The Beat

Woodstock Site to be home of the 2020 New York Spartan Race, held on August 22, 2020

BETHEL, NY (December 24, 2019) – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, located at the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival, today announced the nonprofit cultural arts organization will host Spartan Race, the largest obstacle race and endurance brand in the world, on Saturday, August 22, 2020.

Grant awarded from the New York State Office for Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 

Rochester, N.Y., December 23, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has received a grant award of $600,000 for the restoration of the museum’s historic garden structures from the New York State Office for Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation through Title 9 of the Environmental Protection Act of 1993, in conjunction with the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council. The restored structures on George Eastman’s estate, a National Historic Landmark, will include the pergola in the Schuyler C. Townson Terrace Garden, the grape arbor in the Rock Garden, and the loggia in the West Garden. The project will also improve accessibility of the museum’s gardens for those with impaired mobility. The total cost of the project is estimated at $900,000.

Weekly matinees of 2001: A Space Odyssey, monthly 70mm screenings with special guests, a series on the films that influenced 2001, See It Big! Outer Space, and Science on Film/Outer Space Speculators featuring scientists introducing sci-fi films

January–February, 2020

Astoria, New York, December 19, 2019—Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) will present the exhibition Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey, an in-depth exploration of the story, design, and visual effects of the landmark film that, more than 50 years after its release, continues to influence, confound, and inspire. As part of its presentation, MoMI has programmed a wide-ranging series of screenings and events, anchored by weekly screenings of 2001: A Space Odyssey on Saturdays at 12:00 p.m. and monthly 70mm screenings of the film accompanied by special guests.

Auburn, NY (Dec. 21, 2019) - Don't let the after-holiday blues get you down. Come to the Schweinfurth Art Center 8 to 11 p.m. Jan. 10 for our Empty Walls Art Party! The one-night pop-up art event will include an interactive art activity on the walls of the main gallery, which will be empty following the end of the Quilts=Art=Quilts exhibition.

Buffalo, NY - Lumagination is a captivating and interactive exhibit that will transform the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens with light, sound and imagination from January 25 through February 29, 2020. Lumagination will delight all ages during this amazing and unique exhibit that showcases the incredible architecture and horticulture collection of the Botanical Gardens. To kick off Lumagination, a Launch Party will be held on January 24 and special Happy Hours will be held during the run of the exhibit.

Winter Recreation – Ride, Ski, Tube, Bike, Trek

Chautauqua County, N.Y. – Proximity to Lake Erie and lake effect storms mean snow for Chautauqua County, averaging more than 200 inches annually! For downhill and cross-country snow sports, head to Peek’n Peak Ski Resort and enjoy 27 slopes and trails, state-of-the-art snowmaking, eight chairlifts, four progressive terrain parks, and a renowned ski and snowboard school. There’s even a tubing area with seven lanes and a “Magic Carpet” lift that transforms into a nighttime Lunar Lights Snow Tubing experience. The thrilling and mesmerizing atmosphere features an ever-changing light show produced by thousands of LED lights and projection lights. The lights pulse, fade and change in coordination with an immersive sound system. On select dates, the massive sound and light program will be operated by a live DJ. Opening Day for winter sports at Peek’n Peak Resort is Friday, December 20, 2019.

Glens Falls, NY — With great excitement, The Hyde Collection announces its exhibition lineup for 2020. A diverse schedule celebrates tradition and innovation in equal measure, beginning with the world's first modern artist and a trend-setting African American printmaker, then moving on to paintings that capture a historic period in a nation's evolution; two regional artists from different eras that chronicle the area's past and its enduring beauty; and a textile exhibition that speaks of tradition, history, and a shared past.

Scheduled for Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 1:00 PM

Utica, N.Y. – Winner of the Kraft Hockeyville USA contest in 2018, the spirit and passion for hockey is strong in the village of Clinton. This enthusiasm is rooted in the community’s rich hockey history that began over 100 years ago. Join Historian Dick Williams at the Oneida County History Center for brief overview of the sport’s history in the Clinton area.  His PowerPoint will trace the development of hockey as a major part of Clinton between October and April each year over the past century.

East Meredith, NY – Hanford Mills Museum in the Catskills’ East Meredith will hold the 31st annual Ice Harvest Festival on Saturday, February 1, 2020. The popular winter event celebrates an activity that was essential before mechanical refrigeration. Using historic tools and techniques, visitors can cut and harvest ice from the Mill pond and transfer it to the ice house using bobsleds. Each year, seven to eight tons of ice are harvested.

FLEX - February 22 to June 7, 2020

Plaster casts of ancient sculpture juxtaposed with comic books, superhero figurines, bodybuilder photographs, and contemporary artwork by Leonce Raphael Agbodjélou, Nick Cave, Chie Fueki, Lucy Kim, John Lesnick, Andres Serrano, and Nancy Spero

Saratoga Springs, NY (December 18, 2019) — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College presents the interdisciplinary exhibition FLEX, from Feb. 22 through June 7, bringing together contemporary and historical artworks and material culture to consider the intersections of muscular physiques and heroic images, how classical ideals are rearticulated today, and how muscled bodies represent changing notions of bravery, beauty, and health.