Then & Now

Posted: July 17th, 2008

Beginning August 5th and running through September 12th, Albany Center Gallery will open up it’s doors to feature original artworks by Willie Marlowe, Charles Steckler, and Mary Pat Wager. Together, these artists capture three distinctive disciplines of art: painting, mixed media, and sculpture. The gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday, Noon to 5 p.m. There is an opening reception in conjunction with 1st Friday on Friday, September 5th. Albany Center Gallery is located at 39 Columbia Street in downtown Albany, across from Tricentennial Park.

Willie Marlowe has exhibited her paintings in solo, juried and invitational exhibitions within the U.S. and abroad. Known for her bright fluorescent palette, Marlowe creates abstract representations heavily influenced by ancient art and archaeology. Within each of her paintings she explores the use of color, detail and space. She states, “I find that painting is an unfolding journey that leads to incremental discovery rather rather than a certain path to a predetermined destination.” Marlowe received her M.F.A. from the University of Idaho and her bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University. Currently, Marlowe is a professor of the Department of Visual Arts at Sage College of Albany.

Charles Steckler has exhibited his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions. He has also designed stage sets for over 90 shows. Steckler applies his knowledge of art through a vast array of media. Using photography, drawings, collages, dioramas and theatrical stage design, he utilizes items from our lost consumer culture. Steckler creates three-dimensional collages of “things too worthless save.” “With this matter I play formal games of selection and arrangement: piecing, joining, layering; looking for equilibrium and perhaps a story.” Charles Steckler received his bachelor’s degree from Queens College and his master’s from Yale University. Currently, he is a professor of Theater at Union College.

Mary Pat Wager, a resident of East Greenbush, is known for her broad range of sculptural steelworks. With her sculptures, Wager captures the strength and malleability of steel. Her focus within the medium also becomes clear through her use of intricate detail. Each of her works becomes a play on balance between capturing fleeting movements and defining the structure of steel. The range of Wager’s expressive works is perpetual, stemming from the diverse variety of metals she uses. Wager has earned her master’s degree in studio arts from the University at Albany.

Reception Friday July 18

Posted: July 14th, 2008

You are invited to a reception this Friday, July 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Albany Center Gallery (39 Columbia Street, Albany NY 12207) for River, and exhibit featuring the work of Jane Bloodgood-Abrams, C. Ryder Cooley, Kristen DeFontes, Tom Nelson, Jan-Marie Spanard, Deborah Webster and John Whipple.

Also, please know Erika Klein will be hosting a reception at 518 Broadway, Albany just a stone throw away from the gallery.

Additionally, please know there will be a live performace by C. Ryder Cooley with Sarah Gonek at the gallery.

River Mural by C. Ryder Cooley and Sarah Gonek

Posted: July 7th, 2008

River

Posted: May 28th, 2008

“INTERCONNECTED RIVER WITHOUT BEGINNING OR END”
Gallery exhibits works from seven regional artists who explore the Hudson River and beyond

Albany Center Gallery’s upcoming River exhibit features Jane Bloodgood-Abrams, C. Ryder Cooley, Kristen DeFontes, Tom Nelson, Jan-Marie Spanard, Deborah Webster and John Whipple opens June 17 and runs until July 28. The opening reception will be held on July 4 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday Noon to 5 p.m. The gallery is located at 39 Columbia Street in downtown Albany.

All forms of life are interconnected in a life cycle without beginning or end. No other force of nature illustrates this truth better than the River. The artists in this exhibit use a variety of mediums such as painting, photography, installation, and performance; many find inspiration from the Hudson River.

Jane Bloodgood-Abrams is inspired and deeply connected to landscape of the Hudson River Valley and its artistic heritage. Her multilayered oil paintings capture profound timeless moments. “ While caught in these fleeting moments, stopped along a road at sunset or standing on a bluff above the river, I feel infused by that moment, allowing it to soak in as much as possible, and then later, after some tempering and distillation through my own psyche, I use that memory to create an image. Bloodgood-Abrams is an elected member of the National Association of Women Artists, she received her M.F.A. from SUNY New Paltz and her Bachelor Studio Arts from The College of St. Rose.

C. Ryder Cooley is a multi-media artist, musician and performer. Weaving together chimeric images with found props and forgotten objects, she creates cinematic performances and installation spaces. Most recently, Ryder has been working with artist Todd Chandler on a series of songs and collaborations called Fall Harbor. Dedicated to presenting work in unique and site specific settings, Ryder has participated in a wide range of public works, educational projects and international shows. Awarded Best Performance Artist of the NY Capital District in 2006 & 2007, selected exhibitions have included: White Box and Exit Art in NYC, Theater Artaud in San Francisco, Contemporary Artist Center in N. Adams MA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, public art projects in Indonesia, El Salvador, France and the Czech Republic. From 1993-2004 C. Ryder Cooley was an active member of the San Francisco art and music communities. She received a BFA in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1993, an MA in Combined Media from SUNY Albany in 2006 and an MFA in Integrated Electronic Arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic in 2008.

Kristen DeFontes’ prints and collages developed during a train trip from Albany to Manhattan in December of 2007. Through the train window, she took inventory of objects and wildlife that interacted with the Hudson River’s natural landscape. Minimal landscapes capturing the sheer essence of the seasonal color changes were the result. “As I was viewing the river from an already interrupted glance through the train window, I began to make correlations between manmade obstructions within the landscape. Structures like bridges, smokestacks and relics of past industry, became part of my consciousness, and I felt the need to juxtapose them with naturally occurring elements”. Kristen DeFontes currently lives in Altamont, NY. She received her B.F.A. from Purchase College, NY.

Tom Nelson has curated numerous Hudson River painting exhibitions for more than a decade such as The Hudson River Artists and the Catskill Mountains, permanent exhibition at the Mountaintop Historical Society, Haines Falls, NY, 2006; Three Hundred Years of Landscape Painting: Selections from the Collection, Albany Institute of History & Art, Summer 1999; Paradise Lost, Contemporary Landscape Art, Dietal Gallery, Emma Willard School, Troy, NY 1997; The Realism Show, TED Gallery, 1989; The Drawings of John Butler Yeats, Albany Institute, 1986 and Leonard Baskin, AIHA, 1986. Nelson’s passion for the Hudson River School not only extends to his curatorial projects, but also to his own painting of the Hudson River landscape. For thirty years, Nelson has been exhibiting his realist paintings of the Hudson River in gallery’s such as BRIK Gallery, Catskill, NY, Coffey Gallery, Kingston, NY, Gerald Peters Gallery, New York, NY, Union College, Nott Memorial, and The Albany Institute of History & Art, to name just a few. Nelson holds a B.F.A. in painting with departmental honors, from the State University of New York, College at New Paltz.

Known for the photoreal Trompe L’oeil public art paintings commissioned by The City of Albany along the Hudson River Way pedestrian bridge, Jan-Marie Spanard’s personal art making differs in scale and scope. Spanard is the principal artist of AlbanyMural Ltd. located in Albany, New York. AlbanyMural Ltd. is an organization of highly skilled figurative painters who create public artworks, restore historic paintings, and participate in community creative programs. After considerable research, Spanard and her team designed thirty trompe l’oeil still lifes depicting the passage of time in Albany. Spanard’s personal work differs from her public works, and she works in the solitude of the Adirondacks. “In the studio I think about abstract trompe l’oeil painting as a form of communication, as a language. A language that expresses thoughts and feelings that we don’t really know how to communicate through written or verbal language. Abstract trompe l’oeil for me works as the intuitive language of visual perception. It’s actually a meta-language — a visual expression or language about something that happens inside us when we come face to face with time, or beauty, or natural events”.

Deborah Webster works as an art educator at Sayles School of Fine Arts at Schenectady High School. Her work embodies the unique patterns of thought and energy systems we create in relationships with one another. The last two decades have been spent exploring relationships through narrative images and more recently in abstract form with mixed media visually creating water systems. Deborah’s undergraduate training focused on psychology and art. She holds a master’s degree in painting and has received various grants and awards for arts-in-education programs she has developed. She was the recipient of an NEA sponsored residency at the Art Institute of Chicago for two summers and in 2005, Deborah was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study aboriginal art as she traveled through Australia. Her work has been exhibited in several solo shows as well as numerous juried and invitational exhibits in local and national galleries.

John Whipple is a documentary photographer who has been working in his chosen profession for more than 20 years. While he devoted a period of his life to the restoration and sale of vintage American stringed instruments, photography has remained his prime dedication since picking up a camera. Whipple has been documenting people, places, and objects found along the Hudson River for many years.

SUMMER OF LOVE Call for Entries

Posted: March 31st, 2008

SUMMER OF LOVE
Albany Center Gallery
June 5 - 7

Click here to download form!

Inspired by most things psychedelic, Summer Of Love is a far out, three-day mind-bending exhibition to benefit Albany Center Gallery’s exhibitions and programs. Hundreds of 5×5 inch square original artworks, and dozens of 12×12 inch original artworks will be sold and displayed. Sixties attire encouraged.

CALL TO ALL ARTISTS
Albany Center Gallery seeks original artwork donations, inspired by almost anything psychedelic, 5×5 and/or 12×12 inches square. Please sign your artwork(s) on the back since the exhibit will be displayed anonymously. Artwork(s) should be preferably light-weight, unframed and 2-dimensional in all media such as painting, drawing, lithography, photography, silkscreen, collage, light weight relief sculpture, etc. Please donate up to three artworks. Drop off deadline is Saturday May 31 by 5 p.m., postmark deadline is Wednesday May 28.

VIP PREVIEW RECEPTION, Thursday June 5, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
5×5 inch artwork, $50 each. 12×12 inch artwork, $100 each. Artwork sold on a first come, first served policy. Cash bar. Live mellow yellow music. Munchies. RSVP to Sarah Martinez (518) 462-4775.

BASH, Friday June 6, 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
$25 admits one and includes a 5×5 inch original artwork. $10 admits one participating artist. Draw a random number to determine your turn to choose an artwork (ex. If you draw #1, you go first!). Purchases begin at 7 p.m. Live psychedelic band will perform in Tricentennial Park. Trippy light show. Cash bar. Mouth watering hors d’oeuvres. RSVP to Sarah Martinez (518) 462-4775 or pay at the door.

ART IN Saturday June 7, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Family friendly gathering filled with activities for both children and adults. 5×5 inch artworks, $15 each. 12×12 inch artworks, $35 each. Bring your instruments for a music circle in Tricentennial Park. Art activities, food vendors and thematic activities will be available both inside and outside (weather permitting). Free and open to the public.

Night Fire

Posted: March 29th, 2008

Night Fire
Friday May 9, 8 p.m.

In collaboration with Albany Center Gallery, Mayor Jerry Jennings and the City of Albany Present, “Night Fire”, a unique art installation of environmental elements to
commemorate Albany Tulip Festival’s 60th Anniversary.

“Night Fire” is the City of Albany’s latest contemporary project that embarks on an unprecedented uniting of the arts, education and community to present a truly innovative and unique Fire-Art installation project that was inspired by two nationally acclaimed events: Nevada’s Burning Man, and Providence’s Water-Fire. Albany Center Gallery provided curatorial assistance and helped shape the content and visual aesthetics of the exhibit making this new yearly exhibit not only meaningful to Albany, but unique and a must-see.

At sunset on the opening eve of Tulip Festival 2008, “Night Fire” will bloom in Washington Park for an amazing two-hour experience. A locally designed steel sculpture of a Tulip is currently being created by artist Steven Rolf Kroeger and will be “cocooned” within an eco-friendly burnable structure created by artist Torrance Fish. The sculptures will be set afloat onto Washington Park Lake and ignited, slowly unveiling the 15-foot Tulip underneath. The main piece will be positioned in front of the Lake house, along with 6 unique lily pad sculptures, painted by artist Leigh Wen. Each will host its own small flame, creating a visual trail from the Lake House to the landmark foot bridge. All of this will be set to a live string quartet, performing an original composition by Denise Anderson, a composer originally from Albany who received her MA in music composition at NYU.

In celebration of Albany’s renewed sustainable and socially responsible initiatives, all products used to create the sculptures and fire-art are recyclable and/or environmentally safe. They will have no impact on our environment either today or tomorrow. This project will be mentored by an engineer from Zeller International, a group of specialists in Non-toxic Environmental Chemistry. Dr. Gary Zeller, winner of the Academy Award for Scientific Achievement, has agreed to enhance our project with his knowledge of industrial safety standards in pyrotechnics and sustainable development.

This collaboration is a result of local artists, students and businesses working together to enhance an appreciation of the arts, and to contribute to this capital city’s artistic growth. “Night Fire” will become the mark of a new tradition for Albany’s Tulip Festival and continue to be a community inspired art project for years to come.

Public Talk

Posted: March 29th, 2008

You are encouraged to attend a public talk by the juror of the 30th Photography Regional, Jacqueline Hayden, on Saturday April 5 at 5 p.m. at 30 South Pearl, P1 Level, Albany, NY. Click here for directions. Acceptance notification for the 30th Photography Regional will be posted immediately following talk. Accepted works will be posted online at www.albanycentergallery.org, 30 South Pearl Street Building, and at the gallery premise immediately following the talk. The 30th Photography Regional opens April 29 and closes May 31. There will be a soft opening on Friday May 2 in conjuction with 1st Friday. The awards ceremony and main reception will be held on Saturday May 10 starting at 5 p.m.

ABOUT THE JUROR
Jacqueline Hayden, professor of photography and film at Hampshire College, received her M.F.A. from the Yale University School of Art. She has taught on the faculty of the Hartford Art School, Ohio State University and the Chautauqua Institution School of Art. Hayden received a Guggenheim Fellowship and two individual fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts for her work with older models titled Figure Model Series 1991 – 96. She has been an artist-in-residence at the Banff Center for the Arts in Alberta, Canada, and at the American Academy in Rome, Italy, developing her digital series combining older nudes with ancient statuary titled Ancient Statuary Series 1997 – present.

30th Photography Regional Call for Entries

Posted: February 12th, 2008

30th Photography Regional
CALL FOR ENTRIES

ABOUT THE JUROR
Jacqueline Hayden, professor of photography and film at Hampshire College, received her M.F.A. from the Yale University School of Art. She has taught on the faculty of the Hartford Art School, Ohio State University and the Chautauqua Institution School of Art. Hayden received a Guggenheim Fellowship and two individual fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts for her work with older models titled Figure Model Series 1991 – 96. She has been an artist-in-residence at the Banff Center for the Arts in Alberta, Canada, and at the American Academy in Rome, Italy, developing her digital series combining older nudes with ancient statuary titled Ancient Statuary Series 1997 – present.

ELIGIBILITY
Open to artists residing within a 150-mile radius of Albany over the age of 18, professional and non-professional, who use any photographic medium including digital and photo collage. All works must have been completed no earlier than 2006.

ENTRY FEE
$35, or $25 for members of Albany Center Gallery for up to five (5) jpg’s on CD. All entry fees are payable by check, money order or credit card (MC, VISA, AMEX) to Albany Center Gallery.

DELIVERY OF ACCEPTED WORK
Accepted works must be hand delivered April 21 through April 25, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
to Albany Center Gallery•39 Columbia Street Albany NY 12207

Attempts to deliver works after April 25 will not be accepted, no exceptions. Please properly frame accepted artworks, wired to hang. Albany Center Gallery reserves the right to exclude work which in the final presentation does not meet the standard of the show. Artwork must be labeled with an index card on the back, including price or insurance value). Works will be offered for sale. The gallery retains a 25% commission.

SUBMISSIONS
Submit up to five (5) jpg only files on CD-ROM only by March 22. Please know the juror will select no more than three (3) entries by any artist due to space limitation. Label your CD with your contact information. Jpg images should be approximately 300 d.p.i. Size range should not exceed 6”, and should not be smaller than 4”. Please do not exceed 10MB per file. Label each file with last name first, then first name, followed by the entry # (ex. martinezsarah1.jpg). No emails please. Hand deliver or mail entry form and CD Rom to the address given above.

LIABILITIES AND INSURANCE
Albany Center Gallery will insure all works on the premise between the designated drop-off and pickup dates. Albany Center Gallery will not be responsible for the insurance of the work during transportation.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The artist will be responsible for adhering to all deadlines and schedules and for arranging the drop-off and pickup of their work. No work may be removed before the end of the show. Albany Center Gallery accepts no responsibility for work not collected by the pickup deadline. No work may be stored at our facility. If work is shipped, for the return of work artist must have a Fedex Postage prepaid or a prepaid call tag from United Parcel Service or sufficient funds to cover U.S. mail postage, including adequate packaging.

IMPORTANT DATES
Saturday, March 22: Submission Deadline. Please submit up to five (5) jpg files only on CD.

Saturday, April 5, 5 p.m.
Public Talk by juror Jacqueline Hayden at Albany Center Gallery. Acceptance notification posted immediately following talk. Accepted works will be posted online at www.albanycentergallery.org and at the gallery premise immediately following the talk.

April 21 through April 25
Drop-off of selected work

April 29 through May 31
Exhibition Run

Friday, May 2
1st Friday Soft Opening 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Saturday, May 10
Artists Reception, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Awards Ceremony, 6:30 p.m.

June 3 – 4
Pickup between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Pick up artwork from exhibition. Artists who do not pick up work on or before June 4 will be charged $5 per day unless special
arrangements are made. Reminders will not be sent, so please make a special note.

AWARDS
• 1st Prize $500 ($400 cash, and $100 gift certificate) from McGreevy ProLab
• 2nd Prize $250 cash from
Albany Center Gallery
• 3rd Prize $125 cash from
Opalka Gallery at Sage College of Albany
• 6+ Honorable Mentions
worth $50+ in gift certificates or
yearly memberships to some of your
favorite places to visit and shop

PURCHASE PRIZES
• Albany Institute of History & Art
• Photography Center of the Capital District
• University Art Museum, University at Albany

INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
• Digital Artist’s Space, Troy
for digital work(s)
• Galerie BMG, Woodstock

McGreevy ProLab will mount an exhibition of all the prize winners after the 30th Photography Regional

SPECIAL THANKS TO
Arlene’s Artist Materials
Arts Center of the Capital Region
ArtForms
Center for Photography at Woodstock
Certified Framing & Gallery
Clement Frame Shop & Art Gallery
Digital Artist’s Space
Fulton Street Gallery
Galerie BMG
Jacqueline Hayden
McGreevy ProLab
Opalka Gallery at Sage College of Albany
Photography Center of the Capital District
Sara Maria Salamone
Stuyvesant Photo
University Art Museum, University at Albany

Dorothy Englander and Michael Millspaugh Interview

Posted: January 22nd, 2008

David Brickman will be conducting an Artist Interview with Dorothy Englander and Michael Millspaugh on Tuesday February 19 at 7 p.m. Please come to this informative event which is free and open to the public.

DISCARD AVANT GARB

Posted: October 1st, 2007

discard avant garb recycled fashion show
The 2007 Discard Avant Garb Recycled Fashion Show is scheduled for Sunday October 21 at Capital Repertory Theatre. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a preshow by musician Mother Judge, Ed Atkeson’s Puppet Theatre performance, and an award winning act by magician Jeffery Jene. Please know, there will be no seating in the theatre after 7:15 p.m.

General Tickets are $20 per person, VIP Seating is $50 person. Tickets are available for purchase at Albany Center Gallery, Flavour Cafe in Troy, NY. Tickets will also be sold at The Lark Street BID on October 5 during 1st Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The fashion show is a benefit for Albany Center Gallery. Proceeds raised at the after party at Tess’ Lark Tavern will benefit The Chris Ryan Fund. For additional information about Discard Avant Garb, please call (518) 330-0356. General information about the gallery, please call (518) 462-4775.

39 Columbia St.
Albany, NY 12207

P: 518.462.4775

Gallery Hours
Tuesday through Saturday
Noon to 5 p.m.
or by appointment