2014 Exhibitions and Events
Fall – Winter 2014 Exhibitions/Events:
EXHIBIT AND HOLIDAY SALE
“Winter Holiday”, Clarence Bolton (1893-1962), lithograph, n.d., Historical Society of Woodstock Collection.
“Winter in Woodstock”, exhibit of vintage holiday cards from the HSW collection.
Exhibit and Holiday Sale
Opening: Friday, December 5, 4-8 pm
… featuring note cards with works from the Historical Society collection, tins of home-made cookies, hand-made ornaments, hand-knit mittens, books and DVDs on local history, candles, home-made jam & maple syrup, vintage postcards, and more.
For more information:
e-mail [email protected]
or visit HSW on Facebook at Historical Woodstock
Musical Presentation by Ars Choralis
Friday, December 5, 6 pm
An ensemble of 12 members from the choral ensemble Ars Choralis will be performing beginning at 6 p.m. Music will include a variety of holiday inspired songs. The singers will be led by Barbara Pickhardt, Ars Choralis Artistic Director. Christina Gardner is the soloist and will sing “Winter’s Coming Home”, written by Benedictine Monks at the Weston Priory in Vermont. She will be accompanied by Jim Ulrich on autoharp. Performers include: Christina Gardner, Greg Dinger, Chuck Snyder, Carolyn Wolz, Bill Wolz, Jim Noecker, Ed Peters, Anne Brueckner, Nancy Howell, Ginny Workstus, Tracy Dowd, Mary Noecker and Sarah Kessen.
Exhibit and Holiday Sale continues
Saturday & Sunday, December 6 & 7, 13 & 14, 12-4 pm
Sunday, December 7, 2 pm, Holiday card making workshop for kids.
Saturday December 13, local historian Vernon Benjamin
Local historian Vernon Benjamin will be on hand to discuss and sign copies of his new book, The History of the Hudson River Valley. In the rich tradition of works by Alf Evers, Benjamin has crafted a new history of our valley that will become a definitive text for many years to come.
Also on Saturday, enjoy a special afternoon as HSW brings you “Cafe Eames,” offering tea, coffee and edible treats for sale in support of HSW’s building fund.
Sunday December 14 at 3:00 pm, author Crystal Schachter and illustrator Margarete de Soleil
HSW welcomes author Crystal Schachter and illustrator Margarete de Soleil for a book signing and discussion of their new children’s book, Woody and the Candle Mountain. Follow Woody as she wanders through her hometown of Woodstock looking hopelessly for something worth doing. She meets many local characters along the way, who all manage to offer the same peace, love and granola advice, and small tokens of inspiration, which she gloomily accepts and moves on. Eventually, she visits the candle shop to admire the legendary Candle Mountain, a massive wax sculpture created over many years from thousands of melted candles. But even this awe-inspiring monument and the kind wisdom of the candle maker and his wife, can’t budge Woody’s mood. But, just when she’s convinced her day’s search has been completely useless, she finds herself in a place where her little bits of knowledge make a world of difference.
The Historical Society of Woodstock is located on 20 Comeau Drive.
Photo Credit: Grave of Catherine Van Debogert, located in the Woodstock Cemetery.
WOODSTOCK CEMETERY HISTORY WALK
Saturday, November 29, 1 pm, Rock City Road
On Saturday November 29, at 1:00 pm, local historian Janine Fallon-Mower and town historian Richard Heppner will conduct a history walk through the Woodstock Cemetery on Rock City Road. The walk will offer observations on the many lives, stories and lore that have crafted Woodstock’s story throughout the years.
Walkers should park in the Mountain View Parking Lot and meet at the cemetery gate. Please wear comfortable walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 679-6744 for a cancellation message. For further information about the walk, e-mail [email protected].
Admission to the walk is $10 per person. All proceeds will support the HSW Building fund.
DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING:
Radio Unnameable – Screening and Historical Society Building Fundraiser
Saturday, November 8, 1 pm, Upstate Films/Woodstock
On Saturday, November 8, at 1 p.m., the Historical Society of Woodstock will present a special screening of Radio Unnameable at Upstate Films. The film recounts the rise of Bob Fass, an early pioneer of free-form noncommercial radio, on WBAI’s Radio Unnameable. Such luminaries as Bob Dylan, Abbie Hoffman, Ed Sanders, Happy Traum, Phil Ochs, Jerry Jeff Walker, Arlo Guthrie and David Amram stopped by his show to weigh in and to discuss their latest exploits. Radio Unnameable started in 1963 and is still being broadcast today. Neil Fabricant, Legislative Director of New York’s ACLU, during the 1960s, said that Fass was “ a midwife at the birth of the counterculture.”
During the late 1960s Bob Fass emceed the Woodstock Sound-Outs on Pan Copeland’s farm. He used his cred and clout on WBAI to book top name acts to the festival such as Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys and the Incredible String Band. Michael Lang, the co-creator of the Woodstock Festival, credits the Sound-Outs as a kind of spark for his idea of the Woodstock Festival.
Tickets for the event are $10. All proceeds will support the HSW Building fund.
Sponsored by:
thank you!
Exhibition: “SELDOM SEEN”
Anton Otto Fischer (1882-1962), “Overlook Mountain”, c. 1942, HSW Collection
The Woodstock School of Art & The Historical Society of Woodstock present:
“Seldom Seen” – works from the collection of the Historical Society of Woodstock
September 13 – November 1, 2014
Woodstock School of Art, Route 212 Woodstock, N.Y
Selected by Susana Torruella Leval
OPENING RECEPTION: Sat, Sept 13, 3-5 pm
Seldom Seen features 63 paintings in the categories of landscape, bestiary and self-portrait. The time period of the work spans from the early to late 20th century and includes artists long associated with America’s first artist colony who are known nationally as well as lesser known local artists who called Woodstock home. Work includes drawing, painting and printmaking by artists such as Charles Rosen, Otto Bierhals, Clarence Bolton, John F. Carlson, Marion Bullard, Richard Segalman, Eva van Rijn, Tor Gudmundsen, Eduardo Chavez, Ernest Fiene and many more. Each piece chosen reflects the time period of its creation and the embodiment of that intangible quality, the Woodstock “spirit.”
Woodstock Town Historian Richard Heppner writes, “Woodstock is a small town and yet our history is writ large with the contributions of those who would see life through a slightly different lens. It is also a history that has seen those views shaped by connections formed between newly arrived artists and those who drew life and livelihoods from the very landscape that would find its way onto a multitude of canvases over the years. As a result, it is a history that has transcended great change while remaining grounded in its original purpose; a history in which we understand that we are not separate from our past but are an integral part of a combining experience that becomes our community.”
More information: “Seldom Seen”
You are cordially invited to join us in the Angeloch Gallery at the Woodstock School of Art for the opening reception of SELDOM SEEN Saturday, September 13, from 3 to 5 p.m.
Spring – Summer 2014 Exhibitions/Events
John Trubov collection. (HSW Archives) 1937 truck that once belonged to theTinker Street tinker.
Exhibition: “… a few of our favorite things”
July 13 – August 31, 2014, Saturdays and Sundays, 1-5 pm
Opening reception: Sunday, July 13
Artifacts, objects, photos, and ephemera from the archives of the Historical Society of Woodstock, selected by members of the Board.
Within the archives of the Historical Society of Woodstock rest a multitude of connections to Woodstock’s past. Some of those connections are obvious, such as items directly related to the founding of the art colony in the early 20th century. And yet, the breath of Woodstock history offers roads of exploration unimagined by many. With its new exhibit, “…a few of our favorite things”, HSW presents a look at items from the archives that have traveled many of those disparate byways. Choosing from items that have been rarely presented to the public, HSW Board members offer an exhibit that explores the diversity of Woodstock history while underscoring that, from its many stories, came a community that would be known the world over.
Featuring maps that explore the Woodstock that once was, 19th century artifacts from the Down Rent War and Woodstock’s glass factories, farm implements, political collages, unique photographs and stereoscopes, the Woodstock Bicentennial Quilt, early printing, dishes that once adorned tables at Woodstock parties, school band uniforms and period clothing, “…a few of our favorite things” will offer the visitor a unique, multifaceted look back at Woodstock’s journey into the future.
Ashokan Reservoir: talk by local historian Bob Steuding, Saturday, August 30, 2 pm
On Saturday, August 30, at 2 p.m., Bob Steuding, local historian and author, will give an illustrated talk on the Ashokan Reservoir. Bob is the author of The Last of the Handmade Dams: The Story of the Ashokan Reservoir; Rondout: A Hudson River Port and The Heart of the Catskills. After the talk, Bob will take questions and sign copies of his books. Steuding is a native of the Catskills and has been writing about them since the 1960s.
Overlook (work-in-progress performance), Saturday, August 30, 7 pm
Created and performed by Hélène Lesterlin, in collaboration with the Historical Society of Woodstock.
A lecture, a dance with memory, a time machine, a dream of utopia. Using creative interviews with village elders and the explosively inspiring archives of the Historical Society of Woodstock, this solo performance delves into local lore, wild personal narratives, and the unique stories of the many characters populating Woodstock’s art colony heyday.
Woodstock, a village laid out on the flank of Overlook Mountain, became synonymous with Bohemia as artists settled its hillsides in the 1900s, in a sweeping effort to create a thriving art colony and utopian community. Roaring through the 20s and beyond, it became known as much for revelry as for art. Through the lens of memory, on a foundation of first-hand accounts, this performance delves into the aspirations, dreams and lives that swirled around the Byrdcliffe and Maverick art colonies. Using an amalgam of voices, historical accounts and essays, original texts, dance, and handheld 2D figures, this solo illuminates themes of art-making, aging, high jinx, and a rooted sense of place.
Chair seating is limited, you might want to bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit on!
Running time: 40 minutes, followed by a Q&A.
This project is based on interviews with members of the community, whose memories and stories form the foundation of the text. This project is also made possible with the invaluable expertise and kind attention of the staff and board of the Historical Society of Woodstock, as well as its overwhelmingly rich archive.
Made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Mid-Hudson.
Tad Richards at Opus 40
Coming of age in Woodstock during the 1950s: talk by Tad Richards, Sunday, August 17, 2 pm
On Sunday, August 17, at 2:00 pm, Tad Richards will talk about coming of age in Woodstock during the 1950s. Along the way, he will discuss his encounters with Anton Refregier, Howard Koch and Maya Deren, among other artists and personalities. Richards is an American writer, visual artist and current steward of Opus 40. Over the years he has written 18 novels and 16 nonfiction works. His most recent published work, Nick and Jake: An Epistolary Novel, was co-written with his brother, Jonathan. Recently it was produced as an audio play by Alan Arkin, Tom Conti and Ali MacGraw. Several of Tad’s songs have been recorded by Orleans, the John Hall Band and Fred Koller. After the talk Tad will sign copies of his book Nick and Jake.
Amateur Radio: a talk by Keith Tilley, Sunday, August 10, 2 pm
Keith Tilley, the communications officer of the Overlook Mountain Radio Club, leads a team of 25 volunteer amateur radio operators. On Sunday August 10, at 2:00 p.m., Tilley will speak at Historical Society of Woodstock, exploring the history of amateur radio, the science behind worldwide communication, and the many ways amateur radio is used today. In addition, he will discuss the group’s ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) and RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) post 9/11 mission with such agencies as the American Red Cross and the county government.
Ulster County Bluestone: talk by Peter Roberts, Saturday, July 19, 2 pm
The Historical Society will explore the world of Ulster County bluestone through a talk by Peter Roberts. Once a major industry in Woodstock and surrounding areas, bluestone from Ulster County was shipped south in the latter half of the 19th century to form many of the sidewalks in cities such as New York and Philadelphia and to adorn the properties of the wealthy in urban areas
Franklin Alexander, “Nan Mason & Wilna Hervey”, 1969, HSW Collection
Exhibition: “Artist Couples of Woodstock”
May 18 – July 6, 2014, Saturdays and Sundays, 1-5 pm
Opening reception: Sunday, May 18, 1-5 pm
“Conversation with artist Eva van Rijn”, Sunday, May 25, 2 pm
Milton Avery & Sally Avery, Edward Chavez & Eva van Rijn, Caroline Haeberlin & Reginald Wilson, Doris Lee & Arnold Blanch, Eugene Ludins & Hannah Small, Nan Mason & Wilna Hervey, Caroline Speare Rohland & Paul Rohland, Andrée Ruellan & Jack Taylor.
This exhibition includes paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures created by eight artist couples who lived, worked, and socialized in Woodstock. The works are from the permanent collection of the Historical Society of Woodstock, supplemented by generous loans from the Arthur A. Anderson Collection.
For over a century Woodstock has been a home for creative people. Naturally some were drawn to each other and paired up, and a special type of relationship was created when both
of a couple were active artists. This exhibition includes works by sixteen Woodstock artists and was curated by eight students from a Bard College seminar about Woodstock art taught by art historian Tom Wolf. It will give a sense of the variety of styles and temperaments that flourished in the art colony through the unique perspective of artists who made their personal artistic statements while sharing their domestic lives.
Eva van Rijn “Self Portrait”
“Conversation with artist Eva van Rijn”, Sunday, May 25, 2 pm
Please join us for a “step back in time” with Eva van Rijn as she recalls what life in the “Woodstock Colony” was like when the artists in this exhibition were at the peak of their artistic careers.
Eva van Rijn was born in Holland and emigrated to the US with her parents during World War II. The family settled in Woodstock, where the vitality and creativity of the “Woodstock Colony” influenced Eva’s early ambition to create art. Eva married painter-sculptor Edward Chavez, who was born in New Mexico, and had also joined the Woodstock art colony and was teaching at the Art Student’s League. Eva continues to live in Woodstock and is noted for her landscape and wildlife paintings.
“Preserving Local History – Geneology Research”, Saturday, June 7, 2 pm
The Historical Society of Woodstock will continue its summer discussion series with a talk by Janine Fallon-Mower and Carl Van Wagenen on preserving local history through genealogical research. With extensive backgrounds in local genealogy, Fallon-Mower and Van Wagenen will discuss how they were drawn to such research, the processes they follow and how census data preserves a snapshot of early Woodstock life. Janine Mower is the author and co-author of five local history books including Legendary Locals with Richard Heppner that came out last year. Carl Van Wagenen wrote The Van Wagenen Family Genealogy 1637-2014, the definitive book on the Van Wagenen family tree. At the conclusion of the talk, the speakers will answer questions from the audience on how they might peruse their own genealogical research.
“Woodstock’s Ancient Trails and Old Roads”, Saturday, June 14, 3 pm
A talk about exploring and mapping the backwoods and lost landscape of Woodstock by Dave Holden, NYSCEC licensed hiking guide, trail-maker, and backwoods explorer.
In a time before GPS (by a few years, at least), trails carved out by Native Americans and early settlers once crisscrossed the Woodstock landscape. On Saturday June 14 at 3:00 pm, the Historical Society of Woodstock will present a closer look at those early byways in a talk offered by Dave Holden titled, Ancient Trails, Old Roads and Paths to the Future. Holden, who has explored Woodstock’s old roads and archaic trails for over thirty years and is a NYDEC licensed hiking guide, will share his knowledge of these mostly lost elements of Woodstock’s past and offer his thoughts on how to make use of them in the future while preserving their historic integrity.
Note cards from the collection of the Historical Society of Woodstock
“Wisteria at Alf’s House”, circa 1950
“Overlook Mountain”, 1914
