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Schoharie River Center presents
The Nature of Drumming: A Workshop with Senegalese drummer Fode Sissoko
7:30-8:30 p.m.
Schoharie River Center, 2047 Burtonville Rd., Esperance, NY 12066, 518-320-4510
Attendance is limited; pre-registration is required.
FODE SISSOKO, master drummer, kora player, griot, and choreographer is from Senegal West Africa. He has been performing and teaching the New York and the Hudson Valley area for over 10 years. He is a very talented and charismatic teacher.

GATEWAY TO INDIA
4 p.m.
Staten Island Zoo, 614 Broadway, Staten Island, NY
A Potpourri of Indian Dances is a unique dance composition set in various styles on Indian Classical and Folk Dances. Raja Rajeswari and her students will present a cornucopia of dances.

Caffè Lena presents
Benefit for Roy Hurd: Featuring Chris Shaw, Stony Creek Band, Kay Olan
7:00 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Cost: $25 (How to get tickets)
On the night of Wednesday, July 21, the home of Adirondack musician Roy Hurd burned to the ground and he lost everything in it, including instruments, recordings, artwork, and his just-completed music studio. Tonight we’ll be raising money and showing our love to help him and Amy through this time. Stay tuned for a full line-up of musical guests.
If you can’t come to the show but you’d like to make a 100% tax-deductible donation, please send to: Southern Adirondack Musician’s Fund, 240 Parker Road, Corinth, NY 12822

Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders announces Mexicanidad: Classes in Dance, Music, and Visual Arts Mano a Mano @ The Brooklyn School of Music, 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217, 212-587-3070, mexicanidad@manoamano.us Registration begins Monday, August 23, 2010 Open House: Saturday August 28, 2010, Noon-2:00 p.m. — Meet the Instructors Semester: September 13, 2010 — June 18, 2011 Beginning in the Fall Semester of 2010, Mano a Mano will inaugurate a rich series of programs for children, teens and adults, and relocate its administrative offices to 126 Saint Felix Street in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn — conveniently located near the Atlantic Avenue Station and close to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Classes for singers, dancers and musicians of all ages, from beginners to experienced students, will be taught by an outstanding faculty of New York-based teachers and performers on four weekday afternoons and evenings, as well as Sunday afternoons. The initial series of classes includes instrumental music, dance, song and visual arts, will be taught by these artists and performers: José Refugio González and Monica Guevara of the Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Nueva York will teach Folkloric Dance for children, teens and adults on Mondays. Álvaro Paulino. Jr. and Maegan Pacheco of the Mariachi Tapatio de Álvaro Paulino will teach Mariachi Instruments, Voice and Ensemble — for children and adults on Tuesdays. Visual artist Ariel Alejandro Rodriguez will teach Mexican Visions, a survey of the historic movements of Mexican muralism, combined with studio art classes, in two sessions, for teens and adults on Wednesdays. Gabriel Guzmán and Julia del Palacio of Radio Jarocho will introduce students to the Afro-Caribbean rhythms of Son Jarocho and its string instruments (jaranas) and spirited zapateado dance steps on Fridays. Singers will join tenor Alejandro Olmedo and explore classic and folkloric songs of the Mexican Songbook on Sundays. Sunday afternoon Tertulias, monthly programs of performance, exhibition and discussion, will highlight aspects of Mexican culture with visiting artists and specialists, for students, their families and the general public. Our series will include a workshop on indigenous Aztec Dance with Gustavo Arias and members of Atl Tlachinolli. Additionally, Mano a Mano will continue its free Monday evening Creative Writing workshop, held in collaboration with the New York Writers Coalition. Private and Semi-Private/Small Group lessons may be arranged, subject to the schedule of the instructors.

Caffè Lena presents
Mark Tolstrup and Dale Haskell with Motherjudge
8:00 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Cost: $15 advance/$17 at the door (How to get tickets)
Get your mojo back with the swamp blues of Mark Tolstrup and Dale Haskell! With a solid beat of finger-picking, foot stomping, ringing slide-guitar, rock solid percussion and a powerful vocal attack, Mark and Dale will bring you authentic sounds of the American landscape, from New Orleans to Tin Pan Alley to modern blues. Tonight Mark and Dale will be joined by the incomparable Motherjudge, that Alt-country-funk diva from Albany, NY called “kd lang with a black eye” (Metroland Magazine) on vocals and guitar.

The Golden Link Folk Singing Society presents
The 2010 Turtle Hill Folk Festival
Rotary Sunshine Campus, 809 Five Points Road, Rush, NY 14543
Information about tickets for all-weekend or single days available online.
A casual, intimate and family-oriented weekend event featuring concerts, campfire singing, jamming, daytime workshops and demos and children’s fun, held at a spacious and beautiful facility with rain-proof cover for all activities, nature trails, rough camping, cabins, restrooms, hot showers and a small array of food and craft vendors. This year’s performers include: Susan Trump, Burning Boots, David Francey, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart, Cliff Eberhardt, and Red Rooster.

Caffè Lena presents
Songs of Hope and Freedom: Featuring Kim & Reggie Harris and Gathering Time
8:00 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Cost: $16 advance/$18 at the door (How to get tickets)
On the 9th anniversary of the twin towers attack, two folk ensembles known for their songs of Peace and Freedom join forces to strengthen our hearts and sense and togetherness, and treat us to an inspiring evening of song. Consummate musicians and storytellers, Kim and Reggie Harris combine a strong folk and gospel legacy with a solid background in classical, rock, jazz and pop music. Creative curiosity, years of road and stage experience, and interactions with performers such as Pete Seeger, Ysaye Barnwell, Jay Leno, Tom Paxton, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Harry Belafonte and others, has led them to produce music that entertains and inspires. Delicious three-part vocal blends backed by fine acoustic, electric and bass guitar create the wall of sound and wave of memories known as Gathering Time. With a stylistic breadth ranging from the dyed-in-the-wool folk sound of Peter, Paul & Mary to the folk-rock harmonic complexity of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Gathering Time is a trio that’s “getting a whole beehive-full of buzz” on the national folk scene right now.

Writing New York Stories This popular writing workshop is a celebration of New York City in words. Participants have a great opportunity to write about their favorite urban legends, local characters, subway stories, childhood games, vanishing occupations or endangered spaces, and to discover their own voice in the process. Students develop writing exercises in class, and write sketches and stories at home that they read aloud in class. The class assists each writer with the process of discovering what forms they gravitate towards and what is distinctive about their own writing. A number of essays by students have later been published in a variety of publications, and a reading by students and formers students takes place each year at the Bowery Poetry Club at the conclusion of the class. The instructor, Steve Zeitlin, is the director of City Lore and the People’s Poetry Gathering, as well as the author of a number of award-winning books for both children and adults. The class is taught at City Lore on the corner of First and First, a corner once described on Seinfeld as the “Nexus of the Universe.” (72 E. First Street, NYC 10003, closest subway stop - 2nd Avenue on the F; or take the #6 to Bleeker Street). Thursdays, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM 10 sessions starting September 30, 2010 ending December 16, 2010 (No class on Nov 25, Dec 2) Tuition: $395.00 Classroom location: 72 E 1st St. 2nd floor, New York, NY 10003 Sign up by calling 212-353-4195, or online at Cooper Union Continuing Education website.

Caffè Lena presents
Ellis Paul
7:00 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Cost: $25 advance/$27 at the door (How to get tickets)
Children’s Concert: 3:00 p.m. - $5 kids/$10 adults
Today Ellis Paul treats audiences to two sides of his craft. In the afternoon he’ll perform a special concert for children featuring songs from The Dragonfly Races, his first family album and an NPR Top Ten pick. It bubbles with buoyant, hummable songs that appeal to kids and parents and incites good conversation between them. Ellis re-takes the stage in the evening with a concert for his adult fans. As one of the principal leaders in the 1990s Boston folk scene, Ellis Paul’s charismatic, personally authentic performance style has influenced a generation of artists and bridged the gulf between the modern folk sound and the populist traditions of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. His latest album, The Day After Everything Changed, released in the winter of 2010 is his 15th studio album. In the words of Roberta Schwartz of FAME, “In The Day After Everything Changed he has done the one thing all artists yearn to accomplish. He has told our universal story, and has revealed our universal truths. And he has done so in a masterwork filled with the best music and lyrics of his career. Ellis Paul gives us hope, gives us a reason to dream and to love. His music is the soundtrack of our lives.“

Caffè Lena presents
Storytelling Open Mic With Featured Storyteller Betty McCanty
7:00 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Donation at the door
87-year-old Betty McCanty, mother of eight, grandmother and great-grandmother, is a local treasure and a professional storyteller with 25 years of experience. A graduate of SUNY-Buffalo, she studied storytelling with Jeannine Laverty and has performed in Australia, Europe, and many places in the United States. She has taught the Art of Storytelling at the Academy for Lifelong Learning in Saratoga Springs. Her special interest is tall tales of the Adirondacks and folk tales.

Caffè Lena presents
Chris Smither
7:00 and 9:30 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Cost: $22 advance/$24 at the door (How to get tickets)
With a dozen albums under his belt, Chris Smither qualifies as a veteran of the music industry. His elegant lyrics are arranged simply, with mostly just his own masterful finger-picking and foot-tapping to accompany him. His music qualifies as folk, but the blues influences are undeniable. His first album, I’m A Stranger Too!, was released in 1970. His songs have been covered by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and Diana Krall. His latest album, Time Stands Still, his 11th studio album, was recorded in just three days and captures the vibrant urgency and immediacy of his live shows. It features eight original compositions as well as covers from Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, and 1920s country-blues songster Frank Hutchison.

Same Blood Folk Band
8:00 p.m.
Earlville Opera House, 8 East Main Street, Earlville, NY 13332 (near the intersection with NYS Route 12B), 315-691-3550
Tickets: $15, $10, $5; order online
Same Blood Folk Band’s style resonates with the roots of Americana and traditional music, bluegrass and rock, for compelling and soulful original songs. Their innovative covers of legendary tunes pay homage to songwriters they admire while adding a personal twist. Jenny Collins: Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Stomp Box, Vocals; Zachary Collins: Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Vocals; Brendan O’Connor: Percussion; and Colin Nevison: Keyboards, harmonica.

Caffè Lena presents
Tas Cru
8:00 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Cost: $15 advance/$17 at the door (How to get tickets)
Upstate blues master Tas Cru plays rock styled Mississippi Delta blues on resonator guitar. His original songwriting is eccentric, quirky, and sometimes boldly irreverent. This combined with his soulful voice and skillful guitarwork has earned him his reputation as a bonafide “triple threat.” Cru’s latest CD, Grizzle n’ Bone (2009) has generated serious blues world attention, making its way onto a variety of U.S. and International roots music ariplay charts and with great reviews from the blues media. Tas is a smart and seasoned bluesman who knows how to entertain and never fails to get his audience fully engaged.

The World Music Institute (WMI) presents
Strings of the Black Sea
A Celebration of Lutes and Fiddles from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Crimea and Turkey
3:00 p.m.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, 1000 Fifth Ave. between 82nd and 83rd St., New York
$30 (includes entrance to the Museum galleries)
$15 for students on day of performance with ID
Featured are Uzbeki violinist Nariman Asanov, a leading exponent of the musical tradition of the Crimean Tatars, who is joined by Patrick Farrell on accordion; Beth Bahia Cohen, a Turkish yayli player who has performed with masters of bowed instruments from the Balkans and the Middle East; Ahmet Erdogdular, Turkish tanbur player and singer who is one of the most important musicians of the new generation in Turkish classical music; Nikolay Kolev, a virtuoso gadulka player hailing from the village of Karavelovo in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria; Julian Kytasty, one of the world’s premier bandura (Ukrainian harp-lute) players; and the extraordinary Christos Tiktapanidis, one of the few musicians in the US who plays the Pontic Greek lyra.

Caffè Lena presents
Mary Fahl
7:00 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Cost: $18 advance/$20 at the door (How to get tickets)
Mary Fahl is back, armed only with her guitar, that unforgettable voice, and a whole new array of original songs. Alone on a stage, her uncluttered performances reveal what is essential about Fahl as an artist—genuine honesty and emotion, captivating melodies, and songs built around big ideas rooted in what it is to be human. Blessed with a magnificent range, Fahl is an expressive, emotional singer/songwriter who first achieved fame as lead singer and co-founder of the mid-1990s cult band October Project, a folk-rock/adult alternative outfit that recorded two poetic albums for Epic. In a review of October Project’s first release, Allmusic dubbed Fahl the “lovechild” of Stevie Nicks and Peter Steel and “a completely unique artist, sounding like no other vocalist of her era.”

The World Music Institute (WMI) presents
Yoik Songs — Jazz Union from Northern Norway
7:30 p.m.
Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue (between 37th and 38th Streets), New York, (212) 847-9737
$18; $14 WMI Friends & Scandinavia House members
Traditional yoik singer Inga Juuso and jazz bassist Steinar Raknes create a musical landscape that develops and renews the distinctive ancient vocal tradition of the Sami people. Yoik, an improvised song form which uses a scale and vocalizations unfamiliar to most Western audiences, has rarely been performed in the U.S. Inga Juuso is one of Scandinavia’s leading yoikers and uses a self-taught traditional technique that has made her a sought-after artist the world over. Steiner Raknes is one of Norway’s foremost jazz bassists and songwriters, known for his explosive style and his work with Chick Corea and Michael Brecker, among others. NY debut.

Caffè Lena presents
Jess Klein, Natalia Zukerman, and Antje Duvekot
8:00 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Cost: $16 advance/$18 at the door (How to get tickets)
Folk troubadour Jess Klein has been lauded on the national and international scene for almost a decade. Her deeply passionate songs tell the story of the soul—from wrenching heartbreak to finding the strength to pick up and move on. Her latest album, Bound to Love, is an Americana gem inspired by the sounds of her new home in Austin, Texas. She’ll be coming to us fresh off a tour of Ireland with Arlo Guthrie. Natalia Zukerman offers top notch guitar playing, contemporary beats, and dark, sweet, provocative vocals. Musically sophisticated, intimate and irreverent all at once, her latest record highlights what’s best about Americana music and offers it a “Brand New Frame.” Natalia is the daughter of violinist/conductor Pinchas Zukerman and flutist/writer Eugenia Zukerman. She was immersed in classical music from birth and her ears are tuned to perfect pitch, and the guitar dexterity, intricate sense of rhythm and meter evident in her own musicianship came naturally. Antje Duvekot burst onto the national music scene in 2007 with the release of Big Dream Boulevard, since followed by the critically acclaimed Near Demise of the Highwire Dancer. She has won the praise of top critics and fellow songwriters, including Ellis Paul, Lucy Kaplansky, Richard Shindell, and John Gorka. Her pretty, melodic songs are romantic, inventive, and filled with enticing storylines.

The Greater Danbury Irish Festival
Charles Ives Concert Park, Western Connecticut State University Westside Campus, Danbury, CT
Cost: Tickets available at the door — Three-day Pass $20
$5.00 Friday; $12 Saturday, $12 Sunday, Under 12 are free
For more information, email info@danburyirishfestival.com
Save the dates! Music schedule and children’s activities posted soon on website. All weekend there are vendors selling quality Irish goods, entertainers on the main stage and in the cultural tent, a children’s area with games and crafts, a beverage tent, and a food tent which caters to everyone’s tastes. The cultural tent contains displays covering Irish topics of both historic and current interest. On the stage are many musicians and speakers sharing their talent. On Saturday night, the stage is home to the wonderful art of ceili dancing.

Tannahill Weavers
8:00 p.m.
Earlville Opera House, 8 East Main Street, Earlville, NY 13332 (near the intersection with NYS Route 12B), 315-691-3550
Tickets: $23, $18, $13; order online
The Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland’s premier traditional bands. Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, and original ballads and lullabies. Their music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people. These versatile musicians have received worldwide accolades consistently over the years for their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can’t get better...yet continue to do just that.

Caffè Lena presents
Burns Sisters
8:00 p.m.
Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-583-0022
Cost: $18 advance/$20 at the door (How to get tickets)
Marie, Annie and Jeannie Burns are famous for their beautiful bluegrass-style harmonies and countrified pop-rock as heard on several Philo/Rounder albums. Their concerts feature traditional folk, African-American sprituals and musical poems and prayers from around the globe. This will be a rocking, energized night of music, backed up the Burns Sisters Band featuring Kevin Maul on dobro and Larry Clyman on lead guitar.

YWCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts presents
Tom Paxton
8:00 p.m.
Boulton Center, 37 West Main Street, Bay Shore, NY, 631/969-1101
Cost: Tickets available, $40
Tom Paxton has become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture and celebrating the tenderest bonds of family, friends, and community. He has performed thousands of concerts around the world and his songbooks, critically acclaimed children’s books, award-winning children’s recordings, and a catalog of hundreds of songs (recorded by artists running the gamut from Willie Nelson to Placido Domingo), all serve to document Tom Paxton’s 40-year career.
Tickets for this performance are available at www.boultoncenter.org or by calling toll free 866-811-4111 or at the YMCA Boulton Center box office: 37 West Main Street, Bay Shore, NY (631) 969-1101. Box office hours: Weds, Fri., Sat., from 12-4, Thurs. 12-6 and extended hours on performance days.

Caffè Lena presents
Ani DiFranco
7:00 p.m.
Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
Cost: $30 general admission; $45 premium seating; $15 Skidmore students (How to get tickets)
Ani DiFranco is one of the best-known names on Caffè Lena’s famed roster of artists. Those who saw her on the tiny Caffè stage in the early ’90s knew they were seeing the start of something extraordinary. Ani became the most influential folk artist of the past two decades, inspiring a whole generation of young singer-songwriters with her tireless activism, unique performance style, and boundless creativity. On the occasion of Caffè Lena’s 50th anniversary, we are so pleased to present Ani in concert at the beautiful Arthur Zankel Music Center on the campus of Skidmore College.

Queens Theatre in the Park presents
Calpulli Danza Mexicana
Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m.
Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Tickets: www.queenstheatre.org or 718-760-0064
Admission: $27; Seniors $25; Students $15
Buy tickets online here
For more information, contact: Juan Castaño, Managing Director, 718-507-2617, castano@calpullidance.org
Calpulli Danza Mexicana (aka Calpulli Mexican Dance Company) returns for its 7th season at Queens Theatre in the Park with a program of signature pieces and new works. 20 talented and passionate CALPULLI dancers will perform to live music by its core of musicians, who change from Aztec percussionists, to a coastal band, to a full Mariachi. Spectacular costumes, inspiring music, and evocative movement celebrate all that is Mexico in this special anniversary of independence.

The World Music Institute (WMI) presents
Black Sea Roma Festival
A Celebration of Gypsy Music from Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Romania
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Bulgarian and Ukrainian Roma Dance Workshops (co-presented by Lotus Fine Arts)
3:00 – 7:00 p.m. Concert
Central Park SummerStage, Rumsey Playfield (enter the park at 69th St. and 5th Avenue), New York
$10.00 Suggested Donation. Rain or Shine.
New York’s Roma (Gypsy) musical concert of the year! Featured are the U.S. debut of Mahala Rai Banda, a wild 12-member Roma band comprising musicians from the famed Clejani and Zece Prajini Romanian villages, (home of Taraf de Haidouks and Fanfare Ciocarlia, repectively); the great Turkish Rom clarinetist Selim Sesler, “the Coltrane of the clarinet” (Guardian) famed for his masterful improvisations, funk-driven wedding songs and dance melodies, joined by the NY Gypsy All-Stars; Técsöi Banda, a raucous family fiddle band making its U.S. debut, providing a rollicking ride through the Ukrainian Carpathians with its multi-ethnic mix of spinning dance tunes, magical improvisations and haunting shepherds’ laments; the Yuri Yunakov Ensemble with its electrifying sax solos and dizzying polyrhythmic beat of Bulgarian wedding music; and the DJ duo Wonderlust that appeared in the 2009 New York Gypsy Festival.

NYFS to Sponsor Gatherings for Latino Artists The New York Folklore Society will be sponsoring three gatherings for Latino artists in New York State. Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the gatherings will take place on three locations on three separate dates: October 24, 2010 at Long Island Traditions, Port Washington March 19, 2011 at Go Art!, Batavia May 14, 2011 at Centro Civico, Amsterdam Designed for musicians, dancers, craftspersons, and others who are practicing a traditional artform with its origin in any of the Spanish-speaking communities of North and South America, the gatherings will assist artists in sharing resources and experiences. They will provide an opportunity for future collaborations and technical assistance. For additional information, or to find out how to become a delegate for the gatherings, please contact Lisa Overholser at the New York Folklore Society.

The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art presents:
Tibetan Portrait: The Power of Compassion
Winter Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
Museum of Tibetan Art, 338 Lighthouse Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10306, 718/987-3500
Admission: $5 adults; seniors/students $3; children under 6 - free
Please email info@tibetanmuseum.org for additional information
Tibetan Portrait highlights photographic portraits of Tibetan people by renowned contemporary artist Phil Borges. Borges’ portraits introduce viewers to individuals from a deeply spiritual culture who have been marginalized and displaced by the occupation of their homeland. The portraits range from images of everyday people, including nomads and children, to important historic figures such as the Dalai Lama. Tibetan Portrait also features interactive displays focusing on aspects of traditional Tibetan culture such as a map of Tibet’s changing borders, a moveable display of Himalayan mountains, audio recordings of mantra chanting, and a hands-on display of Tibetan prayer wheels.

March 29, 2010 – December 31, 2010

History: Wayne County and the Burnt-Over District
Museum of Wayne County History, 21 Butternut St., Lyons, NY
For more information ,call 315-946-4943 or visit www.waynehistory.org
The new exhibit, “Wayne County and the Burnt-Over District” is on display in the Changing Exhibition Room of the Museum of Wayne County History. Wayne County is unique in that many religions and religious movements had major connections to the area and three can even call Wayne County their birthplace: Mormonism, Modern Spiritualism, and the Neversweats. This exhibit examines this part of the “Burnt-over District,” a term coined by Charles Grandison Finney who in his 1876 book Autobiography of Charles G. Finney referred to a “burnt district” to denote an area in central and western New York State during the Second Great Awakening. The name was inspired by the notion that the area had been so heavily evangelized during antebellum revivalism as to have no “fuel” (unconverted population) left over to “burn” (convert).

March 10, 2010 – August 7, 2010

Project Mah Jongg
Sun, Mon, Tue, Thur 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Wed 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (DST) and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (EST)
Museum of Jewish History, Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Place, Battery Park City, New York, NY
Cost: $12 adults; $10 seniors, $7 students; members and 12 and younger are admitted free. Free admission on Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m.
Since the 1920s, the game of mah jongg has ignited the Jewish-American imagination in living rooms and gathering spots around the country. Introduced to American audiences by Joseph P. Babcock who began importing sets en masse around 1922, the game delighted players with its beautifully adorned tiles, associations with other lands, and mysterious rules. Introduced to America during a peak in immigration restrictions, the game’s foreign associations stirred both consumer intrigue and stereotypes in the press. Yet mah jongg was—more than anything—a community builder. Mah jongg became a leading device in Jewish women’s philanthropy. Today, hundreds of thousands of people play mah jongg, and it continues to be a vital part of communal, personal, and cultural life. The exhibition, designed by Abbott Miller of Pentagram, features artwork by Christoph Niemann, Isaac Mizrahi, Maira Kalman, and Bruce McCall and was curated by Melissa Martens. Additional research support was provided by the Museum of Chinese in America.

Games Visitors are welcome to play at the game table at any time when the exhibition is open to the public. Mah jongg pick-up games with a Museum representative will be held every Wednesday from May 26th through August 26th at 1 p.m. Free with Museum admission.
Lessons Lessons will be offered at 12 noon on the following days: May 26th, June 23rd, July 28th, and August 25th. A fall schedule for pick-up games and lessons will be posted toward the end of the summer.

May 4, 2010 – January 2, 2011

Strong National Museum of Play presents the:
Whimsical Art Trail
Museum Hours: Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Meet Dianne Dengel, Nancy Wiley, and Craig Wilson on Friday, July 23 from 1–4 p.m., and view art demonstrations, special video clips, and the raw materials of their craft.
Strong National Museum of Play, One Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY 14607, 585-410-6359
The Whimsical Art Trail is included with general museum admission fees: Adults $11; Seniors $10; Children (2–15) $9; Children younger than two free; Strong members free.

Take a walk on the Whimsical Art Trail at Strong National Museum of Play. Receive a trail guide when you arrive at the museum Admissions desk and discover the locations of imaginative pieces by local artists Dianne Dengel, Nancy Wiley, Craig Wilson, Brian Wilson, and Albert Wilson, which are displayed throughout the museum. Dianne Dengel, well-known for her cloth dolls, paintings, and sculptures, lives and works today in Rochester from the same tiny home her father built with found lumber scraps in 1949. Doll artist Nancy Wiley has been plying her craft for 20 years. She describes her work as heavily painted doll sculptures. Craig Wilson, from an amazingly accomplished family of sculptors and is a full-time artist on Strong’s Exhibits team, has developed his own, unique technique of steel sculpture. Brian Wilson, the late brother of Craig Wilson, was a photographer who later turned to custom-scale model work and created Fantastic Flying Machines using copper spheres, brass-brazed steel riggings, sails, flags, and figures. Albert Wilson, the late father of Craig Wilson, was a self-taught sculptor who created metamorphosed Steel I-Beams—a transformation of crude, rudimentary I-beams into figures, personalities, and unusual things.

July 23, 2010 – October 24, 2010

Arts Council for Wyoming County presents the:
A Good Ride: Arts and Traditions of the Attica Rodeo
Gallery Hours: Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday & Friday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Opening: July 30, 6:00 p.m.
31 South Main St., Perry, New York 14530, (585) 237 3517
Come experience the “west” in western New York this summer with our featured exhibit, A Good Ride: Arts and Traditions of the Attica Rodeo. Begun in 1957 by some enterprising teenagers from Attica and Chaffee, the Attica Rodeo has become an important community tradition, as well as one of the best rodeos in the northeast. Now celebrating its 53rd year, the rodeo brings together cowboys and cowgirls, broncs and barrel racers, families and fans from near and far during the first weekend of August. We have been honored to meet many of these people over the last few years and hear their stories, see their skills and artistry, and learn about rodeo’s place in our local and national culture. We are happy to now share this “ride” with you in the ongoing tradition of American rodeo.

July 30, 2010 — September 24, 2010

Asian American Arts Centre presents the:
Eight Artists: From the AAAC Archive
In Collaboration with Cuchifritos: The Artists Alliance Project/Gallery Space at Essex Street Market
Artists: Charles Yuen, Dinh Q. Le , Dorothy Imagire, Eunjung Hwang, Howardina Pindell, Nancy Hom, Roger Shimomura, and, Sin-ying Ho
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 14th, 4-6:30 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Monday-Saturday, Noon-6 p.m. and by appointment
CUCHIFRITOS, 120 Essex Street, Essex Street Market, New York, NY 10002, 212-420-9202
This exhibition of Eight Artists from the Archive brings a few chosen artists to the public, focused on those presented in AAAC’s digital archive. Dinh Q. Le is a fine arts photographer, best known for his woven-photographs. Growing up in Vietnam, Le watched his aunt weave grass mats. Deploying his photo-weaving technique, Le fused together iconic images of the war, from found and personal photographs, and film stills. Dorothy Imagire’s work has addressed issues of Asian American identity through installations on the Japanese American concentration camp (history/family memory), and mixed Japanese American identity since 1989. Recently, she has explored Asian American female stereotypes through her vampire series and other “exotic” fetishes. Charles Yuen eschews gorgeousness. It’s not to say that his pictures aren’t beautiful, but Yuen seems to be saying that too much attention to beautiful craft might lead viewers away from deeper meditations on tensions in every canvas, large or small. Informed by archetype, Yuen invites us to participate in ritual space. Eunjung Hwang’s work represents unique combinations of digital and physical form. Her projects start by creating a variety of characters derived from personal dreams and subconscious imagery. Fantasy narratives unfold as the characters act out their roles within a structure interwoven by dream logic. The works are meant to be enjoyed like rhythmic structure of music rather than as a readable story. Howardena Pindell, an African American artist with strong ties to Asia as well, has created abstract paintings, collages, “video drawings,” and “process art.” Her work explores texture, color, structures, and the process of making art; it is often political, addressing the issues of racism, feminism, violence, slavery, and exploitation. Nancy Hom, is a long time friend who began with the Asian American Movement in NY, giving direction for Kearney Street Workshop in San Francisco for many years, and evolving in her life and work to become active in the practice of American Buddhism. Roger Shimomura’s paintings, prints, and theatre pieces address sociopolitical issues of Asian America and have often been inspired by diaries kept by his late immigrant grandmother for 56 years of her life. Sing Yin Ho, a ceramicist from Hong Kong uses historical and new digital images in her work, referencing a global culture emerging from the collision of East and West.

August 14, 2010 — September 11, 2010

Taller Boricua presents
CLARIDAD: 50 AÑOS DE LUCHA
Opening Reception: September 10, 2010, 6-9:30 p.m.
EXHIBITION UPCOMING EVENTS:
September 16: Exhibition Panel Talk
September 23: El Grito de Lares Celebration
Taller Boricua Galleries, 1680 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10029, 212.831.4333
Co-sponsored by Taller Boricua, Amigos de Claridad and the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture, 50 AÑOS DE LUCHA, celebrates the 50th year of uninterrupted, consistent, and valiant reporting by Puerto Rico’s national newspaper, Claridad. The show presents a photographic journey that documents Claridad’s unwavering support of Puerto Rico’s social, political, cultural and labor issues as well as its struggle for independence. Curated by Jose “Pucho” Charron, this traveling exhibition has also been presented in La Habana, Cuba, Vieques and other Puerto Rican municipalities, as well in Chicago.

August 27, 2010 — September 24, 2010

John Michael Kohler Arts Center presents:
Lynda Barry and Roz Chast
Open daily at 10:00 a.m.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 608 New York Ave, Sheboygan, WI 53081
Free admission
For more information, contact: 920-458-6144, info@jmkac.org
Often working outside of the mainstream with work appearing in alternative weeklies, Lynda Barry has found great success producing comics that are humorous yet carry serious undercurrents. Known primarily for Ernie Pook’s Comeek, Barry relates stories of childhood angst and examines personal and social topics through a large cast of characters. Since the 1970s, Roz Chast has drawn humor from everyday emotions and experiences for The New Yorker, poking fun at such subjects as guilt, anxiety, aging, families, friends, money, and real estate. Her brand of humor takes routine incidents and events and flips them inside out, exposing them as flawed but funny moments.

May 30, 2010 – September 19, 2010

Also, check out the Norman Pettingill Exhibition: These humorous works by well known Wisconsin illustrator Normal Pettingill are a part of the Arts Center's permanent collection and are available for public viewing for the first time since 1995.

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