The Beat

Mixed-media sculptures and collages, and moving image works will be on view through June 6

Rochester, N.Y. (February 19, 2021) — The George Eastman Museum will open a new exhibition, Stacey Steers: Night Reels, in the museum’s Project Gallery and Multipurpose Hall on Saturday, February 20. The exhibition will be on view through June 6.

Night Reels is a body of multidisciplinary work by the artist Stacey Steers (American, b. 1954) that blends 2D paper collage, animation, mixed-media sculpture, and moving image works. Steers pays homage to the history of moving images while inventing entirely original cinematic works that transport familiar characters and imagery into surreal nocturnal dreamscapes.

Schenectady, NY – A new public history project focused on Schenectady’s African American history will preserve primary sources and enable future generations to engage with the community’s historical records. Primary sources are the keys to understanding history, and access to those materials helps communities to connect to their past. The African American Historical Records Project, a collaboration coordinated by the Schenectady County Historical Society, will create a catalog of historical records created by the African American community in Schenectady.

Nick Cave, Kay Rosen, Cary Smith, Endia Beal, Forrest Gander among featured speakers

Saratoga Springs, NY (February 18, 2021) — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College invites the public to a stellar series of online talks, including the fourth annual Winter/Miller Lecture with acclaimed artist Nick Cave, who will be in conversation with the 2020-21 Eleanor Linder Winter ’43 Intern Nathan Bloom ’21.

Opt for a change of scenery this winter with fun, family-friendly indoor attractions

Orange County, N.Y. (February 18, 2021) – The winter landscapes found throughout the scenic Hudson Valley are unparalleled, but if a day on the slopes or trek through the snow isn’t quite your style, don’t fret! Orange County, N.Y. is chock full of hidden gems that offer plenty of fun for all ages with indoor attractions. From museums to shops, there’s plenty of excitement to be had in Orange County this winter season.

“The history of our region is so rich, and it’s easy to take for granted the world-class shopping, historic sites, and acclaimed craft beverage scenes we have right in our own backyards,” said Orange County Tourism Director Amanda Dana. “This winter, I encourage you to discover all there is to do here in Orange County. Many of our local indoor venues offer safe, socially-distant attractions to pique your interest. You’ll be surprised how much there is to choose from!”…

New York, N.Y. – While the Museum of the Moving Image building continues to be closed, programming continues online with Virtual Cinema, live discussions, and virtual tours (bookings available for groups and families). Archived events, including recorded conversations with filmmakers, and educational resources for teachers and families are available online via MoMI’s YouTube page. 

Additional programs will be announced as they are confirmed.

The Park is Filling Over 1,500 Positions and Preparing for the Upcoming Season

Darien Center, N.Y. — February 19, 2021 — Six Flags Darien Lake, the Thrill Capital of New York, is reopening on May 21, 2021 based on the guidelines set by the State of New York and its Governor. The park will unveil extensive safety and security measures including quick and contactless security and temperature checks for guests and team members. Convenient mobile ordering will also be available at many locations. The park is converting to a cash to a card kiosk system, accepting only Mobile and Card Payments to further enhance the safety of guests and team members.

Peterboro, N.Y. – The National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum (NAHOF) concludes the February 2021 Black History Matters programs in the coming week. These programs address key events in our national history and are topics that are lesser known or whose implications are not usually understood. The brief twenty-eight programs will remain on the NAHOF website after February.

Monday, February 22                    H.R. 40 and the Quest for Reparations

JJ. Citron and Jeff McArn will center this program around legislation H.R. 40, which has been discussed in the House of Representatives for over three decades. The legislation has not made it beyond debate within the house. In addition to explaining the text itself, the presentation will also include videos of 2019 congressional testimonies by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Coleman Hughes (in favor and against reparations, respectively) on Juneteenth. Citron and McArn plan to center Black voices and perspectives on H.R. 40 throughout the presentation. With this in mind, they will also be including prominent voices who have weighed in on the case for reparations, including politicians, religious figures, political organizers and activist groups.

Festival to showcase over 30 works by indie theatre artists from march 10 - 14
Press invitation/coverage request

New York, NY – New Ohio Theatre, located in Manhattan’s West Village, proudly presents the 2021 NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival, showcasing over 30 shorts, features and web series episodes, running March 10 – 14.

The NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival presents work from New York City independent theatre artists defying labels and branching out into digital media and film. For 2021 they’re taking the festival online and opening it up to include indie theatre artists from across the United States. They’re excited to take advantage of the internet’s wide reach to meet a new, national community of fellow theatre artists and showcase new perspectives and voices from across the country. North and South. Coast to coast. This time, it’s national.

President Abraham Lincoln’s Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Recording Included in Exhibit

The New York State Museum and the New York State Writers Institute have partnered to bring the First Step to Freedom exhibit to the University at Albany campus in honor of Black History Month, State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. The historically remarkable exhibit includes a display of the only surviving version of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in President Abraham Lincoln’s handwriting. The First Step to Freedom also includes the only known audio recording of a speech written and delivered by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in New York City in September 1962 for the Proclamation’s centennial. The exhibit opened, appropriately, on President’s Day and will be open to UAlbany students, faculty and staff through March 15.

The Symposium will take place on April 10 and 17, 2021

Ticonderoga, N.Y. -- The King’s Garden at Fort Ticonderoga presents the Ninth Annual Garden & Landscape Symposium virtually on two consecutive Saturday mornings, April 10 & 17, 2021.

This online program features practical, easy-to-implement strategies for expanding and improving your garden or landscape. We invite you to join, whether you are an experienced gardener or you are just getting started, for helpful insights from garden experts who live and garden in northern climates.