EXPLORE Fall 2012 by Times Union Magazines

Fall 2012

A Times Union Publication

THINGS TO DO. PLACES TO GO.

Deconstructing Sgt. Pepper

plus travel · outdoors · music · events calendar · and more!

This is the big one. The numero uno fair of the season. 17 straight days of fun. Whether you go all 17 days or just for one, you can save with Advance Discount Tickets, available online and at Big Y® World Class Markets®. This year at The Big E, don’t miss: � The Stars of the Peking Acrobats, three times daily on the Court of Honor Stage, sponsored by Comcast � �� a holiday greeting card come to life, sponsored by Uncommon USA

Alan Jackson

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� �� sponsored by Coca-Cola and featuring “Grandma,” three times daily ��

Billy Currington

Jeff Dunham

Special Guest: David Nail

Sat. 9/29, 7:30pm

U.S. Freestyle Motocross

Sea Lion Splash

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National Championship Series ��

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Sponsored by Chicopee Savings Bank. Three shows daily, four on weekends.

Publisher George Hearst III LENOX, MA

Editorial Janet Reynolds Executive Editor Brianna Snyder Associate Editor Design Tony Pallone Design Director

BERNSTEIN THEATRE / SEPT 22–NOV 4

THE 39 STEPS

by PATRICK BARLOW adapted from the novel by JOHN BUCHAN directed by JONATHAN CROY featuring ELIZABETH ASPENLIEDER, JASON ASPREY, DAVID JOSEPH, JOSH AARON MCCABE

BERNSTEIN THEATRE NOV 30–DEC 30

THE SANTALAND DIARIES

Contributing Writers John Adamian, Susan Bibeau, Michael Hamad, Elizabeth Floyd Mair, Stacey Morris, Kathleen Norton, Deborah Renfrew, Gillian Scott Contributing Photographers Susan Bibeau, Colleen Ingerto, Elizabeth Floyd Mair, Kathleen Norton Sales Kathleen Hallion Vice President, Advertising Tom Eason Manager, Display Advertising Craig Eustace Retail Sales Manager

“A beautiﬂly staged, terriﬁcally acted piece that’s still fresh.” ALBANY TIMES UNION

by DAVID SEDARIS adapted by JOE MANTELLO directed by TONY SIMOTES featuring DAVID JOSEF HANSEN

Jeff Kiley Magazine Sales Manager Circulation Dan Denault Home Delivery Manager Business Ray Koupal Chief Financial Officer TimesUnion.com Paul Block Executive Producer

SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF

by TERRY TEACHOUT directed by GORDON EDELSTEIN featuring JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON

Colleen Ingerto, Emily Jahn Designers

CLOSES SEPT 16! TINA PACKER PLAYHOUSE

SEASONS 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA • For tickets visit

SHAKESPEARE.ORG or 413-637-3353

Explore is published four times per year. If you are interested in receiving home delivery of Explore magazine, please call: 518.454.5454. For advertising information, please call: 518.454.5358. Explore is published by Capital Newspapers and Times Union 645 Albany Shaker Road, Albany, NY 12212 · 518.454.5694 The entire contents of this magazine are copyright 2012 by Capital Newspapers. No portion may be reproduced in any means without written permission of the publisher. Capital Newspapers is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation.

contents in every issue 6 Calendar of Events » Fall 2012 14 Our Backyard » Local gems to visit

page 16

33 Off the Beaten Path » Wilmington, NC

— photo by jared kelly

36 Just the Two of Us » Cooperstown, NY 42 Last Call » Yono and Donna Purnomo on the Big Apple

features page 18

MUSIC

— photo courtesy laylah ali

16 Miss Independent » Avant garde cellist Zoë Keating 20 Meet the Beatles » What did Sgt. Pepper really mean anyway? ART 18 The Discomfort Zone » Artist Laylah Ali at Williams College outdoors 22 Guidelines » Let an Adirondack guide show you the way

page 22 — photo courtesy Adirondack Connections Guide Service

26 Up, Down & All Around » Biking the Whiteface loop

on the cover Beatlemania: Everything you wanted to know about Sgt. Pepper. Read the story on page 20.

— Photo illustration by emily jahn

page 33 — photo by kathleen norton

timesunion.com/explore 5

calendar fall 2012 Music Classical Massry Center for the Arts

Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall 1002 Madison Ave., Albany Saturday, Sept. 22: The College of Saint Rose Camerata. 7:30 p.m. The Saint Rose Camerata celebrates the 150th anniversary of composer Claude Debussy. The concert will feature music inspired by myths and fairytales including two of Debussy’s most famous works, “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” (chamber version) and “Syrinx” for solo flute. Wednesday, Oct. 10: The College of Saint Rose Camerata Inaugural Concert. 7:30 p.m. This faculty chamber ensemble in residence at The College of Saint Rose will perform their favorite repertoire in this special Inaugural Concert for President David Szczerbacki. Saturday, Oct. 27: The College of Saint Rose Camerata. 7:30 p.m. This faculty chamber ensemble in residence at The College of Saint Rose will perform chamber music masterpieces by Schumann, Arensky and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.

Proctors

432 State St, Schenectady proctors.org (518) 346-6204 Friday, Oct. 26: National Symphony Orchestra Of Cuba. 8 p.m. Featuring world-renowned pianist Nachito Herrera, this phenomenal orchestra’s repertoire includes exquisite renditions of works by Gershwin, Beethoven, Lecuona, and Gavilan.

Simon’s Rock College

84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, Mass. simons-rock.edu (800) 875-7156 Sunday, Nov. 4: South Berkshire Concert: Songs of Schumann and Copland. 3 p.m. Pamela Dellal, mezzo-soprano Larry Wallach, piano. Held in the Kellogg Music Center.

Skidmore College Zankel Music Center

815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs skidmore.edu (518) 580-5000 Sunday, Sept. 16: Veena Chandra, sitar. 7 p.m. The Skidmore Music Department

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lecturer is a renowned sitarist, composer and choreographer Friday, Sept. 28: Stefania Neonato. 8 p.m. Fortepianist Stefania Neonato of Italy received her Fortepiano Masters Degree at the Imola International Academy under Stefano Fiuzzi and her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Historical Performance Practice under Malcolm Bilson at Cornell University. Thursday, Oct. 4: Uncommon Time: Taiko, Tabala and Timbal Kenny Endo Trio. 8 p.m. One of the leading artists in contemporary percussion and rhythm, Kenny Endo is the vanguard of the Taiko genre with his Japanese style drumming. A performer, composer, and teacher of Taiko with numerous awards and accolades, he has been a career Taiko player for over 35 years, blending Japanese Taiko with rhythms influenced from around the world into original melodies and improvisation. Friday, Oct. 5: Baroque Flute Concert. 8 p.m. Yvonne Chavez Hansbrough, baroque flute, Andre O’Neil, viola de gamba and baroque cello, and Andrew Appel, harpsichord, will perform a program including Bach E Minor Sonata, BWV 1038, Sonata in D Minor, Opus 2 by Blavet, and various pieces by Bach. Saturday, Oct. 6: Jack Quartet. 8 p.m. The members of the Jack Quartet include Ari Streisfeld, violin, Christopher Otto, violin, John Pickford Richards, viola, and Kevin McFarland, cello. Thursday, Oct. 11: Concert by the Drastic Measures and the Chosen. 8 p.m. Skidmore’s own a cappella group Drastic Measures presents the Chosen, a song and dance group from Uganda comprising six children who range from 7 to 13 years old. This is a benefit concert for AEOT, an independent grassroots organization seeking to empower communities to care and provide for Ugandan children. Saturday, Oct. 13: Skidmore Faculty Recital. 8 p.m. Anthony G. Holland will present his world premiere of Elegy and Transcendence for English horn and viola. Evan Mack will premiere selections from his new opera, The Secret of Luca, featuring Kara Cornell and Jack Brown. Fri, Nov 2: Julian Lage Group. 8 p.m. This quintet includes Julian Lage on guitar and features Dan Blake on

saxophone, Aristides Rivas on cello, Jorge Roeder on bass, and Tupac Mantilla on drums.

Tannery Pond Concerts

10 Darrow Road, New Lebanon tannerypondconcerts.org (888) 820-1696 Saturday, Sept. 22: Brentano String Quartet. 6 p.m. Music by: Haydn, Bartok, Beethoven Our final concert, on Sept. 22nd, returns the Brentano Quartet, who have performed here several times, to the Tannery. Each time, according to Steiner, with more finesse and beauty. In computer terms, “each year, an upgrade!”

University at Albany Performing Arts Center

1400 Washington Ave., Albany albany.edu/pac (518) 422-3997 Thursday, Oct. 11: Mycale. 7:30 p.m. Consisting of four dynamic singer-songwriters/recording artists — Basya Schechter (Brooklyn), Ayelet Rose Gottlieb (Israel), Malika Zarra (Morocco) & Sophia Rei (Argentina) — this female a cappella quartet performs a repertoire of Jewish art and liturgical songs. Singing lyrics in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, French, Spanish, Portuguese and

Arabic drawn from Rumi, Fernando Pessoa, Heraclitus and the Hebrew Bible, these expressive artists first came together with a recording produced by John Zorn. Wednesday, Oct. 17: Mao Omura and Erika Tazawa. 7:30 p.m. The dynamic duo of violinist Mao Omura and pianist Erika Tazawa perform music of Mozart, Franck, Ravel, Takemitsu and Mitsuru Hayashi. A top-flight concert by these two young, prize-winning performers. Friday, Oct. 26 - Saturday, Oct. 27: Boricua Rhythms Conference: The Music of Puerto Rico. In this

two-day conference celebrating and examining the rich musical heritage of Puerto Rico, lecture/ recitals, presentations and panel discussions will deal with diverse topics including performance, composition, folk-music and administration. Puerto Rican composers expected to be present include Roberto Sierra and William Ortiz. Some of the performers presenting include soprano Eva de la O, pianist Ivonne Figueroa and cellist Annette Espada. Sunday, Oct. 28: Puccini’s “La Boheme” (in reduction). 7:30

The Egg

Empire State Plaza, Albany theegg.org (518) 473-1845 Friday, Sept. 21: Ramin Karimloo. 8 p.m. One of musical theater’s leading men and star of Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, Les Miserables, and Miss Saigon, Ramin Karimloo will perform some much-loved musical theater favorites such as “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera, “Till I Hear you Sing” from Love Never Dies, “Why God” from Miss Saigon, as well as selections from his dazzling new album. Presented in cooperation with WMHT Public Broadcasting

The Meeting House in the Berkshires

154 Hartsville-New Marlborough Road, New Marlborough, Mass. Saturday, Sept. 15: Boston Classical Trio. 4:30 p.m. In their Berkshire debut, the Boston Classical Trio performs the music of Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven’s “Ghost” Trio on instruments from the period. Saturday, Sept. 22: Brahms: The Violin Sonatas and Mendelssohn: Selected Piano Music. 4:30 p.m. Featuring pianist Robert Levin and violinist Daniel Stepner.

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

30 Second St., Troy troymusichall.org (518) 273-0038 Friday, Oct. 5: Christopher O’Riley, “From the Top.” 7:30 p.m. Hosted by pianist Christopher O’Riley, each broadcast presents performances & interviews revealing the heart and soul behind these musicians. Sun, Oct 28: The Metropolitan Opera Brass Ensemble. 3 p.m. Unamplified.

Fiona Apple, touring to promote her popular new record, performs at the Palace Theatre in Albany, Oct. 19. Visit palacealbany.com.

p.m. Ah, to be young, in love and in Paris! In Puccini’s hands, the love affair between Mimi and Rodolfo becomes one of the most poignant and popular operas ever written and still speaks true to today. Saturday, Nov. 3: Nicholas Wiggins. 7:30 p.m. This recent graduate of The Eastman School of Music and member of the Yellow Jackets comes to UAlbany direct from his recent appearance with that group on Sing Off! and the Sing Off! tour.

for seven bassoons by the founder of New York City’s Bang on a Can. Friday, Sept. 28: Tim Hecker. 8 p.m. A site-specific performance of new pulse-based works from a leading ambient and experimental electronic musician. Friday, Oct. 19: AKOUSMA. 8 p.m. “Cinema for the ear” electronic music performance presenting composer/performers from the 2012 AKOUSMA festival in Montreal.

Union College

Empire State Plaza

Memorial Chapel

807 Union St., Schenectady (518) 388-6000 Wednesday, Oct. 10: Rafal Blechacz. 8 p.m. Rafal Blechacz performs on piano as part of the Union College Chamber Concert Series. Thursday, Nov. 8: Belcea Quartet. 8 p.m.

Pop, Rock, Folk, Country and Jazz Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

200 Hurd Road, Bethel bethelwoodscenter.org (866) 781-2922 Saturday, Sept. 15: Fresh Beat Band. 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29: Steve Earle. 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7: Medeski Martin and Wood. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19: Steep Canyon Rangers. 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9: Rusted Root. 8 p.m.

Calvin Theatre & Performing Arts Center

19 King St., Northampton, Mass. iheg.com (413) 584-1444 Wednesday, Sept. 12: Tommy Emmanuel. 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14: Steve Vai. 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7: Ben Harper. 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1: Umphrey’s McGee with the Bright Light Social Hour. 8 p.m.

EMPAC

Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy empac.rpi.edu (518) 276-4135 Saturday, Sept. 15: Michael Gordon: Rushes. 8 p.m. The world premiere of a composition

Eagle St and Madison Ave., Albany ogs.ny.gov (518) 474-5987 Saturday, Sept. 22: Hannaford Hispanic Heritage Celebration. 3 p.m. Featuring La Exelencia Salsa Band with Amarfis y la Banda de Atakke.

First Lutheran Church

181 Western Ave., Albany firstlutheranalbany.org (518) 463-1326 Sunday, Nov. 4: 34th Annual Ecumenical Musical Celebration. 3 p.m. Music performed by the Bell Choir of Calvary United Methodist Church in Latham; Capital District Voices of Praise; Choir of First Lutheran Church; Choir of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church; and College of St. Rose Women’s Chorale all led by guest organist Dr. Joseph Eppink. Musical celebration directed by Dorothy Johnson. Free-will offering to benefit the many projects of the Capital Area Council of Churches. Refreshments served after program.

Hudson Valley Community College

Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium 80 Vandenburgh Ave., Troy hvcc.edu (518) 629-7180 Thursday, Oct. 25: Thomasina Winslow. 12 p.m. Old-style acoustic guitar blues on stage at the BTC Auditorium of Hudson Valley Community College.

Iron Horse Music Hall

iheg.com (413) 586-8686 Tuesday, Sept. 11: Kelly Joe Phelps. 7 p.m. Over the past 17 years of recording and touring, Phelps has been talked about as much for his passionate, spiritdriven, lone musical ways as for the inventiveness of his playing and singing.

Monday, Sept. 17: Sean Rowe. 7 p.m. An evening with the Capital Region-bred singer-songwriter. Wednesday, Sept. 19: Sarah Lee And Johnny. 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21: Danny Pease and the Regulators. 10 p.m. “Dirty Punk Reggae.” Saturday, Sept. 29: Sonny Landreth. 7 p.m. Southwest Louisiana-based guitarist. Saturday, Sept. 29: Alan Evans Trio. 10 p.m. Soulive’s Alan Evans decided to start a new band in a lineup he thrives in, the organ trio, recruiting two of his good friends — guitarist Danny Mayer and organist Beau Sasser. Sunday, Sept. 30: April Verch. 7 p.m. Fiddle. Saturday, Oct. 6: Seth Glier. 7 p.m. Singer/pianist. Wednesday, Oct. 10: Gretchen Peters. 7 p.m. Grammynominated singer-songwriter from Nashville. Saturday, Oct. 13: The Nields. 7 p.m. Folk sisters. Wednesday, Oct. 17: Charlie Hunter. 7 p.m. First coming to prominence in the early 1990s, Hunter has recorded 17 albums. Hunter plays custom-made seven and eight-string guitars, on which he simultaneously plays bass lines, rhythm guitar, and solos.

Mass MoCA

87 Marshall St., North Adams, Mass. massmoca.org (413) 662-2111 Friday, Sept. 21 - Sunday, Sept. 23: FreshGrass: Bluegrass Festival. With headliners David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, Trampled by Turtles and Carolina Chocolate Drops, FreshGrass is three full days of the best of today’s bluegrass. A barn dance/hootenanny, instrument workshops, activities for kids, local food and drink, and lots more music plus access to the galleries make up this affordable festival.

Massry Center for the Arts

Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall 1002 Madison Ave., Albany Friday, Sept. 14: Doc Severinsen and the San Miguel 5. 7:30 p.m. Known for his big-band trumpet playing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Doc Severinsen and His Big Band continue to perform across America. Their repertoire includes Ellington and Basie

standards, pop, jazz, ballads, big band classics and, of course, The Tonight Show theme. Saturday, Oct. 6: Medeski Martin and Wood — Special Acoustic Performance. 7:30 p.m. As one of the most in-demand trios of today, Medeski Martin and Wood will be on tour for a series of acoustic performances getting back to the roots of their genrebending jazz-funk music. The College of Saint Rose is proud to present this groundbreaking group at the Massry Center for the Arts as part of the upcoming Premiere Performance series. Friday, Oct. 19: The College of Saint Rose Jazz Ensemble/ Empire State Youth Jazz Ensemble Concert. 7:30 p.m. These two ensembles will perform big band jazz from the late 1920s to the present.

Old Songs Community Arts Center

37 S. Main St, Voorheesville oldsongs.org (518) 765-2815 Saturday, Sept. 15: Songs of Woody Guthrie. 6 p.m. Lasagna Dinner and Concert to benefit Old Songs, Inc. Capital Fund with Annie & Jonny Rosen, Michael Eck, Bill Spence, Roger Mock & Mark Shepard, and Debra Burger performing Woody Guthrie’s songs in honor of the 100th anniversary of his birth. Saturday, Sept. 22: Jim Malcolm. 8 p.m. Jim Malcolm is the ultimate Scots troubadour. Traveling the world with his guitar, harmonicas, and engaging wit, he sings the traditional songs of Scotland and his own masterfully crafted songs in a style which is modern and accessible, yet utterly authentic. He is highly regarded as an interpreter of the songs of Robert Burns, and has been described as “one of the finest singers in Scotland in any style.” Saturday, Oct. 13: Gordon Bok. 8 p.m. Maine’s legendary troubadour returns to the Capital District for an evening of sea songs, ballads, chanteys and what Gordon likes to call “kitchen music” — songs for and about regular people full of hope and humor and often featuring an irresistible chorus.

Palace Theatre

19 Clinton Ave., Albany palacealbany.com (518) 465-3334 Thursday, Oct. 18: Morrissey. 8 p.m. Morrissey is recognized as one of the most prominent artists of his generation and has been an

idol for people around the world. Morrissey’s influence can be seen and felt throughout the music of countless artists who have noted him as their inspiration. Fri, Oct 19: Fiona Apple. 8 p.m. Fiona Apple embarks on her Fall tour with a stop at Albany’s Palace Theatre in support of her first release in seven years, entitled The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. Since making her debut in 1997 with Tidal and its Grammywinning single “Criminal,” Fiona has gone on to define herself as one of modern music’s most unique and creative voices. Saturday, Oct. 20: The Australian Pink Floyd Show. 8 p.m. Taking its title from the lyrics of the Floyd classic Shine On You Crazy Diamond the 2012 “Exposed In The Light” tour will be a true Pink Floyd “immersion,” bolstered by new lasers, new lights and even more jaw-dropping video effects. Thursday, Oct. 25: Straight No Chaser. 7:30 p.m. Hip male a cappella group.

Proctors

432 State St, Schenectady proctors.org (518) 346-6204 Tuesday, Sept. 18: Celtic Thunder. 7:30 p.m. Male Irish vocal ensemble Saturday, Oct. 13 - Saturday, Oct. 13: Capitaland Chorus. A performance by the women’s a cappella group, singing fourpart barbershop harmony, highlighting the songs of Gershwin. Thursday, Oct. 25: Under the Streetlamp. 8 p.m. The young male vocal group delivers an electrifying evening of classic hits from the American Radio Songbook.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center

108 Ave of the Pines, Saratoga Springs spac.org (518) 584-9330 Sunday, Sept. 16: Florence and the Machine. 7:30 p.m. English indie-rock band led by singer Florence Welch.

Saratoga Springs Public Library

49 Henry St, Saratoga Springs sspl.org Sunday, Sept. 9: A Celebration of the Yaddo Festivals of American Music. 2 p.m. A

performance of American contemporary music celebrating the unique contributions Yaddo composers have made to 20thcentury music.

Shaker Heritage Society

Meeting House Road, Albany shakerheritage.org (518) 456-7890 Saturday, Oct. 6: Shelving Rock. 7:30 p.m. Enjoy an evening of new and creative renditions of timeless tunes and the original music of Shelving Rock, featuring “Shaker Fiddler” Stephen Iachetta and “folk rock ’n’ roller” Breeze VerDant.

Skidmore College Zankel Music Center

815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs skidmore.edu (518) 580-5000 Friday, Sept. 21: Concert by Good Old War. 8 p.m. Indie-folk trio Good Old War has captivated countless audiences with their acoustic-driven, sing-alonginspiring, live performances.

The Colonial Theatre

111 South St., Pittsfield, Mass. thecolonialtheatre.org (413) 997-4444 Saturday, Sept. 29: Woody’s Roadhouse Reunion. 7:30 p.m. Take a trip back to the legendary Washington, Mass., music hall, Woody’s Roadhouse. The place where bands like the Cars, the Outlaws, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, NRBQ, Foghat, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, Fat, Shenandoah, the David Bromberg Band and many others rocked the house for nearly 30 years. Friday, Oct. 12: Barefoot Truth. 8 p.m. New England-based roots rockers.

The Egg

Empire State Plaza, Albany theegg.org (518) 473-1845 Sunday, Sept. 9: Steve Vai. 7 p.m. An evening with guitarist Steve Vai with special guest Beverly McClennan (“The Voice”). Tuesday, Sept. 18: Nick Lowe. 7:30 p.m. British singer/ songwriter Nick Lowe — a pioneer of 1970s pub rock, punk and new wave — performs music from his entire career — from classics such as “Cruel to be Kind” and “Peace, Love & Understanding” to new songs from his recent recording “The Old Magic.” Sunday, Oct. 7: Robert Glasper Experiment. Pianist and

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calendar fall 2012 composer Robert Glasper boldly stakes out new musical territory and transcends any notion of genre, drawing from jazz, hiphop, R&B and rock with his band that features Casey Benjamin on vocoder and saxophone, Derrick Hodge on electric bass, and Chris Dave on drums. Friday, Oct. 12: Felix Cavaliere. 7:30 p.m. Performing solo, Felix Cavaliere of the Young Rascals interweaves classics such as “Good Lovin,” “Groovin’,” “People Got To Be Free,” and “I’ve Been Lonely To Long” with stories of New York in the early ’60s and the creation of one of the most beloved rock ‘n’ roll bands in history. Sunday, Oct. 14: Renaissance. 7:30 p.m. The legendary English progressive folk-rock band Renaissance — featuring the ethereal vocals of Annie Haslam — perform two of their timeless albums in their entirety — Turn of the Cards and Scheherazade and Other Stories.

Friday, Oct. 19: Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks. 7:30 p.m. “Folk jazz,” featuring an irresistible sense of rhythm, hip lyrical styling, laidback vocalizing, and infamous on-stage wit. Thursday, Oct. 25: Henry Rollins. 8 p.m. Henry Rollins performs on his “Capitalism” tour. Saturday, Nov. 3: New York Banjo — A five-string Summit featuring Bela Fleck. 7:30 p.m. In performances ranging from solos and duets to full-tilt banjo blowouts with all the players, the concert will feature music ranging from bluegrass and old-time country music to jazz, classical and rock.

Times Union Center

51 S. Pearl St., Albany timesunioncenter-albany.com (518) 487-2000 Saturday, Sept. 29: Zendaya and Bella Thorne with Iconic Boyz, Poplyfe and the 3 Dudes. 7:30 p.m.

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

30 Second St., Troy troymusichall.org (518) 273-0038 Thursday, Sept. 27: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with special guests Asleep at the Wheel. 8 p.m. Country rock and American roots. Saturday, Oct. 27: Ricky Nelson Remembered with Matthew and Gunnar Nelson. 8 p.m. Nelson’s twin sons celebrate his life and music. Saturday, Nov. 3: The Lennon Legacy: A Tribute to the Man and His Music. 7:30 p.m. A musical tribute to John Lennon, from his earliest beginnings in the Quarrymen to Germany and the Cavern Club through Beatlemania and his solo years.

University at Albany Performing Arts Center 1400 Washington Ave., Albany albany.edu/pac (518) 422-3997 Wednesday, Oct. 3: Karl Berger

and Bob Gluck: Improvised Music. 7 p.m. Karl Berger, improvising conductor, performer and founder of the Creative Music Studio, performs a concert of improvised music on vibraphone with pianist Bob Gluck.

Dance EMPAC

Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy empac.rpi.edu (518) 276-4135 Friday, Oct. 5 - Saturday, Oct. 6: Nora Chipaumire: Miriam. 8 p.m. Renowned choreographer and dancer Nora Chipaumire creates her first character driven work — a deeply personal dance-theater performance that looks closely at selflessness, ambition, perfection and the

sacrifice of the feminine ideal. Saturday, Nov. 3: Kurt Hentschlager: Cluster. 8 p.m. A generative audiovisual performance that explores the weightless choreography of abstract falling human figures.

Skidmore College Zankel Music Center

815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs skidmore.edu (518) 580-5000 Saturday, Oct. 20: Saratoga Dances II. 5 p.m. The Dance Alliance presents an evening of performances with Saratoga connections. New York City Ballet dancer and choreographer Justin Peck will offer a Saratogacentric world premiere performed to Nico Muhly’s Quiet Music.

University at Albany Performing Arts Center 1400 Washington Ave., Albany albany.edu/pac (518) 422-3997 Thursday, Oct. 4: Flamenco Vivo

II. 7:30 p.m. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, this five-member ensemble of artists, under the direction of Artistic Director Carlota Santana, presents an evening of flamenco music, song and dance. Intense speed, sensual partnering and stiletto movement are trademarks of Santana’s artists who are currently celebrating their 30th anniversary season and tour nationally to build bridges between cultures using the universal spirit of flamenco.

Stage Capital Repertory Theater

111 N. Pearl St., Albany capitalrep.org (518) 445-7469 Friday, Sept. 28 - Sunday, Oct. 28: Pride@Prejudice. Jane Austen’s classic novel about the family of Bennett women gets a 21st-century twist as the cast onstage Googles, Tweets and otherwise communicates with the audience.

Charles R. Wood Theater

207 Glen St, Glens Falls atfestival.org (518) 874-0800 Sunday, Sept. 9: A Century of Song. 2 p.m. Seagle Music Colony young artists singing music from the theater scene of the past 100 years. The revue will feature favorite opera, operetta and musical-theater selections. Friday, Sept. 14 - Saturday, Sept. 15: Unsinkable Women: Stories and Songs from the Titanic. An extraordinary play about the women who survived the Titanic 100 years ago. Their stories of that night and their lives afterward are startling, unique and deeply moving. Friday, Sept. 21 - Saturday, Sept. 22: Shipwrecked. A play that tells the tale of the reallife Louis de Rougemont and his incredible 30-year adventure in the Australian outback after being lost at sea.

Cohoes Music Hall

Renowned choreographer and dancer Nora Chipaumire presents her new work, Miriam, at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center at RPI in Troy, Oct. 5-6. Visit empac.rpi.edu. — photo by antoine tempé

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58 Remsen St., Cohoes cohoesmusichall.com (518) 237-5858 Thursday, Nov. 1 - Sunday, Nov. 11: Hello Dolly. The story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, one of musical theater’s favorite characters, and her efforts to marry the wealthy Horace Vandergelder.

Curtain Call Theatre

210 Old Loudon Road, Latham curtaincalltheatre.com (518) 877-7529 Sunday, Sept. 9 - Saturday, Oct. 6: Crimes of the Heart. Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prizewinning tragic comedy about three sisters who reunite after the youngest shoots her husband. Friday, Oct. 19 - Saturday, Nov. 17: Opus. Michael Hollinger’s drama about the infighting and struggles of a string quartet preparing for a performance at the White House.

Mac Haydn Theatre

1925 Route 203, Chatham machaydntheatre.org (518) 392-9292 Sunday, Sept. 9 - Sunday, Sept. 16: Smokey Joe’s Cafe. You’ll want to dance in the aisles with this show full of Lieber and Stoller hit songs, from the novelty numbers “Charlie Brown, Poison Ivy” to high-spirited melodies “Kansas City, Jailhouse Rock” to romantic ballads “Fools Fall In Love, Spanish Harlem.”

Palace Theatre

SLOC Musical Theatre (Schenectady Light Opera Company)

427 Franklin St., Schenectady sloctheater.org (877) 350-7378 Friday, Oct. 12 - Sunday, Oct. 21: Next to Normal, Schenectady Light Opera Company. Broadway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is a powerful rock musical with a story that concerns a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder, and the effect that her illness has on her family.

Schenectady Civic Playhouse

12 S. Church St., Schenectady civicplayers.org (518) 382-2081 Friday, Oct. 12 - Sunday, Oct. 21: Blithe Spirit. Directed by Sally Farrell, the smash comedy hit of the London and Broadway stages, this much-revived classic offers up fussy, cantankerous novelist Charles Condomine, remarried but haunted (literally) by the ghost of his late first wife, the clever and insistent Elvira who is called up by a visiting “happy medium,”

University at Albany Performing Arts Center 1400 Washington Ave., Albany albany.edu/pac (518) 422-3997 Wednesday, Oct. 24: Gothic at Midnight: An Evening of Hilarity and Horror. 7:30 p.m. Drawing from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, Ambrose Bierce and other classic creepsters. Wednesday, Nov. 7: American Place Theatre in The Things They Carried. 7:30 p.m. Tim O’Brien’s masterwork of contemporary literature about the Vietnam War is taken from book to stage.

Comedy Calvin Theatre & Performing Arts Center

19 King St., Northampton, Mass. iheg.com (413) 584-1444 Saturday, Oct. 20: David Sedaris. 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26: Lewis Black: Running On Empty. 8 p.m.

19 Clinton Ave., Albany palacealbany.com (518) 465-3334 Saturday, Sept. 15: The Rat Pack. 7 p.m. They were style with substance, swing with swagger and a non-stop party that everyone wanted access to. Now audiences can experience this critically acclaimed, hugely entertaining theatrical production, which includes exciting new arrangements of the classic songs everyone knows and loves.

Shakespeare and Company

Proctors

111 South St., Pittsfield, Mass. thecolonialtheatre.org (413) 997-4444 Sunday, Sept. 9: Oliver!. A beloved musical about a young orphan who runs away and joins a band of thieves all in the pursuit of a real home.

Empire State Plaza, Albany theegg.org (518) 473-1845 Wednesday, Oct. 3: Margaret Cho. 7:30 p.m. Fashion designer, actress, author, singer, songwriter — but most famously, one of the most instinctively entertaining comedians of the day — Margaret Cho performs her new stand up show — “Mother.” Friday, Oct. 12: Ralphie May. 8 p.m. With four hugely popular Comedy Central Specials to his credit, Ralphie May has become one of the hottest comedians in the country. His DVD’s and CD’s went platinum. Ralphie was a standout on Last Comic Standing and The Tonight Show.”

Theater Barn

Palace Theatre

432 State St., Schenectady proctors.org (518) 346-6204 Friday, Oct. 26 - Sunday, Nov. 4: Verdict. Based on a tale by Agatha Christie: the Hendryks, refugees in England, have lost everything. Karl with his talents, charm and hard work rebuilds their lives. But Anya, his wife, is fatally ill and so her old friend, Lisa, who secretly loves Karl, lives with them and runs the house. Wednesday, Nov. 7 - Sunday, Nov. 25: Wicked. Popular musical based (loosely) on The Wizard of Oz.

70 Kemble St, Lenox, Mass. shakespeare.org (413) 637-3353 Sunday, Sept. 9 - Sunday, Sept. 16: Satchmo at the Waldorf. This thrilling one-man play from first-time playwright Terry Teachout celebrates the life of jazz musician Louis Armstrong, with John Douglas Thompson in the title role.

The Colonial Theatre

654 Us 20, New Lebanon theaterbarn.com (518) 794-8989 Sunday, Sept. 9: The Little Dog Laughed. This devastatingly funny play with dizzy irresistible writing will bring down the house. It follows the adventures of Mitchell Green, a movie star, and his hard-driving devilish agent Diane as she tries to help him navigate Hollywood’s choppy waters.

The Egg

19 Clinton Ave., Albany palacealbany.com (518) 465-3334 Friday, Sept. 28: Gabriel Iglesias. 8 p.m. The comedian brings a mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects that bring all his personal experiences to life. Saturday, Nov. 10: Bill Cosby. 8 p.m. Spend an evening with the comedic legend.

HOWARD PYLE

AMERICAN MASTER REDISCOVERED on view through October 28

nrm.org 413.298.4100 open daily 9 Rte 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262 This exhibition is organized by the Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE; made possible by Henry Luce Foundation, Foundation Sponsor, and Wyeth Foundation for American Art. An Attack on a Galleon, 1905 Howard Pyle.

calendar fall 2012 Proctors

432 State St, Schenectady proctors.org (518) 346-6204 Friday, Oct. 5: Shut Up, Sit Down and Eat. 7:30 p.m. When a therapist fails to arrive on time for a group therapy session, four impatient Italian Americans take their issues into their own hands and invent a new type of therapy — Italian therapy! Tuesday, Oct. 30: Capitol Steps. 8 p.m. The mudslinging comes from the left and the right in this hilarious show inspired by the boondoggles, shenanigans and pork barrel absurdities of our United States government.

Times Union Center

51 S. Pearl St, Albany timesunioncenter-albany.com (518) 487-2000 Friday, Sept. 28: Kevin Hart. 8 p.m. The actor and comedian brings his “Let Me Explain” tour to town.

Family, Fairs & Festivals Adirondack Balloon Festival

Crandall Park, Glens Falls and Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport, Queensbury adirondackballoonfest.org Thursday, Sept. 20 - Sunday, Sept. 23: The 40th-annual Adirondack Balloon Festival. The four-day free event is the oldest and largest balloon event on the East Coast set against the backdrop of the Adirondack Mountains.

Altamont Fairgrounds

129 Grand St., Altamont altamontfair.com (518) 861-6671 Saturday, Sept. 15 - Sunday, Sept. 16: Capital Region Apple and Wine Festival. The 20th annual family fall festival. Haunted house, pony rides, kids’ activities, wine tasting, farmers market, entertainment and more.

Cantine Field

Elm and Market streets, Saugerties welcometosaugerties.com (845) 246-5890 Saturday, Sept. 29 - Sunday, Sept. 30: Hudson Valley Garlic Festival. Vendors from

10 explore

the ADirondacK BALLOON FESTIVAL, the oldest and largest event of its kind on the East Coast, will celebrate its 40th anniversary when it runs Sept. 20-23 in Glens Falls and Queensbury. Above, attendees got the chance to walk inside a fan-inflated balloon during the opening ceremony of last year’s festival. Visit adirondackballoonfest.org. — photo by michael p. farrell/times union archives around the country prepare an eclectic assortment of culinary garlic treats.

Community Resource Federal Credit Union

20 Wade Road, Latham communityresource.coop (518) 783-2211 Saturday, Oct. 20: Haunted Credt Union. 6:30 p.m. All proceeds benefit Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless and Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.

Downtown New Paltz

Huguenot Street, New Paltz Saturday, Oct. 6: Huguenot Street Apple Festival. 10 a.m. Homemade apple pies, entertainment, quality handmade crafts, kids’ games, food.

Downtown Troy

River Street, Troy Sunday, Oct. 7: Troy Chowderfest. 11 a.m. Taste the best chowder in the Capital Region. Cast your vote for

the best local chowder after sampling your share of samples from about 20 area restaurants, with a range of flavors from vegetable to New England to Manhattan and back.

Dutchess County Fairgrounds

6550 Spring Brook Ave., Rhinebeck dutchessfair.com (845) 876-4001 Sunday, Sept. 9 - Sunday, Sept. 9: Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest. 10 a.m. Wine and food tasting event with more than 50 New York wineries, gourmet foods, crafts, cooking demonstrations and more. Saturday, Sept. 29 - Sunday, Sept. 30: Crafts at Rhinebeck Fall Festival. Crafts, food, petting zoo, storytelling, children’s hands on activities.

Eagle Mills Cider Mill and Family Fun Park

383 County Hwy 138, Broadalbin eaglemillsfun.com (518) 883-8700 Saturday, Sept. 15 - Sunday, Sept. 23: Arts and Craft Shows, 9 a.m. This show features one of the largest displays of handcrafted items in this part of the Northeast, with over 150 exhibitors and 15,000 spectators in attendance on each weekend. There’s music, entertainment, plenty of food and lots of fun for the whole family.

Farmers’ Museum

5775 State Hwy. 80, Cooperstown farmersmuseum.org (607) 547-1450 Saturday, Sept. 15 - Sunday, Sept. 16: Harvest Festival. Featuring performers, exhibitors, delicious foods, artisans, and animals in an alluring 19th-

century setting. Visitors can also enjoy the museum’s classic attractions as well — including favorites such as the Empire State Carousel, the Historic Village, Lippitt Farmstead, the Cardiff Giant, and all the animals.

Goold Orchards

1297 Brookview Station Road, Castleton-on-Hudson goold.com (518) 732-7317 Saturday, Oct. 6 - Sunday, Oct. 7: Goold Orchard Apple Festival and Craft Show. 10 a.m. The annual celebration of arts, crafts and agriculture features craft vendors, food, wine tastings, children’s activities, pumpkins, apple picking, live entertainment and much more.

Hellenic Center

510 Liberty St., Schenectady (518) 393-0742 Sunday, Sept. 9: 37th Annual St. George Greek Festival. 12 p.m. Homemade Greek

food and pastries, live music by the Aegeans, folk dance performances by Fotia Hellenic Society, arts and crafts, raffles and children’s activities.

Historic ParkMcCullough House

1 Park St., North Bennington, VT parkmccullough.org. (802) 442-5441 Saturday, Oct. 13: Oktoberfest 2012. Bavarian food, great music, cold Oktoberfest beers (and wine), craft vendors, hayride, house tour and more.

Howe Caverns

255 Discovery Dr., Howes Cave howecaverns.com (518) 296-8900 Friday, Oct. 26: 30th Annual Halloween at Howe Caverns. 5:30 p.m. The great cave is filled with ghosts, ghouls and giggles for this fundraiser. Proceeds benefit the Marathon for a Better Life — Schoharie County’s cancer walk.

Fall in the

Hunter Mountain

7975 Main St., Hunter Saturday, Sept. 29 - Sunday, Sept. 30: Hunter Mountain Oktoberfest I/Color in the Catskills. 10 a.m. Authentic German and German-American entertainment in the beauty of the northern Catskills in autumn. Saturday, Oct. 6 - Sunday, Oct. 7: Oktoberfest II. Ride the Sky Ride, listen to free live music, shop for holiday gifts and let the kids color pumpkins. Vendors range from traditional German crafts, clothing, holiday gifts and much more. Saturday Oct. 13: Hunter Mountain Wine and Brew Fest. 10 a.m. There will be a variety of vendors offering specialty foods and delicacies, plus a variety of arts and crafts vendors, a farmers market, live entertainment and more.

Lake George Village

172 Ottawa St., Lake George Saturday, Sept. 22 - Sunday, Sept. 23: Lake Side Craft Festival. Crafting demonstrations, hand crafted only vendors, music, family activities, Balloon Festival events and more.

Lark Street

245 Lark St., Albany larkstreet.org/events/ larkfest.cfm (518) 434-3861 Saturday, Sept. 15: LarkFEST. 10 a.m. LarkFEST is New York’s largest one-day street festival celebrating the Heart of Albany. The event hosts hundreds of vendors, 2 stages of music and entertainment, the Family Zone for kids of all ages, and national headlining music acts.

New York State Museum

264 Madison Ave., Albany nysm.nysed.gov (518) 474-5877 Saturday, Sept. 15: Family Fun Day. 1 p.m. The museum offers fun for the whole family with games, crafts, and other themebased activities. Saturday, Sept. 15: Creative Art Day. 1 p.m. Families are welcome to join Museum art instructor Peggy Steinbach for a creative activity based on an exhibition. Saturday, Sept. 29 - Saturday, Dec. 15: Furry Tales and Touchables. Stories come to life as youngsters touch real animal skins, bones, plants, and more while listening to a different storybook reading each time. Friday, Oct. 19 - Friday, Nov. 16: Museum Mystery Tours. Explore the museum and look for

clues to identify our “mystery objects.” Join us as we tour an exhibition and examine all that is hidden within. Each tour is based on a different exhibit and includes hands-on materials from the museum’s collections. Saturday, Oct. 27: Monster Mash and Bash. 11 a.m. Monster Mash and Bash. Toddlers to 10-yearolds will laugh, celebrate and have Halloween fun with a host of kooky characters at the State Museum. Activities include arts and crafts projects, a mini Monster maze, face painting, “Bust a Monster Move” on the dance floor, and a children’s costume parade plus much more! Parade times are 1 and 3 p.m. on the 4th floor.

Pruyn House

207 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham colonie.org/pruyn (518) 783-1435 Sunday, Sept. 9: Old Fashioned Sunday. 12 p.m. A festive fun-filled day for young and old alike. Music is played throughout the afternoon. Attractions include: old-tyme craft demonstrations, exhibits, and vendors. For children: pony rides, face painting, a storyteller, a magician, and live animals. Vendors will be available for food and drink.

Sage College of Albany

Academy Road, and New Scotland Avenue, Albany Saturday, Nov. 3: Creative Artisans Holiday Show. 10 a.m. This event will celebrate the holidays. Only good-quality items will be allowed for sale.

Saratoga County Fairgrounds

162 Prospect St., Ballston Spa saratogacountyfair.org (518) 885-9701 Friday, Sept. 14 - Saturday, Sept. 15: 16th-Annual Irish 2000 Music & Arts Festival. Irish 2000, one of the top five festivals of its kind in the U.S., features two days and nonstop music plus food, crafts, dance. Featuring the McKrells, Girsa, Hair of the Dog, Makem and Spain Brothers, Screaming Orphans, Enter the Haggis, Tossers and Street Dogs.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center

108 Ave of the Pines, Saratoga Springs spac.org (518) 584-9330 Sunday, Sept. 9: 12th Annual Saratoga Wine & Food and

Fall Ferrari. 12 p.m. A global compilation of all things fine: fine food, fine wine, and fine cars.

Shaker Heritage Society

Meeting House Road, Albany shakerheritage.org (518) 456-7890 Sunday, Sept. 9: Fall Harvest Craft Fair. 10 a.m. Get an early start on your holiday shopping as you discover jewelry, jams, quilts, apparel, pottery, soaps and decorative items for your home.

Berkshires Come celebrate the simple things.

Browse our farmers market, the works of local artisans, and a collection of antique tractors and engines. Go for a wagon ride, meet the animals, and check out our famous pie contest!

Shakespeare and Company

70 Kemble St., Lenox, Mass. shakespeare.org (413) 637-3353 Friday, Sept. 28 - Sunday, Sept. 30: Berkshires Arts Festival. The inaugural fall event will take place outdoors and under a large tent with partial proceeds benefiting the arts organization.

The Mount

Edith Wharton’s Estate and Gardens 2 Plunkett St., Lenox, Mass. EdithWharton.org (413) 551-5111 Friday, Sept. 14: Berkshire WordFest. 9 a.m. Berkshire WordFest brings together acclaimed writers and passionate readers for talks, readings, conversations, and discovery.

The 15th Annual Country Fair at Hancock Shaker Village Sept. 29th & 30th

1843 West Housatonic St., Pittsﬁeld, MA hancockshakervillage.org

WELCOME TO THE...

Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail Holidays Along the Hudson November 3rd & 4th “Sip & Sample” Award-Winning Wines, Handcrafted Ales & Artisanal Spirits.

www.hudsonberkshireexperience.com/events Passport Tickets $20.00 ea. Details 732-7317

Times Union Center

51 S. Pearl St., Albany timesunioncenter-albany.com (518) 487-2000 Wednesday, Oct. 3 - Sunday, Oct. 7: How To Train Your Dragon. Enter the legendary world where dragons with 40foot wingspans fly and breathe fire. This must-see arena spectacle breaks all the rules of traditional entertainment, immersing audiences into a magical and mythical world of Vikings and Dragons.

Tricentennial Park

Broadway and Columbia Streets, Albany Wednesday, Sept. 12 Wednesday, Sept. 26: September in the City Art Fair. Enjoy a spectacular fall lunchtime diversion downtown, featuring art exhibits by regional mixed media artists, live musical entertainment and artwork available for purchase.

Magic Wings

Open 7 days a week, all year round

Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens

Looking for something amazing to do with your family and friends? Visit Magic Wings and marvel at the beauty of nearly 4,000 butterflies as they fly around you in our tropical indoor conservatory. Open daily 9-5. Gift shop, food court and Monarchs Restaurant on site. 413-665-2805 www.magicwings.com 281 Greenfield Rd., South Deerfield, MA 01373

It’s always 80 degrees at Magic Wings!

calendar fall 2012 Ulysses S. Grant Cottage State Historic Site

Mt McGregor Road, Gansevoort grantcottage.org (518) 584-4353 Sunday, Oct. 7: Family Day. 10 a.m. Annual closing weekend event with Civil War Songs, Joan Taub and Nancy Armstrong.

Upper Madison Avenue

Between S. Allen Street and W. Lawrence Street, Albany Sunday, Sept. 23: Upper Madison Street Fair. 10 a.m. The street will be blocked off for an afternoon of music, kids activities, food, crafts, vendors and more.

Upper Union Street Shopping District

1728 Union St., Schenectady Saturday, Oct. 13: Upper Union Street Harvest Fest & Art Show. 10 a.m. Six short blocks of activities for all. Music, food, children’s activities, art, gourmet food market, farmers market. Applications for artist, gourmet and nonprofit organizations on website.

Words & Ideas College of Saint Rose Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary

959 Madison Ave., Albany strose.edu Monday, Oct. 22: “The Separation of Church and State ... true or not?” 7:30 p.m. The annual Sidney and Beatrice Albert Interfaith panel discussion will focus on the role of religion in politics. As we prepare for another presidential election, what role does and should religion play in our politics?

Skidmore College Gannett Auditorium, Palamountain Hall

815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs Thursday, Sept. 20: Fox Adler Endowed Lecture. 5:15 p.m. A lecture by Elisha Cooper. Cooper is an American writer and children’s book author. Children’s books include Ice Cream, Ballpark, Building, Country Fair, Dance!, Magic Thinks Big, Bear Dreams, A Good Night Walk, and Beach.

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Old Songs Community Arts Center

37 S. Main St., Voorheesville oldsongs.org (518) 765-2815 Sunday, Sept. 23: Sunday Four Poetry Open Mic. 3 p.m. Featured Poet: Suzanne Cleary. Sunday, Oct. 28: Sunday Four Poetry Open Mic. 3 p.m. Featured Poet: Lori Desrosiers.

Proctors

432 State St., Schenectady proctors.org (518) 346-6204 Friday, Nov. 9: Deconstructing The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper. 7:30 p.m. Composer, musician and Beatles expert Scott Freiman looks at Sgt. Pepper from multiple angles, exploring the history behind the music. Using rare and unreleased recordings, Freiman walks the audience through the construction of songs from take one to the final version.

Saratoga Springs History Museum

1 East Congress St., Saratoga Springs saratogahistory.org (518) 584-6920 Thursday, Oct. 25: Genius of Place — The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted. 7 p.m. Most people have heard of Central Park and Prospect Park in New York City, Congress Park in Saratoga Springs, Stanford University in California, the Back Bay Fens and Franklin Park in Boston, and Capitol Grounds in Washington D.C. — but few can identify Frederick Law Olmsted as the man behind some of America’s most iconic public spaces.

Ulysses S. Grant Cottage State Historic Site

Mt McGregor Road, Gansevoort grantcottage.org (518) 584-4353 Sunday, Sept. 16: The Emancipation Proclamation. 1 p.m. A portrayal of President Grant by Steve Trimm. September 2012 is the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s announcing his plan to free the slaves. The General will reflect on the evolution of his own thinking with respect to slavery and emancipation. The general believes that his thinking on these critical matters virtually mirrored President Lincoln’s. Cake will be served on the porch following the presentation.

Museums American Italian Heritage Association

1227 Central Ave., Albany americanitalianmuseum.org (518) 462-6004 Through Sunday, Sept. 30: Mixed Media Exhibit. Multiple artists’ display of paintings, ceramics, woodcarvings, photos, and various crafts. Through Monday, Oct. 29: Amerigo to America: The Legacy of Italians in the Americas. Italian explorers Columbus, Cabotto (Cabot), Verazzano and Amerigo Vespucci were largely responsible for the development of the Americas. The museum mounts an exhibit to pay homage to those Italians who helped Italiansto become the great nation we are through their discoveries, creativity and ingenuity.

Berkshire Museum

39 South St, Pittsfield, Mass. berkshiremuseum.org (413) 443-7171 Through Sunday, Jan. 6: Rethink: American Indian Art. Through Monday, Oct. 8: Tom Patti: Velocity Echo and Echoes in Space.

Crandall Public Library

251 Glen St., Glens Falls Through Monday, Dec. 31: Power of Masks. Sacred to secular masks.

Fenimore Art Museum

5798 Route 80, Cooperstown fenimoreartmuseum.org/ fenimore/visit/experience (607) 547-1400 Through Friday, Nov. 30: Internal Landscapes: The Paintings of G.C. Myers. Internal Landscapes brings together fifteen recent works in acrylic on paper, wood and canvas by Ithaca-area artist G. C. Myers. His crisp, clean compositions, bold coloration and stylized renderings transform the natural landscape into one that resonates with human emotions and qualities. Through Sunday, Dec. 30: On the Home Front: New York in the Civil War. Civil War-era clothing and decorative objects from Fenimore Art Museum’s permanent collection. Through Sunday, Dec. 30: Tasha Tudor: Around the Year. The exhibit illustrates the changing seasons and their special celebrations with over 100 outstanding examples of this beloved author and

frederick law olmsted, landscape architect and social reformer, designed some of America’s most iconic public spaces — including Congress Park in Saratoga. Learn more about one of the most influential people of the 19th century at the Saratoga Springs History Museum on Thursday, Oct. 25. Visit saratogahistory.org. illustrator’s original art for children’s books and greeting cards. Evocative watercolors, delicate childhood drawings, original handwritten manuscripts, miniature doll cards, hand-decorated boxes and Easter eggs, and firstissue holiday cards are among the heartwarming treasures to be enjoyed in this exhibit from the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art

87 Marshall St., North Adams, Mass. massmoca.org (413) 664-4481 Through Monday, Feb. 4: Invisible Cities. Titled after Italo Calvino’s beloved book — which imagines Marco Polo’s vivid descriptions of numerous cities of a fading empire to Kublai Khan — the exhibition features the work of ten diverse artists who re-imagine urban

landscapes both familiar and fantastical. Through Monday, April 1: OH, Canada. The largest survey of contemporary Canadian art ever produced outside Canada, the exhibit features work by more than 60 artists who hail from every province and nearly every territory in the country, spanning multiple generations and working in all media. Through October: Sanford Biggers: The Cartographer’s Conundrum. The Cartographer’s Conundrum is a major multidisciplinary installation By New York-based artist Sanford Biggers. This new work is inspired by the Houston, Texas based artist, scholar and Afro-futurist John Biggers (1924-2001). Through December: Making Room: The Space Between Two & Three Dimensions. Works by an international group of artists who combine two- and

three-dimensional media in a single work.

National Museum of Dance

99 S. Broadway, Saratoga Springs dancemuseum.org (518) 584-2225 Through Sunday, Oct. 7: American Ballet Theatre: Then and Now. America’s National Ballet Company,” American Ballet Theatre is one of the world’s greatest performing institutions. From the earliest years to the current company, ABT has featured an international roster of great dancers and an unparalleled repertoire of ballets. The exhibit showcases costumes, photos, programs, and memorabilia from ABT’s illustrious past and present. Through Sunday, Oct. 7: En Pointe!. This exhibit explores the history, myths, and reality

New York State Museum

222 Madison Ave., Albany Through Mon, Dec. 21: Focus on Nature XII. A juried exhibition of natural and cultural history illustration that features artwork from around the world. Through Sunday, Feb. 24: Seneca Ray Stoddard: Capturing the Adirondacks. The exhibition will feature over 100 of Stoddard’s Adirondack scenes, and will also include his images of the Statue of Liberty.

Norman Rockwell Museum

9 Glendale Road, Stockbridge, Mass. nrm.org (413) 298-4100 Through Sunday, Oct. 28: Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered. The first comprehensive critical assessment of one of the nation’s most important visual storytellers. Through Friday, Oct. 12: Norman Rockwell: Humorous Tales and Little Known Facts.

Celebrate Norman Rockwell’s unique brand of humor during this engaging, enlightening series exploring the artist’s adventures in illustration, with Curator of Education Tom Daly

Skidmore College

The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs Through Sunday, Oct. 14: Elevator Music 21. Through Wednesday, Oct. 31: Terry Adkins. Combining sculpture and live performance, Terry Adkins’s installations pay tribute to the memories of under-recognized figures in our collective culture, including John Brown, Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, John Coltrane, Bessie Smith, and Sojourner Truth to name a few. Through Wednesday, Nov. 7: Dance/Draw. The exhibit explores how developments in visual art and dance began, and how they have shaped the art of today. Through Sunday, Dec. 30: Hearing Pictures. Artworks from the Tang Collection to explore the relationship between vision and sound.

University at Albany University Art Museum

1400 Washington Ave., Albany albany.edu/museum (518) 442-4035 Through Saturday, Dec. 8: Dana Hoey. Dana Hoey has examined what it means to be female through her photography for more than 20 years. She uses both staged and directed photography. She began her work photograp In reframing ideas about beauty, aging, and female identity, Hoey’s newest images retain threads of earlier narrative work, while reflecting a distinctly inward focus. Through Saturday, Dec. 8: Rachel Foullon. Rachel Foullon’s sculptures constructed from cedar boards and hand-dyed canvas reference a former agrarian existence based on utilitarian need that has long been subsumed by modern progress. Her materials are wrought with care: wood is

custom-milled and meticulously stained; fabrics are handdyed and hand-sewn. Recent work draws inspiration from the hallenhaus, the first barns in North America where living quarters for humans, livestock, and work animals were combined under one roof that also housed tools and food storage. Foullon’s sculptures reimagine both the spaces and the objects connected with this hard scrabble existence, creating imaginary sites that are at once visceral and beautiful.

Galleries Massry Center for the Arts

Esther Massry Gallery 1002 Madison Ave., Albany Sunday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Dec. 9: Ellen Driscoll Core Sample Art Exhibit. Driscoll’s recent sculptures, drawings, and installations explore resource consumption and material lineage. Her exhibition, Core Sample, examines two primary resources — water and oil — their interrelationship and exploitation.

Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council

7 Lapham Place, Glens Falls (518) 798-1144 Through Friday, Sept. 21: Lost and Found. Featured Artists: Suprina Kenney (sculpture); Alexis Grabowski (drawing/ painting); Angela Newman (drawing/printmaking).

Skidmore College Schick Art Gallery

815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs Through Nov. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 16: The Muse at Home. A selection of artworks owned by 28 members of the arts-related faculty and staff at Skidmore College. The exhibit explores how and why people decide to live with art, and will feature a range of collecting, from serious collectors of contemporary art to individuals who own — and love — one favorite painting.

Listings compiled by the News & Information Services Department staff: Shannon Fromma, CJ Lais, Adrienne Freeman, Jennifer Patterson, Azra Haqqie and Bebe Nyquist. Calendars are compiled about six weeks before delivery, which is the first Sunday of April, June, September and December. To view a complete list of events, or to submit a listing, go to events.timesunion.com. For more information, call 454-5420.

Photo by Larry Master

behind pointe shoes and ballet. See toe shoes sawed in half, dozens of autographed shoes from your favorite ballerinas, fascinating video, and find out all the facts on the do’s and don’ts of dancing En Pointe! This exhibit is sponsored by Bloch, Capezio, Freed, Gaynor Minden, Grishko, and Suffolk. Through Sunday, Oct. 7: Tails and Terpsichore. Tails and Terpsichore is an exhibit about the many occurrences where animal and dance themes become intertwined. Whether animals themselves are dancing, people dance about or even as their favorite furry friends, or they are exploring dance partnership together, the animal kingdom sits closely to the world of movement art. This exhibit will offer something for everyone as it will appease the most strict of balletomanes, and will delight the most naive of newcomers. Through Sunday, Nov. 18: Eleo Pomare. This exhibit celebrates the career of ColombianAmerican choreographer, Eleo Pomare. Pomare’s work is famed for its sociopolitical themes and his importance as a black dance pioneer.

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our backyard

fall’s best five music, theater and nature are all around us by deborah renfrew

Ausable Chasm 

Some of us might never make it to the Grand Canyon, but Ausable Chasm just outside of Keeseville in the northern Adirondacks is a pretty good substitute. The majority of visitors see the rock formations, caves and gorges first from the cliff walk running through a primeval forest, and then as they descend 150 feet into the chasm via naturally formed pathways, steps and bridges to the Inner Sanctum Trail. The more adventurous can see the breathOpen: Daily 9 a.m.–4 p.m. for taking natural wonders by rafting, tubself-guided tours; varying times ing, rappelling or cable-riding. There for adventure/specialty tours. are specialty guided cave and waterfall Some require reservations. hikes, as well as docent-narrated nightAdmission for guided tours: time lantern tours. Mountain-bike riders Adults/teens (13+), $16; youths (5tool along 15 miles of forested begin12), $9; under 5, free. Add $10 per ner and intermediate trails around the admission for raft/tube adventure; chasm. Pre-Columbus Day visitors can rates vary for other specialty tours. stay onsite in cabins, campgrounds or Contact: (518) 834-7454 the motel. No matter how you see the or ausablechasm.com chasm, it’s only better under fall color.

— Photo Courtesy Ausable Chasm

The Knickerbocker Mansion 

Eccentric and sometimes quirky, the various generations of the Knickerbocker family who occupied a stately home on the outskirts of Schaghticoke for nearly 250 years made a mark on New York state and American history through their work as pioneers, military officers, authors, politicians and public servants. Thanks to the Knickerbocker Historical Society, which hosts mansion tours and events, we get to learn about the family, their way of life and their contributions to history and culture. Built around 1770 by Johannes Knickerbocker, the mansion fell into disrepair after becoming vacant in 1946. It was rescued in 1964 by the society and has undergone extensive restorations over the years. A medieval style of early Dutch architecture, the two-and-a-half-story rectangular brick building features a hipped slate roof, Open: Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. double Dutch door and Delft-tiled firethrough end September; October places. The house holds some family and and November by request period furnishings, and the site includes Admission: Free; donations a family cemetery. Special events are held welcomed; Some events in fall, including “ghost” tours before and meals have charges Halloween. The society hosts authentic Contact: (518) 664-1700 Dutch lunches or dinners at the mansion or knickmansion.com for groups of 15 or more. Oddly, Diedrich

14 explore

— Photo Courtesy The Knickerbocker Mansion

Knickerbocker, considered the most famous family member, was a character and pseudonym created by Washington Irving as the narrator of his 1809 satirical novel, History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty. A close friend of Herman Knickerbocker — known as the “Prince of Schaghticoke” for his overwhelming generosity to the community and three marriages to wealthy women — Irving modeled Diedrich after Herman.

— Photo by James GoolsBY/Times Union Archives

— Photo Courtesy NSPB Library

Steamer 10 Theatre 

Albany’s Steamer No. 10 Theatre began life in 1991 as a venue for children’s performances that indeed were enjoyed by enthusiastic audiences of all ages. But in recent years it has grown up and now also offers Theatre Voices, a series of professional play readings sans props, scenery or costuming. Fully engrossed in the characters’ readings and theatrics, audiences never miss that extra stuff. From this endeavor, the Eclectic Performance Series was born to provide more grown-up entertainment with emerging artists in various performances — another effort, says the website, to expand arts in the Capital District. Children’s/family shows range from ventriloquists, magic, plays, puppetry, music and comedy acts. Summer and school holidays bring theater workshops and camps for the kiddies. Appreciated for its acoustics, sightlines and stateOpen: Varies by performance of-the-art lighting, the theater is unique in Admission: Varies by that, in 1891, the building was constructed performance; Theatre Voices as the 10th Albany firehouse with a steamfree, donations accepted powered engine (hence the theater’s name). Contact: (518) 438-5503 In 1828, the site was the starting point for or steamer10theatre.org New York’s first train, the Dewitt Clinton.

Slate Valley Museum 

The history of the slate-mining industry begun in the mid-1840s in northeastern Washington County and nearby Vermont is preserved in Granville’s Slate Valley Museum. Permanent exhibits of tools and machinery, slate products, home furnishings, art work and ephemera tell the individual stories of Welsh, Irish, Slovak and Italian immigrants’ experience in the industry. A three-panel mural painted by Martha Levy for the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project in 1939 depicts the industry from the mining process through finished products in a series of vignettes. Changing exhibits feature Open: Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 the work of local and regional artists. Special p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m events, programs, workshops and lectures for Admission: Adults, $5; all ages take place regularly as detailed on youths under 12, free the website, while the first Friday of each Contact: (518) 642-1417 month features a special program and art exor slatevalleymuseum.org hibit. Outside, visitors enjoy nature and birdwatching trails.

The Shirt Factory 

During most of the 1900s, the McMullen-Leavens Shirt Factory in Glens Falls turned out more than 70 percent of domestic shirts and dresses for sale in the United States in conjunction with other area factories affiliated with the Troy Shirt Makers Guild. Today, The Shirt Factory in the 1902 building designed by Ephraim Potter calls itself an arts and healing center. Visitors enjoy studio after studio of working local painters, printmakers, pastel artists, photographers, potters, glass artists, woodworkers, candle makers, quilters and more. A unique lobby gallery/welcome center features samples of the work of the center’s more than 50 artisans. For those who want to get into the experience, many of the artists offer onsite lessons. There Open: daily 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; shops, are tai chi, yoga, aromatherapy, mediThursday-Saturday 1-5p.m.; tation, exercise and other healinggallery, Thursday-Saturday, 11 related sessions. Shops feature artists’ a.m.-6 p.m. See website for holiday wares and gift items, and go all out and December open-house hours. for a holiday open house in November. Contact: (518) 907-4478 There is also a December Open House or shirtfactorygf.com and other special events. E — Photo Courtesy The Shirt Factory

timesunion.com/explore 15

music

Miss Independent A zoë keating performs a musical high-wire act by michael hamad

» Zoë Keating – Avant Cello, Oct. 13, 8 p.m., $24, The Egg Center for the Performing Arts, Empire State Plaza, Albany, (518) 473-1845, theegg.org

sk avant-cellist Zoë Keating about her past bouts with stage fright, and she’ll tell you, straight up, her cure: rock and roll. But it took a long time for that to seep in. “I hated guitarists,” Keating says by phone from her Northern California home. “I don’t feel that way now.” Of course, this being 2012, all types of music (rock included) are tolerated, enjoyed, discussed and cherished by mid-career and budding classical musicians. But at an early stage in her musical life, the 40-year-old cellist, who performs at The Egg in Albany on Oct. 13, realized that she would eventually veer away from what, in the olden days, would have been considered a “mainstream” career as a cellist. Keating’s family didn’t have a television, and she was the only string player in a school that didn’t have a string program (her mother drove her 20 minutes in either direction to take lessons). “When I was a teenager, there was very little mainstream about me,” Keating says. “I disliked popular music and pop culture. The cello already seemed like this other thing that was different. I was listening to alternative music from England, and I didn’t know anyone else who liked it. It was natural for me to live in the world of the outsider.” Being an outsider — a hard-working one — has paid off. Keating’s onewoman operation — she produces and records her own work, runs her website, manages her operations, and, of course, performs her own music, alone on stage — has led to more than 45,000 sales of her self-produced albums. One Cello x 16: Natoma, released in 2005, reached number-one on the iTunes classical charts, and her latest album, Into the Trees, spent 49 weeks on the Billboard classical charts, where it peaked in the top 10. That blew her mind. “It was really surprising to me,” Keating says. “The nice thing is that once you are in the iTunes top 10, people keep clicking on it. It’s like being in the front row of the digital WalMart.” It’s especially welcome to Keating because, when the cellist first recorded her music, she wasn’t sure anybody would be interested. “You have to add vocals to have anyone pay attention, and I wasn’t going to do that,” she says. “I didn’t think anyone was interested in it, so I just did it myself. It’s just me running the business. There aren’t a lot of mouths to feed. I had faith in my music, and the Internet allowed me to find my audience.”

eating initially picked up the cello in England (she grew up between England and Canada and moved to the U.S. when she was in seventh grade). When her teachers began deciding who had an aptitude for music and who didn’t (we’ve all been through that), Keating got the nod. “I didn’t actually choose the cello, but it became my identity,” Keating says. “My parents never pressured me or made me practice. It was definitely my own thing.” After college, around the time Keating’s stage fright kicked in, she found she only got nervous when she played classical music. “I — Photo by Nadya Lev

16 explore

— Photo by Jared Kelly

� � � � � � ��

� � � � � �� didn’t have that problem when I played popular music,” she says. “I had friends who played in bands. There wasn’t the pressure of having to be perfect. With classical music, you can’t just make things up. I found that limiting, and I didn’t know a way around the fear.” The remedy, Keating found, was to perform her own music all the time and to rock out whenever possible. Once she started playing in rock bands, performing her original solo compositions was a special outlet for Keating, who, when she was in her 20s, thought about graduate school. But her stage fright, and the fact that she wasn’t conservatory-trained, kept her from pursuing it. “I’d rather play in front of a huge audience and do a totally improvisational piece than to play for a judge,” she says. Keating was also fascinated by the audio gear her rock band mates used on stage. A self-proclaimed “nerd,” Keating’s current setup involves an acoustic cello amplified by a series of microphones that feed into a computer; she can record from any microphone individually, as different timbres result from where each microphone is located on the body of the instrument. She loops (by recording a phrase, and while the audience hears that phrase repeating, adding layers) and samples (by grabbing little snippets, which she sends back to the audience) on the fly, controlling the computer with her feet and with MIDI controls. It’s a high-wire act. “Everything I do is really structured,” she says. “I spend weeks with the technology to practice it.” That said, Keating finds it nearly impossible to perform a piece the same way every night. “I have pieces that are scripted from beginning to end, then some pieces with a little bit of improvisation in them, and then some totally improvised pieces. ... It depends what I’m feeling and what I’m trying to accomplish with my music.” She also never writes anything down on paper. “I’ll have performances where I forget what to do and I’ll have to completely improvise,” she says. “It’s a constantly changing process. I feel like every composition is a culmination of everything I’ve learned up to that minute.” Keating alters the technology she uses every month, which helps her to lose her sense of self, to leave the moment and go to another place. “If I’m really comfortable, that doesn’t happen,” Keating says. “It means that I need to change it up. It’s important to have an otherworldly musical experience; otherwise I’m cheating myself and the audience. I can perfect and match the music in my head, but then I’ll perform it and think, ‘You know what? I was bored, or I was not emotionally there.’ I either stop playing it for a while or reinvent it.” E

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art

Laylah Ali, Untitled, 1999, gouache and pencil on paper, Collection of Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Restricted gift of Robert and Sylvie Fitzpatrick in memory of William B. Cook.

The Discomfort Zone the “greenheads” of artist laylah ali at williams college

by john adamian » photos courtesy of the artist

he artist Laylah Ali doesn’t necessarily want viewers to know exactly what’s going on in her work. As much as she maintains meticulous control over the art’s creation (she’s known for her detailed notetaking process and preliminary sketches), she still expects the final product to elude her sometimes. Ali, whose elaborate gouache-on-paper “Greenheads” pieces are on display at the Williams College Museum of Art until Nov. 25, often mentions tension, cruelty and violence when discussing her artwork. In an e-mail exchange with EXPLORE, Ali answered a few questions about her work and her process. I asked her about how it seems as if “discomfort” is a subject that comes up when she discusses her art — both in reference to the acts being depicted and to the creation of the work itself. “I think this could be discomfort around the subject matter, but I am also a believer that some of the energy that is put into an artwork is absorbed by the object and can be retrieved by the viewer,” Ali wrote. “This energy could take many different forms. If the work is made in an impersonal way — that can be present too. You can usually back these assertions up with actual physical details — it isn't

18 explore

necessarily a mysterious excavation.” The pieces in the Greenheads series were made from between 1996 and 2005. Ali says the pieces on display at Williams — where she attended college as an undergraduate and where she teaches — have never been exhibited together, and she’s interested to view the configuration. “I am actually curious to see them together,” wrote Ali. “This particular group has never been shown together — I personally have never seen them together in this way — so I am looking forward to seeing how it changes them.” All of the figures represented have the same color head and skin. But there is ambiguity about what is being depicted. With a flat, almost cartoonish color-treatment and simple, austere lines, some figures have shackles, handcuffs or choke-collars. The implication is one of imprisonment, servitude, slavery and torture. Things like tubes and what could be cigarettes or pencils or huge humps or stubbly hair protrude from bodies and heads. It’s not clear if these things are growing out of the figures or if the protuberances have been poked into, stabbed or attached to the figures. Elsewhere figures wear bandages, slings and casts. There are headdresses, unitards, imposing tunics and other costuming details.

�

Masks across faces complicate the possible narratives. Are these burglars or superheroes? Other groupings of figures appear at first to be members of sports teams, or perhaps police units. There are matching striped uniforms and balls. Or are those balls heads? The question of whether the figures are engaged in a kind of sport or organized punishment — or both — is one that Ali’s work frequently spurs. The ambiguity is ripe.

li was born in Buffalo, in 1968, and she said in an interview in New American Paintings that the long harsh winters there helped force her to develop an “elaborate indoor creativity.” Her time there shaped her in other ways. She said that being the only person of color in some of her classes as a child shaped

��

» Laylah Ali: The Greenheads Series Through Nov. 25, Williams College Museum of Art, 15 Lawrence Hall Dr., Williamstown, Mass., wcma.williams.edu

her understanding of group behavior and racism. “My own experiences have at times been very much influenced by my brown body,” she told New American Paintings. “It was hard not to notice that my skin color had its own life in the world.” She’s also mentioned — in a segment in the PBS series Art21 — fascination with the cruelty of the game dodgeball as it’s played by school kids often targeting the weakest in their group. Hazing, group violence, ominous authority and racist attacks are all suggested in some of the pieces. Some figures have conical white hats that conjure clansmen, kings and clergy. Emotions are conveyed with eyes and mouths (often the rest of a face is either concealed or missing). There’s a surprising amount of information and feeling conjured with those eyes — urgency, sleepiness, madness and more. But for all the disturbing elements of Ali’s work — the missing limbs, the grimacing faces, the lashings, the lynchings and the possible beheadings — the paintings have a kind of brilliant simplicity, with rhyming patterns of repeated figures, and carefully modulated color combinations that set off the stark details of each piece. In Ali’s work the simplicity of some of the shapes and lines can have the effect of obscuring her mastery of color. The shades and layers of blue in her paintings, for example, are applied with a level of control that powers the strange tension and jarring surprises in her work. The material she uses — gouache in particular — isn’t the most forgiving, and the level of detail in the pieces requires levels of physical control, draftsmanship and skill. Asked about the difficulty of executing the pieces, Ali says she has “a drawerful of unfinished paintings that somehow got botched.” In her studio Ali has test strips for infinitesimal gradations of dark and light, and, as with everything about her work, she’s almost clinical and scientific about maintaining details, instructions and notes. “Part of the control that I want over these has to do with a lack of control over things in my life, especially when I was a kid,” Ali says in the Art:21 episode that showcases her work. “So much of the work is about me trying to control it doing all I can to control it and yet it still defies me.” When discussing the process of completing a piece, Ali says that the finished paintings emerge slowly, and that arriving at a state of completion is as much about sensing her work’s wholeness as it is about checking off a list of tasks and details to execute. “The painting gains its own voice over a long process,” Ali tells EXPLORE. “But there is usually a time when the painting starts to assert itself and occupy its space with more assurance, and that is the beginning of the final stages of finishing it. When I am no longer necessary for the piece, it is done.” E

�

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music

Meet the I Beatles scott freiman shows audiences how to hear the beatles in a whole new way by brianna snyder » photo courtesy of second act studio

20 explore

f you’re thinking you’re already familiar with the Beatles’ near-canonized Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, think again. No matter how many times you’ve listened to “A Day in the Life,” Scott Freiman wants to play it for you again — in a way you’ve never heard before. Freiman is the founder and face of Beatles Lectures, a family-friendly multimedia presentation of various Beatles records. A composer, arranger, producer and sound engineer, Freiman is a serious academic of music, and his approach to the Beatles’ catalog is profoundly technical. Freiman says he started listening to the Beatles when he was young. “I’ve always been fascinated by their music and always wanted to learn more about it,” he says. “When I became a full-time musician and producer, I got a new appreciation for what it was like to be the Beatles. And I thought it would be fun to share (what I knew) with some friends and that became sharing with audiences. Next thing I know, I’m going around the country giving lectures.” The lectures are “designed for people who’ve never been into a studio and have no idea what it’s like to record music,” he says. Sure, we’ve blasted and sung along in our cars to “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” who knows how many times, but most of us haven’t thought too much (if at all) about how that music was made or recorded or edited.

›› Scott Freiman’s “Deconstructing Sgt. Pepper” 7 p.m., Nov. 9, Proctors Theater, 432 State St., Schenectady, (518) 346-6204, proctors.org

“Even though everyone knows the songs,” says Freiman, he likes to point out all of the “different, interesting things about them.” And there’s plenty to be found if you know where to look. The presentation comprises unreleased songs, other versions of songs, isolated parts of various tracks and accompanying slides, videos and pictures.

he Beatles were innovators in their compositions, incorporating elements of early rock, jazz, Broadway, even classical music. Many of the chord changes the Beatles used were revolutionary. “They paved the way for everyone from (Pink) Floyd to (Led) Zeppelin,” Frieman says. The Fab Four’s innovation was particularly impressive given the technology at the time. “I think part of what made them so great is that they were limited by technology and they had to find ways to exploit the technology they had,” Freiman says. “On Sgt. Pepper, they only had four tracks to work with,” meaning they were only able to record music in a maximum of four discrete parts. That means instruments and vocals would need to be grouped together when recording and later mixed to make one song. “Today, they’d have 200 tracks,” says Freiman, which allows for much finer tuning and tweaking of individual parts. If you think Beatles Lectures sound more like a class than a fun night out, consider this: Freiman’s lectures have sold out all over the country. This upcoming Schenectady event centers on Sgt. Pepper, but the Beatles expert has also lectured on The White Album and Revolver. (He’s also actually teaching a class on the Beatles at Yale.) “It takes me months to put the show together,” Freiman says. He’s gotten much of his rare material from “many, many tracks that have circulated with collectors at Beatles conventions. … Ninetynine percent of the audience has never heard (these) before.” The show is good for kids and grownups alike, and Freiman says he’s happy when young, new fans approach him and ask him questions. It’s just more proof that the Beatles are likely the most important band of the 20th century. “It’s a lot of fun,” he says. “I love working with the music. I love technology. And I love to tell people about all the stuff and bring them into a world that most people don’t get to experience.” E

GREAT AMERICAN ART IN A BEAUTIFUL SETTING

Tasha Tudor:

Around the Year

October 1 - December 31 Around the Year illuminates the changing seasons and special annual celebrations with outstanding, rarely-seen examples of Tudor’s original art for greeting cards, children’s books, and holidays. Tasha Tudor: Around the Year has been organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachuse�s

Overlooking Otsego Lake, the Fenimore presents a variety of compelling art exhibitions April through December.

(Detail) Untitled, 1973, Illustration for a Christmas card (1973) and Drawn from New England (1979) by Tasha Tudor, Watercolor on paper 8.5” x 9.25”, Collection of Jeane�e and Gerald Knazek ©1973 Tasha Tudor. All rights reserved.

5798 State Highway 80 | Cooperstown, NY 13326 | 607-547-1400 FenimoreArtMuseum.org

outdoors

Guidelines let a professional take you around the adirondacks by gillian scott

ay “Adirondack guide” and people may picture a bearded, grizzled man in red flannel, leading hunters into the woods. Renowned painters such as Winslow Homer and A.F. Tait helped cement that image of the Adirondack woodsmen into the minds of many. The outdoor guides active in the Adirondacks today are very different from their historic brethren. For starters, guides are both men and women. The activities they provide range from traditional pursuits such as hunting and fishing to more modern ones such as kayaking, snowshoeing and ice climbing. Like historic guides, though, many guides today provide equipment and make arrangements for meals, lodging and transportation. They may know more about the wildlife and the natural history of an area than their clients and keep up-todate on changing conditions in the wilderness. “We’re familiar with the territory,” says Lynn Malerba, owner of Adirondack

22 explore

POND HOPPING over a 9-mile loop in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest area. — photo courtesy Adirondack Connections Guide Service

Connections Guide Service in Tupper Lake. “We know the things that are worth seeing. I think we show them things that they may not see if they’re out on their own because we’ve been there so many times.” Malerba opened her business in 2002 after years of casually guiding trips for students, family and friends. She’s now a full-time licensed guide and specializes in paddle trips with lightweight canoes. Ed Palen, owner of Adirondack Rock and River, a lodge and guiding service in Keene, says people who employ guides can usually be put in one of two categories: they’re either looking for an experience, to have a fun day, or they’re looking for instruction, to learn new skills or try out new equipment. “A majority of our business is family-oriented,” says Palen, noting that rock climbing has grown in popularity. “It’s a great family bonding activity.” Palen has 30 years of experience as an outdoors guide, specializing in rock

Now Open... 26 ft. rock climbing wall – air jumper – 6,000 sq. ft. Gem & Mining Building with a new rock shop and indoor and outdoor sluices.

Guide Becky Carmen on the Adirondack wilderness cliff called “The Courthouse.” — photo courtesy adirondack rock and river

and ice climbing. He now employs a half-dozen other full- and part-time licensed guides through Rock and River, offering help for those seeking adventure not just climbing but also backcountry skiing, winter mountaineering or backpacking.

allie Bond, a curator at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, says guides have been an active part of the Adirondack economy since the early 1800s, when well-to-do sportsmen hired local farmers to take them hunting and fishing. Guides would provide everything for the sportsmen except their personal gear and gun. “He built the shelter, started and maintained the fire, and cooked the food, but he didn’t do menial chores,” Bond says. “One sport was astounded to find that the guide wouldn’t black his boots, as a mere city servant would do.” Later, as the Adirondacks became more accessible, guides were used for less adventurous outings. “After the Civil War, in the 1880s, more women and families came here, and they often just hired guides to go out for picnics or flower-picking expeditions or on to the next hotel,” Bond says. Around the turn of the century, the role of guides really began to change as transportation made it easier and cheaper for more of the middle class to travel through the Adirondacks. Guidebooks were developed, Bond says, and wilderness routes were well-known and well-marked. Today, Palen says Adirondack Rock and River doesn’t see many people looking for help with day hikes; those are outings they can do on their own using one of the many guidebooks and maps available. People looking to climb a trailless Adirondack High Peak might hire a guide, but “we rarely if ever get a family looking to hike,” he says. Instead, about 40 percent of his guiding business comes from families who want to rock climb. The business also services plenty of individuals and offers group trips for organizations like the Boy Scouts. continued on page 25 

Fun for kids of all ages! Ride the Empire State Carousel! Tour the historic 1840s village and farm on a horse-drawn wagon! See all sorts of farm animals!

For more information visit FarmersMuseum.org

Step Back In Time TM For more information visit AN 1840S VILLAGE & FARMSTEAD IN COOPERSTOWN

5775 State Highway 80, Lake Road, Cooperstown, NY 13326 • 888.547.1450

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outdoors

HEADING UP RAQUETTE RIVER during an overnight fall paddle trip. — photo courtesy Adirondack Connections Guide Service

continued from page 23 Malerba says most of her clients are between 45 and 75, but she’s also worked with families. The experience level of her clients varies, too. “Backpacking, most of them are hikers or it might have been a long time since they’ve camped out and they pretty much don’t have the gear,” Malerba says. “Or they’re older and they want to bring a daughter or grandchild with them and they want someone to do all the planning for them.” For those who are worried about their pace slowing down a group trip, going out with a guide can offer them the safety of having a companion without the pressure of having to keep up. “I go at whatever pace they’re comfortable,” Malerba says. “It’s their trip and I just want them to enjoy the experience. I’m there to help them get whatever it is that they want out of what they’re doing.” Palen’s philosophy on leading rock-climbing trips is user-friendly, too. “People think of it as this dead vertical hanging by your fingertips,” he says. “We go to an easy, fun, beginner cliff that everyone can succeed on. You want them to have success their first time. We don’t push people beyond what they’re comfortable doing. We really find out what the family wants to do first and then tailor it to their desires.” E

From the Ralph Waldo Emerson poem, “The Adirondacs” In Adirondac lakes, At morn or noon, the guide rows bareheaded: Shoes, flannel shirt, and kersey trousers make His brief toilette: at night, or in the rain, He dons a surcoat which he doffs at morn: A paddle in the right hand, or an oar, And in the left, a gun, his needful arms. By turns we praised the stature of our guides, Their rival strength and suppleness, their skill To row, to swim, to shoot, to build a camp, To climb a lofty stem, clean without boughs Full fifty feet, and bring the eaglet down: Temper to face wolf, bear, or catamount, And wit to track or take him in his lair. Sound, ruddy men, frolic and innocent, In winter, lumberers; in summer, guides; Their sinewy arms pull at the oar untired Three times ten thousand strokes, from morn to eve.

Look to yourselves, ye polished gentlemen! No city airs or arts pass current here. Your rank is all reversed: let men of cloth Bow to the stalwart churls in overalls: They are the doctors of the wilderness, And we the low-prized laymen. In sooth, red flannel is a saucy test Which few can put on with impunity. What make you, master, fumbling at the oar? Will you catch crabs? Truth tries pretension here. The sallow knows the basket-maker’s thumb; The oar, the guide’s. Dare you accept the tasks He shall impose, to find a spring, trap foxes, Tell the sun’s time, determine the true north, Or stumbling on through vast self-similar woods To thread by night the nearest way to camp?

Choosing a guide • The American Mountain Guides Association certifies rock, alpine, ski and ski mountaineering guides as well as rock, single pitch and climbing wall instructors. You can find a list of certified guides in New York by discipline at amga.com. • The New York State Outdoors Guides Association certifies guides that lead clients backpacking, hiking, boating, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. A more complete list of activities and guides is available on the website at nysoga.org. • You can also find a guide by asking for recommendations from fellow outdoors people or from mountaineering stores in the region you want to visit. Be sure to ask the guide for details on the types of trips they lead, how long they’ve been a guide and if the trips can be tailored to your preferences. Rates will vary by activity, duration, equipment required and the number of people being guided.

WINSLOW HOMER, The Adirondack Guide

timesunion.com/explore 25

cycling The view south across Franklin Falls Pond with McKenzie Mountain in the background.

Up, Down, and All Around biking the whiteface loop

» This story originally appeared in Adirondack Explorer magazine. For information, go to adirondackexplorer.org.

story and photos by susan bibeau

he forecast this particular day is for upper eighties with high humidity, but at the moment it’s cool and breezy. I’m sitting on the front steps of the Adirondack Explorer in Saranac Lake, waiting for my cycling partner, Tom Boothe. He has agreed to join me for a 48-mile bike trip around Whiteface Mountain. I’ve done this route several times, but I’m a little nervous. Tom and I have never ridden together before. In fact, we hardly know each other. I do know that Tom is a serious rider: he just returned home from a 103-mile weekend ride in Virginia. I also know that he is a retired Navy captain, and as the daughter of a career military man, I have a feeling he is probably as gung-ho in his recreational pursuits as my dad. A sense of unease comes over me. I just hope that he won’t leave me in the dust today. He arrives at 0900 on the dot wearing a colorful cycling jersey emblazoned with the U.S. Navy logo and riding an Orbea Orca. I’ve ogled this bike in magazines for years, and I can’t believe I’m looking at a real one. It is an all-carbon, top-of-the-line beauty that ordinary folks like me can only dream of owning. “Wow, nice bike!” I blurt. What I’m thinking, however, is, You are in big trouble, Bibeau.

26 explore

“OK, before we get going, so we’re both on the same page, let’s go over the ground rules.” Tom says. Yep, big trouble, I think. “RINAR,” he says. “What?” I ask as a sinking feeling comes over me. My dad is fond of acronyms too. It must be a military thing. This can’t be good, I think “RINAR –– relax, it’s not a race. Let’s take it easy; the objective is to have a good time.” Oh, thank God! “Yes, yes, of course!” I reply. With that, I lead the way down Church Street to Route 3, where we hang a right and head out towards the town of Bloomingdale six miles away. This first stretch of the ride is flat and easygoing, although due to the traffic (the speed limit is 55 in one section) and the fairly narrow shoulder, it’s important to pay attention. Easier said than done. The Saranac River meanders along the east side of the road with great views of McKenzie and Moose mountains beyond. We ride past several scenic farmsteads. “Llamas to the left of me, cattle to the right” I sing to myself. continued on page 30 

Come Explore Bennington Vermont this Weekend! Only 30 miles from the bottom of Hoosick Street in Troy to the center of Bennington.

46th Annual

46th Annual Bennington Car Show

September 14, 15 & 16

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Make your own history at one of the most gloriousVictorian estates in New England.

Admission: Friday $5 (No Cars) Saturday and Sunday $8

Tours Available by Appointment Special Events Weddings and Receptions Summer Sundays at Four Concerts

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce

(802) 447-3311 • www.Bennington.com

One Park Street P.O. Box 388 North Bennington, VT 05257 802-442-5441 • www.parkmccullough.org

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Downtown Bennington Events

Year of the Dragon - Town Wide Art Theme featuring Dragons September 14th - 16th Bennington Car Show September 29th Annual Southern Vermont Homebrew Competition and Festival

October 13th Oktoberfest at ParkMcCullough October 27th Fallapalooza

November 24th December 31st Festival of Trees, Family & Children's Shopping Day, Gala, Holiday Club Muse

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cycling continued from page 26 In what seems like a blink we roll into the four corners of Bloomingdale. We turn right, still following Route 3, soon cross the bridge over Sumner Stream, then make a quick right onto River Road.

nce on this back road, we enter another world. This is one of my favorite places to ride. There is hardly any traffic, and it’s beautiful. We are still following the Saranac River as it makes its way towards Franklin Falls Pond, but instead of farmland we are surrounded by forest. The road rolls and curves gently, and the canopy of the trees gives us cool shade. A bit of a breeze from the south pushes us along. Tom rides up next to me, and we continue side by side, chatting and enjoying the scenery. “We are averaging 18 to 20 miles per hour,” Tom says. “Not too shabby, but we’re going to pay for this later.” Neither of us seems too worried. As we cruise along. Tom points out a section of the river that offers some great whitewater paddling. He promises to take me along for another Explorer outing. “As long as I’m just a passenger; you guide.” I tell him. In another mile we come to the southwest end of Franklin Falls Pond. This 2.7-mile lake was created in 1852 when Adirondack hotelier Paul Smith built a hydroelectric dam at the north end, flooding 270 acres. We roll to a stop near the outlet to take a few photos and quench our thirst. We have traveled a little over 14 miles, about a third of the way. So far, it’s been a piece of cake, but the hardest bit is just around the corner as our route climbs over the shoulder of Whiteface. We gaze upwards at the big mountain and hop back on our bikes. What was River Road (or County 18) on the map has become County Highway 48. We follow it to a fork, where Plank Road jogs off to the left. We bear right, past a cemetery and onto Guilespy Road (County 18A). Over the next mile, we ascend gradually and pass a beautiful vista of fields with Catamount Mountain to the north and Whiteface directly ahead of us to the east. We can see the observation tower on the summit. “That’s one hell of a hill,” Tom remarks. It’s not a long climb, but it’s steep and unrelenting. “This might get ugly,” I laugh. “Don’t attack, just take it slow and steady. That’s my plan.” Tom says. “Yeah, and no puking!” I say, only half kidding. Tom’s bike has a triple crank-set, while mine only has a double. This gives him an extra set of lower gears that come in handy on steep climbs. Some macho types refer to these derisively as “granny-gears.” Not me. I’m jealous as heck! “These are allowed when you get to be sixty,” he tells me. As the grade increases, Tom continues pumping his legs without much effort. Mine Tom Boothe follows on the other hand are starting to slow to a Rt. 86 along the scenic Ausable River in standstill. I grab the handlebars with deterWilmington. mination, put my head down, and crank hard on the pedals. My progress is measured in

30 explore

inches. With the sun beating down, I feel like a bug under a magnifying glass. All I can hear is my own breathing, and my lungs feel as if they’re going to explode. My nose starts running, but I can’t let go of the handlebars to wipe it. Gross! At the halfway point, the grade eases, lulling us into a false hope that the end of the climb is near. Alas, the road curves to the left and then really begins to climb. Every time I do this ride, I start to have regrets right about here. This sucks! What was I thinking? Why would I want to endure this again? Didn’t I almost vomit last time? I’ll never, ever do this again! Just as the negative ranting in my head reaches a fever pitch, the crest of the hill appears. “I think we made it!” I hear Tom say behind me. “Thank God!” Later, when I plot our route on the nifty MapMyRide website, I learn that the road climbs 808 feet over 4.7 miles. No wonder I almost cried. After a short break at the top, we continue on our way and soon reach a stop sign where Guilespy Road becomes the Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway. Before beginning the hair-raising descent, we visit the highway’s gatehouse. Whiteface has the distinction of being the only one of the fortysix High Peaks that you can drive up. Opened in 1936, the toll road is open to cars from Memorial Day until the first weekend in October. Last summer, it became open to bicycles as well. For $6, you can cycle to the summit and take in a spectacular panorama. Well, that’s an adventure for another day. We now have a descent of almost four miles to the hamlet of Wilmington. “I like to go fast!” Tom declares emphatically. “Not me. I’ll meet you down there. Be careful!” I yell after him. But he’s too far ahead to hear. He gets into an aerodynamic tuck and rockets around a curve

Looking up at the ski trails of Whiteface Mountain.

and out of sight. Maybe when I was young I would have enjoyed the speed more, but now it just scares the pants off me. As I fly past Santa’s Workshop, I see a 35-mph sign and feel certain that I’m breaking the law. Then Tom comes into view again. He’s waiting at the bottom of the hill. I squeal to a blessed stop next to him. “Been waiting long?” I ask, already knowing the answer. “Oh, about five minutes.”

rom the intersection, Route 86 leads west to Lake Placid. However, we take the highway in the opposite direction a short distance and turn right onto Springfield Road. This little detour will enable us to avoid a substantial stretch of the busy highway. We have now come 24 miles—not a huge distance, but the terrain looks so different we might be in another state. In fact, this side of Whiteface reminds me of Vermont. Oak and other hardwoods have replaced the balsam fir and white pine we saw earlier. We’re not far from the Champlain Valley, where the climate is milder than in Lake Placid. When we reach Fox Farm Road, we turn right and head back to Route 86, where we can see the ski slopes on Whiteface. Earlier this month, heavy rains caused a landslide on the mountain’s east face, enlarging an existing swath of bedrock that skiers sometimes descend. Heading toward Lake Placid, we parallel the West Branch of the Ausable River, legendary among fly fishermen for its trout. We see half a dozen anglers in hip waders, casting into the water. This stretch of road through Wilmington Notch, passing along the river, with cliffs rising on both sides, is especially scenic, but it’s not for the timid: The shoulder is narrow and, in one section, bordered by a faux stonewall.

At mile 33, we reach an intersection with River Road. We stay on Route 86, crossing the Ausable and leaving it behind. (If you ever have the opportunity, River Road is great for biking.) Beyond the bridge the highway begins to climb, but it’s nothing compared with what we endured on Whiteface. We elect to follow the highway into downtown Lake Placid, but if you want to avoid the village traffic, you should turn right onto Northwood Road, take it to its end, and then turn right and bike around Mirror Lake Drive back to 86 on the other side of downtown. Heading into Lake Placid, we enjoy marvelous views (somewhat obscured by haze) of the High Peaks over the Lake Placid Resort golf course. At the Stewart’s Shop, we buy bottled water, Gatorade, and bananas. After 36 miles, the heat is starting to feel oppressive. I am looking forward to getting out of the sun. Instead of riding through downtown, we turn right onto Lake Placid Club Drive and bike around Mirror Lake. When we reach Route 86 again, we turn right for Saranac Lake. We have only eight miles to go, but this is the part we’ve both been dreading. Route 86 between the two villages is infamous among cyclists. The shoulders on both sides are full of potholes, cracks, and loose gravel. Since it is the only road connecting the communities, cyclists are forced to put up with the hazards. Tom leads the rest of the way. I give him plenty of room, since we’re both dodging obstacles. At one point I narrowly miss a deep hole that must be four feet long. I would have ended up in China if I fell into that. After an eternity or two, we are safely back at the Explorer office. Before Tom rides home, we check his cyclometer: we had covered 47.6 miles in just under four hours. We agree we had fun and vow to ride together again soon. Then Tom disappears down Church Street. RINAR … I’ll have to tell my dad about that one. E

timesunion.com/explore 31

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off the beaten path

Horse and carriage ride through historic section Wilmington.

Sites to See in

Sunny N.C. wilmington, north carolina, is a great fall getaway spot story and photos by kathleen norton

rowds of summer beach-goers pack up and head for home come fall — and that makes it the perfect time to visit the historic and beautiful coastal area of Wilmington, N.C. It’s got a rich history, golf, fishing and boating galore, plus a great aquarium, a major TV and movie production studio and cultural attractions on a large college campus. But a visit to Wilmington, with a healthy economy, also provides an extra bonus for baby boomers — you can scout a popular retirement, or pre-retirement, location. As a matter of fact, North Carolina has helped bump Florida from its top retirement perch, at least when it comes to New York residents looking to move: According to the Empire Center for New York State Policy, an Albanybased think tank, in 2009, for the first time, more people left New York for North Carolina than Florida. On a recent trip to the lovely Wilmington area, my husband and I found out why. Though established on the Cape Fear River in the early 1700s by English settlers, the historic port city is also close to the Atlantic Ocean. Three beautiful ocean beaches — Wrightsville, Kure and Carolina — are within a short drive of the downtown. These public beaches feature miles of white sand, great surf and fishing piers, as well as small beachside neighborhoods filled with shops and restaurants. continued on page 34 

timesunion.com/explore 33

off the beaten path Tourists along the Riverwalk.

continued from page 33 Back in and around Wilmington, some of the main tourism attractions include a mile-long river walk with eateries and souvenir shops; the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts; and horse-and-buggy rides through the historic downtown. Don’t miss the World War II battleship USS North Carolina, which is moored on the river and open to the public. Also check out the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science and the newly renovated and nearby North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. The USS Carolina is across the river from the downtown and can be seen easily from the river walk. On board, through oral histories, photographs and mementos, you can envision the daily life that the ship’s crew faced in the Pacific Theater during the war. The Bellamy Mansion on Market Street is one of North Carolina's most spectacular examples of antebellum architecture. It was built on the eve of the Civil War by free and enslaved black artisans for John Dillard Bellamy, a physician, planter and business leader, and his large family of nine children. After the fall of Fort Fisher in 1865, federal troops commandeered the house as their headquarters. Today, the house is a museum on local history and the design arts. It offers tours, changing exhibitions and a look at historic preservation in action. The aquarium, located near Kure Beach, features a 235,000-gallon saltwater tank. The theme is “The Waters of Cape Fear,’’ which showcases fresh water and salt water aquatic life in a journey down the Cape Fear River to the Atlantic Ocean. The focal point is the Cape Fear Shoals exhibit. Some believe the river got its name because of treacherous shoals, which along with frisky winds and tides and currents, caused shipwrecks. Others believe that early settlers might have been trying to write something along the lines of “fair’’ and that it was mispronounced or misspelled along the way. Besides these sites, we’d been told to allow time for shopping at the Cotton Exchange – and I was glad we did. The Exchange building is a great example of historic preservation. Once the home of a thriving cotton market, the multi-story brick structure houses restaurants, boutiques and shady courtyards. We found lots of locally made, handcrafted gifts to take home. While some in our group shopped, others checked out the Cape Fear National Golf Course in nearby Leland, one of about a dozen courses in the immediate Wilmington area. Golfing Mecca Myrtle Beach, S.C., is about 75 miles to the south, with plenty of golf in between. Besides its lure for retirees, Wilmington’s got lots to offer those who yearn for the beach but aren’t quite ready to quit working. The business climate in Wilmington is healthy; it experienced tremendous growth about a decade ago. Recently, it ranked number 13 in Forbes magazine’s “Best Places for Business and Careers’’ and number 14 on Fortune Small Business magazine’s “Best Places to Launch a Business.’’ Telecommunications giant Verizon has a new call center in Wilmington and GE-Hitachi expanded business after moving its headquarters to coastal North Carolina. Wilmington is also home to pharmaceutical research company PPD, Corning and a number of other large employers. Five years ago, the University of

34 explore

Cape Fear National Golf Course.

North Carolina at Wilmington opened a $34 million Cultural Arts Building. Wilmington’s also got a more glamorous side, being that it is the home to a major center of American film and television productions. EUE/Screen Gems studio, the largest domestic TV and movie production facility outside of California, opened there in 1984. Located on 50 acres with 10 sound stages, the production company houses the largest special-effects water tank in North America. Dozens of movies have been produced there, including Message in a Bottle, Weekend at Bernie’s and the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,’ as well as TV shows like Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill. E

Teri Greeves, My Family’s Tennis Shoes Series, 2003, collection of School for Advanced Research, photo by Addison Doty

if you go… What to do Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure beaches

1-888-236-2427 marriott.com/hotels/travel/ ilmcy-courtyard-wilmington

wilmingtonandbeaches.com

Rosehill Inn B&B

USS Carolina

114 South Third Street Wilmington, NC, 28401 910-815-0250 rosehill.com

1 Battleship Road Wilmington, NC, 28401 910-251-5795 battleshipnc.com Fort Fisher Aquarium

900 Loggerhead Road Kure Beach, NC, 28449 1-800-832-3474 ext. 2 ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher The Bellamy Mansion

503 Market Street Wilmington, NC, 28401 910-763-8154 bellamymansion.org Cape Fear Museum of History and Science

C.W. Worth House B&B

412 South Third Street Wilmington, NC, 28401 910-762-8562 worthhouse.com Graystone Inn B&B

100 South Third Street Wilmington, NC, 28401 910-763-2000 graystoneinn.com

Where to eat 123 Princess Street Wilmington, NC, 28401 910-763-5252 mannaavenue.com

Cape Fear National Golf Course

Port Land Grille (Fine Dining)

1281 Cape Fear National Drive Leland, NC, 28451 910-383-3283 capefearnational.com

1908 Eastwood Road Wilmington, NC, 28403 910-256-6056 portlandgrille.com

The Cotton Exchange Shopping and Dining

The Pilot House (Seafood)

Where to stay Hilton Wilmington Riverside

301 North Water Street Wilmington, NC, 28401 910-763-5900 hilton.com Courtyard by Marriott, Wilmimgton-Wrightsville Beach

151 Van Campen Boulevard Wilmington, NC 28403