The Beat

Part of a Transformative, $108 Million Project That Will Add New Hotel and Mixed-Use Development on Site of Former Inner Loop

Investment Complements "Finger Lakes Forward" - The Region's Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy

July 12, 2018 – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $20 million in funding to support the $60 million expansion project at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester's East End on the site of the former inner loop. The funding, provided through a Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative Grant, will help to attract new and returning visitors to one of the Finger Lakes' top tourist attractions. The expansion project, which includes the construction of a new downtown parking garage, is expected to create 40 new jobs at The Strong and be completed in 2020.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – The Saratoga Automobile Museum is the starting point of a Shelby Cobra road tour that will take place from Sunday, June 10 to Thursday, June 14. The cars will be available for viewing at the museum from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday. The tour will be led by Tom Cotter, author of several auto and barn find books, including his most recent "Ford Model-T Coast-to-Coast", which he will be signing at the Museum on Sunday, June 10.

The first museum exhibition of Out My Window will include work from all of Albert Halaban’s series locations

Rochester, N.Y., May 30, 2018—Gail Albert Halaban: Out My Window will be on view at the George Eastman Museum beginning July 7. The exhibition will include artist Gail Albert Halaban’s photographs from the earliest to the most recent phases of her project, which until now has been seen only as discrete bodies of work from New York and Paris. This show features images made in cities all over the world, including Buenos Aires, Istanbul, New York, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Utrecht, and Venice, and showcases what urban neighbors see when they look across the street.

The Museum at Bethel Woods is one of more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer 

Bethel, N.Y. – For the fifth year, The Museum at Bethel Woods will again take part in Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The program provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation's cultural heritage and learn more about their community, especially after a military move. A list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

Display of rare Revolutionary war objects, history-themed boat tours, and ceremony honoring America’s soldiers

Ticonderoga, NY – Fort Ticonderoga today announced a special museum exhibit and programming for Memorial Day Weekend that honors the service of the Armed Forces of the United States on the very ground where many American soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom.

The “Achieving Independence: Ticonderoga and Philadelphia” pop-up exhibit explores the relationship between the two iconic locations during the country’s founding.

Rochester, N.Y., May 21, 2018—The George Eastman Museum has announced the appointment of Jared Case to curator of film exhibitions. Case will be responsible for curating the screenings in the museum’s Dryden Theatre, assisting with moving image-related exhibitions, and facilitating film program collaborations with community partners. Jurij Meden, who held the position for the past four years, has accepted a position as the Head of Film Programming at the Austrian Film Museum in Vienna.

Yonkers, N.Y.  – The hijab, burqa and other coverings are some of the most recognizable symbols of Islam, and are often depicted as forms of female oppression. Yusef Abdul Jaleel uses illustrations to combat negative stereotypes associated with Islamic clothing and modesty in his new show “Covered: Celebrating Muslim Women” opening June 7 at the Riverfront Art Gallery at the Yonkers Public Library.

Food trucks, stage relocation among exciting changes this year

Rochester, N.Y., May 7, 2018—The Garden Vibes summer concert series will return to the George Eastman Museum this summer. The outdoor concerts will take place on the following Wednesday evenings: June 20, July 18, and August 15.

In an effort to preserve the gardens at the National Historic Landmark estate, the museum will host the concert series on the Vista, located on the east side of the mansion next to the Terrace Garden.

The film’s director and costume designer will introduce the film at the Dryden Theatre on July 7; Tickets on sale now

Rochester, N.Y.—The George Eastman Museum will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Animal House (Landis, US 1978) with a screening of a 35mm print of the film on Saturday, July 7 at 7:30 p.m. The film’s director, John Landis, and its costume designer, Deborah Nadoolman Landis, will introduce the film and, after the screening, will share stories and insights about the making of this classic.

June 15–July 15, 2018 at Museum of the Moving Image

Astoria, N.Y.—Museum of the Moving Image will present Putin’s Russia, a major screening series including 30 feature films and several mid-length and short films made since Vladimir Putin came to power at midnight on New Year’s Eve in 1999. Nineteen years, four American presidents, multiple wars, various economic booms and busts—and countless protests, crackdowns, and incursions later—Putin is still in charge. During this time, filmmakers within and without the country have gone beyond the headlines to capture, narrate, riff on, and comment upon life in contemporary Russia. The film series, which runs June 15 through July 15, 2018, strives to offer an appropriately broad, prismatic view of Russia in the 21st century.