APRIL, 2023 - 518 PROFILES MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER / FOUNDER

Stephanie Sittnick

COPY EDITOR

Elisabeth Allen

WEBMASTER

Tony Graveheart

ADVERTISING SALES

Stephanie Sittnick - Director of Sales ( 860) 227-8199 advertising@518mag.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Carol St.Sauveur Ferris, Karen Richman, Rona Mann

Chandler Stevens, Lawrence White, Kirsten Ferguson, Alan B. Richer, Crystal Cobert Giddens, Nellie Ackerman-Vellano, Kristina Watrobski

Chef Armand Vanderstigchel

Welcome to April! The new season has begun. Spring is in the air, skies are blue, daffodils are blooming. It won't be too long before the brilliant green shoots make their appearance, and we enjoy some extended warmer days. It’s the time of year when we get to venture outside and do fun activities again.

Sit back and enjoy reading our April issue. Some people within these pages you might know and the others you will definitely want to know. We hope they will inspire you with their passion, their dedication, their expertise, and most of all, their commitment to their talent.

As always, our goal at 518 PROFILES, is always to focus on the good, the beautiful and the positive by publishing stories with heart and soul. We strive each month to deliver authentic and unique content about creative people and inter esting destinations. Enjoy!

Stephanie

Founder / Publisher

Canvassing the 518

Muralist Kevin Clark

pg. 4

Road to Success is in Their “Roots “ Radici Kitchen & Bar: Great Roots Lead to Great Food pg. 14

Nature’s Historian and Painter of the Land Harry Orlyk, Artist

pg. 24

Jeff Brisbin

Soulful Troubadour with Deep Local Roots

pg. 34

Paula McCormick Interiors specializes in all phases of interior design. She will be able to assist you in every step of the design process. Whether you are remodeling your current residence or building a new home Paula and her team will guide you every step of the way.

Paula McCormick Interiors was the recipient of over a dozen Interior Design awards in 2022.

Photo by Randall Perry Photography

Canvassing the 518 Muralist Kevin Clark

by Alan B. Richer

photos by Lawrence White

A wall generally signals that it’s time to stop and turn around. For Kevin Clark, a wall is a canvas waiting to be painted.

Clark grew up in Niskayuna, New York. As a child, he constantly sketched and doodled, doodling was how he listened. He always knew he wanted to be an artist. “It was enjoyable, it was easy, and I was good at it.”

In his senior year of high school, Clark failed an art class. His teacher explained that he failed him because Kevin was only going through the motions and not trying. This taught Clark an important lesson: “Don’t coast or rest on your laurels.”

He chose Syracuse University over traditional art schools so that he could experience the overall college atmosphere. At Syracuse, he majored in illustration, yet Clark never developed a specific style and categorizes himself as a draftsman who paints what he sees.

After graduating in 1990, Clark returned home to Niskayuna and contemplated how to make a living drawing in Upstate NY. “I started doing murals by accident, but I was not prepared for the real world upon graduation. Fortunately, a friend of mine opened a brewery. He needed stuff painted on the walls and asked me to do a logo, so it was a trial-byfire sort of thing. I never did anything before Brown’s Brewery at 417 River Street in Troy.” The murals at Brown’s include, Toast of the Hudson and Troy Pub & Uncle Sam. “That was my hardest job because I had to go up and down five stories and walk up the street a long way to get a look at it as I painted. I also had to make sure the owner’s wife, who is depicted in the Toast of the Hudson mural, looked good.”

The Brown’s Brewing mural was done all by visual art and required a shift in midstream. Uncle Sam painted in black and white is positioned behind the wheel of a boat. He was supposed to be holding a beer painted in color and toasting Kelly Brown, the wife of the owner of the brewery. Even though the groups that approved the image had not raised any concerns, it was felt this was inappropriate because of the issue of drunk driving. The image was changed to have Uncle Sam tipping his cap to Kelly.

For the Troy Music Hall at 50 Second Street, Clark got a call out of the blue. The client wanted the interior of the Hall represented on a wall next to an adjacent parking lot. Clark did a series of sketches to show the likeness and maximize the space. The mural shows a couple sitting in a sky box overlooking the stage with the pipe organ, the large chandelier, and other sky boxes in the background.

The mural is on an outside wall that measures 35 feet high and 80 feet wide. Clark drew a 3’ by 4’ image of the mural and then gridded it out on a scale whereby each inch on the drawing represented a foot on the

wall. After priming the wall, he used a straightedge ruler and chalk to create a checkerboard-like grid. The grid let him know which portion of the painting needed to be painted in each of the various segments. Paint is generally easy to correct. He spent a significant portion of the day observing and correcting. “I had to paint some, then lower the lift and walk back to look at it from a distance like someone walking on the street would. It wasn’t easy working on something this big because it will never be right until you get the little details to show up from a distance.”

After the third day of painting the mural, Clark realized that he had not maintained a ten-foot margin at the bottom to etch the names of some of the major performers. The bones and the frame-

work of the painting were already there. He had to shift the balcony, and little by little condense the painting into a smaller space. Twenty-nine names of prominent performers that have graced the stage including Ella Fitzgerald, Yo-Yo Ma, and Pete Seeger are etched under the mural. “Painting on a large scale seems easier for me. I don’t know why, maybe because I see things clearer, like details and contrasts. On a mural you really can’t change things around so easily, so you must make it work, get it done, and move on.”

Every mural job is an application. Some of the murals involve an open call to artists. Some concepts that Clark considered to be surefire ideas were rejected. Clark equates the application process

to being a cook without knowing what the customer would like to eat. As an artist, one needs to be able to deal with rejection and disappointment.

Murals always involve time constraints. Lift rentals are normally 30 days. With the Troy Music Hall mural, the owner of the parking lot wanted to use it, and Clark’s equipment was taking up a significant portion. You always need a backup plan for the weather or in case the equipment breaks down. “The Music Hall came out well on time and on budget. It was a good ex perience that got a lot of exposure. My kids were old enough to actually see me work and appreciate what I do. That was rewarding.”

Among his other murals are the Welcome to Troy mural on a white retaining wall at the intersection of Burden Avenue and Mill Street in South Troy depicting the Burden water wheel that you see as you arrive in Troy coming off the Menands Bridge and the more recent River Street Market on the six-story Hedley Building in Troy.

There isn’t sufficient mural work to keep him employed year-round, especially with the winter weather in the Capital Region. “I do about ten murals

a year on average. In this area, it’s hard to make a living just doing murals be cause they are not as much of a priority as they are in Florida or larger metropolitan areas. You need to branch out and learn other trades to get by.”

Other avenues of artistic revenue that he pursues include inside work such as faux finish painting, sponging, gold leafing, marbling, and graining (making an object look like the grain of wood). These jobs are tedious but lucrative.

Today Clark works year-round, mostly inside. Much of his work he gets from word-of-mouth or from people who observe his work. He does window paint ings for the holidays. He loves the history of the 1950s and 60s and normally paints vintage Santas. Examples are the Eldorado Bar and Manory’s Restaurant both on 4th Street in Troy. The designs come off easily with hot water and a razor.

Clark has three boys, ages 17, 13, and 7 that tie him to the Capital Region. He does, however, pursue jobs in other locations where the pay is more lucrative. For example, he does jobs on Long Island that take two to three days and subcontracts for someone who has clients in Naples and Boca Raton, Florida. These normally involve larger projects when the owners are up North. They put Clark up in a hotel and fly him home each weekend so that he can spend time with his children.

Working under the name Clark Murals Inc. (ClarkMurals.com), his work can be seen in countless homes, public institutions, and businesses in Florida, New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Clark has painted logos for Siena College, RPI, and the Barcelona Restaurant in Albany. He has painted temporary billboards in Manhattan. This involves closing a street and having two people posted at each end of the street. Even though vinyl is less expensive and cheaper, hand painting shows up much better on social media. Clark painted a scene of the Vatican on the Grotto Azzura Restaurant in Little Italy in New York City.

Despite the challenges, Clark loves being an artist. He tried having a regular job and hated it. The unpredictability of being an artist and securing jobs to provide for his family gives him highs and lows. “With every project, you survive and accomplish something.”

Clark takes pride in creating something that will live. “When you do a mural like the Troy Music Hall, it lasts for decades. It’s on the shady side of the building which will keep it from fading for a long time. I get a certain satisfaction out of my work that money can’t buy.”

https://clarkmurals.com/ https://www.facebook.com/clarkmurals

The Laffer Gallery

Phone: 518-695-3181

Address: 96 Broad St, Schuylerville NY 12871

Gallery Hours: Thursday - Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Juxtaposition | April 1 - April 30

Road to Success is in Their “Roots “ Radici Kitchen & Bar: Great Roots Lead to Great Food

by Rona Mann

Brian Bowden knows a bit about having a great work ethic.

So does his wife, Carly Mankouski.

Bowden gave an exceptional guest experience for more than 30 years as a chef working at some of the finest kitchens throughout the Capital Region, the South, and the Caribbean. Mankouski arduously worked front of the house for years at many of those same restaurants. He’s cooked it all, she’s seen it all, but the couple believes that in the hospitality arena success comes from continuing to create a partnership, and they do that by showing up every day and being the best version of themselves through hard work and dedication. That’s where they’re coming from, and where you should be going.

“Chef” is a title Brian wears proudly, but never takes lightly. Like many excellent chefs, Bowden also got his start as a dishwasher at age 13 working in a restaurant kitchen with big eyes, big ears, and an inquisitive mind. Like most young dishwashers, he watched and listened to all that was going on around him, eventually catching the bug. But unlike most of those chef wannabees, Brian Bowden did not go to Johnson and Wales or the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park. “I’m self-taught. All my training was on the job,” Brian says with a certain sense of pride. On the advice of a well-respected friend and chef who advised he not go to the Culinary Institute, “You have a good work ethic. You already

know most of what they’re going to try to teach you,” so he went one better. Bowden purchased the actual textbooks used at the CIA, reading

Page

photos by Lawrence White

and studying them over and over until he felt accomplished, sure of himself, and ready to perform. “And I saved a whole lot of money,” he laughed.

So, now primed and ready to show off his knife skills, experiment with flavors, and create memorable and delicious concoctions, Chef

Bowden began to ply his art first at a number of restaurants throughout the Capital District, then south to Raleigh, North Carolina, followed by an enviable time spent working as a Head Chef in the Caribbean, loving the climate, learning a

new cuisine, living the life. But life has twists and turns, and soon Bowden was back in the Capital District and ready to meet the next chapter of his life head-on. Along the way, he met Carly Mankouski, the woman who would

Photos by Lawrence White

become his business partner and eventually become his wife. Together the couple began to write business plans for a restaurant that would one day be their own. “We wrote business plans for different concepts for a long time, looking all around the Capital District to see what might work,” the Chef said. In 2014 they took a serious look at the city of Glens Falls and liked what they saw in a community that was actively growing and changing for the better. “We found a space in a location we liked but it hadn’t been a restaurant previously, so to properly equip it would be exorbitant.” So, undeterred, the couple kept looking.

In 2019 they found exactly the right location at 26 Ridge Street in Glens Falls, and by January 2020, Radici Kitchen & Bar was open to a waiting public hungering for the new flavors Chef Brian couldn’t wait to share. But then came March. “For all the business plans we had written,” Chef Brian began, “there was no place in it for a global pandemic. We were unsure of how to proceed.” But in Italian, “radici” means “roots,” and it is from roots that things grow. So Brian, wh o is of Italian familial roots, and Carly just put their experience, work ethic, and com mitment to people to work and went full b o lt into the takeout arena. “We had our life savings and some borrowed money as well invested in Radici,

and we were not about to fail.” While some staff members had to be temporarily laid off, Brian, Carly, and Brian’s son threw themselves into the business of takeout. Even though they had only opened two months before Covid hit, they got great regional support. “People were coming from all over,” Bowden says almost in awe and disbelief at the positive reaction. “We made a reputation for having great takeout during the pandemic.”

While takeout is still an active part of Radici’s business, Carly and Brian have worked hard to make the dining-in experience memorable for all guests. No longer limited to the reduced seating

Crab Cake Hen of the Woods

Branzino

Pan Seared U-10 Diver Scallops

Irish Point Oysters, PEI

Block Island Swordfish

Veal Cheek Pappardelle

Tempura Squash Blossoms

Vietnamese Style Chicken Wings

Event Catering

regulation imposed during the pandemic, now they offer an exposed brick dining room with 48 seats and a 14-seat bar featuring craft cocktails and beer. “Our guests have told us it has a real Manhattan vibe to it,” the chef offers, allowing that he favors an open kitchen concept so guests at the bar can not only watch what’s being created from scratch (“radici”), but also converse with the chef, sous chefs, and other kitchen personnel while enjoying $1. oysters daily. All of this fosters the kind of relationship that Brian and Carly had intended: making strong connections and a partnership with their guests.

It’s nearly impossible to compartmentalize or pigeonhole Radici’s cuisine. “It is Italian inspired, but not an Italian restaurant,” Brian says. Carly adds, “We have classic Italian dishes, but we also have a very popular classic tuna tartare, French-style flavors, our steaks are all hand cut by the Chef, we butcher whole fish like Alaskan

Halibut, and some of our most popular signature dishes include Crispy Oysters with Caviar, Authentic Spaghetti Car bonara, Toasted Bao Buns, Beef Carpaccio, Short Rib Pappardelle, and currently we have Perigord Truffles.”

Perhaps most popular with their loyal clientele are the wine dinners held monthly and sold out as soon as they’re advertised. The Chef enthuses, “Five courses paired with five different wines and each month a different cuisine.”

Different is an understatement here. While diners can enjoy classic, simple dishes, they also marvel at the chef’s take on popular food prepared in a creative, new way Always, everything is fresh, prepared from scratch, from the roots of good taste, with outstanding incomparable service, and the goal of making lasting connections with their guests. “We would really like to stress the im portance and value of our team. We work with a wonderful group of people,” Carly adds.

Planning a special evening at home? Speak with the Chef or Carly and ask about their Residential Tasting Menus when the Chef and staff will come to your home and create a memorable meal you and your guests will long remember.

Both Chef Brian and Carly know all about long hours, sweat equity, running right into the face of a major pandemic, and coming out the other side victorious. They’ve learned to stretch, to be more flexible than they ever knew, to re-imagine and reinvent all over again, and through it all to never lose their focus, their sense of humor, or the flare for what they love. They worked years throughout the Capital

Region to establish their outstanding reputation, learning that to keep being successful, you have to keep putting out the highest quality product and the most inventive, thoughtful preparations, served by conscientious, friendly, and professional people who love doing what they do. Working as a team, they all do it at Radici.

Every day. Every meal. For every guest.

Ridici Kitchen & Bar

26 Ridge Street in Glens Falls. Reservations are strongly advised (518) 804-1007 www.ridicikitchen&bar.com

Photos by Lawrence White

Nature’s Historian and Painter of the Land Harry Orlyk, Artist

by Carol St. Sauveur Ferris

Upon meeting Harry Orlyk, it doesn’t take but a minute to realize that you’re in the company of a very special man. He is warm and engaging. And there's no pretense or attempt to impress. He’s just Harry. But his simple, gentle nature belies a strident com mitment to his craft and the land he loves. Not only an accomplished painter, Harry is nature’s historian.

“My upbringing planted me very solidly in a spiritual orientation to life and out of that spirituality I learned to consider the land as the most significant focus that I should keep in my lifetime.”

Born in 1947, Harry was raised with the love and security of a large extended family that began when his brave grandmother, Sophie, emigrated from Ukraine and set down roots in Cohoes, New York at the tender age of 16.

She soon married his grandfather who opened a meatpacking business that eventually em ployed many family members including his uncles who built their homes in the same area after returning at the end of WWII. For Harry, it was like growing up in a special vil lage surrounded by loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. There was always someone to play with or visit.

Ukrainians are very religious people deeply rooted in Catholicism, so Harry and his cousins attended the local Ukrainian Catholic school and church. Sadly, his parents divorced when he was a small child. And though di vorce is always traumatic for children, it was exceptionally hard on a child in the 50s because of the unfortunate stigma and lack of emotional support. In the Catholic religion, it was even more difficult and unforgiving so school was definitely a challenge for him.

The Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY

Thankfully, the love of his village softened the edges of those early years.

As a student, Harry struggled with traditional classes. He speculates that he had severe learning disabilities that were unrecognized in those days, so he felt somewhat ostracized as a result. In fact, it was so bad that he flunked a grade and was held back in another even before making it to high school. But through it all, it was his passion for art and his obvious artistic abilities that sustained him. According to Harry, his colorings and line drawings were the only things he was ever praised for.

The earliest examples of his artwork were his coloring books. He had stacks of them and wasn’t afraid to color a giraffe blue if so inclined. Later Harry drew and colored his own images at the encouragement of his family, especially his grandmother, Sophie, who recognized his artistic talent early on. Besides coloring books, it was Sophie who would supply him with buttons and other odds and ends that he happily crafted into little masterpieces.

By the time he was in his early teens, Harry’s mother remarried, and it was his stepfather, William Shahen who stepped in and helped him pursue his art education. Shahen was a teacher in the local public school system and recognized that Harry needed more support than the Catholic schools could provide. He transferred and quickly became known as the “art guy,” taking every art class available and many independent study opportunities that were designed just for him as well.

After graduating with an im pressive high school art portfolio, Harry attended the State University of New York at New Paltz. There he earned a BS degree in fine art and met his lifelong partner and wife Donna, whom he married in 1970.

In 1971, Harry enrolled in the fine art graduate program at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. But it wasn’t until he attended the Native American Sun Dance Festival in South Dakota three years later that his true calling came to be and his artistic vision changed forever. He had been a figurative painter all his life and never thought of the landscape until he witnessed Sun Dance.

“Their ceremony showing respect for all non-human life, this awareness, really influenced me. I felt that these people know something that my culture doesn’t fully understand. That it’s about the land. Without the land we don’t have a place to stand, to sit, to find our food, to build our homes or farms.”

He soon became a student of nature and began painting landscapes in earnest. A few

years after graduating with an MFA in 1974, Harry and Donna returned to New York State where the land became central to Harry’s work and his reason for breathing. And nearly 50 years later, his commitment and passion for the land continue.

But before he could support himself as an artist, he worked as an art therapist at a psy chiatric hospital in Albany which gave him a steady income. His commute was long but he would stop along the way and paint landscapes, and amazingly, as funding for his job was coming to an end, someone asked to see his landscapes and bought $8000.00 worth of his paintings on the spot which launched Harry’s solo painting career. He and Donna bought a small house with land and outbuildings in Salem, New York where they raised four children and continue to reside today.

From a technical point of view, his landscapes have simple beginnings. Rather than stretch his canvases on a frame, he carefully attaches them to a piece of Homasote then prepares them with gesso. And every morning Harry loads up his paints, brushes, and a prepared canvas into his van then drives along looking for the next perfect spot to set up for a day’s work.

It should come as no surprise that he has a no-frills approach to painting. His steering wheel serves as his easel while his tubes of paint and palette sit alongside him. If it’s raining or snowing, no problem. Harry lays a

piece of plywood on top of his van that extends over the windshield affording him a clear view of nature at work. When it’s cold, he bundles up. When it’s hot, he opens the windows. Simple.

His finished paintings are not large, typically in the range of 12” x 24,” because Harry feels he has the ability to best capture everything in a day’s time on a smaller scale. He uses paint directly from the tube and mixes colors on the palette which sits alongside him. He then masterfully records the textures, shapes, and light he sees with each stroke of the brush and scrape of the palette knife.

“Each day has its own face, and that’s the face I want to capture.”

Too many, it would appear as lonely, solitary work, but for Harry, it is his passion. H e likens his rituals and devotion to painting the landscape to a man who be comes a priest. It’s a calling that compels him to paint as it is for a priest to serve a congregation. When darkness descends, he packs up and heads back to his studio where he may finish a few last details of the painting, then numbers it as he has been doing all of his life. After almost 50 years of painting landscapes, he’s up to 6432 paintings as of this writing!

But these days, Harry has something else up his artistic sleeve. On a 15-foot wall in Salem Art Works (SAW) gallery in Salem, New York there’s a sizable installation currently on

exhibit. It is an assemblage of cardboard boxes he once used to scrape off the paint from his brushes after painting a landscape. The boxes’ connection to the land and accidental beauty gave him pause one day and inspired him to create this unique installation.

For decades Harry’s work has hung in many galleries. His first exhibit was in 1976, and since then he has had over 85 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 50 group exhi bitions from California to Connecticut. Most recently, an incredible solo exhibit of over 160 of his landscapes at the Laffer Gallery in Schuylerville, New York.

When all is said and done, it is quite extraordinary that an artist will so reverently document all the nuances of the land in a single sitting and never tire of painting the shapes, light, textures, and emotions before him over and over again for decades. It’s a devotion so few will ever know or understand and a gift for those fortunate to view and perhaps own his work.

“What I have been doing primarily is doing portraits of days. I look at a day that I go out and take that period of time that I’m working, and it’s almost a composite. It’s a composite of feelings that I get, sensations of light and form but it’s also drilling for meaning out of that experience of being there at that moment for those few hours that I’m there. That’s the portrait I’m making. It’s not just a portrait of the place. And I just feel like I’ve never heard any other painter speak about the landscape in that way. I like thinking of myself as being the portraitist of days.”

Harry Orlyk is a prolific painter for sure, but he dismisses the idea that he is somehow unique. He is simply Harry, a painter of the land.

To view and purchase his paintings, visit www.harryorlyk.com.

Jeff Brisbin

Soulful Troubadour with Deep Local Roots

By Lawrence White

the spirit and give strength. That is the gift Jeff Brisbin provides with his music.

Jeff’s heritage is deep-rooted in Saratoga. His family is of Scottish origin and goes back several generations in the area. The Brisbin family were the earliest settlers in Wilton, and over the years they have owned land throughout the area including several hundred acres of farmland near Schuylerville. Historic family burial plots are found in both Victory and Wilton.

in Saratoga Springs. In explaining his musical roots, Jeff reflects, “My brother was quite a bit older than me. He had a 45 RPM record player and lots of records. I used to love to listen and sing along with the tunes. He would make special marks on the labels of my favorite songs because I was too young to read. I would play them over, and over again.”

“From that point on, I would make up songs in my head and sing them. Later, when the Beatles came along, their songs were so different

Jeff Brisbin connects. Attending one of his many solo musical performances or listening to any of his three self-produced albums is like hearing from an old friend. His honest reflections on life, love, and the condition of mankind can lift

Fifth-generation Schuylerville resident David Bullard tells me, “The Brisbin family were very active in the community. They were involved in commerce, banking, and farming. Their farm on what is now County Road 68 is in a spectacular location. They still maintain the historic family burial ground on the piece of land where Route 32 meets 68.”

Jeff grew up in the family house on East Avenue near Broadway and attended what was known as St. Peters Academy

from anything I had heard before that I was hooked immediately.” This is very evident in not only the melodies that Jeff creates but also in his home which is loaded with Beatles memorabilia and images.

I ask Jeff when he first picked up a guitar. “It was when I saw the Beatles on Ed Sul livan that I knew that had to get a guitar. In 1963, I went into Ross Beach’s guitar shop on West Ave. in Saratoga Springs and bought a Kay guitar for $30. That was the beginning of everything that I am doing now.”

“I tried guitar lessons but that did not work out, so I went into Fox’s Jewelry where they had a stand with music books and sheet music. I bought a guitar cord book and learned ‘Should have Known Better’ by the Beatles and that is how I learned to play guitar. We started up a rock band in high school that we called the Avengers because we were in love with Diana Rigg,” Jeff tells me with a smile, “It was a lot of fun.”

Much has happened since then. Most im portantly Jeff and his wife raised six children in Saratoga which resulted in a

You can run your race if you choose, Go for the gold, win or lose, I’ll write these notes and sing along, For a song

...“For a Song,” Jeff Brisbin

decades-long pause in Jeff’s musical aspirations. “I never stopped playing guitar and making up songs, but obviously there were more urgent priorities to deal with.”

Jeff’s children describe wonderful memories of his music filling their home and even per forming with him when they grew up. They agree that a childhood with Jeff meant constant music and encouragement to make music of their own.

By the time his children had grown up and moved on, Jeff was performing regularly. Sadly, one of Jeff’s children passed away tragically, and his marriage dissolved, so he had to depend on his resources to regain stability. Through friends, he was able to lease a small apartment at a below-market rate. This allowed Jeff to save every penny until he bought a sweet but distressed little bungalow home in Ballston Spa. Once Jeff took ownership, he set about to re model the interior into a very attractive, ef ficient, and inviting space complete with a music room.

Jeff has learned hundreds of popular songs that he performs during marathon gigs that he often plays straight through, no breaks. More importantly, over the years, Jeff has written a considerable amount of original material. He explains, “It’s weird at times, it’s like someone whispered the song whole to me.”

Jeff selected several of his original songs to in clude on three self-produced albums, two recorded with highly regarded recording en gineer, David Maswick, who also plays bass with the Stony Creek Band. Guest musicians on Jeff’s albums include legendary keyboardist, Chuck Lamb; super talented guitarists, An drew Saris and Joel Brown; and harmonica virtuoso, Joe Gitto.

Recording Engineer, David Maswick has been operating a professional audio studio for 10 years. He said that working with Jeff was col laboration at its best. I asked David how he started working with Jeff. He responds,” After attending Jeff’s gigs for about a year, I became familiar with his original material and commented about the sincere authenticity of his work several times. Eventually, he became confident enough in me to do some recording.”

I ask David if there are plans afoot to record another Jeff Brisbin album, and he responds, “Your question is prescient. Jeff texted me three times in the last half hour about going into the studio to record a new album.”

Multiple Grammy Award-winning producer/ engineer Joel Moss has worked with Jeff in Caffe Lena, and relates, “Jeff Brisbin is the em bodiment of the modern-day troubadour. He has a heart-on-his-sleeve personality and will shamelessly reveal his deepest feelings, in conversation or most likely, in song. He has an infectious tenacity and an unrelenting work ethic. His ‘Unending Tour’ is more than a clever turn of phrase and he can be found most nights, singing his songs about the feelings we all share in a lyrical simplicity that reminds us of our need for one another.”

Jeff is a very busy artist. In 2022 he performed over 260 gigs including private and corporate events. Local venues that often feature Jeff’s performances include The Iron’s Edge, Caffe Lena, Brook Tavern, and Henry’s in Ballston Spa which Jeff calls his “Cavern Club.” (Jeff’s calendar with upcoming performances is available online at his website).

I’ve done it all, enough for me No more deadlines, I am free ...“For A Song,” Jeff Brisbin

Matt Hickey owner of Henry’s is effusive in his praise of Jeff’s performances. “Jeff always draws a nice crowd and delights the people who are regulars. He picks up new followers each time he plays here. Jeff is like family to us. The staff loves him because he brings good folks into Henry’s which makes their jobs easier and more fun.”

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Jeff’s musical career is that he operates every facet and shoulders all the responsibility himself. He designed his stage setup so that he can hand carry the PA system, including microphones, stands, and speakers, and his guitars with only moderate effort to load and unload them. He promotes his music through his website, social media, Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Jeff books and promotes all the gigs, and he makes a very impressive annual profit doing so.

Jeff sums it up by saying, “Music has been a huge part of my life since the very beginning, I am truly blessed by an embarrassment of riches. I am bathed in the love of my children and by the lasting connections with good friends who are always there. To top it off, I get to share the joy of music with great people locally and from all over the world who come to Saratoga and attend one of my shows.” Then, with a laugh, he adds, “I am the most fortunate person I know.”

Jeff Brisbin, Broken Compass Music, 518-522-2248

email:jbrisbin@jeffbrisbin.com

http://www.jeffbrisbin.com

When Hot Dogs Danced on the Big Screen

by Karen Richman

It was the glory days of the ‘50s. Simple. Fun. Lots of cars. And the most fun was being with your family enjoying those simple, fun things to gether. Like Drive-In movies.

On a warm summer night, what could be more exciting than my father coming home from work and asking with a big smile, “Who’s up for the Drive-In tonight?” This was followed by a chorus of “Me! Me! Not just from us kids but with our mother leading the charge. We wolfed down supper as fast as we could, didn’t complain for one minute about having to do the dishes, and then raced to get ready, sometimes taking along a pillow or muchloved stuffed animal to hold fast should there be any scary parts.

“I can see the screen!” my brother would yell as our father’s car inched forward in the long line of vehicles that extended from the box office into the road. Once “inside,” we would shout over each other, “Park in that row! “No, the one in front!” “Don’t get behind the truck.” Daddy, being an extremely pa tient man, never let our shouts get to him, instead jockeying for what he thought was the best position right next to the speaker that hung on a pole. Daddy would roll down the window and carefully position it as Mom reminded him then and probably ten more times throughout the night not to drive away when the movie ended before replacing the speaker. Each time we went to the drive-in we’d laugh and point out the car that didn’t have a Mom like ours as they’d either rip the equipment or nearly strangle themselves when leaving. Once settled, our impatience would grow as we’d constantly ask, “How many more minutes till the movie starts?” Sometimes we’d be al lowed to get out and walk around for a short time but always told, “You have to be back before the movie starts.”

Finally, it was dark enough, and the music would begin but not before an animated short advertising the concession stand and how many minutes you had before the movie started. They had dancing hot dogs and happy boxes of popcorn singing, “Only eight minutes left, hurry!”Finally, it was time for the movie. We sat straight up and took in every single frame of the experience. Just when the “good part” was coming, or in the case of a double feature the next movie, the dancing popcorn, hot dogs, and green glass bottles of Coke would once again appear, and we’d start our whining, telling our parents that we ate supper so fast we didn’t have a chance to fill up, and we’d probably perish before we got home if we didn’t get at least a dancing candy bar.

The drive-in is an important part of American cinema history begun in New Jersey in 1910. In the ‘50s more than 4000 of them dotted the landscapes from coast to coast powered by the boom of car sales following the war years. It was a place for the whole family, even babies who didn’t need to be left home with a sitter.

Drive-in popularity soared briefly during the pandemic, a place you could still find entertainment with plenty of social distancing now evolved from FM radio sound to digital laser projection and 75-foot screens, wireless audio streaming to smartphones and tablets, and conces sion stands with everything from pizza to veggie burgers. Yet by the ‘90s, the appeal of the drive-in had dwindled as people were renting movies they could watch at home or going to a multiplex at the local mall with surround sound. The oncepacked fields and lots became housing developments, and today only about 300 drive-ins still operate. Still, the memories are sweet.

Like everything else back then it was a simple time, but a fun time. We didn’t have to have a lot of money to enjoy the entertainment, and we never cared what the movie would be because it was always great. It was the experience of watching a big screen with a speaker hanging on the half open window, with blankets brought along if we got cold, and a place we could wear our pajamas and no one would see, where our parents were free to smoke, and where we could laugh and giggle and be kids without disturbing others.

They were the days when for 25 cents per car and 25 cents for each person in that car we could be transported to the Wild West, sing and dance with Fred and Ginger, laugh with Bob and Bing, swoon over Rock Hudson, and at inter mission hot dogs would dance on the screen as fireflies danced overhead. It was a place where the stars looked di rectly into our car from big screens in a field and even more stars shone overhead lighting up the night and making glad our hearts.

As of this printing, 10 drive-ins are op erating in season within a 50-mile radius of Albany.

The Key to a Happy Life

Crystal Cobert Giddens, LE

In 1938, Harvard researchers embarked on a decades-long study to find out what makes humans happy? The researchers gathered health records from 724 participants from all over the world and asked detailed ques tions about their lives at two-year intervals.

Guess what they found? Happiness had nothing to do with career achievement, money or geography. These researchers spent 85 years compiling data and guess what they found? Positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and help us live longer.

Have you ever met someone for the first time and felt an immediate connection? Like you’ve been friends forever? Can you remember how you felt? Did you find yourself thinking about the encounter throughout the day?

Have you ever had an argument with your significant other? Work bestie? How did you feel afterwards? Did you get a stomach ache or lose your appetite? How did you sleep that night?

Our relationships can shape how we walk through our lives. They can affect our mood and help make us happy or alter how we feel throughout the day.

To make sure our relationships are healthy and balanced, it’s important to practice “social fitness.” But what is “social fitness” and how do we figure out if we’re fit?

Social fitness requires taking stock of our relationships, being honest with ourselves about where we’re devoting our time, and whether we are tending to the connections that help us thrive. Social fitness is important… but it isn’t easy to evaluate, let alone make changes.

We tend to think that once we establish friendships and intimate relation ships, they will take care of themselves. But our social life is a living system that needs to be actively used and lived in.

How do we begin to figure it out? I’ve found two ways to help:

There’s a popular health coaching school in NYC that teaches nutrition in a way that encompasses everything from conventional dietary theory to Ayurvedic philosophies surrounding food and absolutely everything in between.

I attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition almost 15 years ago. We learned about shopping, meal planning and cooking. We learned how feeding people (and ourselves) nourishes more than just your body and mind. It nourishes your soul. We learned that everyone is unique and what works for one may not work for some.

During our first class, we learned about something called the Circle of Life. There is an exercise that gives you a clear picture of where your life is thriving and what areas could use a little more attention. The school focuses on balancing Primary Food (consisting of the 12 circles of life) with Secondary Food. Our secondary food is what we actually put on our plate to eat.

They ask questions like: Are you happy in your career? Do you feel and get to express your creativity? How is your home environment? How is your spiritual life? There are 12 questions total. You are asked to rate your satisfaction in each area and put it into a pie chart that you can use as a visual tool to help you on your journey.

But what about the Harvard study? Their focus is on social fitness and how it affects our heath. They break it down into seven keystones of support:

Safety and security:  Who would you call if you woke up scared in the middle of the night? Who would you turn to in a moment of crisis?

Learning and growth:  Who encourages you to try new things, to take chances, to pursue your life’s goals?

Emotional closeness and confiding:  Who knows everything (or most things) about you?

Identity affirmation and shared experience: Is there someone in your life who has shared many experiences with you and who helps you strengthen your sense of who you are?

Romantic intimacy: Do you feel satisfied with the amount of romantic intimacy in your life?

Help (both informational and practical): Who do you turn to if you need some expertise or help solving a practical problem (e.g., planting a tree, fixing your WiFi connection).

Fun and relaxation: Who makes you laugh? Who do you call to see a movie or go on a road trip?

Do you have a “ride or die” friend? A friend that lifts you up, stays by your side and holds you accountable? There’s usually one person that you can always count on during breakups, career changes and all of life’s struggles - big or small. Your ride or die bestie is always ready to go on an adventure. They don’t judge you but they don’t sugar coat either. They’ve heard it all before, but listen anyway.

How do you determine if you’re socially fit? Remember, everyone is different. Not all of these keystones of support will feel important to you. Start off easy and ask yourself if you’re getting enough support in the areas that actually matter to you, and start there.

You may realize that you have plenty of people you have fun with, but no one to confide in. Or maybe you only have one person you go to for help.

I feel that being socially fit is something that is constantly changing and evolving. I know my answers change a little every year.

Crystal Cobert Giddens FACES of Saratoga

518 Culinary Travel Destinations Boston - Part 2

by Chef Armand Vanderstigchel

After a noteworthy day savoring the superb dining options at Encore Resort on the Mystic River, we await our car service the following morning at the hotel entrance to transport our group off to breakfast in the North-end district of Boston – “the Little Italy of Boston.”

Our host Scott Varley, beckons the chauffeur to drive to Modern Pastry on Hannover Street. This legendary outpost of an Italian Bakery is famous for its pastries like Cannoli & Cream filled Lobster tails – a Cream Puff Dough baked inside a Sfogliatelle Shell filled with Ricotta &

whipped Cream. Founded in 1930, Modern Pastry created the one-of-a-kind cannoli that keeps loyal Bostonians and tourists coming back.

We arrive around 10 am, which by chance of luck evades us standing in a long line-a common ritual typically later in the day. We choose from the omelet se lection but our focus is on the world-class Cappuccinos and sharing a creamy Lobster tail as the finale. Indeed, the crispy shell crackles as the fresh creamfilling oozes out, generating the temptation to order another one!

On the agenda is local food shopping. We quickly grab a box of Cannoli from another

bakery legend Mike’s Pastry which is directly across from Modern. From there to Richmond Street on the Freedom Trail and near the Paul Revere House, in pursuit of Salumeria Italiana. It opened almost 50 years ago, selling olive oils, vinegars, pastas, dried sausages, and specialty products. Its is also great place to also pick up some hearth oven bread or one of their famous Italian sandwiches featuring sliced fresh Moz zarella, Mortadella and Porchetta.

Ensuing our shopping expedition, we visit Monica’s Pasta Shop at 141 Richmond Street next door. The homemade pasta story at Monica’s goes back to 1995 when Chef Jorge Mendoza brought fresh pasta to the menu at the original Monica’s restaurant. These pastas are available retail along with cheeses, meats, breads, pre pared foods, soups, salads, and Italian prod ucts. The pasta is hand-made daily. The Italian sandwiches are excellent, enveloped in homemade bread and fresh delicacies. While there, grab some fresh Arancini Rice Balls and crispy home-made Beef Empanadas displayed on the counter.

Since 1926, visitors have been flocking to Boston’s “Little Italy” for a taste of Regina’s famous brick-oven, thin-crust pizzas. At this local staple, known as “Boston’s original Pizzeria,” diners wait in line at this original location for the spicy sauce, salty cheese, and local ingredients. Yes, indeed folks-a line did await us as we headed for lunch over on Thatcher Street. After a noble 15 minutes in the cold, we are ushered into the holy grail of Boston

Pizza, anxious to try that perfect chewy, thin crust, lots of fresh mozzarella and great saucereminiscent of pizza from Naples. The crowded diner-like atmosphere featuring cranky under pressure wait-staff and thuds of pizza cutters chomping through the crispy crusts is entertaining. We ordered the original Pizza and a Shrimp Scampi variation. After one bite, it became abundantly clear to us all, the motive behind such a mass frenzy nourishing this pizza destination – spectacular pizza!

A short walk brings us to the Boston Public Food market on 100 Hannover Street at Hay Market Station. The Boston Public Market is an indoor, year-round marketplace featuring 30 New England artisans and food producers of fering fresh foods, prepared meals, crafts, and specialty items locally sourced from New E ngland. Year-round festivals, workshops, cooking classes, and tours are an engaging, educational experience for visitors. This is the ultimate shopping experience for foodies and the variety made our visit eventful, especially the awardwinning Union Square Donuts made from scratch every day. We tried the Brown Butter Hazelnut crunch, Maple glazed and classic Boston cream. They are pillowy soft laced with high quality confectionary ingredients. It is perhaps a blessing they are remote from our home in Saratoga Springs-one cannot stop thinking and craving about them after the experience.

Our final stop - The Union Oyster House – it’s the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the U.S. — the doors have always been open to diners since 1826. Located on the Freedom Trail and

one block from Faneuil Hall, it has hosted celebrities, sport-stars, presidents, and politicians who all came here by Boston tradition to enjoy the food, a piece of history and the cozy speak-easy atmosphere.

The famous New England Clam Chowder is silky and perfect, accompanied by corn-bread. The freshly shucked oysters never fail since the freshness is so prevalent with the high volume of Oyster turn-over. Boston Bread-crumb crusted Scrod and Fish & Chips are classics not to be overlooked-comfort food done right. Sam Adams brews an exclusive Colonial Brown Ale for the restaurant which makes a great beverage accompaniment.

The old taverns, cobblestone streets and Faneuil Hall (a must visit) conveys one back in time when America was young and celebrated vi sionaries and revolutionaries roamed these streets of the Freedom Trail. Boston is a delightful city to visit year-round and a true culinary destination where the roots of American cuisine originated as we know it today. Boston beckons you to visit.

April 1-30 Schuylerville

David Eddy & John G reenhut | Juxtaposition. David Eddy creates semiabstract figurative paintings, full of raw energy and emotion, exhibiting a sophistication of color, marks, and composition. There is an obvious and seductive physicality in the process, with a complexity of texture and line. The artist’s interest in exploring the relationship between abstraction and figuration is evident in each of his paintings, offering a very unique, very personal vision. In creating sculpture, John Greenhut takes great influence from his mentor, John Terken. In Greenhut’s own words: “John Terken taught me how to see art and appreciate the innumerable ways of seeing. With my sculptures, I hope I can inspire that experience of seeing in others and honor John and the lessons he taught me.” There is a seductive nature and passion that oftentimes blurs the border between plaintive and joyful in Eddy and Greenhut’s work. The Laffer Gallery is pleased to present work from both artists as part of the Juxtoposition ex hibition beginning April 1, 2023 and running until April 30 with an opening re ception on April 1 from 5pm until 8pm.The Laffer Gallery, 96 Broad Street Schuylerville, NY 12871. (518) 695-3181 Gallery Hours: Thursday - Sunday 12pm - 5pm

April 1 - 22 Glens Falls

"Elements of Style" Exhibition at our main gallery location inside The Shirt Factory building in Glens Falls, NY (71 Lawrence Street, Suite #120.) Event runs 5pm - 7pm and is free to the public.

April 1 - 15 Lake George

“Here and There”, a solo exhibition of paintings b y Kathryn Lynch. Kathryn Lynch’s paintings draw from a variety of subjects, often da ily en counters that range from NY’s Hudson Valley landscape, NYC cityscapes, New England seascapes, and sometimes dogs, people, flowers, and even tug boats. Her paintings are not “plein air”, or observed from direct observation, but capture what is caught in the periphery, or peripheral vision – a sense form, light, and at mosphere. The simplicity of forms, and di rect, yet seemingly loose strokes in her paint handling, become distilled records of passing moments. Lake George Arts Project, 1 Amherst St, Lake George, NY 12845

April 1 - 22 Ballston Spa

The JRM Artists' Space will have a group exhibition presented by the Guild of Adirondack Artists. This group consists of 30 artists from the Lower Adirondack Region. Many of their artists have participated in previous shows in the gallery as individual artists.There will be an Artists’ reception to be held on March 25th from 2-4pm. Please spread the word about this show and come out to the reception or throughout the show to support these artists and The National Bottle Museum! National Bottle Museum, 76 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa NY 518-885-7589.

April 4 - May 13 Clifton Park

The Blooming Artist welcomes the Oakroom Artists to our gallery. The group exhibition, fea turing works of various mediums & styles, premiers on April 04th and remains until May 13th. Our Opening Community Art Reception is on Friday, April 14th from 6-8pm; as always, this celebration is open to the public and includes live music & light provisions. For more information, please contact us and join our mailing list. The Blooming Artist Gallery 675 Grooms Rd, Clifton Park, NY. 518-280-4928

www.thebloomingartist.gallery

April 8 Saratoga Springs

NEW!! Art Classes at Soave Faire!!!

"Intro to Sketching" with David Sokol. $35.00 , sketching supplies included. 5 spots available, call to reserve your spot! April 8th 11am - 12:30. Soave Faire, 449 Broadway, Saratoga Springs,

April 14 - May 13 Glens Falls

The Tom Myott Gallery is showing the latest artwork from Master Pastelist, Dave Francis from April 14th - May 13th. The opening reception will be on April 14th, 6 PM - 8 PM. Along with Dave's colorful pastel drawings depicting antique toys and fantasy compositions, he will showcase his most recent pen drawings of Megalithic cities and castles. The exceptional detail in his latest work is inspiring. The Tom Myott Gallery Suite 102, located at 71 Lawrence St. Glens Falls, NY.

April 1 - 22 Albany

Albany Center Gallery (ACG) presents the 24th Annual High School Regional Juried Exhibition features over 100 works of art made by students from over 25 high schools around the Capital Re gion, selected by jurors out of over 550 submis sions. The exhibit showcases a variety of student work including painting, drawing, pho tography, film, digital media, and sculpture. ACG is open noon-5pm, Tues- Sat. Public special invitation: Saturday, March 25, noon - 5 p.m. Albany Center Gallery, 488 Broadway, Suite 107, Albany, NY https://albanycentergallery.org/events/24th-annual-high-school-regional-juried-exhibition 518.462.4775

April 15 Saratoga Springs

"Intro to Gouache" with Eden Compton. $50.00, painting supplies included. 1pm - 3pm. 6 spots available, call to reserve your spot! 518- 587-8448. Soave Faire, 449 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY

April 22-May 27 Saratoga Springs

2023 Juried Exhibition Series II. Artists: Terry Teitelbaum, Stu Eichel, Leslie Yolen, Christopher Altamari.

OPENING RECEPTION: April 21 @ 5-7pm. Saratoga Arts Center, 320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 518-584-4132