at the Getty Leadership Institute. Her work in the museum profession includes positions at the Smithsonian Institution and the Albany Institute of History and Art in addition to the Adirondack Museum, where she served as both Curator and Director. She is a consultant on museum and exhibit development, and a national peer reviewer for the American Association of Museums. She serves or has served on regional committees and arts organizations in Pennsylvania and New York State as a trustee and advisor including the Friends of the William Penn Museum, the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum, the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, the Society for the Preservation of American Modernists, The Exhibition Alliance, the Hale Center for the Study of the Champlain Valley, and the Hamilton College Committee for the Visual Arts.

The Adirondack Museum, accredited by the American Association of Museums, offers 65,000 square feet of exciting exhibitions housed in twenty-two modern and historic buildings. Visitors can explore how people have lived, worked, traveled, and played in the Adirondacks from the 19^th century up to today. The museum is supported in part by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency. For additional information, visit www.adirondackmuseum.org or call (518) 352-7311.

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Purple Loosestrife Management Workshops To Be Held

 KEENE VALLEY, NY  The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) and Cornell Cooperative Extension are hosting a new workshop series focusing on managing purple loosestrife using biological control. Biological control involves raising and releasing beetles that feed on leaves, roots or flowers of purple loosestrife plants. Workshop participants will learn how to identify purple loosestrife, map infestations and determine whether biological control is an appropriate method of treatment for their infestation. Experts will also review the process and permitting for releasing beetles as well as the monitoring protocols used to assess the effectiveness of beetle predation on purple loosestrife plants. Landowners, gardeners, landscapers, community groups and resource managers are encouraged to attend.

 Sessions will be held on Tuesday, August 14^th at the Ticonderoga Town Hall from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. and Monday, August 20^th at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. Sessions are free. Please RSVP to Sarah Walsh at 518-576-2082 x 120 or sarah_walsh@tnc.org.

 Purple loosestrife is an aggressive wetland and shoreline invader that crowds out native plants and degrades habitat for wildlife and waterfowl. Managing large infestations of purple loosestrife can be difficult, but scientific monitoring and assessment of biological controls shows that it is an effective technique for reducing populations. Organizers of local control projects in Lake Placid and Schroon Lake also report great success in reducing loosestrife infestations using biological control.  “By attending this session, community members will learn the tools to assess their infestation, effectively release biological control on their lands and measure its success over time and protect wetlands for years to come,” said Sarah Walsh, APIPP’s summer educator.

 The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program is a partnership program whose mission is to protect the Adirondack region from the negative impacts of non-native invasive species. Find out more information about APIPP online at www.adkinvasives.com.

A benefit for the Tri-Lakes Relay for Life – Garage Sale is being held at the Saranac Lake Civic Center Tuesday (Tonight) August 14th from 5pm until 7pm. Everything must go!

Historic Saranac Lake Films – On Tuesday, August 14, at 7 p.m., James J. Griebsch will present “Historic Motion Pictures of Saranac Lake’s Past” at the theater in the Paul Smith’s VIC. An award-winning, independent film and video director, Jim has digitized and edited 16 mm and 8mm spools of film from the 1920s through the 1960s which have been archived in the Adirondack Room of the Saranac Lake Free Library. The presentation is free and open to the public. A gift donation to support further restoration and preservation of the Kollecker film collection at the library would be appreciated. Call the library at 891-4190 or The VIC at 327-6241 for more information.

Children’s Acting Workshop – A Children’s Acting Workshop for second to fifth graders will be offered on Wednesday, August 15, and Wednesday, August 22, from 2 to 4 p.m., in the Cantwell Community Room of the Saranac Lake Free Library,109 Main Street. Join the fun at the free workshop with games, costumes, props, skits and more! Call Autumn Buerkett at 327-3567 for more information.

MONTHLY MEAL Wednesday August 15th

The Saranac Lake Adult Center sponsors their Monthly Meal on Wednesday August 15th. Bingo starts at 2pm, social hour begins at 4pm with dinner at 5pm. The dinner menu includes hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, pasta salad, ice cream sundae bars. The cost is $5.00 per person. call 891-2980 for reservations.

SaranacLake’s 3rd Thursday Art Walks will continue this Thursday. The Village of Saranac Lake will again host the talents of regional and local artists of various genres from 5:00 to 7:30pm.

Beginning a self-guided tour through Downtown and a couple of outer-lying venues, visitors can go to any participating venue, get a schedule and map, see and experience at their own pace established artists’ work and emerging talents from all over the North Country. There will be more than 30 venues this time marked with festive balloons.

This event will extend from Pendragon Theatre on Brandy Brook Rd., off of River St., to the Saranac Laboratory Museum on Church St. and then on Main St. between River and Church Streets, up Broadway to BluSeed Studios on Cedar St. and then on Bloomingdale Ave. between Broadway and Depot St. at the new Adirondack Carousel.

At Pendragon Theatre, visitors can enjoy the works of photographer, Burdette Parks, and next learn about “The Story of Saranac Lake” in the John Black Room at theSaranacLaboratoryMuseumonChurch St.  The Adirondack Artists’ Guild will be showing Marylou Reid’s new clay work, “Totems and Vessels,” as well as works of other members. The Cantwell Room in the Saranac Lake Free Library will host the “Summer Show” of the Paint and Palette Association with a “Meet the Artist” reception that evening. Visitors to the NorthWinds Fine Arts Gallery on Broadway will see its members’ works plus “Cutting Corners,” the current show of local artist, Heidi Gutersloh. Up onCedar St., BluSeed Studios will showcase Jack LaDuke’s new photography, “Sun and Shadow,” and visitors can enjoy a  “Meet the Artist” reception there from 6-8pm.

Please note that fine arts photographer, Mark Kurtz, now has his studio upstairs in The Annex, above the Adirondack Artists’ Guild, along with the drawing and sculpting studios of Maria DiAngelo and Matt Paul.

Art Walk visitors will also be able to enjoy many types of music Thursday evening throughoutDowntownSaranacLake. Soulful singer-songwriter, Theresa Hartford will grace the Berkeley Green stage while several other musicians entertain visitors along the sidewalks, including the sax quartet, “Adirondack Saxes,” indie-folk group, “The Lemmon Drops,”Potsdampianist, Matt Bullwinkel, folk singer, Michael Shepard, the trio, “Dust Bunnies,” and accordionist, Hannah Huber. At The Waterhole’s “Party on the Patio,” Rusty Dovos will perform starting at 6pm.

In addition, various other artists contributing to this event include 6 members of the Lake Placid Poets’ Guild; woodcarvers, Rachel Lamb and Mark Paul; artist, Charlene Deleel and young friends; string instrument builder, Charlie Marshall; rug hooking demo by Judy O’Toole; artist, Cal Rice; children’s photographer, Kristin Parker; wildlife photographer, Craig Dickey; photographer, Shaun Durant; crafter, Sarah Humphreys and 2^nd-grade photographer, Cade Corris.

SaranacLake’s 3rd Thursday Art Walks 2012 also has a Facebook presence so please find us and Like the page to get more information.

PLATINUM LEED HOUSE IN LAKE PLACID

 Creative Healing Connections, a North Country nonprofit group that provides arts and healing retreats, is hosting a benefit cocktail party at the new home of Larry and Nancy Master in Lake Placid on August 16th.  The home just received a Platinum LEED Certification.

 “We use the arts in nature to help women with cancer and chronic illnesses, female veterans and female military spouses to heal,” commented CHC board president and founder Naj Wikoff of Keene Valley.  “What an incredible opportunity to see a platinum LEED certified home that is lovingly built with the planet’s health in mind, while learning about healing women in nature.” 

 LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  LEED is an international standard created to help building owners with green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building, home or community has met their standards so that the homeowner or home buyer can be assured that it was constructed in an environmentally sound manner ­ and built to last.

 Founded in 1999 and also built to last, Creative Healing Connections gives scholarships to nine out of ten of its female participants, and this event will help raise scholarship funds for 2012 and 2013. 

 “In May we held the nation’s first retreat for female military spouses and partners in Saranac Lake,” said CHC director Martha Spear of Upper Jay.  “It was a huge success and we are so grateful to all our funders for making it possible.” 

 “We are offering three more retreats this year,” remarked CHC co-founder Fran Yardley, of Tupper Lake, who also leads retreats.    “Two for female veterans in August and one for women with cancer and chronic illnesses in September.  All the retreats are filling up fast.” Yardley, a storyteller, will be one of several featured guests at the Masters’ home. 

 “While this event is a fund-raiser for CHC, we want anyone to come who is interested in enjoying this private house and garden opening,” said event co-chair Susan Rose Hockert of Wilmington.   “Entry to the event is free, with an optional donation of $50 per person suggested.” 

 Larry and Nancy Master are “best friends who have been married for 40 years,” according to the website of the Adirondack Community Trust where they have a donor advised fund.  Larry serves on the board of several environmental and conservation groups, while Nancy serves on the board of the North Country SPCA.  The new home is the fulfillment of their lifelong dream to live lightly on the land. 

 “I am very happy we can do this for Creative Healing Connections,” said Larry in a recent phone call.

 “Relatedly, please save the date for our 2013 Mad Hatters Ball featuring Roby Politi as the Mad Hatter:  Thursday, March 21^st at 5:30 p.m. at Heaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid,” added Franny Preston, of Saranac Lake, who co-chairs the event with Hockert and Erin Perkins of Lake Placid.

 To RSVP for this event please contact director Martha Spear at 518-390-3899 or director@creativehealingconnections.org.

Thursday, August 16: Art Walk: Come visit the Saranac Laboratory Museum and enjoy some live music. As an architectural wonder, the building itself is a work of art. Also on display are new exhibit panels and historic photographs of Saranac Lake in the John Black Room. 5:00-7:30. Free of charge.

Saturday August 18, 2012. 15th Annual Olga Memorial Footrace. Berkeley Green, Saranac Lake.

5K Walk and Run, 10K Run and 1/2 K kids

Fun Run. $15 mailed entry by 8/11 or $20 race day. $5 Fun Run.

Race day registration 8AM. Fun run starts at 9:15, 5K/10K to follow.  Refreshments, awards and post race raffle.

Benefits the Saranac Lake SkatePark. Contact: 518-637-4297 or slskatepark @yahoo.com.

Peggy Wiltberger

On Saturday, August 18^th at 7:30 p.m., photographer Gerry Lemmo will present his slideshow “California, Here I Come!” at Saranac Village at Will Rogers.  The journey takes in wildlife, people, land and seascapes, plus a bit of history from the area surrounding the city by the bay.

 Gerry Lemmo’s photographs have been featured in many books, calendars and magazines including National Geographic, Adirondack Life and Adirondack Explorer.  He has also worked with the National Audubon Society, International Paper, The Nature Conservancy, General Electric, the San Diego Zoo, The London Times and the National Wildlife Federation.  Gerry has visited six continents and has a collection of over 70,000 photographs; some which have been seen in over twenty countries.

 Gerry says, “San Francisco is a traveler’s delight, with a little something for everyone.  From busy wharves to Chinese pagodas, this metropolis makes a great starting point for exploration of northern California’s dramatic coastline, redwood forests and sun-bathed vineyards.”

 This program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.  For more information, please contact Debbie Kanze at (518) 891-7117.