August 12th 7:00pm

Greene County Camera Club Meeting at the Greenville Public Library. Competition Night: Subject is "Solitude" and a General Category. Members can submit two mounted photos in either category for critiquing . For more information about the Greene County Camera Club, contact Eileen Camuto at morninglight1@verizon.net or (518) 678-9044, Nora Adelman at brphoto@mhcable.com or (518) 945-2866 or www.gccameraclub.com Library is opened to the public.

August 18th 7:00 pm

Greene County Camera Club Presentation at the Athens Cultural Center: Documentary Film "Man Ray: Prophet of the Garde. This documentary covers the life and artwork of painter, photographer, sculptor and filmmaker Man Ray (born in Brooklyn as Emanuel Radnitsky).
The profile includes a look at Man Ray's disassociation with the New York art world in the early 1900s, his name change and his move to Paris, where he was embraced by the Dadaists.
The program also includes a look at his Paris studio and home. The Athens Cultural Center is located at 24 Second Street.
For more information about the Greene County Camera Club, contact Eileen Camuto at morninglight1@verizon.net or (518) 678-9044, Nora Adelman at brphoto@mhcable.com (518) 945-2866 or www.gccameraclub.net. Information about the Athens Cultural Center can be found at www.athensculturalcenter.org.

August 26th at 7:00pm

Greene County Camera Club Meeting at the Greenville Public Library. Program: " Show and Tell Workshop."Sharing photographic tips and techniques. Bring your photoshop image on CD, hard copy or thumb drives and any questions or concerns you may have.
For more information about the Greene County Camera Club, contact Eileen Camuto at morninglight1@verizon.net or (518) 678-9044, Nora Adelman at brphoto@mhcable.com or (518) 945-2866 or www.gccameraclub.com. Library is opened to the public.

Define the Decade, 2000-2010

Artists Respond to Controversial Issues From the Last Ten Years At the GCCA Catskill Gallery The Greene County Council on the Arts proudly presents a disclaimer: The views and opinions of the artists in this exhibition are their own, not necessarily those of the GCCA, its members or officials. Opening Saturday, June 19th from 5-7 PM, Define the Decade, 2000-2010 offers GCCA Catskill Gallery viewers a chance to ride the roller coaster into the new millennium. This exhibit is the brainchild of Exhibition Committee Member, Valerie Richmond which quickly gained group support, forming an enthusiastic jury committee. At the review twenty three artists were chosen forming a powerful exhibition exploring artists' views on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, torture, 9/11, the Gulf Coast hurricanes, migration, poverty, the erosion of personal privacy, abortion, the US Presidency under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, human rights, the national economy, consumerism, climate change, Israel, Palestine and sex scandals. Wall signs offer context for these headlines along with artists' statements accompanying their work. Visitors are encouraged to respond to the issues, the artwork and their gallery experience in a comment book and on line.

You can see a photo album of the exhibition at our website: www.greenearts.org, or join the conversation on our Facebook page. Participating artists include: Keith Batten, Victoria Brill, Dan Burkholder, Dina Bursztyn, Julie Chase, Dot Chast, Sasha Chermayeff, Frank Giorgini, Howard Goldson, Jim Krewson, Norm Magnuson, Amal Maseer, Art Murphy, Gus Murphy, Robert Lipgar, Erica Potrzeba, Monica Restaino, Susan Sammis, Jill Skupin Burkholder, Richard Talcott, Jane Toby, Ridha and Karl Volk. Political cartoonist, Gus Murphy presents eight strips drawn for the Phoenicia Times and Olive Press newspapers, weighing in on issues as diverse as the Senate's health care reform debate, voting, George W. Bush's cowboy persona, his famous flying shoe dodge, and Iraq war strategy, divisive opinions on the death penalty, abortion and religion. Creating under a nom de plume, Murphy is the son of New York's longest serving US Senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Featured artist, Amal Maseer is an Iraqi refugee displaced by the bombing of Baghdad in 2004. She spent years seeking safety in Syria and Jordan before arriving in New Paltz NY in February 2009 with her three children. Her oil paintings depict Iraq's traditional culture, its landscape and Baghdad as it exists only in her memory. At the entrance to the staircase, a sign warns visitors, "The second floor gallery contains artwork depicting nudity and violence. Gallery visitors please use discretion. Parents must accompany young children." There, Catskill artist, Jim Krewson unveils two powerfully disturbing paintings commenting on the Iraq government's torture of gay men and the Catholic Church's recent pedophile cover-ups. Greene County poet, writer and photographer, Jane Toby has travelled to Israel on more than one occasion as one of the Women in Black, an international activist campaign for peace.

Her blog http://hudsontowestbank.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html has recently been translated into French to inform a larger audience. Toby's photographs document the graffiti covered separation wall in the West Bank dividing Palestinians from the Israeli settlements. Woodstock artist, Norm Magnuson will be exhibiting a variety of works including a temple to capitalism made from the Topps Company's "Operation Enduring Freedom" trading cards, for sale shortly after the US invasion in Afghanistan. Magnuson's background in advertizing makes him particularly adept at recognizing and re-crafting the message and the medium. His faux blue and gold "historical markers" are installed along Interstate 75 reminding motorists that patriotism, big box stores and justice effect individuals and history.

"ON THIS SITE STOOD Jane King whose white male coworkers earn 39% more than she does for doing the same job." Magnuson will offer a slide presentation of his work at an evening lecture in July. Thanks to our neighbor, Kurt Andernach at Somersault Woods, the gallery will have benches for contemplating the work and conversational settings for gallery visitors to sit, talk and write about the work. It is ironic that in this age of 24/7 media access, witnesses to the last ten years' maelstrom rarely find time or attention to process the events in our recent history. This exhibit offers a starting point, different than broadcast media's punditry. Some artists' works are motivated by a subjective point of view: some use their work therapeutically, to come to terms with an issue, some offer a simple observation, distilled through the artist's lens.

Define the Decade, 2000- 2010 is on view June 19 through August 14, 2010 at the GCCA Catskill Gallery, Main Street, Catskill NY. Gallery admission is free. Hours are Monday - Friday, 10-5, Saturday, 12-5, 2nd and 3rd Saturdays 12-8PM. The public is invited to meet the artists at an opening reception on Saturday, June 19th from 5-7 PM.

This annual youth art show offers pre-K to 12th grade students an opportunity to gain professional gallery exhibition experience while providing visitors with a peek at the diversity and excellence of our county's young creative talent.

This spring's showcase features two exhibits, Outside the Lines featuring student artworks of creative imagination in all media, and Pieces of Peace an international project with 6" x 6" illustrations that answer the question,
"What does peace look like to me?"

The public is invited to the opening reception on Saturday, March 17 from 2-4pm at the GCCA Catskill Gallery, 398 Main Street, Catskill, NY.

Some of the participants in this presentation include Mary Finneran's students from Coxsackie Athens High School, middle and high school students of art teachers Sharon Quinn and Dan Yolen of Windham-Ashland-Jewett School, Carli Gazoorian of Catskill Elementary School, Lily McCabe's and Justine Criswell's Cairo Durham students, James Crossett and Sean Stewart's Greenville Middle and High School students, Judy Spring of Greenville Elementary School and Jodie Fisher of Cairo Elementary School. Student artworks represent the best of student artists' projects completed in the classroom, displayed in the first and second floor galleries. Pieces for Peace, offers gallery viewers of all ages a chance to participate. This international project boast participation from youth in over 26 countries. Bring your own 6" x 6" illustration of peace, or stop by the gallery to create an entry on the spot. In the center of the gallery, an art table will offer crayons, markers, glue sticks, scissors and templates.

All entries will be hung in our gallery and front windows, to be later scanned and uploaded to the website site as part of the permanent exhibit. Originally conceived by CITYarts, a New York City arts organization, this project has travelled the world extensively with an eventual exhibition of selected pieces at the United Nations. To see this international mosaic of peace, go to http://www.cityarts.org/Pieces-for-Peace/Online-Mosaic-Wall.html. Outside the Lines and Pieces for Peace continue on view through June 12, 2010. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10 AM - 5 PM and Saturday Noon - 5 PM with extended hours on second and third Saturdays from noon to 8 PM.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. More information is available by contacting 518-943-3400, gcca@greenearts.org or www.greenearts.org.

The GREENE COUNTY COUNCIL ON THE ARTS, INC. (GCCA) is a tax exempt, not-for-profit, county-wide arts service organization whose purpose is to broaden and enrich the quality of life in Greene County through the development and strengthening of all the arts. Since 1975, the GCCA has provided information and essential services to artists, arts organizations, cultural and educational institutions, civic groups, community agencies and the general public.

Jefferson Heights to get face lift

By Christopher Smith

CATSKILL - The look of county Route 23B in Jefferson Heights will be changed soon with a major street scape project to begin this spring.

Greene County Highway Superintendent, Gary Harvey, recently outlined the $1.4 million project to the Town Board. The project includes repaving the section of Route 23B from the viaduct Route 9W crossing to the Austin Acres, new sidewalks that will be handicap accessible, a bike lane, and the creation of small pocket park.

"We are really excited about this project. Route 23B in Jefferson Heights is an important gateway for people entering Catskill and heading to the mountaintop and this will greatly improve the look of this roadway," said Harvey.

Harvey explained the existing roadway along this section of the road lacks safe access for pedestrians and bicyclist. This area is a very popular for people to run, walk, and bicycle, but in some sections can be difficult to maneuver. The project will greatly improve the area for pedestrians and bicyclist.

Bicycle lanes will constructed on both sides of the roadway. Sidewalks will be replaced and in portions of thebusiness section, such as the area of the Cumberland Farms and Mid-Hudson Cablevision where there are no sidewalks they will be constructed. The sidewalk adjacent to Snake Road is substandard in width due to the adjacent street slope. "We will install a pocket park by Millspaugh Funeral Home, it will similar to the one in the Village of Catskill at The Point near the old Allied Boat entrance," said Harvey.

The park will feature a plaque to detail the history of the road which was part of the Susquehanna Turnpike. New street lighting will also be installed and fashioned similar to the type used at the Catskill Point.

"Basically, someone could walk from Austin Acres all the way down to The Point with virtually all new sidewalks," said Harvey.

The project will be funded by 80 percent federal funding, 15 percent state and 5 percent by the county. Harvey said that if a second round of federal stimulus is approved he would seek to have the entire project funded through that program. The construction is slated to begin in June and last through November. Harvey explained that the traffic impact in the area during construction should be minimal, however, traffic control will be placed near the Snake Road intersection.

"We are really excited about the project. This is an important gateway for people traveling to the Village of Catskill, Town of Catskill and all of Greene County," said Harvey.