New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Albany Institute For History and Art

Albany Institute Honors Family, Artist at 2010 Gala

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This Friday, June 11, 2010, the Albany Institute of History & Art will honor two longtime supporters at the 2010 Museum Gala: The John D. Picotte Family/Equinox Foundation and renowned artist Stephen Hannock.

Stephen Hannock is renowned for his atmospheric landscapes: compositions of flooded rivers, nocturnes, and large vistas that often incorporate text inscriptions that relate to family, friends, or events of daily life. One of Hannock’s masterpieces employing this technique is “The River Keeper,” which is currently on view in the Albany Institute’s galleries. “Many critics have compared Hannock’s paintings to Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, and other 19th-century masters,” Miles said. “It is an honor to include Stephen Hannock’s work in exhibitions like Hudson River Panorama.”

Hannock’s paintings are represented in many private and public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the National Gallery of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the National Museum of American Art; Smith College Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, and the Albany Institute of History & Art. In 1998, Hannock’s work won an Academy Award for “Special Visual Effects” in the motion picture, What Dreams May Come. Hannock divides his time between his studios in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and New York City.

Also being honored at the 2010 Museum Gala is the John D. Picotte Family/Equinox Foundation, who have been a generous supporter of the Albany Institute. The 2010 Museum Gala recognizes them for their courage and vision in supporting the three-year planning, research, and design phases of the Institute’s landmark exhibition, Hudson River Panorama: 400 Years of History, Art, and Culture, now on display through January 2011.

“Few foundations support the planning and research phase of projects because tangible evidence is not obvious in a short period of time,” said Christine Miles, Executive Director of the Albany Institute. “However, it is impossible to create a multidimensional product without this essential support. Thanks to the Equinox Foundation, the Albany Institute has been able to advance our community’s understanding of our regional culture and heritage while working to build the area’s self-esteem.” The multi-pronged project included the involvement of renowned history and science scholars, community groups, teachers, parents, students, and other audiences throughout the design phase, which ultimately resulted in the most successful exhibition and programming in the Albany Institute’s 219-year history.

Tickets for the 2010 Museum Gala are still on sale, and may be purchased online by visiting www.albanyinstitute.org/gala.htm. For more information about the gala, its honorees, or donors, please contact Michael Weidrich, Director of Corporate Development, (518) 463-4478, ext. 414, or weidrichm@albanyinstitute.org.

Albany Institute to Host Free Exibition Preview

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Tomorrow, Friday, June 4, 2010, the Albany Institute of History & Art will host a free reception and preview of the Tomorrow’s Masters Today exhibition, and will name a Master Class of 10 artists. Recently, the Art Auction Committee of the Albany Institute selected 50 original works of art from Capital Region artists to be included in Tomorrow’s Masters Today, an art exhibit and silent auction which will be a feature of the Institute’s 2010 Museum Gala on Friday, June 11, 2010. Tomorrow’s Master Today is part of an effort to promote up-and-coming artists of the Capital Region and highlight the growing artistic wealth of this area. Proceeds from the June 11 auction and gala will support the ongoing programming of the Albany Institute.

The June 4 reception and preview will be held at the Institute, 125 Washington Ave., Albany, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Additionally, on Friday, June 4, the Institute will remain open until 8:00 p.m., and admission to the galleries will be free as part of 1st Fridays, the downtown arts walk that showcases the thriving and lively art scene in downtown Albany. Live music by The Next Station will also be featured.

The Tomorrow’s Masters Today exhibition will be on display at the Albany Institute from June 4 through June 27. To view any of the 50 selected works online, visit www.albanyinstitute.org/tmt.htm. For more information about, or to purchase tickets online for the 2010 Museum Gala on June 11—honoring philanthropists John D. Picotte Family/Equinox Foundation and renowned artist, Stephen Hannock, visit www.albanyinstitute.org/gala.htm.

Albany Institute’s 50 ‘Tomorrows Artists Today’

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The Albany Institute of History & Art is pleased to announce the 50 artists selected for its Tomorrow’s Masters Today Exhibition and Silent Auction. Selected from more than 120 entries, these 50 artists represent some of the Capital Region’s most promising new artists. Tomorrow’s Master Today is part of an effort to promote local artists and highlight the area’s growing artistic wealth.

The exhibition will be a highlight of the Albany Institute’s 2010 Museum Gala on Friday, June 11, and the works will be available for purchase in a silent auction to benefit the Albany Institute. An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Friday, June 4, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Ten of the exhibiting artists will be named to a “Master Class,” which will be announced at the reception. The exhibition will be on view at the museum throughout the month of June.

The 50 artists selected for the Tomorrow’s Masters Today Exhibition and Silent Auction are: David Arsenault, Gabrielle Becker, David Brickman, Joleen Button, Lorraine Chesin, Peter Combe, John Connors, Kristin DeFontes, Paul Deyss, Scott Donohue, Chip Fasciana, Raymond Felix, Jim Florsdorf, Mark Gregory, Audrey Grendahl Kuhn, Robin Guthridge, Theresa Hayes, Brian Hofmeister, Stephen Honicki, Tony Iadicicco, Sylvie Kantorovitz, Jenny Kemp, Chloe Kettlewell, David Kvam, Christopher Lislio, Stacy Livingston, Patricia Loonan Testo, Jason Blue Lake Hawk Martinez, Sarah Martinez, Gary Masline, Jessy Montrose, Gail Nadeau, Clifford Oliver, Dorothea Osborn, Wren Panzella, Bill Pettit III, Laurie Searl, Amy Shafer, Scott M. Smith, Susan Sommer, Susan Stuart, Marie Triller, Carl Voegtling, Catherine Wagner Minnery, Eileen Rice Walker, Sarah Walroth, Tommy Watkins, Michael Weidrich, John W.Yost, and Leif Zurmuhlen.

The selected works may be viewed online.

Len Tantillo on Painting The Hudson Valley: History and Process

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Len Tantillo, an artist born and raised in upstate New York, will speak on “Painting the Valley: History and Process,” this Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 2pm at the Albany Institute of History and Art. Tantillo is New York’s premiere painter of historical subjects.

In 1980, Tantillo was commissioned to depict a series of 19th-century structures from
archeological artifacts and historic documents. Similar projects followed, many of which were located along the banks of the Hudson River near Albany. In 1984, Tantillo left commercial art and began the full-time pursuit of fine art. He has spent the last 25 years creating numerous historical and marine paintings, which have continued to draw a wide audience. Tantillo’s work shows the combined influence of the luminists of the 19th century and the great marine artists of the past.

You can see much of his work on the web here.

Tammis Groft and Museum and History Advocacy

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One of New York’s museum leading lights, Tammis Groft, was recently mentioned over at Suzanne Fischer’s Public Historian blog in a post calling for more blogging about museum and history advocacy:

Among AAM’s projects is museum advocacy on a national level. Recently, they sent Tammis K. Groft, deputy director of collections and exhibits at the Albany Institute of History and Art [above], to Washington as a “citizen-lobbyist” to speak to a committee about the importance of NEH Preservation and Access Grants. She wrote a few blog posts on the subject on the AAM’s advocacy blog. PAG grants are a major way museums of all sizes fund collections stewardship projects, and the funding for the program is slated to be cut by 50% next year. Contact your elected officials to advocate for NEH conservation programs!

The Humanities Advocacy Network is also a great resource for humanities advocacy, including preservation and history programs. You can sign up to get action alerts and email your representatives from the page.

I’d love to see more blogging from AAM or other organizations on museum and history advocacy issues. The wrangling over appropriations can be very opaque, and a human voice really helps to clarify issues and make advocacy work seem much more possible for small museum professionals and those without much lobbying practice. (My occasional posts about Minnesota cultural legislation don’t cut it.)