Friday, May 12, 2006

unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers

Price: Free
Panasci Lounge, Schine Student Center
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Photos by local workers who participated in unseenamerica NYS will be on display. "unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers" (ReganBooks; May 1, 2006) offers an intimate, honest and eye-opening look at the everyday lives of working-class men and women across the United States. Edited by Esther Cohen, the book grew from a unique photography program she created at Bread and Roses, the nonprofit cultural arm of Local ll99 of the Service Employees International Union. Over a two-year span, 350 groups -- from janitors in Washington, D.C., to formerly homeless women in Gainesville, Fla. -- were given point-and-shoot cameras and free lessons by professional photographers. Then they were asked to take pictures of what they saw -- favorite places, typical and special activities, neighbors and loved ones. The result is a striking collection of black-and-white images that each has a story to tell.

Unseenamerica NYS is a collaboration of the Bread & Roses Cultural Project of 1199SEIU, the New York State AFL-CIO and the Workforce Development Institute.

Visual Arts Committee Showcase Exhibit
CNY Arts

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

This show features the work of Ellen Agnew, Joan Applebaum, Marna Bell, Mary Lou Colgin, Marilyn Forth, Patricia Gancarz, Shel & Donal Little, Mick Mather, Anna Soltyk, Joan Stier, and Yolanda Tooley
in varied media.

For more information about any of the VAC shows, please contact Mick Mather at 315-435-2154, or Joan Applebaum at 315-656-9527.

Something Old, Something New: Pigment Prints by Donal and Shel Little
Liverpool Public Library

Price: Free
Liverpool Public Library
310 Tulip St., Liverpool

The Littles collaborate to produce unique re-imaginings of their original photography.

Feats of Clay Exhibit
Onondaga Community College

Storer Auditorium
Onondaga Community College, Syracuse

View an impressive exhibition of regional high school ceramic competition entries.

Works by Ken Brzozowski
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

Price: Free
VPA Dean's Gallery
Room 200, Crouse College, Syracuse University, Syracuse

The sculpture displayed is part of a new series using minimal changes to the material to evoke a sense of being, to animate the inanimate and to give personality to the materials without making them too human. Brzozowski has been an artist for "as long as he can remember." His first "large work" was painting the landlord's backyard with roof tar when he was three years old. He studied sculpture at VPA under Lawson Smith and the late Rodger Mack. He currently divides his time between an Adirondack studio on the Hudson River and Manhattan. His work has traveled to the corners of the world, including Europe and Japan.

For more information, contact the VPA Dean's Office at 443-5889.

Paid parking is available in Irving Garage.

Open Figure Drawing Group Show
Westcott Community Center

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The purpose for which Open Figure Drawing Inc. was formed is to promote and engage in regular sessions of figure drawing with live models. These activities include artistic motivation mainly focused on sketching and drawing the human form, utilizing materials including but not limited to ink, charcoal, graphite, watercolors, acrylic paints, canvas and paper. The organization provides regular weekly Wednesday sessions at the Westcott Community Center, which are open to the public, to allow any interested party to engage in, practice and display figure drawing.

After nine years of group exhibits at Happy Endings and three years of shows at Syracuse University's Coyne Gallery, OFD Inc is pleased to present a show of portraits drawn at our Wednesday sessions. This family friendly display will concentrate on various renditions of the face.

Art Exhibit
Celebration of the Arts

Price: Free
St. David's Episcopal Church
13 Jamar Dr., Dewitt

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen will feature paintings, prints, quilts and dolls by Allen, a renowned American contemporary folk artist and craftswoman. A self-taught artist, Allen has been nationally and internationally recognized as "The High Priestess of Needlework." Her work has been exhibited worldwide, and has also been featured in numerous publications. Many of her works address her African American heritage and are rendered in a unique 19th century folk art style. Allen currently resides in Palatine Bridge, New York, where she operates a general store and folk art gallery on her twenty-three acre farm.

Notion of Family: Family Work 2002-2006 - LaToya Ruby Frazier
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

LaToya Ruby Frazier of Pittsburgh, PA attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.F.A. degree in Photography and Graphic Design. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Photography Award from Edinboro University. Her work has received the Patron's Purchase Award from the Erie Art Museum in Erie, PA. Her work has also been exhibited at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn and Light Work Community Darkrooms in Syracuse. Currently, she is pursuing her M.F.A. degree in Art Photography at Syracuse University, where she has been a recipient of the African American Fellowship. In addition to teaching photography at Syracuse University, Frazier has taught at Light Work Community Darkrooms and the Community Folk Art Center.

"The Notion of Family is a collaborative development between my grandmother, mother and I. It reveals the complexity of our relationships and the different roles we play," says Frazier. Frazier's 26 black and white photographs will be accompanied by her award-winning documentary film, A Mother To Hold, which intensely reveals the complex relationship she has with her drug-addicted mother. "My position and role as daughter and filmmaker transcends the stereotypical objective practice in classic documentary, which has continuously undermined the black family experience by avoiding our emotional realm," Frazier says. The film has been screened at the 2006 Black Maria Film Festival in Jersey City, NJ, the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival in New York City, the Black International Film Festival in New York City, and the Women of Color Film Festival in New York City, where she received the Producer's Choice Award.

Suzanne Opton: Soldier
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition takes an unusual and intimate look at soldiers who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The series includes a mixture of black-and-white and color photographs that range in style from timeless studio portraits to intimate close-up views of the heads of the soldiers lying on a flat surface. The exhibition features large-format color photographs of the faces of soldiers, evoking a sense of dreaming but also hinting at the transformative experiences of war. Opton has taken the otherwise loaded idea of soldiers and warfare out of a political context and placed it into a silent dialogue from one human being to the next. She says of the images, "We all experience strategic moments when we feel most alive. These are the moments we will always remember, be they transcendent or horrific. Afterall, what are we if not our collection of memories? In making these portraits of soldiers, I simply wanted to look in the face of someone whod seen something unforgettable.

Newhouse Photography Annual
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The Ways of a Brush: Paintings by Marion Simpson
Associated Artists

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Ms. Simpson, who lives in Vestal, is known as a painter, teacher, and muralist.

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

Industrial Design is *: Industrial Design Students' Thesis Show
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

Price: $4 regular; $3.50 seniors/children; free for MOST members
Museum of Science and Technology (MOST)
500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse

The work featured covers a wide range of design concepts, including furniture, toys, interactive games and household product concepts. Peter Plumley, exhibits manager at the MOST, coordinated the exhibition.

For more information, call the MOST at 315-425-9068.

Shaped Clay 2006
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Shaped Clay 2006 showcases ceramic art created by high school artists from around the country. This exhibition is organized by Syracuse University Ceramics and the Everson Museum of Art.

Sara Sax's Rookwood Repertoire
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

During its 80-year history, Rookwood Pottery's artists formed and painted ceramics in such diverse styles as Victorian, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and Art Deco. Sara Sax (1870-1949) was one of Rookwood's premier artists, painting vases, tiles and jars for this celebrated company from 1896 through 1931. This exhibition of Sax's work is generously on loan to the Everson from a private Massachusetts collection.

ARC of Onondaga
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

This exhibition will display artwork created by the consumers served at the ARC of Onondaga, the largest provider of services to people with developmental disabilities and their families in Onondaga County. The artwork -- made from paint and such non-traditional materials as coffee grounds and orange soda mixed with glue -- is completed as a part of the program's daily activities to stimulate sensory and range of motion needs, as well as creativity.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Only an Artist features approximately 80 porcelains by Adelaide Alsop Robineau (1865-1929). These exquisite works are drawn largely from the unparalleled collection of her ceramics held by the Everson Museum of Art, with additional key works from other public and private collections. Beginning with Robineau's early experiments dating from 1904 to 1910, Only an Artist offers a selection of both the matte and crystalline glazes Robineau developed during this crucial period. A unique focus of Only an Artist is the representation of almost thirty works from the last three years of Robineau's life.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue containing three essays: by the exhibition's guest curator, Thomas Piché Jr.; noted Art Pottery scholar Ellen Paul Denker; and Syracuse University Professor Elizabeth Fowler.

Works of Daniel Atyim
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

For the Everson's 2004 Biennial exhibition, juror Pavel Zoubok selected Daniel Atyim's mixed-media works for the Best of Show Award. For this prize, the Everson will showcase Atyim's work in a solo exhibition and gallery brochure.

Eye on Cinema
Point of Contact Gallery

Price: Free
Point of Contact Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibition of 21 original photographic art works by American artists Papo Colo, Gregory Crewdson, Judy Pfaff, Sandy Skoglund and Rob Van Erve.

"Eye on Cinema" is part of the 2006 Syracuse International Film and Video Festival (SIFVF) programming and was also the theme of a 1997 issue of the "Point of Contact" verbal and visual arts journal. Dedicated to the art of film and edited by Pedro Cuperman, gallery curator, and Syracuse University film professor and SIFVF director Owen Shapiro, the issue integrated a series of critical discussions by distinguished filmmakers and film theorists with the set of art works by Colo, Crewdson, Pfaff, Skoglund and Van Erve.

For more information, phone 315-443-2169.

The Artist Revealed: Artist Portraits and Self-Portraits
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Yves Saint Front in the Louis and Annette Kaufman Collection
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Curated by Domenic J. Iacono, Syracuse University Art Collection

Terra Firma: Two Perspectives
Redhouse
Featuring works by David MacDonald & Daphne Verley Pietrafesa

Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

An exhibition of fine craft featuring renowned Syracuse ceramicist, David MacDonald and emerging ceramic artist Daphne Verley Pietrafesa. MacDonald's meticulous, elaborately carved vessels echo his African-American heritage in the use of organic, earth-toned clay and glazes and provide a wonderful juxtaposition alongside Pietrafesa's bold, bright, colorfully glazed works reminiscent of French, Italian and Spanish Majolica. The dialogue created between these two very different, yet complimentary perspectives, will give the viewer new insight and appreciation into the world of contemporary ceramic design, and the diverse history from which they both are drawn.

Syracuse ceramist David MacDonald transforms mounds of clay into works of art that have been displayed in museums and galleries all over the country. The beauty and richness of Africa's pottery resonates throughout his ceramic vessels. He discovered his passion for ceramics as an art student in college, and nearly 40 years later, he is still amazed at what he can create from a simple lump of clay. He gleans his ideas from ancient African designs: "I was inspired by it because they made pottery that had a lot of surface decorations, a lot of linear patterns and carvings on it."

Pietrafesas pottery is mainly hand formed, slab construction incorporating colorful slips and under glazes (some utilizing majolica glaze techniques) with patterns ranging from simple to ornate. Her meticulously glazed patterns are a vibrant edition to the rich history of majolica pottery decoration. Included in this exhibition are also pieces from a new series influenced by "Block Island Beach Rocks," where the emphasis is less on pattern and symmetry and more on organic forms, and surfaces.

The Gallery is also open prior to and after all scheduled events.

Read a review!

Identity and Communication: Cazenovia College Visual Arts Senior Projects
ThINC

Company Gallery
110 W. Fayette St. (corner of Clinton), Syracuse

As the Artist Sees It
Delavan Art Gallery

Price: Free
Delavan Art Gallery
501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Patrice Downes Centore: watercolors
Diane Lansing: photographs
Brian Lister: oil Paintings
Ron McGregor: ceramics
Nikolay Mikushkin: oil Paintings

Tribute to Bob Marley
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

May 11, 2006, marks the 25th anniversary of the passing of internationally known reggae legend Bob Marley. To celebrate the life and work of the music icon and cultural leader, the Department of African American Studies in The College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University will host a cultural event featuring music, poetry and a presentation by SU African American studies professor Horace Campbell, author of Rasta and Resistance (Africa World Press, 1987).

Musical selections will be presented by Asomgyee Pamoja, AAS Fellow; Bill Cole, AAS Department; One Black Voice; and Jah Eyes. There will be poetry readings by Ras Howard Henry; Kheli Willetts and Asomgyee Pamoja, AAS Department; and Micere Mugo, Chair of AAS Department. Adam Banks, assistant professor in SU's Writing Program, will give a poetry reading and offer remarks on Marley.

Caribbean food and refreshments will be provided. Free parking is available at the Syracuse Stage lot on Irving Avenue.

For more information, contact Doreen Blenman at 315-443-4302.

An Evening of Intimate Jazz
Celebration of the Arts
Cookie Coogan and the CNY Jazz Quintet

Price: Free
St. David's Episcopal Church
13 Jamar Dr., Dewitt

Classics Series: McDuffie Plays Glass
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Daniel Hege, conductor
Featuring Robert McDuffie, violin

Price: $16-$50
Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Pärt Festina Lente
Glass Violin Concerto
Shostakovich Symphony No. 8

Read a review!

Oklahoma!

Price: $8 regular, $6 students/seniors
Bishop Ludden Junior/Senior High School
815 Fay Rd., Geddes

For more information, phone 315-468-0053.

The Wiz
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $17 regular, $16 students/seniors, $15 children
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-637-5437.

Perfect Wedding
Baldwinsville Theatre Guild

First Presbyterian Church of Baldwinsville
64 Oswego St., Baldwinsville

Bill wakes up on the morning of his wedding in the bridal suite of a hotel, to find a beautiful woman in bed next to him. He has no memory of the night before, and no idea who she is, but he needs to get her out of there fast because his fiancée is due to arrive at any moment to dress for the wedding!

The Antics of Romantics
Appleseed Productions

Price: $15 regular; $12 students/seniors
Atonement Lutheran Church
116 W. Glen Ave., Syracuse

Appleseed once again explores the uproariously funny genre of Interactive Theater with The Antics of Romantics. This is a Commedia Del Arte show in which the audience will experience a natural vested interest in the hero and heroine, who are cast directly from the audience at the beginning of the play. They are led through a plot in which love conquers all -- from lampooning of the familiar (disapproving in-laws and natural tragedies) to navigating of the absurd (surreally overdone competitors and ridiculous plot twists).

Read a Review!

One Moe Time
Featuring Moe Harrington

Price: $20
Empire Theater
New York State Fairgrounds, Geddes

An evening of song, with special guests Gennaro Parlato and Dana Sovocool. For more information, phone 315-479-7469.

Read a review!

Bang Bang, You're Dead
Rarely Done Productions

Price: Free
Jazz Central
441 E. Washington St., Syracuse

Paducah, Kentucky. Jonesboro, Arkansas. And Columbine  once associated with a delicate summer flower, now forever linked with a tragic event at a high school in Littleton, Colorado. In a broken world that's violent, unhealthy, unfair, and beyond the power of anyone to fix, except today's generation, what can we do? How can we help?

Rarely Done Productions, with the support of Vineyard Theatre Arts Executive Director, Mitchell M. Nugent and many other local theatre people, is making a contribution to raising awareness about school violence through its presentation of Bang Bang Youre Dead, a play intended to communicate and allow for discovery about how we've made the world's violence our own - and how we can change it. It's about a theater of life.

A cast of students from Baker, Liverpool, East Syracuse-Minoa, Henninger, and Manlius Pebble Hill high schools will perform.

For tickets, please call 315-546-3224.

Rounding Third
Redhouse

Price: $33 regular; $26 senior (65 or older); $22 student
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

This hilarious comedy by Richard Dresser combines two mismatched coaches as they struggle through a season together and ultimately discover the true meaning of success. Don the veteran and Michael the new recruit have markedly different personal circumstances and philosophies about the game of baseball and the game of life. Their clashes drive this funny, touching play through the bumpy terrain of fatherhood and baseball.

Menopause The Musical
Syracuse Stage
Kathryn Conte, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Menopause The Musical is set in a New York City Bloomingdale's department store and tells the story of four women - a Power Woman, Soap Star, Earth Mother and Iowa Housewife - who meet during a lingerie sale and learn that, despite being very different types of women, they share a common bond: menopause.

Menopause The Musical, written and produced by Jeanie Linders, features parodies of 25 baby-boomer hit songs from the '60s and '70s, with lyrics re-penned by Linders that spoof, laugh at and celebrate menopause and its many common symptoms, including hot flashes, night memory loss. Among the recognizable tunes in the show are chart-toppers such as The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," which becomes "Help me Doctor," Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" recast as "Change of Life"; and '60s folk classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" as an ode to exhaustion: "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin'."

Read a Review!

A Little Night Music
Syracuse University Drama Department
Anthony Salatino, director

Storch Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Civilized, sophisticated, enchanting, and witty: A Little Night Music is all of these. Yet with Ingmar Bergman's film The Smiles of Summer as its inspiration, desire and sensuality pervade. Stephen Sondheim's score is glorious, striking deeply emotional and resonant chords. The musical is set in turn-of-the-century Scandinavia and is a tale of romance and folly and focuses on middle-aged Fredrik Egerman and his virgin bride Anne. The couple has not consummated their marriage despite having been wed for nearly a year. When Frederik reunites with a former flame, an older actress named Desiree Armfeldt, he succumbs to her charms. The married Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm, one of Desiree's other lovers, discovers the pair. Malcolm relays the gossip to his wife Charlotte, who happens to be a childhood friend of Anne's, to whom eventually is revealed the truth about her husband's infidelity. The cast of characters eventually ends up at Desiree's country estate for a weekend party in which passion mounts, inevitably leading to startling revelations. Sondheim's music for A Little Night Music is unique in that it is a waltz musical, as Sondheim put all of the music in some form of triple time so that the whole score has the feeling of a long waltz. The score thus has an integrated sound, with each song contributing to the established mood of the show. The musical debuted at the Shubert Theatre in New York City in 1973, and went on to sweep the Tony Awards, including awards for Best Musical, Best Music and Lyrics, and Best Book.

Read a Review!

Marriage is Murder
Salt City Center for the Performing Arts

Price: $20, $15
St. Clair Gardens
1119 N. Townsend St., Syracuse

Paul and Polly Butler used to be a husband and wife murder-mystery writing team. Their novel way of testing the realism of the murders in their novels was to try out the murder methods on each other - poisoned chocolates, lethal martinis, alibis, fingerprints, bodies in trunks, and bodies all tied up, daggers, guns, and even an axe.

After 18 months of divorce, Paul reluctantly agrees to get back together with Polly to write one more book. Now that they are divorced, how real will the murder methods be?

This comedy thriller features the real life husband and wife team of Nora O'Dea and Dan Stevens.

Read a Review!

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Art Exhibit
Celebration of the Arts

Price: Free
St. David's Episcopal Church
13 Jamar Dr., Dewitt

As the Artist Sees It
Delavan Art Gallery

Price: Free
Delavan Art Gallery
501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Patrice Downes Centore: watercolors
Diane Lansing: photographs
Brian Lister: oil Paintings
Ron McGregor: ceramics
Nikolay Mikushkin: oil Paintings

ARC of Onondaga
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

This exhibition will display artwork created by the consumers served at the ARC of Onondaga, the largest provider of services to people with developmental disabilities and their families in Onondaga County. The artwork -- made from paint and such non-traditional materials as coffee grounds and orange soda mixed with glue -- is completed as a part of the program's daily activities to stimulate sensory and range of motion needs, as well as creativity.

Sara Sax's Rookwood Repertoire
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

During its 80-year history, Rookwood Pottery's artists formed and painted ceramics in such diverse styles as Victorian, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and Art Deco. Sara Sax (1870-1949) was one of Rookwood's premier artists, painting vases, tiles and jars for this celebrated company from 1896 through 1931. This exhibition of Sax's work is generously on loan to the Everson from a private Massachusetts collection.

Shaped Clay 2006
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Shaped Clay 2006 showcases ceramic art created by high school artists from around the country. This exhibition is organized by Syracuse University Ceramics and the Everson Museum of Art.

Works of Daniel Atyim
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

For the Everson's 2004 Biennial exhibition, juror Pavel Zoubok selected Daniel Atyim's mixed-media works for the Best of Show Award. For this prize, the Everson will showcase Atyim's work in a solo exhibition and gallery brochure.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Only an Artist features approximately 80 porcelains by Adelaide Alsop Robineau (1865-1929). These exquisite works are drawn largely from the unparalleled collection of her ceramics held by the Everson Museum of Art, with additional key works from other public and private collections. Beginning with Robineau's early experiments dating from 1904 to 1910, Only an Artist offers a selection of both the matte and crystalline glazes Robineau developed during this crucial period. A unique focus of Only an Artist is the representation of almost thirty works from the last three years of Robineau's life.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue containing three essays: by the exhibition's guest curator, Thomas Piché Jr.; noted Art Pottery scholar Ellen Paul Denker; and Syracuse University Professor Elizabeth Fowler.

Something Old, Something New: Pigment Prints by Donal and Shel Little
Liverpool Public Library

Price: Free
Liverpool Public Library
310 Tulip St., Liverpool

The Littles collaborate to produce unique re-imaginings of their original photography.

The Ways of a Brush: Paintings by Marion Simpson
Associated Artists

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Ms. Simpson, who lives in Vestal, is known as a painter, teacher, and muralist.

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen will feature paintings, prints, quilts and dolls by Allen, a renowned American contemporary folk artist and craftswoman. A self-taught artist, Allen has been nationally and internationally recognized as "The High Priestess of Needlework." Her work has been exhibited worldwide, and has also been featured in numerous publications. Many of her works address her African American heritage and are rendered in a unique 19th century folk art style. Allen currently resides in Palatine Bridge, New York, where she operates a general store and folk art gallery on her twenty-three acre farm.

Notion of Family: Family Work 2002-2006 - LaToya Ruby Frazier
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

LaToya Ruby Frazier of Pittsburgh, PA attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.F.A. degree in Photography and Graphic Design. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Photography Award from Edinboro University. Her work has received the Patron's Purchase Award from the Erie Art Museum in Erie, PA. Her work has also been exhibited at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn and Light Work Community Darkrooms in Syracuse. Currently, she is pursuing her M.F.A. degree in Art Photography at Syracuse University, where she has been a recipient of the African American Fellowship. In addition to teaching photography at Syracuse University, Frazier has taught at Light Work Community Darkrooms and the Community Folk Art Center.

"The Notion of Family is a collaborative development between my grandmother, mother and I. It reveals the complexity of our relationships and the different roles we play," says Frazier. Frazier's 26 black and white photographs will be accompanied by her award-winning documentary film, A Mother To Hold, which intensely reveals the complex relationship she has with her drug-addicted mother. "My position and role as daughter and filmmaker transcends the stereotypical objective practice in classic documentary, which has continuously undermined the black family experience by avoiding our emotional realm," Frazier says. The film has been screened at the 2006 Black Maria Film Festival in Jersey City, NJ, the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival in New York City, the Black International Film Festival in New York City, and the Women of Color Film Festival in New York City, where she received the Producer's Choice Award.

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

Industrial Design is *: Industrial Design Students' Thesis Show
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

Price: $4 regular; $3.50 seniors/children; free for MOST members
Museum of Science and Technology (MOST)
500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse

The work featured covers a wide range of design concepts, including furniture, toys, interactive games and household product concepts. Peter Plumley, exhibits manager at the MOST, coordinated the exhibition.

For more information, call the MOST at 315-425-9068.

Yves Saint Front in the Louis and Annette Kaufman Collection
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Curated by Domenic J. Iacono, Syracuse University Art Collection

The Artist Revealed: Artist Portraits and Self-Portraits
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Terra Firma: Two Perspectives
Redhouse
Featuring works by David MacDonald & Daphne Verley Pietrafesa

Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

An exhibition of fine craft featuring renowned Syracuse ceramicist, David MacDonald and emerging ceramic artist Daphne Verley Pietrafesa. MacDonald's meticulous, elaborately carved vessels echo his African-American heritage in the use of organic, earth-toned clay and glazes and provide a wonderful juxtaposition alongside Pietrafesa's bold, bright, colorfully glazed works reminiscent of French, Italian and Spanish Majolica. The dialogue created between these two very different, yet complimentary perspectives, will give the viewer new insight and appreciation into the world of contemporary ceramic design, and the diverse history from which they both are drawn.

Syracuse ceramist David MacDonald transforms mounds of clay into works of art that have been displayed in museums and galleries all over the country. The beauty and richness of Africa's pottery resonates throughout his ceramic vessels. He discovered his passion for ceramics as an art student in college, and nearly 40 years later, he is still amazed at what he can create from a simple lump of clay. He gleans his ideas from ancient African designs: "I was inspired by it because they made pottery that had a lot of surface decorations, a lot of linear patterns and carvings on it."

Pietrafesas pottery is mainly hand formed, slab construction incorporating colorful slips and under glazes (some utilizing majolica glaze techniques) with patterns ranging from simple to ornate. Her meticulously glazed patterns are a vibrant edition to the rich history of majolica pottery decoration. Included in this exhibition are also pieces from a new series influenced by "Block Island Beach Rocks," where the emphasis is less on pattern and symmetry and more on organic forms, and surfaces.

The Gallery is also open prior to and after all scheduled events.

Read a review!

Breakfast Serials: More Flash Gordon
Alternative Movies and Events

Price: $5 regular; $3:50 students/seniors
Palace Theater
2384 James St., Syracuse

The B-Movie Film Festival continues its monthly Breakfast Serials with more of the 1936 Flash Gordon serials starring Buster Crabbe.

B-Monster Movie Matinee: The House on Haunted Hill
Alternative Movies and Events

Price: $5 regular; $3.50 students/seniors
Palace Theater
2384 James St., Syracuse

The B-Movie Film Festival continues its monthly B-Monster Movie Matinee series with the Vincent Price / William Castle classic horror film The House on Haunted Hill (1959).

At noon, prior to the movie, Ron Curtis, Jr., B-movie host for 3 seasons of "Freaky Flicks & Food" on WTVH-5, will meet and greet fans, then be presented with a certificate of achievement.

Following that will be a 3-5 minute skit by Syracuse's latest horror host, "Fred the Assistant," played by David Fata.

An Evening with Crispin Glover
Alternative Movies and Events

Price: $20
Palace Theater
2384 James St., Syracuse

Crispin Glover is most well known for his roles as George McFly in Back to the Future and Thin Man in Charlie's Angels, among many others. He will present Crispin Hellion Glover's Big Slide Show. Following will be Crispin's much-buzzed about directorial debut,
What Is It?.

Doors open at 6:30. A brief introduction will begin the evening, and at 7:30 starts the one-hour slide show consisting of 10 stories Crispin dramatically narrates. The slides are from pages of books that Crispin reworked with original and transformed art.

At 8:30, the 35mm movie What Is It? will show (72 minutes) - a visionary, unnerving, surreal black comedy that tells the inner and outer struggles of a young man facing villains and demons on multiple planes. What Is It? has only been seen in a handful of theaters around the world.

Following the movie there will be a Q&A and book signing. The books are four hardbound editions featured in the slide show.

Commentary and Performance from the Great Classics for Piano
Celebration of the Arts
Featuring Steven Rosenfeld, piano

Price: Free
St. David's Episcopal Church
13 Jamar Dr., Dewitt

Folkus Project
Truckstop Honeymoon with Larry Hoyt

Price: $10
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

Truckstop Honeymoon, the duo of Katie Euliss and Mike West, plays the kind of instruments that might make you think Americana, and the kinds of songs that might make you think country. But Truckstop Honeymoon is mostly about attitude. They like to let you know, right up front, "there ain¹t nothing nice about Truckstop Honeymoon." They play banjos and wash tubs. They sing about adultery and oil refineries. It's break-neck breakdowns or heart-break waltzes.

Katie Euliss learned guitar, piano, and bucket bass in the streets of New Orleans. She scammed enough money from tourists to buy Lucky Strikes and smoked oysters for six years. Then she met Mike West. Part entertainer, part snake oil salesman, Mike lived by pickin' banjo and selling CDs that he claimed were a curative for hangovers and small-mindedness.

Together they began a perpetual tour of North America, Europe and Australia. They spent their wedding night in the Tiger Truck Stop, somewhere between Lafayette and the Atchafalya Swamp. Truckstop Honeymoon was born.

Well-known to local folk and acoustic-music fans as the host of WAER's Common Threads, Larry Hoyt is also an accomplished songwriter and interpreter of classic traditional music. In a style reminiscent of Woody Guthrie or early Johnny Cash, Hoyt brings a rich baritone voice and confident musicianship to material that, on any given night, ranges from "Puff the Magic Dragon" to his own "Let's Go for a Ride." His debut CD, Folksinger/Songwriter, debuted last year on Hondo Mesa Records.

For reservations, call the Westcott Community Center at 315-478-8634.

Classics Series: McDuffie Plays Glass
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Daniel Hege, conductor
Featuring Robert McDuffie, violin

Price: $16-$50
Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Pärt Festina Lente
Glass Violin Concerto
Shostakovich Symphony No. 8

Read a review!

The Wiz
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $17 regular, $16 students/seniors, $15 children
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-637-5437.

Beauty and the Beast
Magic Circle Children's Theatre

Price: $6
Spaghetti Warehouse
689 N. Clinton St., Syracuse

Interactive version of the classic children's tale. Reservations recommended -- phone 315-449-3823.

Tales of the Barbary Gold
Royal Fairytale Theatre

Price: $2 adults; $1 children
Town of Clay Historical Association Welcome Center
4939 Route 31, Clay

For more information, phone 315-652-3800, ext. 137.

Menopause The Musical
Syracuse Stage
Kathryn Conte, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Menopause The Musical is set in a New York City Bloomingdale's department store and tells the story of four women - a Power Woman, Soap Star, Earth Mother and Iowa Housewife - who meet during a lingerie sale and learn that, despite being very different types of women, they share a common bond: menopause.

Menopause The Musical, written and produced by Jeanie Linders, features parodies of 25 baby-boomer hit songs from the '60s and '70s, with lyrics re-penned by Linders that spoof, laugh at and celebrate menopause and its many common symptoms, including hot flashes, night memory loss. Among the recognizable tunes in the show are chart-toppers such as The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," which becomes "Help me Doctor," Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" recast as "Change of Life"; and '60s folk classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" as an ode to exhaustion: "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin'."

Read a Review!

The Wiz
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $17 regular, $16 students/seniors, $15 children
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-637-5437.

Oklahoma!

Price: $8 regular, $6 students/seniors
Bishop Ludden Junior/Senior High School
815 Fay Rd., Geddes

For more information, phone 315-468-0053.

Perfect Wedding
Baldwinsville Theatre Guild

First Presbyterian Church of Baldwinsville
64 Oswego St., Baldwinsville

Bill wakes up on the morning of his wedding in the bridal suite of a hotel, to find a beautiful woman in bed next to him. He has no memory of the night before, and no idea who she is, but he needs to get her out of there fast because his fiancée is due to arrive at any moment to dress for the wedding!

The Antics of Romantics
Appleseed Productions

Price: $15 regular; $12 students/seniors
Atonement Lutheran Church
116 W. Glen Ave., Syracuse

Appleseed once again explores the uproariously funny genre of Interactive Theater with The Antics of Romantics. This is a Commedia Del Arte show in which the audience will experience a natural vested interest in the hero and heroine, who are cast directly from the audience at the beginning of the play. They are led through a plot in which love conquers all -- from lampooning of the familiar (disapproving in-laws and natural tragedies) to navigating of the absurd (surreally overdone competitors and ridiculous plot twists).

Read a Review!

One Moe Time
Featuring Moe Harrington

Price: $20
Empire Theater
New York State Fairgrounds, Geddes

An evening of song, with special guests Gennaro Parlato and Dana Sovocool. For more information, phone 315-479-7469.

Read a review!

Bang Bang, You're Dead
Rarely Done Productions

Price: Free
Jazz Central
441 E. Washington St., Syracuse

Paducah, Kentucky. Jonesboro, Arkansas. And Columbine  once associated with a delicate summer flower, now forever linked with a tragic event at a high school in Littleton, Colorado. In a broken world that's violent, unhealthy, unfair, and beyond the power of anyone to fix, except today's generation, what can we do? How can we help?

Rarely Done Productions, with the support of Vineyard Theatre Arts Executive Director, Mitchell M. Nugent and many other local theatre people, is making a contribution to raising awareness about school violence through its presentation of Bang Bang Youre Dead, a play intended to communicate and allow for discovery about how we've made the world's violence our own - and how we can change it. It's about a theater of life.

A cast of students from Baker, Liverpool, East Syracuse-Minoa, Henninger, and Manlius Pebble Hill high schools will perform.

For tickets, please call 315-546-3224.

Rounding Third
Redhouse

Price: $33 regular; $26 senior (65 or older); $22 student
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

This hilarious comedy by Richard Dresser combines two mismatched coaches as they struggle through a season together and ultimately discover the true meaning of success. Don the veteran and Michael the new recruit have markedly different personal circumstances and philosophies about the game of baseball and the game of life. Their clashes drive this funny, touching play through the bumpy terrain of fatherhood and baseball.

The Wiz
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $17 regular, $16 students/seniors, $15 children
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-637-5437.

Menopause The Musical
Syracuse Stage
Kathryn Conte, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Menopause The Musical is set in a New York City Bloomingdale's department store and tells the story of four women - a Power Woman, Soap Star, Earth Mother and Iowa Housewife - who meet during a lingerie sale and learn that, despite being very different types of women, they share a common bond: menopause.

Menopause The Musical, written and produced by Jeanie Linders, features parodies of 25 baby-boomer hit songs from the '60s and '70s, with lyrics re-penned by Linders that spoof, laugh at and celebrate menopause and its many common symptoms, including hot flashes, night memory loss. Among the recognizable tunes in the show are chart-toppers such as The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," which becomes "Help me Doctor," Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" recast as "Change of Life"; and '60s folk classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" as an ode to exhaustion: "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin'."

Read a Review!

A Little Night Music
Syracuse University Drama Department
Anthony Salatino, director

Storch Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Civilized, sophisticated, enchanting, and witty: A Little Night Music is all of these. Yet with Ingmar Bergman's film The Smiles of Summer as its inspiration, desire and sensuality pervade. Stephen Sondheim's score is glorious, striking deeply emotional and resonant chords. The musical is set in turn-of-the-century Scandinavia and is a tale of romance and folly and focuses on middle-aged Fredrik Egerman and his virgin bride Anne. The couple has not consummated their marriage despite having been wed for nearly a year. When Frederik reunites with a former flame, an older actress named Desiree Armfeldt, he succumbs to her charms. The married Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm, one of Desiree's other lovers, discovers the pair. Malcolm relays the gossip to his wife Charlotte, who happens to be a childhood friend of Anne's, to whom eventually is revealed the truth about her husband's infidelity. The cast of characters eventually ends up at Desiree's country estate for a weekend party in which passion mounts, inevitably leading to startling revelations. Sondheim's music for A Little Night Music is unique in that it is a waltz musical, as Sondheim put all of the music in some form of triple time so that the whole score has the feeling of a long waltz. The score thus has an integrated sound, with each song contributing to the established mood of the show. The musical debuted at the Shubert Theatre in New York City in 1973, and went on to sweep the Tony Awards, including awards for Best Musical, Best Music and Lyrics, and Best Book.

Read a Review!

Marriage is Murder
Salt City Center for the Performing Arts

Price: $20, $15
St. Clair Gardens
1119 N. Townsend St., Syracuse

Paul and Polly Butler used to be a husband and wife murder-mystery writing team. Their novel way of testing the realism of the murders in their novels was to try out the murder methods on each other - poisoned chocolates, lethal martinis, alibis, fingerprints, bodies in trunks, and bodies all tied up, daggers, guns, and even an axe.

After 18 months of divorce, Paul reluctantly agrees to get back together with Polly to write one more book. Now that they are divorced, how real will the murder methods be?

This comedy thriller features the real life husband and wife team of Nora O'Dea and Dan Stevens.

Read a Review!

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Art Exhibit
Celebration of the Arts

Price: Free
St. David's Episcopal Church
13 Jamar Dr., Dewitt

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

ARC of Onondaga
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

This exhibition will display artwork created by the consumers served at the ARC of Onondaga, the largest provider of services to people with developmental disabilities and their families in Onondaga County. The artwork -- made from paint and such non-traditional materials as coffee grounds and orange soda mixed with glue -- is completed as a part of the program's daily activities to stimulate sensory and range of motion needs, as well as creativity.

Shaped Clay 2006
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Shaped Clay 2006 showcases ceramic art created by high school artists from around the country. This exhibition is organized by Syracuse University Ceramics and the Everson Museum of Art.

Sara Sax's Rookwood Repertoire
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

During its 80-year history, Rookwood Pottery's artists formed and painted ceramics in such diverse styles as Victorian, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and Art Deco. Sara Sax (1870-1949) was one of Rookwood's premier artists, painting vases, tiles and jars for this celebrated company from 1896 through 1931. This exhibition of Sax's work is generously on loan to the Everson from a private Massachusetts collection.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Only an Artist features approximately 80 porcelains by Adelaide Alsop Robineau (1865-1929). These exquisite works are drawn largely from the unparalleled collection of her ceramics held by the Everson Museum of Art, with additional key works from other public and private collections. Beginning with Robineau's early experiments dating from 1904 to 1910, Only an Artist offers a selection of both the matte and crystalline glazes Robineau developed during this crucial period. A unique focus of Only an Artist is the representation of almost thirty works from the last three years of Robineau's life.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue containing three essays: by the exhibition's guest curator, Thomas Piché Jr.; noted Art Pottery scholar Ellen Paul Denker; and Syracuse University Professor Elizabeth Fowler.

Works of Daniel Atyim
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

For the Everson's 2004 Biennial exhibition, juror Pavel Zoubok selected Daniel Atyim's mixed-media works for the Best of Show Award. For this prize, the Everson will showcase Atyim's work in a solo exhibition and gallery brochure.

Something Old, Something New: Pigment Prints by Donal and Shel Little
Liverpool Public Library

Price: Free
Liverpool Public Library
310 Tulip St., Liverpool

The Littles collaborate to produce unique re-imaginings of their original photography.

The Artist Revealed: Artist Portraits and Self-Portraits
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Yves Saint Front in the Louis and Annette Kaufman Collection
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Curated by Domenic J. Iacono, Syracuse University Art Collection

The Ways of a Brush: Paintings by Marion Simpson
Associated Artists

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Ms. Simpson, who lives in Vestal, is known as a painter, teacher, and muralist.

Youth Orchestra Spring Concert
Syracuse Youth Orchestras

Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Led by Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra Conductor Kenneth Andrews, Syracuse Symphony Youth String Orchestra Conductor Muriel Bodley and guest conductor John Whitney, the gifted members of the SSO's youth ensembles will put their artistry front and center in the season's final youth orchestra concert. Featured will be works by Tchaikovsky, Debussy and Rimsky-Korsakov. Tickets are available at the door, or call 315-424-8200.

Zine Nine Psychedelic

Price: $12; $10 students with ID
Jazz Central
441 E. Washington St., Syracuse

Trumpet, guitar, percussion, and electronics. For more information, phone 315-569-4529.

TK99 Soundcheck - Live @ The Redhouse
Redhouse
Featuring Razbari Sumthing and Ashley Cox

Price: $5
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

Broadcast live from Redhouse, TK99 Soundcheck, a Central New York music radio show hosted by Dave Frisina, is the longest running local music show in Central New York. Since 1979, Frisina has maintained that the best rock can be found right in your own backyard. This month, Razbari Sumthing will ignite the airwaves with ska mania and indie pop/folk artist Ashley Cox will debut songs off her new CD.

Ashley Cox is a diminutive powder-keg who lives life like she's about to explode with positive energy. A singer, songwriter and ultra talented musician on both guitar and piano, Ashley Cox delivers passionate music that, at times, flows like a raindrop, other times like a tidal wave, but always immerses her listeners in absolute honesty and intensity.

Razbari Sumthing is composed of six unique musicians that treasure experimentation over formula and manic stage energy over posturing. Their explosive live show features flowing harmonies and powerful instrumental solos, reflective of their classical training.

The Wiz
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $17 regular, $16 students/seniors, $15 children
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-637-5437.

The Antics of Romantics
Appleseed Productions

Price: $27 regular; $24 students/seniors (Mother's Day dinner theater)
Atonement Lutheran Church
116 W. Glen Ave., Syracuse

Appleseed once again explores the uproariously funny genre of Interactive Theater with The Antics of Romantics. This is a Commedia Del Arte show in which the audience will experience a natural vested interest in the hero and heroine, who are cast directly from the audience at the beginning of the play. They are led through a plot in which love conquers all -- from lampooning of the familiar (disapproving in-laws and natural tragedies) to navigating of the absurd (surreally overdone competitors and ridiculous plot twists).

Read a Review!

Rounding Third
Redhouse

Price: $33 regular; $26 senior (65 or older); $22 student
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

This hilarious comedy by Richard Dresser combines two mismatched coaches as they struggle through a season together and ultimately discover the true meaning of success. Don the veteran and Michael the new recruit have markedly different personal circumstances and philosophies about the game of baseball and the game of life. Their clashes drive this funny, touching play through the bumpy terrain of fatherhood and baseball.

Marriage is Murder
Salt City Center for the Performing Arts

Price: $20, $15
St. Clair Gardens
1119 N. Townsend St., Syracuse

Paul and Polly Butler used to be a husband and wife murder-mystery writing team. Their novel way of testing the realism of the murders in their novels was to try out the murder methods on each other - poisoned chocolates, lethal martinis, alibis, fingerprints, bodies in trunks, and bodies all tied up, daggers, guns, and even an axe.

After 18 months of divorce, Paul reluctantly agrees to get back together with Polly to write one more book. Now that they are divorced, how real will the murder methods be?

This comedy thriller features the real life husband and wife team of Nora O'Dea and Dan Stevens.

Read a Review!

Menopause The Musical
Syracuse Stage
Kathryn Conte, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Menopause The Musical is set in a New York City Bloomingdale's department store and tells the story of four women - a Power Woman, Soap Star, Earth Mother and Iowa Housewife - who meet during a lingerie sale and learn that, despite being very different types of women, they share a common bond: menopause.

Menopause The Musical, written and produced by Jeanie Linders, features parodies of 25 baby-boomer hit songs from the '60s and '70s, with lyrics re-penned by Linders that spoof, laugh at and celebrate menopause and its many common symptoms, including hot flashes, night memory loss. Among the recognizable tunes in the show are chart-toppers such as The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," which becomes "Help me Doctor," Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" recast as "Change of Life"; and '60s folk classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" as an ode to exhaustion: "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin'."

Read a Review!

One Moe Time
Featuring Moe Harrington

Price: $20
Empire Theater
New York State Fairgrounds, Geddes

An evening of song, with special guests Gennaro Parlato and Dana Sovocool. For more information, phone 315-479-7469.

Read a review!

The Wiz
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $17 regular, $16 students/seniors, $15 children
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-637-5437.

Menopause The Musical
Syracuse Stage
Kathryn Conte, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Menopause The Musical is set in a New York City Bloomingdale's department store and tells the story of four women - a Power Woman, Soap Star, Earth Mother and Iowa Housewife - who meet during a lingerie sale and learn that, despite being very different types of women, they share a common bond: menopause.

Menopause The Musical, written and produced by Jeanie Linders, features parodies of 25 baby-boomer hit songs from the '60s and '70s, with lyrics re-penned by Linders that spoof, laugh at and celebrate menopause and its many common symptoms, including hot flashes, night memory loss. Among the recognizable tunes in the show are chart-toppers such as The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," which becomes "Help me Doctor," Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" recast as "Change of Life"; and '60s folk classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" as an ode to exhaustion: "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin'."

Read a Review!

The Wiz
Syracuse Children's Theatre

Price: $17 regular, $16 students/seniors, $15 children
Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

For more information, phone 315-637-5437.

Monday, May 15, 2006

unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers

Price: Free
Panasci Lounge, Schine Student Center
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Photos by local workers who participated in unseenamerica NYS will be on display. "unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers" (ReganBooks; May 1, 2006) offers an intimate, honest and eye-opening look at the everyday lives of working-class men and women across the United States. Edited by Esther Cohen, the book grew from a unique photography program she created at Bread and Roses, the nonprofit cultural arm of Local ll99 of the Service Employees International Union. Over a two-year span, 350 groups -- from janitors in Washington, D.C., to formerly homeless women in Gainesville, Fla. -- were given point-and-shoot cameras and free lessons by professional photographers. Then they were asked to take pictures of what they saw -- favorite places, typical and special activities, neighbors and loved ones. The result is a striking collection of black-and-white images that each has a story to tell.

Unseenamerica NYS is a collaboration of the Bread & Roses Cultural Project of 1199SEIU, the New York State AFL-CIO and the Workforce Development Institute.

Visual Arts Committee Showcase Exhibit
CNY Arts

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

This show features the work of Ellen Agnew, Joan Applebaum, Marna Bell, Mary Lou Colgin, Marilyn Forth, Patricia Gancarz, Shel & Donal Little, Mick Mather, Anna Soltyk, Joan Stier, and Yolanda Tooley
in varied media.

For more information about any of the VAC shows, please contact Mick Mather at 315-435-2154, or Joan Applebaum at 315-656-9527.

Something Old, Something New: Pigment Prints by Donal and Shel Little
Liverpool Public Library

Price: Free
Liverpool Public Library
310 Tulip St., Liverpool

The Littles collaborate to produce unique re-imaginings of their original photography.

Works by Ken Brzozowski
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

Price: Free
VPA Dean's Gallery
Room 200, Crouse College, Syracuse University, Syracuse

The sculpture displayed is part of a new series using minimal changes to the material to evoke a sense of being, to animate the inanimate and to give personality to the materials without making them too human. Brzozowski has been an artist for "as long as he can remember." His first "large work" was painting the landlord's backyard with roof tar when he was three years old. He studied sculpture at VPA under Lawson Smith and the late Rodger Mack. He currently divides his time between an Adirondack studio on the Hudson River and Manhattan. His work has traveled to the corners of the world, including Europe and Japan.

For more information, contact the VPA Dean's Office at 443-5889.

Paid parking is available in Irving Garage.

Open Figure Drawing Group Show
Westcott Community Center

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The purpose for which Open Figure Drawing Inc. was formed is to promote and engage in regular sessions of figure drawing with live models. These activities include artistic motivation mainly focused on sketching and drawing the human form, utilizing materials including but not limited to ink, charcoal, graphite, watercolors, acrylic paints, canvas and paper. The organization provides regular weekly Wednesday sessions at the Westcott Community Center, which are open to the public, to allow any interested party to engage in, practice and display figure drawing.

After nine years of group exhibits at Happy Endings and three years of shows at Syracuse University's Coyne Gallery, OFD Inc is pleased to present a show of portraits drawn at our Wednesday sessions. This family friendly display will concentrate on various renditions of the face.

Newhouse Photography Annual
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

Suzanne Opton: Soldier
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition takes an unusual and intimate look at soldiers who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The series includes a mixture of black-and-white and color photographs that range in style from timeless studio portraits to intimate close-up views of the heads of the soldiers lying on a flat surface. The exhibition features large-format color photographs of the faces of soldiers, evoking a sense of dreaming but also hinting at the transformative experiences of war. Opton has taken the otherwise loaded idea of soldiers and warfare out of a political context and placed it into a silent dialogue from one human being to the next. She says of the images, "We all experience strategic moments when we feel most alive. These are the moments we will always remember, be they transcendent or horrific. Afterall, what are we if not our collection of memories? In making these portraits of soldiers, I simply wanted to look in the face of someone whod seen something unforgettable.

The Ways of a Brush: Paintings by Marion Simpson
Associated Artists

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Ms. Simpson, who lives in Vestal, is known as a painter, teacher, and muralist.

Eye on Cinema
Point of Contact Gallery

Price: Free
Point of Contact Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibition of 21 original photographic art works by American artists Papo Colo, Gregory Crewdson, Judy Pfaff, Sandy Skoglund and Rob Van Erve.

"Eye on Cinema" is part of the 2006 Syracuse International Film and Video Festival (SIFVF) programming and was also the theme of a 1997 issue of the "Point of Contact" verbal and visual arts journal. Dedicated to the art of film and edited by Pedro Cuperman, gallery curator, and Syracuse University film professor and SIFVF director Owen Shapiro, the issue integrated a series of critical discussions by distinguished filmmakers and film theorists with the set of art works by Colo, Crewdson, Pfaff, Skoglund and Van Erve.

For more information, phone 315-443-2169.

King Solomon's Mines (1950)
Syracuse Cinephile Society

Weber's Restaurant
820 Danforth St., Syracuse

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers

Price: Free
Panasci Lounge, Schine Student Center
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Photos by local workers who participated in unseenamerica NYS will be on display. "unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers" (ReganBooks; May 1, 2006) offers an intimate, honest and eye-opening look at the everyday lives of working-class men and women across the United States. Edited by Esther Cohen, the book grew from a unique photography program she created at Bread and Roses, the nonprofit cultural arm of Local ll99 of the Service Employees International Union. Over a two-year span, 350 groups -- from janitors in Washington, D.C., to formerly homeless women in Gainesville, Fla. -- were given point-and-shoot cameras and free lessons by professional photographers. Then they were asked to take pictures of what they saw -- favorite places, typical and special activities, neighbors and loved ones. The result is a striking collection of black-and-white images that each has a story to tell.

Unseenamerica NYS is a collaboration of the Bread & Roses Cultural Project of 1199SEIU, the New York State AFL-CIO and the Workforce Development Institute.

Visual Arts Committee Showcase Exhibit
CNY Arts

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

This show features the work of Ellen Agnew, Joan Applebaum, Marna Bell, Mary Lou Colgin, Marilyn Forth, Patricia Gancarz, Shel & Donal Little, Mick Mather, Anna Soltyk, Joan Stier, and Yolanda Tooley
in varied media.

For more information about any of the VAC shows, please contact Mick Mather at 315-435-2154, or Joan Applebaum at 315-656-9527.

Something Old, Something New: Pigment Prints by Donal and Shel Little
Liverpool Public Library

Price: Free
Liverpool Public Library
310 Tulip St., Liverpool

The Littles collaborate to produce unique re-imaginings of their original photography.

Works by Ken Brzozowski
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

Price: Free
VPA Dean's Gallery
Room 200, Crouse College, Syracuse University, Syracuse

The sculpture displayed is part of a new series using minimal changes to the material to evoke a sense of being, to animate the inanimate and to give personality to the materials without making them too human. Brzozowski has been an artist for "as long as he can remember." His first "large work" was painting the landlord's backyard with roof tar when he was three years old. He studied sculpture at VPA under Lawson Smith and the late Rodger Mack. He currently divides his time between an Adirondack studio on the Hudson River and Manhattan. His work has traveled to the corners of the world, including Europe and Japan.

For more information, contact the VPA Dean's Office at 443-5889.

Paid parking is available in Irving Garage.

Open Figure Drawing Group Show
Westcott Community Center

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The purpose for which Open Figure Drawing Inc. was formed is to promote and engage in regular sessions of figure drawing with live models. These activities include artistic motivation mainly focused on sketching and drawing the human form, utilizing materials including but not limited to ink, charcoal, graphite, watercolors, acrylic paints, canvas and paper. The organization provides regular weekly Wednesday sessions at the Westcott Community Center, which are open to the public, to allow any interested party to engage in, practice and display figure drawing.

After nine years of group exhibits at Happy Endings and three years of shows at Syracuse University's Coyne Gallery, OFD Inc is pleased to present a show of portraits drawn at our Wednesday sessions. This family friendly display will concentrate on various renditions of the face.

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen will feature paintings, prints, quilts and dolls by Allen, a renowned American contemporary folk artist and craftswoman. A self-taught artist, Allen has been nationally and internationally recognized as "The High Priestess of Needlework." Her work has been exhibited worldwide, and has also been featured in numerous publications. Many of her works address her African American heritage and are rendered in a unique 19th century folk art style. Allen currently resides in Palatine Bridge, New York, where she operates a general store and folk art gallery on her twenty-three acre farm.

Notion of Family: Family Work 2002-2006 - LaToya Ruby Frazier
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

LaToya Ruby Frazier of Pittsburgh, PA attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.F.A. degree in Photography and Graphic Design. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Photography Award from Edinboro University. Her work has received the Patron's Purchase Award from the Erie Art Museum in Erie, PA. Her work has also been exhibited at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn and Light Work Community Darkrooms in Syracuse. Currently, she is pursuing her M.F.A. degree in Art Photography at Syracuse University, where she has been a recipient of the African American Fellowship. In addition to teaching photography at Syracuse University, Frazier has taught at Light Work Community Darkrooms and the Community Folk Art Center.

"The Notion of Family is a collaborative development between my grandmother, mother and I. It reveals the complexity of our relationships and the different roles we play," says Frazier. Frazier's 26 black and white photographs will be accompanied by her award-winning documentary film, A Mother To Hold, which intensely reveals the complex relationship she has with her drug-addicted mother. "My position and role as daughter and filmmaker transcends the stereotypical objective practice in classic documentary, which has continuously undermined the black family experience by avoiding our emotional realm," Frazier says. The film has been screened at the 2006 Black Maria Film Festival in Jersey City, NJ, the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival in New York City, the Black International Film Festival in New York City, and the Women of Color Film Festival in New York City, where she received the Producer's Choice Award.

Suzanne Opton: Soldier
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition takes an unusual and intimate look at soldiers who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The series includes a mixture of black-and-white and color photographs that range in style from timeless studio portraits to intimate close-up views of the heads of the soldiers lying on a flat surface. The exhibition features large-format color photographs of the faces of soldiers, evoking a sense of dreaming but also hinting at the transformative experiences of war. Opton has taken the otherwise loaded idea of soldiers and warfare out of a political context and placed it into a silent dialogue from one human being to the next. She says of the images, "We all experience strategic moments when we feel most alive. These are the moments we will always remember, be they transcendent or horrific. Afterall, what are we if not our collection of memories? In making these portraits of soldiers, I simply wanted to look in the face of someone whod seen something unforgettable.

Newhouse Photography Annual
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The Ways of a Brush: Paintings by Marion Simpson
Associated Artists

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Ms. Simpson, who lives in Vestal, is known as a painter, teacher, and muralist.

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

Works of Daniel Atyim
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

For the Everson's 2004 Biennial exhibition, juror Pavel Zoubok selected Daniel Atyim's mixed-media works for the Best of Show Award. For this prize, the Everson will showcase Atyim's work in a solo exhibition and gallery brochure.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Only an Artist features approximately 80 porcelains by Adelaide Alsop Robineau (1865-1929). These exquisite works are drawn largely from the unparalleled collection of her ceramics held by the Everson Museum of Art, with additional key works from other public and private collections. Beginning with Robineau's early experiments dating from 1904 to 1910, Only an Artist offers a selection of both the matte and crystalline glazes Robineau developed during this crucial period. A unique focus of Only an Artist is the representation of almost thirty works from the last three years of Robineau's life.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue containing three essays: by the exhibition's guest curator, Thomas Piché Jr.; noted Art Pottery scholar Ellen Paul Denker; and Syracuse University Professor Elizabeth Fowler.

ARC of Onondaga
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

This exhibition will display artwork created by the consumers served at the ARC of Onondaga, the largest provider of services to people with developmental disabilities and their families in Onondaga County. The artwork -- made from paint and such non-traditional materials as coffee grounds and orange soda mixed with glue -- is completed as a part of the program's daily activities to stimulate sensory and range of motion needs, as well as creativity.

Sara Sax's Rookwood Repertoire
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

During its 80-year history, Rookwood Pottery's artists formed and painted ceramics in such diverse styles as Victorian, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and Art Deco. Sara Sax (1870-1949) was one of Rookwood's premier artists, painting vases, tiles and jars for this celebrated company from 1896 through 1931. This exhibition of Sax's work is generously on loan to the Everson from a private Massachusetts collection.

Eye on Cinema
Point of Contact Gallery

Price: Free
Point of Contact Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibition of 21 original photographic art works by American artists Papo Colo, Gregory Crewdson, Judy Pfaff, Sandy Skoglund and Rob Van Erve.

"Eye on Cinema" is part of the 2006 Syracuse International Film and Video Festival (SIFVF) programming and was also the theme of a 1997 issue of the "Point of Contact" verbal and visual arts journal. Dedicated to the art of film and edited by Pedro Cuperman, gallery curator, and Syracuse University film professor and SIFVF director Owen Shapiro, the issue integrated a series of critical discussions by distinguished filmmakers and film theorists with the set of art works by Colo, Crewdson, Pfaff, Skoglund and Van Erve.

For more information, phone 315-443-2169.

The Artist Revealed: Artist Portraits and Self-Portraits
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Yves Saint Front in the Louis and Annette Kaufman Collection
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Curated by Domenic J. Iacono, Syracuse University Art Collection

Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision
Redhouse

Price: $7 adult; $5 with student ID
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

It was one of the most bitterly disputed public monuments in American history. Only 21 when her design for the Washington, D.C. Vietnam Veterans Memorial was chosen in 1981, Maya Lin has never shied away from controversy.

Her starkly simple slash of polished black granite inscribed with the 57,661 names of those who died in Vietnam was viciously attacked as "dishonorable," "a scar," and "a black hole," but Lin remained committed to her vision, and the Memorial, a moving tribute to sacrifice and quiet heroism, was built as planned. Since then, Lin has completed a succession of eloquent, startlingly original monuments and sculptures that confront vital American social issues.

Freida Lee Mock’s Academy Award-winning feature documentary follows a decade in the life of this visionary artist.

Not rated; Engish; 96 minutes; 1995.

Riverdance **Postponed to March 20-22, 2007**
Broadway in Syracuse

Price: $39.50-$59.50
Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Rediscover the original Riverdance. This highly acclaimed celebration of Irish music, song and dance features an international company that has touched the hearts of millions around the world. "A Phenomenon" raves The New York Times. "An explosion of sight and sound that simply takes your breath away," cheers the Chicago Tribune. Youve heard about this electrifying spectacle, now its your chance to experience it.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers

Price: Free
Panasci Lounge, Schine Student Center
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Photos by local workers who participated in unseenamerica NYS will be on display. "unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers" (ReganBooks; May 1, 2006) offers an intimate, honest and eye-opening look at the everyday lives of working-class men and women across the United States. Edited by Esther Cohen, the book grew from a unique photography program she created at Bread and Roses, the nonprofit cultural arm of Local ll99 of the Service Employees International Union. Over a two-year span, 350 groups -- from janitors in Washington, D.C., to formerly homeless women in Gainesville, Fla. -- were given point-and-shoot cameras and free lessons by professional photographers. Then they were asked to take pictures of what they saw -- favorite places, typical and special activities, neighbors and loved ones. The result is a striking collection of black-and-white images that each has a story to tell.

Unseenamerica NYS is a collaboration of the Bread & Roses Cultural Project of 1199SEIU, the New York State AFL-CIO and the Workforce Development Institute.

Visual Arts Committee Showcase Exhibit
CNY Arts

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

This show features the work of Ellen Agnew, Joan Applebaum, Marna Bell, Mary Lou Colgin, Marilyn Forth, Patricia Gancarz, Shel & Donal Little, Mick Mather, Anna Soltyk, Joan Stier, and Yolanda Tooley
in varied media.

For more information about any of the VAC shows, please contact Mick Mather at 315-435-2154, or Joan Applebaum at 315-656-9527.

Something Old, Something New: Pigment Prints by Donal and Shel Little
Liverpool Public Library

Price: Free
Liverpool Public Library
310 Tulip St., Liverpool

The Littles collaborate to produce unique re-imaginings of their original photography.

Works by Ken Brzozowski
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

Price: Free
VPA Dean's Gallery
Room 200, Crouse College, Syracuse University, Syracuse

The sculpture displayed is part of a new series using minimal changes to the material to evoke a sense of being, to animate the inanimate and to give personality to the materials without making them too human. Brzozowski has been an artist for "as long as he can remember." His first "large work" was painting the landlord's backyard with roof tar when he was three years old. He studied sculpture at VPA under Lawson Smith and the late Rodger Mack. He currently divides his time between an Adirondack studio on the Hudson River and Manhattan. His work has traveled to the corners of the world, including Europe and Japan.

For more information, contact the VPA Dean's Office at 443-5889.

Paid parking is available in Irving Garage.

Open Figure Drawing Group Show
Westcott Community Center

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The purpose for which Open Figure Drawing Inc. was formed is to promote and engage in regular sessions of figure drawing with live models. These activities include artistic motivation mainly focused on sketching and drawing the human form, utilizing materials including but not limited to ink, charcoal, graphite, watercolors, acrylic paints, canvas and paper. The organization provides regular weekly Wednesday sessions at the Westcott Community Center, which are open to the public, to allow any interested party to engage in, practice and display figure drawing.

After nine years of group exhibits at Happy Endings and three years of shows at Syracuse University's Coyne Gallery, OFD Inc is pleased to present a show of portraits drawn at our Wednesday sessions. This family friendly display will concentrate on various renditions of the face.

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen will feature paintings, prints, quilts and dolls by Allen, a renowned American contemporary folk artist and craftswoman. A self-taught artist, Allen has been nationally and internationally recognized as "The High Priestess of Needlework." Her work has been exhibited worldwide, and has also been featured in numerous publications. Many of her works address her African American heritage and are rendered in a unique 19th century folk art style. Allen currently resides in Palatine Bridge, New York, where she operates a general store and folk art gallery on her twenty-three acre farm.

Notion of Family: Family Work 2002-2006 - LaToya Ruby Frazier
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

LaToya Ruby Frazier of Pittsburgh, PA attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.F.A. degree in Photography and Graphic Design. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Photography Award from Edinboro University. Her work has received the Patron's Purchase Award from the Erie Art Museum in Erie, PA. Her work has also been exhibited at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn and Light Work Community Darkrooms in Syracuse. Currently, she is pursuing her M.F.A. degree in Art Photography at Syracuse University, where she has been a recipient of the African American Fellowship. In addition to teaching photography at Syracuse University, Frazier has taught at Light Work Community Darkrooms and the Community Folk Art Center.

"The Notion of Family is a collaborative development between my grandmother, mother and I. It reveals the complexity of our relationships and the different roles we play," says Frazier. Frazier's 26 black and white photographs will be accompanied by her award-winning documentary film, A Mother To Hold, which intensely reveals the complex relationship she has with her drug-addicted mother. "My position and role as daughter and filmmaker transcends the stereotypical objective practice in classic documentary, which has continuously undermined the black family experience by avoiding our emotional realm," Frazier says. The film has been screened at the 2006 Black Maria Film Festival in Jersey City, NJ, the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival in New York City, the Black International Film Festival in New York City, and the Women of Color Film Festival in New York City, where she received the Producer's Choice Award.

Newhouse Photography Annual
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

Suzanne Opton: Soldier
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition takes an unusual and intimate look at soldiers who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The series includes a mixture of black-and-white and color photographs that range in style from timeless studio portraits to intimate close-up views of the heads of the soldiers lying on a flat surface. The exhibition features large-format color photographs of the faces of soldiers, evoking a sense of dreaming but also hinting at the transformative experiences of war. Opton has taken the otherwise loaded idea of soldiers and warfare out of a political context and placed it into a silent dialogue from one human being to the next. She says of the images, "We all experience strategic moments when we feel most alive. These are the moments we will always remember, be they transcendent or horrific. Afterall, what are we if not our collection of memories? In making these portraits of soldiers, I simply wanted to look in the face of someone whod seen something unforgettable.

The Ways of a Brush: Paintings by Marion Simpson
Associated Artists

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Ms. Simpson, who lives in Vestal, is known as a painter, teacher, and muralist.

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Only an Artist features approximately 80 porcelains by Adelaide Alsop Robineau (1865-1929). These exquisite works are drawn largely from the unparalleled collection of her ceramics held by the Everson Museum of Art, with additional key works from other public and private collections. Beginning with Robineau's early experiments dating from 1904 to 1910, Only an Artist offers a selection of both the matte and crystalline glazes Robineau developed during this crucial period. A unique focus of Only an Artist is the representation of almost thirty works from the last three years of Robineau's life.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue containing three essays: by the exhibition's guest curator, Thomas Piché Jr.; noted Art Pottery scholar Ellen Paul Denker; and Syracuse University Professor Elizabeth Fowler.

Works of Daniel Atyim
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

For the Everson's 2004 Biennial exhibition, juror Pavel Zoubok selected Daniel Atyim's mixed-media works for the Best of Show Award. For this prize, the Everson will showcase Atyim's work in a solo exhibition and gallery brochure.

Sara Sax's Rookwood Repertoire
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

During its 80-year history, Rookwood Pottery's artists formed and painted ceramics in such diverse styles as Victorian, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and Art Deco. Sara Sax (1870-1949) was one of Rookwood's premier artists, painting vases, tiles and jars for this celebrated company from 1896 through 1931. This exhibition of Sax's work is generously on loan to the Everson from a private Massachusetts collection.

ARC of Onondaga
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

This exhibition will display artwork created by the consumers served at the ARC of Onondaga, the largest provider of services to people with developmental disabilities and their families in Onondaga County. The artwork -- made from paint and such non-traditional materials as coffee grounds and orange soda mixed with glue -- is completed as a part of the program's daily activities to stimulate sensory and range of motion needs, as well as creativity.

Eye on Cinema
Point of Contact Gallery

Price: Free
Point of Contact Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibition of 21 original photographic art works by American artists Papo Colo, Gregory Crewdson, Judy Pfaff, Sandy Skoglund and Rob Van Erve.

"Eye on Cinema" is part of the 2006 Syracuse International Film and Video Festival (SIFVF) programming and was also the theme of a 1997 issue of the "Point of Contact" verbal and visual arts journal. Dedicated to the art of film and edited by Pedro Cuperman, gallery curator, and Syracuse University film professor and SIFVF director Owen Shapiro, the issue integrated a series of critical discussions by distinguished filmmakers and film theorists with the set of art works by Colo, Crewdson, Pfaff, Skoglund and Van Erve.

For more information, phone 315-443-2169.

The Artist Revealed: Artist Portraits and Self-Portraits
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Yves Saint Front in the Louis and Annette Kaufman Collection
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Curated by Domenic J. Iacono, Syracuse University Art Collection

Civic Morning Musicals
Cindy Josbena, piano

Price: Free
Hosmer Auditorium, Everson Museum
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Music of Bach, Haydn, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and Anthony Crain

Menopause The Musical
Syracuse Stage
Kathryn Conte, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Menopause The Musical is set in a New York City Bloomingdale's department store and tells the story of four women - a Power Woman, Soap Star, Earth Mother and Iowa Housewife - who meet during a lingerie sale and learn that, despite being very different types of women, they share a common bond: menopause.

Menopause The Musical, written and produced by Jeanie Linders, features parodies of 25 baby-boomer hit songs from the '60s and '70s, with lyrics re-penned by Linders that spoof, laugh at and celebrate menopause and its many common symptoms, including hot flashes, night memory loss. Among the recognizable tunes in the show are chart-toppers such as The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," which becomes "Help me Doctor," Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" recast as "Change of Life"; and '60s folk classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" as an ode to exhaustion: "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin'."

Read a Review!

Riverdance **Postponed to March 20-22, 2007**
Broadway in Syracuse

Price: $39.50-$59.50
Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Rediscover the original Riverdance. This highly acclaimed celebration of Irish music, song and dance features an international company that has touched the hearts of millions around the world. "A Phenomenon" raves The New York Times. "An explosion of sight and sound that simply takes your breath away," cheers the Chicago Tribune. Youve heard about this electrifying spectacle, now its your chance to experience it.

Menopause The Musical
Syracuse Stage
Kathryn Conte, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Menopause The Musical is set in a New York City Bloomingdale's department store and tells the story of four women - a Power Woman, Soap Star, Earth Mother and Iowa Housewife - who meet during a lingerie sale and learn that, despite being very different types of women, they share a common bond: menopause.

Menopause The Musical, written and produced by Jeanie Linders, features parodies of 25 baby-boomer hit songs from the '60s and '70s, with lyrics re-penned by Linders that spoof, laugh at and celebrate menopause and its many common symptoms, including hot flashes, night memory loss. Among the recognizable tunes in the show are chart-toppers such as The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," which becomes "Help me Doctor," Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" recast as "Change of Life"; and '60s folk classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" as an ode to exhaustion: "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin'."

Read a Review!

Thursday, May 18, 2006

unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers

Price: Free
Panasci Lounge, Schine Student Center
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Photos by local workers who participated in unseenamerica NYS will be on display. "unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers" (ReganBooks; May 1, 2006) offers an intimate, honest and eye-opening look at the everyday lives of working-class men and women across the United States. Edited by Esther Cohen, the book grew from a unique photography program she created at Bread and Roses, the nonprofit cultural arm of Local ll99 of the Service Employees International Union. Over a two-year span, 350 groups -- from janitors in Washington, D.C., to formerly homeless women in Gainesville, Fla. -- were given point-and-shoot cameras and free lessons by professional photographers. Then they were asked to take pictures of what they saw -- favorite places, typical and special activities, neighbors and loved ones. The result is a striking collection of black-and-white images that each has a story to tell.

Unseenamerica NYS is a collaboration of the Bread & Roses Cultural Project of 1199SEIU, the New York State AFL-CIO and the Workforce Development Institute.

Visual Arts Committee Showcase Exhibit
CNY Arts

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

This show features the work of Ellen Agnew, Joan Applebaum, Marna Bell, Mary Lou Colgin, Marilyn Forth, Patricia Gancarz, Shel & Donal Little, Mick Mather, Anna Soltyk, Joan Stier, and Yolanda Tooley
in varied media.

For more information about any of the VAC shows, please contact Mick Mather at 315-435-2154, or Joan Applebaum at 315-656-9527.

Something Old, Something New: Pigment Prints by Donal and Shel Little
Liverpool Public Library

Price: Free
Liverpool Public Library
310 Tulip St., Liverpool

The Littles collaborate to produce unique re-imaginings of their original photography.

Works by Ken Brzozowski
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

Price: Free
VPA Dean's Gallery
Room 200, Crouse College, Syracuse University, Syracuse

The sculpture displayed is part of a new series using minimal changes to the material to evoke a sense of being, to animate the inanimate and to give personality to the materials without making them too human. Brzozowski has been an artist for "as long as he can remember." His first "large work" was painting the landlord's backyard with roof tar when he was three years old. He studied sculpture at VPA under Lawson Smith and the late Rodger Mack. He currently divides his time between an Adirondack studio on the Hudson River and Manhattan. His work has traveled to the corners of the world, including Europe and Japan.

For more information, contact the VPA Dean's Office at 443-5889.

Paid parking is available in Irving Garage.

Open Figure Drawing Group Show
Westcott Community Center

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The purpose for which Open Figure Drawing Inc. was formed is to promote and engage in regular sessions of figure drawing with live models. These activities include artistic motivation mainly focused on sketching and drawing the human form, utilizing materials including but not limited to ink, charcoal, graphite, watercolors, acrylic paints, canvas and paper. The organization provides regular weekly Wednesday sessions at the Westcott Community Center, which are open to the public, to allow any interested party to engage in, practice and display figure drawing.

After nine years of group exhibits at Happy Endings and three years of shows at Syracuse University's Coyne Gallery, OFD Inc is pleased to present a show of portraits drawn at our Wednesday sessions. This family friendly display will concentrate on various renditions of the face.

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen will feature paintings, prints, quilts and dolls by Allen, a renowned American contemporary folk artist and craftswoman. A self-taught artist, Allen has been nationally and internationally recognized as "The High Priestess of Needlework." Her work has been exhibited worldwide, and has also been featured in numerous publications. Many of her works address her African American heritage and are rendered in a unique 19th century folk art style. Allen currently resides in Palatine Bridge, New York, where she operates a general store and folk art gallery on her twenty-three acre farm.

Notion of Family: Family Work 2002-2006 - LaToya Ruby Frazier
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

LaToya Ruby Frazier of Pittsburgh, PA attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.F.A. degree in Photography and Graphic Design. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Photography Award from Edinboro University. Her work has received the Patron's Purchase Award from the Erie Art Museum in Erie, PA. Her work has also been exhibited at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn and Light Work Community Darkrooms in Syracuse. Currently, she is pursuing her M.F.A. degree in Art Photography at Syracuse University, where she has been a recipient of the African American Fellowship. In addition to teaching photography at Syracuse University, Frazier has taught at Light Work Community Darkrooms and the Community Folk Art Center.

"The Notion of Family is a collaborative development between my grandmother, mother and I. It reveals the complexity of our relationships and the different roles we play," says Frazier. Frazier's 26 black and white photographs will be accompanied by her award-winning documentary film, A Mother To Hold, which intensely reveals the complex relationship she has with her drug-addicted mother. "My position and role as daughter and filmmaker transcends the stereotypical objective practice in classic documentary, which has continuously undermined the black family experience by avoiding our emotional realm," Frazier says. The film has been screened at the 2006 Black Maria Film Festival in Jersey City, NJ, the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival in New York City, the Black International Film Festival in New York City, and the Women of Color Film Festival in New York City, where she received the Producer's Choice Award.

Suzanne Opton: Soldier
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition takes an unusual and intimate look at soldiers who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The series includes a mixture of black-and-white and color photographs that range in style from timeless studio portraits to intimate close-up views of the heads of the soldiers lying on a flat surface. The exhibition features large-format color photographs of the faces of soldiers, evoking a sense of dreaming but also hinting at the transformative experiences of war. Opton has taken the otherwise loaded idea of soldiers and warfare out of a political context and placed it into a silent dialogue from one human being to the next. She says of the images, "We all experience strategic moments when we feel most alive. These are the moments we will always remember, be they transcendent or horrific. Afterall, what are we if not our collection of memories? In making these portraits of soldiers, I simply wanted to look in the face of someone whod seen something unforgettable.

Newhouse Photography Annual
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

The Ways of a Brush: Paintings by Marion Simpson
Associated Artists

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Ms. Simpson, who lives in Vestal, is known as a painter, teacher, and muralist.

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Included are prints by Garo Antresian, Gabor Peterdi, and Donald Saff, three printmakers who taught a generation of artists and had a profound impact on the art of printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century.

Works of Daniel Atyim
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

For the Everson's 2004 Biennial exhibition, juror Pavel Zoubok selected Daniel Atyim's mixed-media works for the Best of Show Award. For this prize, the Everson will showcase Atyim's work in a solo exhibition and gallery brochure.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

Only an Artist features approximately 80 porcelains by Adelaide Alsop Robineau (1865-1929). These exquisite works are drawn largely from the unparalleled collection of her ceramics held by the Everson Museum of Art, with additional key works from other public and private collections. Beginning with Robineau's early experiments dating from 1904 to 1910, Only an Artist offers a selection of both the matte and crystalline glazes Robineau developed during this crucial period. A unique focus of Only an Artist is the representation of almost thirty works from the last three years of Robineau's life.

Only an Artist: Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American Studio Potter is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue containing three essays: by the exhibition's guest curator, Thomas Piché Jr.; noted Art Pottery scholar Ellen Paul Denker; and Syracuse University Professor Elizabeth Fowler.

ARC of Onondaga
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

This exhibition will display artwork created by the consumers served at the ARC of Onondaga, the largest provider of services to people with developmental disabilities and their families in Onondaga County. The artwork -- made from paint and such non-traditional materials as coffee grounds and orange soda mixed with glue -- is completed as a part of the program's daily activities to stimulate sensory and range of motion needs, as well as creativity.

Sara Sax's Rookwood Repertoire
Everson Museum of Art

Everson Museum of Art
401 Harrison St., Syracuse

During its 80-year history, Rookwood Pottery's artists formed and painted ceramics in such diverse styles as Victorian, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and Art Deco. Sara Sax (1870-1949) was one of Rookwood's premier artists, painting vases, tiles and jars for this celebrated company from 1896 through 1931. This exhibition of Sax's work is generously on loan to the Everson from a private Massachusetts collection.

Eye on Cinema
Point of Contact Gallery

Price: Free
Point of Contact Gallery
350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

An exhibition of 21 original photographic art works by American artists Papo Colo, Gregory Crewdson, Judy Pfaff, Sandy Skoglund and Rob Van Erve.

"Eye on Cinema" is part of the 2006 Syracuse International Film and Video Festival (SIFVF) programming and was also the theme of a 1997 issue of the "Point of Contact" verbal and visual arts journal. Dedicated to the art of film and edited by Pedro Cuperman, gallery curator, and Syracuse University film professor and SIFVF director Owen Shapiro, the issue integrated a series of critical discussions by distinguished filmmakers and film theorists with the set of art works by Colo, Crewdson, Pfaff, Skoglund and Van Erve.

For more information, phone 315-443-2169.

The Artist Revealed: Artist Portraits and Self-Portraits
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Yves Saint Front in the Louis and Annette Kaufman Collection
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

Curated by Domenic J. Iacono, Syracuse University Art Collection

Terra Firma: Two Perspectives
Redhouse
Featuring works by David MacDonald & Daphne Verley Pietrafesa

Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

An exhibition of fine craft featuring renowned Syracuse ceramicist, David MacDonald and emerging ceramic artist Daphne Verley Pietrafesa. MacDonald's meticulous, elaborately carved vessels echo his African-American heritage in the use of organic, earth-toned clay and glazes and provide a wonderful juxtaposition alongside Pietrafesa's bold, bright, colorfully glazed works reminiscent of French, Italian and Spanish Majolica. The dialogue created between these two very different, yet complimentary perspectives, will give the viewer new insight and appreciation into the world of contemporary ceramic design, and the diverse history from which they both are drawn.

Syracuse ceramist David MacDonald transforms mounds of clay into works of art that have been displayed in museums and galleries all over the country. The beauty and richness of Africa's pottery resonates throughout his ceramic vessels. He discovered his passion for ceramics as an art student in college, and nearly 40 years later, he is still amazed at what he can create from a simple lump of clay. He gleans his ideas from ancient African designs: "I was inspired by it because they made pottery that had a lot of surface decorations, a lot of linear patterns and carvings on it."

Pietrafesas pottery is mainly hand formed, slab construction incorporating colorful slips and under glazes (some utilizing majolica glaze techniques) with patterns ranging from simple to ornate. Her meticulously glazed patterns are a vibrant edition to the rich history of majolica pottery decoration. Included in this exhibition are also pieces from a new series influenced by "Block Island Beach Rocks," where the emphasis is less on pattern and symmetry and more on organic forms, and surfaces.

The Gallery is also open prior to and after all scheduled events.

Read a review!

As the Artist Sees It
Delavan Art Gallery

Price: Free
Delavan Art Gallery
501 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

Patrice Downes Centore: watercolors
Diane Lansing: photographs
Brian Lister: oil Paintings
Ron McGregor: ceramics
Nikolay Mikushkin: oil Paintings

Menopause The Musical
Syracuse Stage
Kathryn Conte, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Menopause The Musical is set in a New York City Bloomingdale's department store and tells the story of four women - a Power Woman, Soap Star, Earth Mother and Iowa Housewife - who meet during a lingerie sale and learn that, despite being very different types of women, they share a common bond: menopause.

Menopause The Musical, written and produced by Jeanie Linders, features parodies of 25 baby-boomer hit songs from the '60s and '70s, with lyrics re-penned by Linders that spoof, laugh at and celebrate menopause and its many common symptoms, including hot flashes, night memory loss. Among the recognizable tunes in the show are chart-toppers such as The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," which becomes "Help me Doctor," Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" recast as "Change of Life"; and '60s folk classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" as an ode to exhaustion: "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin'."

Read a Review!

No Time For Death
Acme Mystery Company

Price: $25.95 plus tax and gratuities (includes meal and show)
Spaghetti Warehouse
689 N. Clinton St., Syracuse

Interactive murder mystery.

Riverdance **Postponed to March 20-22, 2007**
Broadway in Syracuse

Price: $39.50-$59.50
Crouse Hinds Concert Theater, Mulroy Civic Center
411 Montgomery St., Syracuse

Rediscover the original Riverdance. This highly acclaimed celebration of Irish music, song and dance features an international company that has touched the hearts of millions around the world. "A Phenomenon" raves The New York Times. "An explosion of sight and sound that simply takes your breath away," cheers the Chicago Tribune. Youve heard about this electrifying spectacle, now its your chance to experience it.

Menopause The Musical
Syracuse Stage
Kathryn Conte, director

Archbold Theater, Syracuse Stage
820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Menopause The Musical is set in a New York City Bloomingdale's department store and tells the story of four women - a Power Woman, Soap Star, Earth Mother and Iowa Housewife - who meet during a lingerie sale and learn that, despite being very different types of women, they share a common bond: menopause.

Menopause The Musical, written and produced by Jeanie Linders, features parodies of 25 baby-boomer hit songs from the '60s and '70s, with lyrics re-penned by Linders that spoof, laugh at and celebrate menopause and its many common symptoms, including hot flashes, night memory loss. Among the recognizable tunes in the show are chart-toppers such as The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," which becomes "Help me Doctor," Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" recast as "Change of Life"; and '60s folk classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" as an ode to exhaustion: "Puff, My God, I'm Draggin'."

Read a Review!

Rounding Third
Redhouse

Price: $33 regular; $26 senior (65 or older); $22 student
Former Redhouse Theater
219 S. West St., Syracuse

This hilarious comedy by Richard Dresser combines two mismatched coaches as they struggle through a season together and ultimately discover the true meaning of success. Don the veteran and Michael the new recruit have markedly different personal circumstances and philosophies about the game of baseball and the game of life. Their clashes drive this funny, touching play through the bumpy terrain of fatherhood and baseball.

Friday, May 19, 2006

unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers

Price: Free
Panasci Lounge, Schine Student Center
Syracuse University, Syracuse

Photos by local workers who participated in unseenamerica NYS will be on display. "unseenamerica: photos and stories by workers" (ReganBooks; May 1, 2006) offers an intimate, honest and eye-opening look at the everyday lives of working-class men and women across the United States. Edited by Esther Cohen, the book grew from a unique photography program she created at Bread and Roses, the nonprofit cultural arm of Local ll99 of the Service Employees International Union. Over a two-year span, 350 groups -- from janitors in Washington, D.C., to formerly homeless women in Gainesville, Fla. -- were given point-and-shoot cameras and free lessons by professional photographers. Then they were asked to take pictures of what they saw -- favorite places, typical and special activities, neighbors and loved ones. The result is a striking collection of black-and-white images that each has a story to tell.

Unseenamerica NYS is a collaboration of the Bread & Roses Cultural Project of 1199SEIU, the New York State AFL-CIO and the Workforce Development Institute.

Visual Arts Committee Showcase Exhibit
CNY Arts

Price: Free
Syracuse Technology Garden
235 Harrison St., Syracuse

This show features the work of Ellen Agnew, Joan Applebaum, Marna Bell, Mary Lou Colgin, Marilyn Forth, Patricia Gancarz, Shel & Donal Little, Mick Mather, Anna Soltyk, Joan Stier, and Yolanda Tooley
in varied media.

For more information about any of the VAC shows, please contact Mick Mather at 315-435-2154, or Joan Applebaum at 315-656-9527.

Something Old, Something New: Pigment Prints by Donal and Shel Little
Liverpool Public Library

Price: Free
Liverpool Public Library
310 Tulip St., Liverpool

The Littles collaborate to produce unique re-imaginings of their original photography.

Works by Ken Brzozowski
Syracuse University School of Art and Design

Price: Free
VPA Dean's Gallery
Room 200, Crouse College, Syracuse University, Syracuse

The sculpture displayed is part of a new series using minimal changes to the material to evoke a sense of being, to animate the inanimate and to give personality to the materials without making them too human. Brzozowski has been an artist for "as long as he can remember." His first "large work" was painting the landlord's backyard with roof tar when he was three years old. He studied sculpture at VPA under Lawson Smith and the late Rodger Mack. He currently divides his time between an Adirondack studio on the Hudson River and Manhattan. His work has traveled to the corners of the world, including Europe and Japan.

For more information, contact the VPA Dean's Office at 443-5889.

Paid parking is available in Irving Garage.

Open Figure Drawing Group Show
Westcott Community Center

Price: Free
Westcott Community Center
Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., Syracuse

The purpose for which Open Figure Drawing Inc. was formed is to promote and engage in regular sessions of figure drawing with live models. These activities include artistic motivation mainly focused on sketching and drawing the human form, utilizing materials including but not limited to ink, charcoal, graphite, watercolors, acrylic paints, canvas and paper. The organization provides regular weekly Wednesday sessions at the Westcott Community Center, which are open to the public, to allow any interested party to engage in, practice and display figure drawing.

After nine years of group exhibits at Happy Endings and three years of shows at Syracuse University's Coyne Gallery, OFD Inc is pleased to present a show of portraits drawn at our Wednesday sessions. This family friendly display will concentrate on various renditions of the face.

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

Painterly Perspectives: The Art of Denise Allen will feature paintings, prints, quilts and dolls by Allen, a renowned American contemporary folk artist and craftswoman. A self-taught artist, Allen has been nationally and internationally recognized as "The High Priestess of Needlework." Her work has been exhibited worldwide, and has also been featured in numerous publications. Many of her works address her African American heritage and are rendered in a unique 19th century folk art style. Allen currently resides in Palatine Bridge, New York, where she operates a general store and folk art gallery on her twenty-three acre farm.

Notion of Family: Family Work 2002-2006 - LaToya Ruby Frazier
Community Folk Art Center

Price: Free
Community Folk Art Center
805 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

LaToya Ruby Frazier of Pittsburgh, PA attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.F.A. degree in Photography and Graphic Design. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Photography Award from Edinboro University. Her work has received the Patron's Purchase Award from the Erie Art Museum in Erie, PA. Her work has also been exhibited at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn and Light Work Community Darkrooms in Syracuse. Currently, she is pursuing her M.F.A. degree in Art Photography at Syracuse University, where she has been a recipient of the African American Fellowship. In addition to teaching photography at Syracuse University, Frazier has taught at Light Work Community Darkrooms and the Community Folk Art Center.

"The Notion of Family is a collaborative development between my grandmother, mother and I. It reveals the complexity of our relationships and the different roles we play," says Frazier. Frazier's 26 black and white photographs will be accompanied by her award-winning documentary film, A Mother To Hold, which intensely reveals the complex relationship she has with her drug-addicted mother. "My position and role as daughter and filmmaker transcends the stereotypical objective practice in classic documentary, which has continuously undermined the black family experience by avoiding our emotional realm," Frazier says. The film has been screened at the 2006 Black Maria Film Festival in Jersey City, NJ, the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival in New York City, the Black International Film Festival in New York City, and the Women of Color Film Festival in New York City, where she received the Producer's Choice Award.

Newhouse Photography Annual
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

Suzanne Opton: Soldier
Light Work Gallery

Robert B. Menschel Media Center
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition takes an unusual and intimate look at soldiers who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The series includes a mixture of black-and-white and color photographs that range in style from timeless studio portraits to intimate close-up views of the heads of the soldiers lying on a flat surface. The exhibition features large-format color photographs of the faces of soldiers, evoking a sense of dreaming but also hinting at the transformative experiences of war. Opton has taken the otherwise loaded idea of soldiers and warfare out of a political context and placed it into a silent dialogue from one human being to the next. She says of the images, "We all experience strategic moments when we feel most alive. These are the moments we will always remember, be they transcendent or horrific. Afterall, what are we if not our collection of memories? In making these portraits of soldiers, I simply wanted to look in the face of someone whod seen something unforgettable.

The Ways of a Brush: Paintings by Marion Simpson
Associated Artists

Price: Free
Manlius Village Library
Manlius Village Center, 1 Arkie Albanese Dr., Manlius

Ms. Simpson, who lives in Vestal, is known as a painter, teacher, and muralist.

W. Eugene Smith: From Light into Darkness
Syracuse University Art Museum

Price: Free
University Art Collection
Sims Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse

This exhibition of photojournalist Eugene Smith includes his service as a World War II photographer in the Pacific theater, a group from a 1950s Life magazine photo essay on the rise of America's chemical industry, and a selection of images from his Pittsburgh project.

Modern Prints from the International Graphic Arts Society
Syracuse University Art Museum