JULY 2020 Complimentary
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JULY 2020
Portrait of the Artist as...a Fly Fisherman? Adriano Manocchia: His Art, His Passion, His Joy pg. 4 PUBLISHER / FOUNDER Stephanie Sittnick
COPY EDITOR Elisabeth Allen
WEBMASTER
The Many Layers of Maggie Taylor
Tony Rivera
A Quick Eye, a Flatbed Scanner, a Lively Imagination & a Bit of Philosophy
ADVERTISING SALES Stephanie Sittnick - Director of Sales ( 860) 227-8199 advertising@518mag.com
pg. 12
CONTRIBUTORS Carol St.Sauveur Ferris, Karen Richman, Rona Mann Chandler Stevens, Lawrence White, Kirsten Ferguson, Susan Brink, Vanessa G. Ahern, Joseph Raucci, Adirondack Winery, North Meadow Farm, Crystal Cobert Giddens
Everson Museum of Art An Upstate Treasure Both Inside and Out
COVER PHOTO “Colors" by Adriano Manocchia
pg. 20
WELCOME BACK NEW YORK!!! The doors are reopening in our beautiful state and the days are moving forward in a positive direction. Store owners are ready for their customers to once again stop by and browse their shops. The restaurants are prepared for your visit and to enjoy your favorite meals that you’ve missed so much. It is an exciting time for sure! For the past three months 518 PROFILES has run the publication as online only but it is good to be back in print!!! This July issue is a special one for sure. The Stories are filled with passion, the love of the arts and following your dreams. We hope you will enjoy them as much as we do. As always, our goal is to deliver authentic, and unique content about creative people and interesting places. 518 PROFILES is the place to connect with your favorite artisans and small businesses throughout New York and abroad. All of us at 518 PROFILES are so excited to deliver this issue to you. Enjoy!
Carol Brady, June Cleaver, and Lisa David Sense Memory, Fresh Air, Button Candy, & Those Adirondack Mountains! pg. 30
ENCORE Upstate Beat
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Super Dark Shines On
Guest Writer Stephanie Sittnick Founder / Publisher
pg. 38
An Evolution of Facial Expressions
On the Farm
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Comics, Candy, and Life Lessons, All At Salerno’s
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Season's Almost Here - 19"x20.5" - oil
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Portrait of the Artist as...a Fly Fisherman? Adriano Manocchia: His Art, His Passion, His Joy by Rona Mann talent for composition and light and knowing how to put the two together to create world class, yet simple fine art oil paintings.
He’s a little bit Rocky, mixed with a healthy dose of Henry David Thoreau and topped off by a sprinkling of Mario Andretti. The end result is a realistic, talented, human being who’s just a “guy” known as Adriano Manocchia. Ask him who he is, and he’ll readily tell you, “I don’t like labels.” Kudos to him, for Manocchia is a fly fisherman, an appreciator of all things in nature, and an extraordinary replicator of same through his considerable
Manocchia, who lives quietly on a farm in Cambridge (“just six miles from Vermont”), has never forgotten his roots; he is firmly shaped by his early days spent hanging out on the streets of the Bronx when his only dream for the future was to be a race car driver. He loved cars then and still does, following Formula One and Indy cars worldwide. Adriano’s father was a foreign correspondent, covering sports for international periodicals and television. Frequently, his young son accompanied him on assignments, like the time they went to a soccer match held at Yankee Stadium during the off-season. Probably to keep him busy, his father handed Adriano a camera and said, “Here, take pictures.” The boy complied, taking several rolls, including one shot of soccer phenom, Pele´ which later
was published in an Italian newspaper. Seeing his photo in print was the start of Adriano’s love affair with photography. “I got hooked. I went to college to please my Italian parents and picked up photography. I freelanced for everyone, worked for the International Women’s Garment workers, followed race cars all over the world, and after a while got burnt out from all the traveling.” During one of his many trips, Manocchia found himself in Phoenix where he and his wife, Teresa visited the Heard Museum and
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A Good Hiding Place - 9 3/4" x 23 1/2” oil took in an exhibit from the Cowboy Artists of America. Their magnificent body of work ignited something in him, compelling him to want to try his hand at painting as well. When asked what made him think he could easily make the artistic leap from photography to painting, he quickly answered with a laugh, “Stupidity, arrogance, ignorance. But I understood composition, and they are both all about composition.” Manocchia was now living in New Rochelle where he “spent a year in the library reading every art book I could. I also went to the art store and realized I didn’t like acrylics or water colors. I decided I wanted to paint in oils.”
Adriano had never painted before, but this is a man who possesses a tenacity and firm resolve. “I was always able to do whatever I wanted to do.” About this same time he met Ted, a retired teacher and first-rate fly fisherman who has since become one of his closest friends. “He taught me to think like a fish.” An examination of Adriano’s art reveals there is always something about the water that draws this man, beguiles him, seduces him into creating the depth and color his work possesses. Manocchia became consumed with fishing, but unlike Ted, his bait was the light of the early morning, the fog that sometimes hung low over a river or pond, the configuration of the clouds above,
Right On The Money - Adirondacks 10.5" x 17" oil
Late In The Angler's Season - Battenkill - 10 1/2" x 24" oil
Perfect Day - 14" x 20" oil and the birds who flew below, skimming the water. Adriano would first photograph the scene, then later go back and paint from that image. “I just cannot set up an easel for a half hour and stand there,” he said, the restless side of the artist emerging. The boy from the Bronx has done a complete 180 from the early days
when he thought he’d like to live as an artist in Manhattan. “It’s so expensive now, I don’t know how anyone does it. All that noise, all that chaos. What a strange way to live your life,” he muses. Manocchia now lives his life by choice, simply and quietly with Teresa on their farm in Cambridge. His canvas is the vastness of the outdoors, so he is never without, nor lacks inspiration. His oils reflect the simple joys of hunting, fishing, wildlife, nature, “and now I’m back trying my hand at marinescapes,”he offers. He admits to having many “aha moments” as he wanders through nature, “but not every ‘aha moment’ translates into a painting.” These days Manocchia works primarily on commission and through his own website, rather
Above - In the Deep Cut - 12" x 18" oil Below - My Favorite Stretch - 9.5" x 24" oil
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In The Countryside - 12" x 18" oil than exhibiting in galleries as he had in the past. He is a man very much at home in his own skin, working daily in his studio at the farm, wading through waters with Ted in search not just of fish (“I have never purposely killed, I catch and release”), but of the perfect light, the perfect composition, the perfect moment when a slice of nature aligns through his eyes.
After the Morning Ride - 24"x36" oil
So, where will this 69 year old treasure venture next to capture the outdoors? “I can find total joy in a stream that’s only six miles away in Vermont, I love fishing on the Battenkill, photographing the coast of Maine with its tiny fishing villages, and I’d love to go to Africa. I just want to go anywhere that’s beautiful,” he says pausing for a moment to reflect and one suspects, to revel. It is easy to assume that Adriano Manocchia, the man as well as the artist, spends a good bit of his time reveling and appreciating all that is beautiful. For Adriano Manocchia it appears that anywhere outside his doorway is beautiful
Early Morning Visitor - 36" x 24" oil and stirs his emotions. Where an animal runs free in the light of a new day just being born on the horizon, you will find him. Where a fish rises, he will be there as well. And when the light is veiled by a thin gauze of fog, it is a safe bet that Adriano Manocchia will be there as well, adding yet another layer of color. “I look at what I do, I’m just a simple painter. I don’t think my work will change the world, but I hope it inspires others like it has me.”
Morning Workout - 24" x 36" oil
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After The Limit - 25"x30" - oil It is then, a conundrum, much as the man himself, who has the eye to see a painting long before the ďŹ rst brushstroke meets the canvas, who has the patience to watch a ďŹ sh slowly surface, and yet has a quietly wild streak within that forces him – empowers him - to move on. Does the man make the art, or does the art make this man? This kid from the Bronx holding a camera in one hand, a paintbrush in the other, restlessly rushing forward toward a river while relishing a dream. Embrace the panoramas, feel the emotion of Adrianno Manocchia by visiting: www.adriano-art.com (518) 677-5744 adriano@adriano-art.com
Summer Magic - 24" x 36" oil
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GET DIRTY x CLASSES for ADULTS x SUMMER CAMPS x Have FUN x Make ART www.saratogaclayarts.org x Make FRIENDS
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The menagerie
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The Many Layers of Maggie Taylor A Quick Eye, a Flatbed Scanner, a Lively Imagination & a Bit of Philosophy by Rona Mann The trouble with labels is that they tend to pigeon-hole people into unrealistic categories, and there they sit, mired in a bunch of words that are then supposed to define and compartmentalize them. This is especially true of artists who are labeled, “oil painters,” “water colorists,” “illustrators,” and that label is carved out to give us all Cliff’s Notes of who they are and what they create. Maggie Taylor is different. She cannot be pigeon-holed, her art cannot be labeled, even by the artist herself; for her work is a constant celebration and evolution of her past experiences. Even she doesn’t know when she sits down to work where the myriad of snippets in her folder is going to direct her. She is often as surprised by where her images take her as those who view the unique and stunning end result. There was no preparation for this life making “layer cakes.” Taylor’s career just seemed to evolve from past experiences and shared memories of a young girl growing into womanhood and finding her passion. Maggie was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. As her 12th birthday neared, the family moved to South Florida where the young girl grew up in and around the water. “There were always boats,” she begins. “Small boats, larger boats, sailboats, but I always
remember we had boats.” And of course being South Florida, there was always the beach and snorkeling and swimming. “But I don’t remember art being a part of my life Dreaming with open eyes back then. I never even went to a museum until my senior year of high school, still I never saw art as a career.” What Taylor did see was an undergraduate education at Yale where she signed on for a variety and wide berth of courses because it was not required to declare a major until junior year. When that time finally arrived, Maggie chose philosophy as her major because she had already elected a number of courses in philosophy, among them philosophy of art and architecture and thoroughly enjoyed them. She also started taking photography classes because a friend who was doing that very same thing assured her “there was no reading in the course. You just had to wander around New Haven and take photos,” Taylor laughed. So the young woman and her camera began walking...around the famous Green near Yale,
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around the downtown streets, and into the neighborhoods redolent with enticing aromas coming from the famous Italian restaurants and pizza hangouts. Maggie quickly realized she was not good at photographing people, but instead found her passion and acumen in photographing “strange objects in people’s yards – funky stuff.” A professor at Yale recognized Taylor’s unique talent and helped her secure a job interning that
summer at a New York City photo gallery on 57th Street. “Even though I was there as an intern, they offered me money to help catalog a massive collection of photographs. I measured, took notes, helped at openings, and loved every minute of it,” Taylor said. “My goal, then, was to simply get a degree in photo history and secure a museum job. I had no idea how far it was going to take me.” Where it took Taylor next was a year in Boston where she worked at the Architecture Library at Harvard. She followed this with an MFA Degree in Photography from the University of Florida where she also received an assistantship in Art History and, “I wound up marrying one of the professors! There were three professors for six grad students, and we were encouraged to pretty much do what we wanted. It was an experimental program where we were painting on photos, ripping them up, them putting them back together, so long as we were actively working at our craft, everyone got an A in the course.” Maggie started working in still life, photographing old toys, vintage fabrics, various and sundry pieces from her early years that she had retained. All her work then was created with an old 4’ x 5’ studio camera. She printed the images and started selling them herself, a direction that lasted for the next eight years. When she saw the new world of digital prints she was intrigued and completely smitten, becoming enamored of the work by Boston artist, Olivia Parker. Parker had begun her career as a painter, yet photography captured her eye and she became self taught, experimenting with endless possibilities of light. In the early 1990s after also working with large format cameras as Taylor had done, Parker turned her attention to the computer, meeting the digital age head-on. Maggie’s then-husband, Jerry Uelsmann, was also on the cutting edge, having developed darkroom effects that foreshadowed the new possibilities afforded by Adobe Photoshop. Brothers Thomas and John Knoll, who are credited with authoring Adobe Photoshop, actually came to Jerry, seeking his expertise. Maggie began in earnest to teach herself this “new” art, creating surrealistic images and realizing early on, “it was fun!” She has since eschewed the bulky cameras of old, solely using her cell phone to take photographs. Then using a flatbed scanner top, she puts objects on it,
Teetotum
The nest
What remains
Surrounded
Anything but a regular bee
Time traveler
You're a little goose
The concert
16 and books she has produced is a veritable homage to this classic. What started in her own words “as a lark” has grown to a body of work that perfectly delights and defines this artist. She has produced two books of these Alice and Through the Looking Glass layered images, in total investing seven years of her life in their production. One wonders if perhaps long ago Maggie Taylor fell down a special rabbit hole destined solely for her and thus never recovered from her adventures in her own personal, creative Wonderland. Taylor ’s work today is consistently exhibited in galleries around the country, as well as throughout the world. “I’ve been with most of these galleries a long time,” she adds. “They ‘get’ me.” The artist enjoys being “gotten” because there’s a piece of who she is in everything she creates. “I have always believed that every artist’s work is self-portraiture on some level.” And what about that degree in Philosophy from Yale? What has that done for this artist? “Philosophy taught me to be a student of human nature, and that makes me good at what I do.”
one at a time, creating a layer. She primarily works with daguerreotypes and tintypes, ones generally spanning the period from 1850-1870, with each image taking anywhere from several weeks to many months depending upon her inspiration. “I’ve been doing this now since 1998 – a body of 22 years - and the work just flows,” Taylor adds. Unlike many artists, Maggie does not start with a sketch. “I have many, many folders of things. I’m not well organized,” she laughs. “I never really know what I’m going to do until I do it. I have a whole folder of failures, but sooner or later, something clicks.” What has “clicked” with critics and fans alike is Taylor’s fascination, nay, obsession, with Alice in Wonderland and the images, illustrations,
Most mornings at her central Florida home begin the same way. The artist hits the warm morning air and goes out for a run, then procures a large iced coffee, and sits down at the computer where she looks, reacts, experiments, adds, subtracts, and almost always creates those layers. But she waits for that “something to click,” and then she’s working, doing what she loves to do. Her goal is to keep doing it, to keep going because, “when you finish, it’s really a big deal, making prints from images. It’s very satisfying. But then the moment of horror comes when you wonder, what’s next?” Happily, there has always been a “next” for this artist who can find hours of enjoyment in carefully putting images together, layer after layer. This, then, is Maggie Taylor…. photographer, artist, dreamer, imagineer, architect, philosopher, baker of “layer cakes.” A multi-layered, curious sort indeed. Much like her work. You can visit Maggie’s body of work at www.maggietaylor.com
He was part of my dream
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The Laffer Gallery 518.695.3181 | 96 Broad Street Schuylerville, NY
We have reopened with “A Cultivated Vision” featuring artists Robert Moylan, Tracy Helgeson and Regina Wickham. We’re excited to inch toward a new normal and look forward to showcasing new work and seeing each of you soon. We are taking the required measures to disinfect the gallery in order to help keep everyone safe and healthy. Face Coverings will be required for entry. If you would like a private showing, please email or call to schedule a time. Wednesday - Sunday 12pm - 5pm
A Cultivated Vision June 13 - July 26
THELAFFERGALLERY.COM
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A Fresh New Start
We may be doing business a little dierently these days, but you can still count on Sweet Mimi’s Cafe for delicious to-go breakfast, lunch and bakery items made from the freshest ingredients.
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Installation view of "Walled Unwalled" (2018) by Lawrence Abu Hamdan. Photo by Victor Rivera
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Everson Museum of Art An Upstate Treasure Both Inside and Out by Carol St.Sauveur Ferris Museums are like life-size jewelry boxes, filled with historical and artistic gems from both past and present. They tell the story of mankind’s evolution with papers, photographs, artifacts, videos, sculpture, pottery, ceramics and paintings. They also serve as vital cultural, entertainment and educational destinations for the local community and general public. Most major cities boast at least one. And lucky for Syracuse, New York, it is home to the Everson Museum of Art. The museum was founded in 1897 by George Fisk Comfort and was originally known as the Syracuse Museum of Fine Art. By 1911, the museum decided to exclusively focus on collecting American Art. And in 1917, the museum purchased a collection of porcelains from Syracuse potter Adelaide Alsop Robineau, who is considered one of America’s finest ceramists. Over the years, additional Robineau pieces were acquired and a series of Ceramic Exhibitions were held at the museum. These
exhibitions enabled the museum to expand its collection, further distinguishing itself as a national curator of American Art, and amassing one of the largest collections of ceramic art in the country. In the early years, the Syracuse Museum of Fine Art occupied several different buildings and outgrew each one. In 1947, this inspired Helen S. Everson, a Syracuse resident and patron of the arts, to bequeath a pearl necklace and $1,000,000.00 to the city to establish a permanent building for the art museum. In 1949, the Everson Corporation was founded and after some legal challenges, it merged with the Museum of Fine Art in 1959. At long last, a groundbreaking took place in 1965 leading to the grand opening of the iconic Everson Museum of Art. The 60,000 square foot Everson Museum of Art is located in downtown Syracuse as part of a 3-acre site extending the existing Community Plaza.
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Designed by renowned architect, I.M. Pei, it was his first museum design and is credited with launching his incredible career. The landmark building was dubbed a “work of art for works of art”. The distinctive structure with its four interconnecting, cantilevered boxes, each of a different size surrounding an atrium sculpture-court, houses nine galleries, a 300-seat auditorium, Architect, I.M. Pei classrooms, print room, research library, meeting room, lounge and administrative offices. The unique geometric design invites you to seek and experience this extraordinary building both inside and out.
In his own words, Pei shared his view on form and function in architecture. “To me, form doesn’t always follow function. Form has a life of its own, and at times, it may be the motivating force in design. When you’re dealing with form as a sculptor, you feel that you are quite free in attempting to mold and shape things you want to do, but in architecture, it’s much more difficult because it has to have a function.” Pei achieved both with his robust design. He also believed that “The essence of architecture is form and space, and light is the essential element to the key to architectural design, probably more important than anything. Technology and materials are secondary.” Pei’s monumental, circular staircase in the museum’s atrium sculpture court is a well-articulated nod to form, space and light. And though secondary in importance to Pei, he and his team actually paid close attention to detail. For example, using poured in-place concrete mixed with local granite aggregate, the wall surfaces were then diagonally bush-hammered to conceal joints and to highlight the granite’s pink hue. The sum total of the architectural design and the materials used to sculpt the building, seamlessly solved the needs of the museum while distinguishing it as a monumental sculpture in its own right.
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The Everson Museum of Art houses approximately 11,000 works of American Art including paintings, works on paper, ceramics, photographs, sculpture, videos, and decorative arts. The ceramics collection is central to the museum’s permanent collection and features more than 6,000 objects. Adelaide Alsop Robineau’s intricately detailed Scarab Vase, which was awarded first prize at the Turin International, has anchored the collection since its acquisition in 1916. This delicate porcelain vase measures 16 5/8” x 5” and is known as the Mona Lisa of ceramics.
The museum’s recently completed goal to photograph and digitize this priceless piece and the majority of their permanent collection was made possible by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. Now the museum archives are publicly accessible and offer a searchable database for artists, collectors, students and scholars. This effort is the precursor to the museum’s ultimate goal to reinstall the ceramics collection into a newly renovated space and create a world class Ceramics Researcher Center in the near future. Everson’s extensive collection of 700 American paintings spans two centuries and includes an impressive array of recognized artists including 19th century painters Edward Hicks and Jane Peterson; Early Modernists Robert Henri and John Sloan; and MidCentury painters Andrew Wyeth and Jackson Pollock. Landscapes of New York State by New York State artists are well represented as well including the works of Sanford
Edward Hicks, The Peaceable Kingdom, ca 1840-44 Oil on wood panel, 35 x 41 inches
Adelaide Alsop Robineau’s Scarab Vase Gifford and Levi Wells Prentice. The colorful canvasses of Al Held and Helen Frankenthaler are representative of a number of other artists’ work from 1960’s Abstractionists. Significant paintings, photographs and multimedia works by 1980’s artists of note including Cindy Sherman, Les Levine, Nancy Spero and Jean-Michel Basquiat are part of the vast collection. And lastly, over 200 sculptures from the 20th century by many well-known artists including Claus Oldenberg, Leila Katzen, Sol Lewitt and Mary Frank add to the depth and breadth of the museum’s world-class collection. Everson’s exhibitions both past and present, are fascinating, hip and educational. Back in
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From Funk to Punk 2018, From Funk to Punk: Left Coast Ceramics was a very cool exhibition featuring California, Washington and Oregon ceramists to present the real and perceived differences between the East and West coast art communities. The Funk part of the exhibit was indicative of the counter-culture movement of the 60’s. Just like so many artists of that era, including pop artist Andy Warhol and neo-Dadaist Jasper Johns, ceramists explored and expressed the political and social views of the times, creating bold and non-traditional pieces. The Punk part of the exhibit demonstrated the in-your-face attitude that spawned graffiti art, Neo-Expressionist painting and graphic art in the 1970’s and beyond. More recently, a magnificent exhibition titled Jim Ridlon: The Garden, featured colorful abstract paintings ranging in size from 4’x 6’ to 8’x 12’ by the artist, Jim Ridlon. His fascinating journey leading up to his artistic career included a six-year stint playing NFL football for the San Francisco 49ers and two years with the Dallas Cowboys. During his football years, Ridlon completed his MFA and went on to be a professor at the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University for 35 years. During this time he became an internationally recognized artist and has shown in many museums and galleries. The Garden series on view at the Everson, depicts gardens Ridlon visited across Central New York at different times of day, during different seasons with varying weather conditions. He painted them on paper then later cut them into pieces at his studio where he used them as a palette for collage. The pieces are individually glued to canvas creating a large scale, collage painting. The textured result is evocative and a meditative “reflection of a day of color and light passing from morning to evening”.
Renegades and Reformers: American Art Pottery Currently, Renegades and Reformers: American Art Pottery is on view. A perfect example of a renegade was Adelaide Alsop Robineau whose works launched the Everson collection. An experienced china painter, Robineau defied the social norms for women of her era and began to throw pots which was considered a men’s only pursuit. Ironically she became the first American potter to be awarded a top prize at an international design exposition - all while being female. And Reformers in the ceramic arts followed the lead of Syracuse furniture maker, Gustav Stickley, by eliminating the complicated adornments of the Victorian era and simplifying the design of their vessels. Without a doubt, Renegades and Reformers continue to make their mark and define our culture today. In addition to fascinating exhibitions of American Art and Ceramics, the Everson offers a variety of programs for educators, families and adults. For example, iPhonography is a series of classes for individuals of all ages interested in learning iPhone photography basics. Yoga with heART is a Saturday drop-in class that encourages attendees to “open their heart space in this alignment-based yoga class and connect your body with the art that surrounds you”. Open Studio Time provides space for adults to bring in their media and create with others in a community environment. And Sunday Funday invites families to explore the museum, enjoy some storytelling and even create some art. While the pandemic forced the museum to temporarily close its doors, their digital experience at www.everson.org is alive and well. Virtual Programming and Tours online provide an impressive selection of creative opportunities including virtual tours of past and present exhibitions, and in-depth study sessions. With the advent of Zoom business meetings, classrooms and even Zoom happy hours, the Everson now offers downloadable backgrounds to give your on-screen presence a unique touch. And their weekly blog is an excellent read offering the opportunity to learn more about recent acquisitions and selected pieces from their permanent collection, as well as a glimpse into the archives covering all sorts of art, art history and behind the scenes museum happenings. Whether virtual or actual, a visit to the Everson Museum of Art promises to be fun, informative and definitely worth your time. Everson Museum of Art 401 Harrison St, Syracuse, NY 13202 www.everson.org
Exhibition, Jim Ridlon: The Garden
Bandaloop performance during the 2019 ArtsWeek. Photo by Julie Herman
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Despite the disappointment of all the lost shows—including the cancellation of prominent showcases at SXSW, the famed indie music festival in Austin, Texas, the Super Dark crew shifted focus. Known for hosting great music acts like Hudson Valley shoegaze outfit, Shana Falana and indie-rock legend, Lou Barlow, Super Dark turned to other artistic ventures—from a podcast and video series to a virtual reality room, now in beta testing.
Super Dark Shines On By Kirsten Ferguson After the coronavirus forced the cancellation of live performances, the arts collective rebounded with a podcast, video series, and more. In early March, Super Dark Collective hosted its last free concert series of spring at Desperate Annie’s, a bar in downtown Saratoga Springs. The showcase offered a typically diverse lineup for the arts collective, with krautrock from Toronto sandwiched between art-punk from New York City and synth-trash from Troy. But then the COVID-19 crisis hit, forcing the cancellation of shows the collective had booked weeks and months in advance at Desperate Annie’s every Monday and Thursday, along with Fridays at Pint Sized bar in Albany. “Our reaction was pretty immediate,” says Bobby Carlton, one of the collective’s core members, along with Shane Sanchez, Chris Brown, Sarah Darby, and Gary Ziroli. “We knew with so much else canceling that it was serious. We had just finished putting together 15 showcases with over 200 bands for South by Southwest (SXSW). Once that canceled, everything really started erupting globally.”
“If you look at the mission statement of Super Dark, we’re a creative organization that provides a platform or space for anyone who has an artistic approach to what they do,” Carlton says. “We wanted to continue to provide that immersive experience through audio, video, and other technologies—that was important to us.” Founded in 2013, Super Dark Collective sprang from a mind-meld by close friends and local musicians who wanted to promote events and share creative projects from upstate New York and beyond. “Everybody has a different role,” says Carlton. “Shane is the main guy—it’s his vision. He handles much of the booking and the direction of where Super Dark goes.” The roots for the collective started in a public access television show launched years ago by Sanchez and Brown, a video production guru, and recently resurrected as a Super Dark Home Video series on YouTube. “Chris and I have been making videos since we were in tenth grade,” says Sanchez. “The first season of Super
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Dark Home Video is 10 years worth of footage compiled and collaged from us documenting the Albany music scene at the time. Gary and I have worked together and have been frequent collaborators for a very long time, whether it’s music or short films, horror movies or weird sketches.” Gary Ziroli now runs the Super Dark podcast and radio show at Skidmore College radio, WSPN 91.1. (currently on hold due to the pandemic). Sarah Darby is involved in live streaming and a Super Dark zine, while Chris Brown oversees video. Carlton manages legal, logistic, and financial matters like contracts and agreements. John Olander and John Gill handle sound and lights during live shows, and Paul Coleman engineers recordings for a Super Dark Records label.
The future of Super Dark is a multimedia one. “We are focusing on the Super Dark Home Video series, and we have a new zine coming out,” says Sanchez. “Bobby’s working on virtual reality stuff. For our next endeavor, we’re starting to focus a little more on Super Dark Records, which houses the music projects of all our affiliates: acts like Blood Blood Blood, Mr. Cancelled, Madeline Darby, and Sinkcharmer. And we are officially releasing an album from [local synth group] Architrave on cassette.” As the collective explores new realms, the potential for showcasing area art through the immersive digital realm of virtual reality is an exciting one. “I will be putting together the Super Dark Collective Virtual Reality Show,” says Carlton, a technology consultant in the VR field. “We will host them through a space called AltspaceVR. It will be an hour-long show hosted by Super Dark Collective, and we’ll be playing bands and videos and giving them an outlet in
virtual reality with people from all over the world jumping in and checking out the bands.” For now, the future of live shows remains “a mystery” says Sanchez. The caution relates to a desire to make Super Dark a welcoming and safe place for everyone. “We do not want anyone in danger,” Carlton adds. “We’re about providing a safe environment for people. We support everyone, as long as you’re not a Nazi. We’re strong allies of Black Lives Matter and the LGBT community. We welcome everyone unless you’re a racist or a sexist—then you’ll never play a show for us. We want to be part of that loud voice of the community, where people are standing up because it’s the right thing to do.” Visit: www. superdarkcollective.com
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Photo by Stephanie Sittnick
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Carol Brady, June Cleaver, and Lisa David Sense Memory, Fresh Air, Button Candy, & Those Adirondack Mountains! by RONA MANN the long-shuttered Frontier Town. David is nothing if not a creator, an observer, and an appreciator of life, both past and present and translates those feelings to her canvas every chance she gets.
Dishes Done, 16” x 16” Oil
Lisa David is an artist living and working in the Capital District, but in reality she lives in a world of black and white TV filled with “perfect” sitcom moms who wear shirtwaist dresses even while cooking, have “perfect” children, and perpetually happy endings. She also likes the songs sung by Bing Crosby and the music of Glenn Miller, though she was not even born when they were popular.
Like a successful actor, Lisa David creates her art in a world of sense memory, a kind of emotional recall. Everything perceived, interpreted, and felt in life is filtered through our five senses and then stored away in our subconscious. It may be the sound of a ticking clock, rain pelting down onto one’s face, a feeling of fear, or the satisfaction of having made a snowman at age six. Our imagination is fueled by life experiences, and the success of an artist like Lisa David is powered by her willingness to use such sense memory and recall to bring alive this vintage work. Her painting of a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich not only evokes memories of childhood but makes the observer smell the redolent peanut butter, then fairly taste the jelly
Lisa David fairly squeals at the mention of Sugar Daddys, candy buttons, Mary Janes, sugar babies, and razzies, those penny candies of toothaches past. She loves the old and creates it anew from her home in Ballston Lake or her Adirondack log cabin getaway in North Hudson, a cabin built as homage to the man from whom her family bought the land, the man who built
Home Made Memories, 12” x 16” Oil
Waiting, 8” x 8” Oil
as it slips down from the bread. Yes, she paints food and vintage candy, but she also likes to take you back to the school rooms of 60 or more years ago. Old fashioned pencil sharpeners, book covers, water fountains pepper her
Cold Lunch, 8” x 8” Oil
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Powdered, 16”x16” Oil
Tub O'Soda, 10” x 10” Oil collections. To ensure accuracy, the artist says, “I buy vintage stuff, rather than take a photograph. I find a lot of my inspiration from things I get at the flea market.” The result is Lisa David’s vintage work makes the viewer not only remember, but relive experiences and emotions. This in its purest form is sense memory.
David’s own memories began with her growing up in Clifton Park, “one of four kids in the family. My father was a brilliant scientist (now a retired brilliant scientist), and my mother drank her way through it all, but that was sort of the ‘Madmen’ way of life back then,” she relates, referencing the popular television period drama depicting the ‘60s. “I was okay with it,” David continues, “I used to pretend our life was like The Brady Bunch or Leave it to Beaver, and my mother was Carol Brady or June Cleaver. I’m not sure what ‘normal’ was, I’m still trying to find it,” she laughs.
No Hands!, 12” x12” Oil Library, 7” x 8” Oil
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Stewart's Make Your Own, 12” x 12” Oil
Morning, 8"x 8" Oil
Trip, 8"x 8" Oil
Book Covers, 8” x 8” Oil
Who's Thirsty?, 10" x 10" Oil
Up To Chilson, 8” x 16” Oil She spent her childhood making cards; and later, her high school years involved a penchant for photography. Following graduation from SUNY Potsdam where she had concentrated in Photography and Pottery, Lisa immediately went on to establish a successful pottery company in New Baltimore. No small boutique studio this, but a full-on enterprise with sales reps nationwide and a much-prized cover of Family Circle Magazine, she kept the business going for more than 18 years until spinal surgery from “all that bending over wedging clay,” took her life in yet another direction. David went back to school, this time getting her M.S. degree in Art Education from the College of St. Rose and then
Sacred View, 12” x 24” Oil
returning to Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, where she herself had been a student so many years before. This time she returned as an art teacher and continues to enjoy working with young people, developing their creative skills, and having fun right along with them as they explore their budding talents. “I love to make art with them every day.” She was also challenged early on by the highly accomplished landscape painter Peter Fiore, a teacher at the School of Visual Arts in New York. “He told me, I challenge you to do 100 paintings right in a row. After that, you will know who you are.” David accepted the challenge, completed the assignment, and now picks a
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First Star Adirondack Camp Fire, 8"x 8" Oil different theme for her body of work each summer. “This summer it will be ‘Nature,’” Lisa says. “The quarantine has made me appreciate more of all the things you can do outside.” David is constantly exploring and unearthing new and often wondrous dimensions of her talent and speaks both with great respect and affection for her friend and mentor, Audrey Romano, who helped her embark upon this journey. “She is a local treasure, a Morning 8"x 8" Oil very accomplished artist in her own right who has a painting studio. She really ‘got’ me and my vintage stuff right from the beginning. I studied with her for a few months because I wanted to get some points on working with oils. I had never done it before and needed some technical help because I didn’t want to be an amateur. I wanted to be the very best at what I did. After those few intense months, it was time to go on my own.”
Entering the Adirondacks, 13"x 13" Oil camping trips to the Adirondacks together. Her work is about re-call and re-experience, the very stimulus of sense memory. It is imagination fueled by life experience, which is what makes the art of Lisa David so viewable, so memorable, so unique, and something you cannot easily forget. Take some time to visit David’s website, it may just be the best time you spend today. You may be stopped in your tracks or crack a smile when you see the title of her blog: LISA DAVID, ARTIST – Wait, I’m an artist? You sure are, lady. You sure are...with just a little bit of Carol Brady thrown in. To contact Lisa David and see her remarkable and unique body of work, visit: www.lisadavidart.com
Lisa’s oils have given her portfolio a whole new dimension, as most of them are concentrated on the rural Adirondack land she calls her second home. Mountains, lakes, trails, abandoned sheds...if they have caught her eye, they are caught on her canvas. David is at her best in a solitary setting, at one with nature, and her North Hudson getaway provides all she needs. Her use of oils is minimalist, giving a dreamy, gauze-like quality to much of her plein air work. Even a mountain setting, a lake, or a forest somehow evokes sense memory in the viewer, transporting those who appreciate this work to perhaps another place in their time and experience. In that sense, the work of Lisa David is transformative. Although still in her 50s, Lisa David is an old soul. Much of her art is old school, depicting both happy and reflective times, and images that are all at once a lost memory are brought to the forefront and become totally relatable. It speaks to David’s love of simpler times, of whole families sitting down to eat together or fight together or go on
Schroon Lake Boats 16" x 20", Oil
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INSTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT>>
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An Evolution of Facial Expressions By Crystal Cobert Giddens Photos by One Golden Thread
We’re beginning to open up. Restaurants are ready to serve their patrons. Retail establishments are allowing small groups of customers into their stores. Soon, we will be watching a game from the stadium instead of our couch, and hopefully our children will be returning to schools in the fall. There will be one major change. We will be covering our faces. Companies are changing their policies regarding coming into work sick. You may be required to have your temperature checked while you verbally answer a dozen or so questions regarding your whereabouts and the health of your family and friends. You’ll also need to wear a face mask. Public gatherings will now require you to bring your own PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) or you may not be allowed to attend. Hair salons and barber shops are setting up their work spaces with barriers to protect themselves and you. Additionally, you will have to accept new practices of pacing out appointments, asking you to wait in your car, plexiglass walls, chairs 6-8 feet apart, and no more water or coffee stations. They’re wearing masks and possibly shields as an additional safety precaution. You, the customer, are required to wear a mask just to walk in their doors. My last hair appointment was canceled in early March due to the mandatory, statewide closure. It’s now been twenty-five weeks. I normally go every six weeks, so I have basically missed four appointments. Twenty-five weeks worth of regrowth, gray hair, and split ends. Ugh. I took the first appointment my stylist offered me. No hesitation… just “Yes, I’ll be there.” My appointment was then confirmed via text with a nice little message, “Please cancel if you are ill. MASKS ARE REQUIRED.” Awesome. Wonderful. Yes, I’ll comply. I’m so excited!! It was very warm, over 90 degrees outside and really hot under that mask when I walked in. I had my temperature checked and was asked if I had traveled, was I ill, or did I know anyone that was ill. I instinctively pulled at my mask to answer those questions and then quickly put it back where it belongs. I wore it, but found myself fidgeting with it from the second I sat in the chair. It’s a little warm under that mask. I can’t imagine how hot it is for the person cutting your hair. Having someone behind me, talking to me, and me not being able to see their face in the mirror made it difficult to communicate. I found myself asking her to repeat herself. I couldn’t “hear” everything she was saying because I couldn’t read her lips nor her facial expressions. The normal expressions thrown between us as she was eliminating inches of my hair wasn’t there. I couldn’t read her face. I needed that
reassuring smile that comes when you look down and see four inches of hair laying on the ground. I need that in my life. I need those cues to help me evaluate and read a situation or conversation. There have been many studies in Asian countries where society has required the use of facial masks due to environmental pollutants and SARS. Researchers estimate that anywhere between 65 - 93% of the emotional meaning of messages are communicated through vocal pitch, rate and volume, and nonverbal cues like posture, gestures, and facial expressions. There are seven basic emotions that are recognized across all cultures and communicated, primarily by our facial expressions. These are fear, surprise, sadness, happiness, anger, contempt, and disgust. Fear, as an example, is identified in the upper region of the face, specifically the eyes and eyebrows. Have you ever heard the phrase, “I could see the whites of his eyes?” This is due to the eyes widening and the eyebrows being raised during moments of fear and uncertainty. Happiness is a different story. We generally believe happiness is communicated with a simple smile. However, it’s easy to fake a smile, as we see many times throughout our daily interactions. It is extremely difficult for humans to artificially engage the cheek muscles and the “crow’s feet” at the corners of the eyes that indicate true happiness. When we fake a smile, humans are naturally drawn to that smile. That “fake” smile distracts us from interpreting the true emotion, and we get a “false reading” of the current situation. Phones, emails, and texting have further weakened our ability to decipher emotions. We use emojis so that we can visually contextualize our typed message. How many times have you added a heart or a thumb’s up to someone on social media to make sure you get your feelings across? I wonder if we will develop different facial cues… an evolution of facial expressions, perhaps? Conversations may be a little slower as we scan the unmasked regions of the face for nonverbal clues that will reveal how the other feels about our message. We will probably be slower and more thoughtful in our reactions to people’s cues. Maybe we should really “open up.” New skill perhaps? I think we’re going to make a lot more eye contact in the months to come.
Crystal Cobert Giddens, LE and owner of FACES on Beekman Street ~ Organic Skin Therapy Studio 30 Beekman St, Saratoga Springs, NY www.facesonbeekman.com
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Nine Wild “Girls,” Plus One The Whimsical, Wonderful Origin of North Meadow Farm by Lysa Cross
It all started with a “Bucket List” made by Lysa Cross when she was only 13 years old. One of her wishes was to work on a real farm for a week. That dream was finally realized five years ago this coming June. In March of 2014, Lysa lost her husband of 26 years to liver cancer. The same year her job of 25 years came to an end, as her employers moved back to Canada. Also, that very same year, Lysa was diagnosed with lung cancer, and her middle right lobe was removed on September 9th, 2014. A lot of tragedy in one year for one person, hence the activation of the “Bucket List.” It began with a trip to Ireland for 11 days; however, Lysa soon realized that even though it was on her bucket list, she really didn’t like it. She was very homesick for all 11 of those days. Next on her list was to work on a farm for a week, just to have the true Vermonter experience. She is a native, so it only seemed logical that she would follow suit and follow true Vermonter protocol. Yes, she even made maple syrup and learned a valuable lesson, to fully appreciate real Vt. Maple Syrup. It’s a lot of hard work to collect 40 gallons of sap to achieve just 1 gallon of delicious syrup. Knowing this, no syrup is ever left behind on the plate now.
The Farm. So, how exactly did Lysa become a farmer and a cheesemaker, especially when she had absolutely no experience whatsoever? The answer was good people and new friends. When recovery was over, she settled into her new life as a caregiver, gardener, and housekeeper. She started gardening for an old-time farmer whose family farm was over 100 years old. She spent most of her days weeding his mother’s prized flower garden and planting his small veggie garden, as he sat in his lawn chair telling her all his farm stories from when he was a kid. She envied him, and one day told him about her “Bucket List” wish of working on a farm for a week. His response was, “It’s a lot of hard, rewarding work. You would make a great farmer.” Sometime after that conversation, a man showed up at the farmer’s house while Lysa was cleaning inside the house. His name was David Johnson. The two men sat outside on the back porch visiting for some time. Finally, when Lysa came out and introduced herself the old farmer said, “This young lady wants to work on a farm. Maybe she can help you hay the meadows up the road.” David offered her the chance to go haying with him and a few others that following Saturday, and she readily accepted. The reason for David’s visit was to take over a lease on the old farmer’s pasture. One of his farm customers couldn’t afford to pay for hay, so David kept their wild heifers that were staying in the old farmer ’s pasture. There were nine of them. They had never socialized with humans; they were just put in the leased pasture and left on their own. The following Saturday arrived and Lysa joined David in the meadow up the road as promised. Mind you, this was the first time she had done any kind of farm work and was attired in shorts, t-shirt, and flip flops. First mistake. David was very patient with
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her and put her on a tractor for the first time, showing her how to rake the hay that lay on the ground. She was nervous at first, but after a few trips around the field, she was confident in her ability to conquer the job at hand. She was told by another farmer who worked for David and had grown up farming, that she was a natural on the tractor. That farmer was Jesse Pomeroy. Jesse’s family has been farming since the 17th century, it’s in his blood. He is a true farmer indeed, and in the end, he taught Lysa everything she needed to know about farming. Lysa spent the whole day haying until the sun started
going down behind the Green Mountains. She raked hay, she tended hay, she square baled hay, she picked up the heavy square bales and even learned to throw and stack hay. By the end of the day, she was exhausted but felt so rewarded for her hard labor. She asked when they were haying again, and when she heard it was the next day, she offered to help, an offer they gladly accepted. Lysa hayed with David and Jesse the whole summer of 2015 with a few random helpers along the way. By the end of the summer, she was in the best shape of her life and could throw a bale of hay three stacks high on the hay trailer (that was a huge accomplishment considering when she started,
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she could barely get the bale up on the hay trailer). Lysa made some true friends that summer that she knew would be in her life forever. When fall hit and the hay season was done, David offered Lysa a job for the winter, taking care of the nine wild heifers. This meant taking the tractor out to the field twice a day with a round bale, feeding them, and making sure they always had water. Of course, she said, “yes!” David lived 40 minutes away from the farm and had his winter job of plowing and property maintenance to attend to all winter, so he needed Lysa to make sure the heifers were cared for and fed. Lysa was proud to do this and excited to play the farmer role. Lysa is an animal lover, so she couldn’t just go feed the heifers without
trying to tame them and make them her pets. Every day, twice a day rain, sleet, or snow - she would feed out the hay. She took a bucket out to the field near where she fed them and would sit there patiently waiting for the heifers’ acknowledgment of her existence. They didn’t acknowledge her until that Christmas morning. Lysa had gone the day before to a feed store and bought two 50lb. bags of sweet feed for cows. She put the bags on the tractor and headed for the pasture with the hay that chilly Christmas morning. Once she put the hay in the hay rack, she grabbed her bags of feed and sat on the bucket. Now, by this time, all the heifers had a name. They were named after important people who had had an impact on Lysa’s life. When she opened the first bag, they turned, just stared, and stopped eating the hay. The first heifer brave enough to come over was Dolly. She was big, elegant, and intimidating. She had horns too, enforcing one of the first of many lessons: even cows have horns, it’s not just the bulls. Dolly was the first cow Lysa touched and fed by hand. Within half an hour all the heifers were eating out of her hands. From that day forward, Lysa used the money she was earning feeding them to buy sweet feed. She fell in love with nine wild heifers. It was a long hard winter that year but well spent. Spring of 2016 arrived and so did David with a livestock trailer in tow behind his plow truck. Lysa was coming in from the pasture after hanging out with the “girls.” She greeted David with a big smile of success. She did it all by herself all winter long caring for nine once wild, now tamed, heifers. David and Lysa talked for a bit about the winter and all her adventures, (too many to write, but maybe for another story). Then she asked him, “so, what’s going to happen to the ‘girls?’), and his response was, “I’m going to take them to auction to get my money for the hay I sold.” Lysas heart
sank and tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn’t bear the thought of spending the rest of her life without these girls in it. David saw the sadness in her face and with a good heart he said, “farmers don’t have cows as pets! If we were to keep them, they’d have to pay for themselves.” (Lysa considered herself a farmer now
and reasoned, “yes, farmers do have cows as pets, because ALL farm animals are my pets.”) They talked about the cows for a bit and concluded that they both liked cheese, and that’s how North Meadow Farm began, making cheese to save nine wild heifers. North Meadow Farm 726 N Rd, Manchester Center, VT 05255 www.northmeadowfarms.com
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Comics, Candy, and Life Lessons, All At Salerno’s by Karen Richman It was one of “those” places that was a part of most everyone’s childhood. The candy store, the luncheonette, the place to get a comic book or an ice cream cone. It was the place to go after school. It was called Salerno’s and was located on Valley Road in West Orange, New Jersey years and years ago. The actual name was Salerno’s Luncheonette, but in addition to a counter, there was also a wall of comic books, lots of candy bars and confections, and two guys behind the counter who ran the place and cared about us creepy little kids who perpetually inhabited it. Dominick and Sal were brothers, you had only to look at them to discern that fact. They were beefy, Italian guys with thick heads of salt and pepper hair and equally thick eyebrows. They had booming voices, hands of steel, and hearts of gold, but they didn’t want to let on about that. Their facade was stern, even growly, keeping perfect order with the kids who ran in and out for hours after the final school bell rang. “Close that door! Hey, don’t slam it! Where were you raised? Don’t handle the comic books unless you’re gonna buy them! Stop squeezing the chocolate bars! What, were you raised in a pigsty?” The first thing I remember about Salerno’s was the way the floor creaked. The store occupied the downstairs space of an old building and had uneven wooden floorboards that groaned whenever someone entered. Right inside the door was the candy counter, chockablock with some which survived the test of time and other confections long gone. Charleston Chews, Bazooka Bubble Gum, Necco Wafers, Slo Pokes, Saf-T-Pops, Flipsticks, Long Boys, Razzies, Bit-O-Honey, Atomic Fireballs, Caramel Creams, Mary Janes, Sugar Daddys, Dad’s Root Beer barrels, candy buttons, Sugar Babies, Zagnut bars, Good & Plenty...I could go on and on, but I have a mouthful of silver fillings to remind me of my devotion. The lunch counter at Salerno’s wasn’t very long, perhaps eight stools. They had red vinyl padded seats that were cracked and squeaked when us kids would sit on them and swirl round and round until either Dom or Sal would growl at us, and the
squeaking would stop. I don’t remember ever eating at that counter, but I do remember the offerings were limited to selections like hamburgers, grilled cheese, and tuna fish on white. Not exactly gourmet food, but you didn’t go to Salerno’s to dine. You went for the ambiance...and the advice. The Salerno brothers always had advice, whether or not you asked for it. They advised adults on the best place to buy tires, what bank was giving away transistor radios with new accounts, and if the Yanks had a chance at the pennant this year. They also were expert on who was running today at Monmouth or Aqueduct Race Track, and if the trainer said they were in good health. When it came to us kids, the advice was not as off-the-cuff. It was doled out more like a warning, a stern reminder, or in most cases, a life’s lesson. More than the “don’t slam the door or manhandle the comic books,” Sal and Dominick acted as surrogate parents when ours weren’t around. They didn’t let us buy too much candy, they recognized the nearsighted, clumsy little girl who had trouble reading Little Lulu and Archie, not to mention the blackboard at school and called her parents, recommending an eye doctor appointment; and they also called your parents if they noticed anyone headed for trouble. Sal and Dominick were part of the town in running their business, and part of the “village” it used to take to raise the neighborhood kids. They worked seven days a week and never complained they just felt they were paying their dues for being Americans – and they treated every customer with respect, whether they bought lunch, or only a ten cent comic book. The Salernos were part of the rich fabric that built this country, and now are somewhat of a rarity today. By the way, that little girl got that eye doctor’s appointment, thanks to the Salerno brothers and wound up wearing glasses for many years. It greatly improved her being able to read the board in class, upped her grades, helped her cure the clumsiness, and makes it easy to write this column in tribute today.
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Wine Barbecue
Liven Up Your At-Home Cookout This Summer By Roberto Cruz - Photos by Adirondack Winery A lot of things have changed over the past several months, but relaxing in your backyard with great food and great wine is just as enjoyable as ever before. Many people like cheese or chocolate with their favorite wines, but neither of those foods is particularly apt to survive the summer heat. Enter the combination of wine and barbecue cookout food. For us wine drinkers, that grouping on a July Saturday or Sunday is a frequent delight, but if you don’t know how well they work together, you’re in luck. This helpful guide will help you find a perfect pairing of wine and summer barbecue food. First, let us start with a few golden rules of barbecue, courtesy of Adirondack Winery Associate Tasting Room Manager (and resident barbecue expert), Jackie Donovan: “If you’re looking, you aren’t cooking,” she suggests, reminding chefs out there to be patient and leave the lid on while grilling or making food in the slow cooker. The Associate Manager of the Lake George area winery also suggests patting dry rubs on, not rubbing it into the meats, which can clog the porous surfaces and prevent juices from flowing.
And what about the wine?
“Pour yourself a glass while you cook,” Jackie said. “It does nothing for the recipe, but it’s sweet for your soul.” Potato Salad & Barrel Aged Chardonnay Aging wine in an oak barrel can give it a buttery taste. The mayonnaise base of a potato salad will pull that butter flavor out and really let it shine. One important rule of food and wine pairing is you don’t want either one to overpower the other, but this combination works, and you’ll really enjoy the slight apple and vanilla notes of a wine like Adirondack Winery’s Barrel Aged Chardonnay combined with this popular barbecue side dish. Pinot Noir & BBQ Chicken Dark Berry Notes, like raspberry and blackberry, can be found in many New York Pinot Noirs. This flavor, and the lighter body of these wines, works well with the warmth of a barbecue sauce when it hits your tongue. Try making your barbecue sauce with Pinot Noir or a nice Merlot, which tends to have earthier tones and a stronger presence. Pinot Gris & Lemon Chicken Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are not the same thing; Pinot Gris tends to be a little more full-bodied, richer and spicier – which makes it a great fit for cookout! Add some into a lemon chicken marinade for an
extra punch. The lemon flavor from the chicken will also make the citrus notes in the wine pop. Seyval Blanc & Coleslaw Seyval Blanc is another wine you won’t find everywhere, but Adirondack Winery makes a great one. Its bright green apple and citrus tones make it a natural fit to mix into your coleslaw dressing. You can even soak apples in it if you’re making an apple coleslaw! Concord Grape Red Wine & Barbecue Spareribs A great rack of ribs can really steal the show at a cookout, but those thick, meaty ribs in a heavy barbecue sauce require a wine that can keep up. Concord grapes – yes, the same concord grapes used to make grape jelly and grape juice - are commonly used in New York to make some remarkable wines. Adirondack Winery has a concord grape red wine called Red Ruby which is tremendous with barbecue ribs, brisket or pulled pork. Put on the BBQ, and pour yourself a glass because it’s about to get real! Ice Wine & Ice Cream In my opinion, dessert is one of the most important meals of the day; and during a cookout it’s a must! When the July sun is beating down, there’s only one solution – scoop yourself a big bowl of ice cream. So what goes well with ice cream? Ice wine of course! Ice wine is a dessert wine that is made from grapes that have frozen on the vine before they were picked. Riesling and Vidal Blanc grapes are commonly used to make ice wine, and if you haven’t tried them before, summer is the perfect time to drink a chilled glass. You can even pour it over your ice cream if you want. These wines would also go well with strawberries and cream, cheesecake, and other common dessert foods. Now that your mouth is watering, and your interest in a wine barbecue is piqued, remember, there’s nothing stopping you from having an amazing cookout with your family at home this summer. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine – or a few – and enjoy a delightful meal with the people who mean the most to you. Cheers to the summer in Upstate New York! Adirondack Winery is offering $10 off its ADK at Home Wine Kits, including their Wine BBQ Kit, Wine Blending Kit, Mystery Box, and more. For more information, and to take advantage of this limited-time-only offer, please go to adkwinery.com/kits Enjoy! Roberto Cruz, Adirondack Winery TASTING ROOMS: 285 Canada Street, Lake George, NY 12845 4971 Lake Shore Drive, Suite 2, Bolton Landing, NY 12814