Arts and Cultural Programming

The Schoharie River Center offers a variety of cultural programs throughout the year including music performances and workshops, and a variety of folkarts workshops.

Artists' Residencies

October 8th - 10th, 2011

Mark Swanberry - Stone Carving, Copper-Smithing & Dry-Laid Stone Wall Building Workshops

From October 8th-10th, Mark Swanberry, a local stonemason and artist, will be in residence at the Schoharie River center, putting on several workshops demonstrating the skills of dry-laid stone wall building, stone carving and copper-smithing workshops.

Saturday, October 8th - 10 to noon - meet the artist open house                                    1:30 to 3:30 - Stone Workshop (hands-on) Sunday,  October 9th  - 10 to noon - Stone and Copper demonstration                                    1:30 to 3:30 - Stone Wall Building (hands-on) Monday, October 10th - 10 to noon - Copper demonstration                                    1:30 to 3:30 - open house

Bluestone is a native sandstone found in New York State and Pennsylvania. The quarrying of bluestone and stone-related jobs was an integral part of the Hudson Valley economy for many years, and local architecture and landscaping reflects that history with houses, walls, arches, bridges and decorative work made out of the grainy blue stone.

Mark Swanberry grew up around masonry, and began building stone walls as a child. An invitation to work on a wall restoration project jumpstarted his career in masonry. He now specializes in stone masonry as well as decorative items of stone, copper, glass and other materials.

Join us for one or all of these workshops. There will also be a "Meet the Artist" open house on Saturday from 10-12 and on Monday from 1:30-3:30pm.  Admission is by donation with a suggested donation of $10.00 individual/$20.00 for a family.

July 31, 2011
Onondaga Lacrosse Stick Making, Games of Contest and Woodswalk with Alf Jacques

Alf Jacques (Onondaga) is one of the most well known lacrosse stick makers who continue to craft lacrosse sticks in the traditional way. From selecting wood from the right tree, to bending and carving the stick and then applying the netting, he carries on a tradition that has existed for generations within the Onondaga nation. He learned the art from his father, Louis Jackques, a Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee who began coaching and making sticks for the Onondaga Athletic Club in the 1960's.

Alf continues to pass on the tradition to kids today and regularly travels to schools to demonstrate his art and pass on the knowledge of traditional lacrosse stick making. He is also active as a coach and a mentor to young lacrosse players.

Upper Catskill String Quartet

Join us for an afternoon of classical music by these area musicians, August 13th at 2pm at the Schoharie River Center Cultural Center building (the former Methodist church in Burtonsville). This will be a unique educational concert event. Admission is free!

June 28 - July 1, 2011
Composing Workshop with Eco-Acoustic Composer Michelle Nagai

Are you an ecology-minded scientist curious about sound and music? Or a creative artist or musician inspired by the mysteries of the natural world? Then this workshop is for you!

Appropriate for musicians and non-musicians alike - ages 13 and older. Funded by the New York State Council on the Arts and Creative Connections fund of Metlife.

Listening, Knowing and Doing: A Composers Environmental Practice - A Four Day Workshop

Over the course of four afternoons, participants will work collaboratively with eco-acoustic composer, Michelle Nagai, to create a new sound project inspired by the environment of the Schoharie Creek in Burtonsville. Workshop participants will tackle a number of listening and sound-making challenges while they explore the creative possibilities of the creek-scape and engage with the ecology that's behind what they hear and see.

Together, the group will choose three locations in the preserve for their focus, and will develop either a new musical composition for live performance, or a series of site-specific sound installations to be experienced by audience members on a self-guided tour through the preserve. Workshop participants will refine their creative and critical listening skills, and develop new strategies for understanding place and environment through writing, drawing and sound-making practices.

This program is geared toward both ecology-minded scientists curious about sound and music, and creative artists and musicians inspired by the mysteries of the natural world. No musical skill or previous experience is required, only a willingness to listen, experiment and explore with sound, site and ideas.

Suggested Donation for the four-day workshop:
$20.00 for Schoharie River Center members
$25.00 non-members
To register: contact the Schoharie River Center at 875-6889 or email schoharierivercenter@juno.com

Sound Walks - free to the public
Michelle will also lead two sound walks through the Schoharie River Center's Nature Preserve, helping participants refine their listening skills as they engage the environment in a new way. Sound Walks will be held Tuesday 6/28 from 9am - 11am and Thursday 6/30 from 6pm - 8pm.

Michelle Nagai is a composer and sound artist who creates music, radio broadcasts, sound installations and other interactions that connect people with the places they inhabit. She will be in residence at the Schoharie River Center for five days, developing a new project and working with SRC members to create compositions based on the sounds of the SRC nature preserve.

A limited number of individuals will be able to work more closely with the composer while she is in residence and will present their collaboration at the Schoharie River Day on July 9th.

Participants will also create a sixty minute program for the radio based on their work together at the SRC.

http://www.michellenagai.com/Site/performance_installation.html
http://www.treetheater.org/echo.htm

July 15-17, 2011
Braided Rag Workshop with Helen Condon
Helen Condon is a master artist of braided rag rugs, an early American craft which uses recycled wool to create sturdy and decorative oval and round rugs, chair mats, and stair treads. Born in Newfoundland, she has her own business, Adirondack Rug Braiding, and is a frequent workshop leader at the Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, and the Sagamore Institute at Racquette Lake. She will be in residence at the Schoharie River Center from July 15-17, teaching a three day workshop on the techniques of braiding and shaping rag rugs. Workshop participants will complete a "Hunter's Basket". All materials will be provided.

This workshop is limited to just 6 participants - register early!

Cost: $75.00 for SRC members, $90.00 for non-members

Workshop schedule is as follows (subject to change):
Friday, July 15th

3:00 - 6:30 Workshop
7:00 - 8:30 Meet the artist, community potluck (open to public)

Saturday, July 16th

10:00 - 4:00 Workshop (bring your lunch, beverage provided)

About Artists' Residencies

Artists are welcome to stay at the Schoharie River Center while they practice their arts and share them with the local community. Our Science and Education center includes sleeping quarters and a full kitchen, providing a unique getaway for artists, nestled in the small rural community of Burtonsville, right along the Schoharie Creek.

Burtonsville has a rich history as a mill town, benefiting from the power that the water of the Schoharie Creek provides. The town's heydays have long passed and it's now a quiet rural village where time seems to pass slowly by like the Schoharie Creek on a warm summer day.

The Schoharie River Center has several buildings, including the Cultural Center, an 1850's Methodist church building, and the new Science and Education Center.

The Cultural Center building is used to host Silent Movie Nights, music events, workshops and exhibits. The Science and Education Center is situated on about 20 acres of wooded land (just up the road from the Cultural Center) with trails for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing. It also features direct access to the Schoharie Creek, where people can fish, swim and kayak.

Support for Artists' Residencies comes from NYSCA - New York State's Council on the Arts as well as donations from our members.

If you are an artist and would like to learn more about Artists' Residencies at The Schoharie River Center, contact us at schoharierivercenter@juno.com