The Beat

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will be offering several days of free admission and various promotions throughout 2018.

“One of the biggest goals of the Museum is to share all of the positive aspects of the sport of thoroughbred racing and showcase the achievements of its greatest participants with as many people as possible,” said Cathy Marino, director of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. “We believe having these special free admission days and promotions will encourage both new and longtime fans to experience the Museum and learn about this great sport.”…

Ticonderoga, NY – Fort Ticonderoga’s “Fort Fever Series” continues on Sunday, February 11, at 2:00 p.m. with a program on “Soldiers of Color at Ticonderoga” presented by Stuart Lilie, Vice President of Public History and Operations. During this program, explore the diversity of soldiers who fought at Ticonderoga and examine how attitudes about soldiers of color varied dramatically within the numerous armies and empires that held Ticonderoga. This program is part of the National Black History Month celebration.

Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – The 38^th annual Empire State Winter Games will kick off on Thursday, February 1 and will run until Sunday, February 4 in Lake Placid. More than 2,500 participants will compete in 17 different sports during the three-day multi-sport festival.

The Games will kick off with an inaugural Torch Relay departing from New York City. A significant portion of their route between NYC and Albany will follow the future Empire State Trail. As a designated Empire State Trail Gateway, the Walkway Over the Hudson will be one of the main stops along the way.

The Exhibition will feature instruments made from discarded objects found along the 2000-mile national divide

Saratoga Springs, NY (January 22, 2018) — The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College will present works by experimental composer and multi-media artist Guillermo Galindo in its exhibition Along the Border. Featured are several of Galindo’s “cybertotemic sonic objects” crafted from discarded items found at multiple sites along the 2000-mile national border between Mexico and the United States. These works made from discarded cans, animal bones, shoes, bicycle wheels, leather, children’s toys, and more, reveal the human impact of the evolving economic, social, and political relationships between the two nations over the past several years.

Saratoga Springs, NY (January 22, 2018) — On Monday, January 29, at 6 pm, Tang Curator-at-Large Isolde Brielmaier will lead a group of innovative thinkers on present-day feminism and the implications of technology in a discussion titled “#feminism?: Activism & Agitation in the Digital Age.” In recent years, many have argued that digital media has paved the way for “Fourth Wave Feminism” by offering key platforms for people to come together and organize hashtag campaigns and grassroots movements.

Canton, N.Y. – Are you ready for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang? Learn more about the history of the Olympic Winter Games when Mark Friden speaks at noon on Thursday, January 18^th, at the St. Lawrence County Historical Association. The talk will cover his involvement in figure skating as a competitor and as an official, leading up to his work for ABC Sports as their technical consultant for figure skating at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics. Brown Bag Lunches are free and open to the public. Bring your own lunch and enjoy a beverage and dessert provided by SLCHA.

1 pm Saturday, January 20

Glens Falls, N.Y. — Will Fowler always loved to draw, but wasn't sure how that would translate to a paying career. While a high school student, he decided to study architecture in college.

"It seemed like a viable career option because I knew I wasn't going to make a living selling paintings," said Fowler, co-owner of Sidekick Creative, a Glens Falls-based graphic design firm. "I thought architecture was the best of both worlds because it was a 'real' career and I would get to draw houses, but I didn't understand how much math and engineering was involved."…

For two weeks only, beginning February 9

New public programs, including kids activities, offered during year’s display

Rochester, N.Y., January 12, 2018—The George Eastman Museum brings springtime to Rochester a few months early, with the annual Dutch Connection floral show, on view Friday, February 9, through Sunday, February 25. This colorful two-week display features thousands of flowering bulbs in George Eastman’s historic mansion.

Saratoga Springs, NY (January 12, 2018) — The artist Ephraim Asili will debut a new work commissioned by the Tang Museum that celebrates 20th-century black music and poetry while provoking visitors to engage with the difficult realities of racism, war, and the fight for civil rights. By extracting, combining, and layering music, spoken word, animal sounds, and film, Asili further invites visitors to consider sampling—a fundamental style in the history of African American music—as an art form unto itself.

Governor Announces Free Snowmobile Weekend February 2 - 5; Registration Fee Waived for Out-of-State Snowmobilers for Promotional Weekend

Snowmobile Gates and Trails Open in Adirondacks, Tug Hill, North Country and Across New York State 

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced more than $5 million for snowmobile trail maintenance and grooming across New York State and designated the weekend of February 2nd - 5th as free snowmobiling weekend for all out-of-state and Canadian snowmobilers. Registration fees will be waived for properly registered and insured out-of-state snowmobiling enthusiasts wishing to explore New York's 10,400 miles of snowmobile trails.