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A. Amato Waterscapes & Ensemble Congeros Performance

Join us to view the A. Amato Waterscapes exhibit of paintings and to experience a musical performance by Ensemble Congeros which will feature African, Afro-Cuban and New World music.

This will be a unique collaboration for which guests will have the opportunity to meet the artist, Angela Amato, to hear an artist talk by her, as well as to listen and dance to two sets of music by Ensemble Congeros.

Refreshments will be available.
Paintings in the exhibit are available for purchase.

Event Entry Fee: $10 Suggested Donation

WHEN: June 8th, 2019 7pm-10pm

Learn More about the Artist & Musician

About A. Amato:
Angela Amato paints with expression! Her paintings range in size from 6×6 inches to 60×84 inches. She observes the elements air, water, earth and ether to propel her artistic expression both in her landscape paintings and her abstracts.

Angela is from the Finger Lakes region of NYS & has had many years of experience as an Artist. She is also a Drawing & Painting instructor and a teaching artist who occasionally takes trips to Tuscany with other Plein Air painters.

Angela won The New York Governer Award and the Kennedy Center Award in collaboration with Project U.N.I.Q.U.E., and the Wallace Memorial Award. She was also merited with the Artist Project Award by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Wilmot Foundation & the Andy Warhol Foundation.

Visit Angela Amato’s website at:
https://tuscanypaintings.com/

About Ensemble Congeros:
https://youtu.be/65ZqUSd998k

Dr. Eddie Ade Knowles is Founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble Congeros, a group of RPI alums and students dedicated to the study of Afro-Cuban, African and New World percussion. Ensemble Congeros was founded in 2004 as an outgrowth of the interest and passion of Rensselaer students who successfully completed Dr. Knowles’ course, “Introduction to Afro-Cuban Percussion.”

Congeros are known for their commitment to rhythm and the drum as the central medium of communication. Inspired by the experience and window into the social and religious music of Cuban Congeros, several graduates convinced him to continue to nurture and guide their sustained interest in “chasing the rhythms.” Ensemble Congeros fully embraces the honor and opportunity of being a continuous work in progress and a human manifestation of the synergy between the drum, science, technology, and the arts.

Visit the Ensemble Congeros page at:
https://www.facebook.com/EnsembleCongeros/

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Art Exhibit: A Lurid Spectacle: Quilts by Artist Julie Summersquash

Come view an exhibit of quilts made by designer and artist Julie Summersquash.
Meet the artist and listen to an artist talk about her creative process and inspiration.
Enjoy live music, poetry and more by the group Creating Moments, with special guest musician Kamala Burden on tablas.
Partake in refreshments and have a joyful time!
$10 Suggested Donation

About Julie Summersquash:
“I grew up (down South) surrounded by my parents’ artist friends in a family of seamstresses and quilters. I have been sewing since I can remember. Costume and textiles have always been a major focus. Especially the traditional dress of north and west Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

When I went off to study at the Rhode Island School of Design, it was no surprise that I chose the textile department. I dropped out after a couple of years, it being the 60’s and all. Settling and spending most of my life since in Providence, with time out to travel and live in a woodland yurt for a while.
Working for decades for an Indian clothing importer as a textile and embroidery designer. This allowed me to spend time in that homeland of sensory overload.
When I first produced quilts in the ’70s, they used traditional calico prints. Gradually transitioning to more elaborate Victorian designs and chintz. After a lengthy hiatus, I began working exclusively with the African prints in the quilts on display, which were created between 2006 and 2015. Currently, using simple traditional geometric quilt pattern as a grid to fill with color and pattern. I don’t have a minimalist bone in my body, and my goal is to leave no surface left unembellished, an aesthetic that’s also apparent in my home and wardrobe.”

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Live Performance Featuring Musician Sean Rowe

Join Us

Saturday, December 15th, 2018

Cocktail: Hour 6 pm

Show Starts: 7 pm

Tickets $20

About Sean Rowe:

Sean Rowe is an alternative folk singer-songwriter and musician.

Early Life:

Born and raised in Troy, New York, Rowe started playing music at an early age. He received a bass guitar from his father on his 12th birthday and performed in a local band.  After receiving an acoustic guitar as a gift from his uncle, Rowe began playing solo.

He wrote his first song at the age of seven on a Fisher-Price typewriter after listening to Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.“  Rowe started seriously writing songs when he was 18. The first complete song that he wrote was called “Turtle,” which was inspired by his friend and singer-songwriter Jeanne French. At the age of 17, Rowe discovered Otis Redding and his song “Open The Door”, which inspired him to begin singing.

Nature:

An avid naturalist, Rowe often speaks of his fascination with the woods and his connection to the land. After reading The Tracker by Tom Brown at the age of 18, Rowe started a blog about his experiences in the wilderness. He later took courses at Tom Brown’s Wilderness Survival School in Asbury, NJ. In 2006, Rowe studied for a year at Hawk Circle Wilderness Education in Cherry Valley, NY, and completed a 24-day solo survival quest after his training. Rowe also studied under wild food author and expert, Samuel Thayer, and has partnered with Kawing Crow Awareness Center as a guest instructor for wilderness survival workshops and wild edible plant foraging. Since 2009, Rowe has contributed as a blogger to the Albany Times Union on topics concerning nature, wildlife, and his music career.

Career:

Since 2003, Rowe played locally in his hometown at open mics, bars, and cafes. He began playing with percussionist Marco Haber, who played on a few tracks on his first album “27”. Shortly thereafter they began playing under the name Mudfunk and recorded a live album, Live at the Grind, as well as a single of “Wrong Side of the Bed” at Studio Zoot in Albany. The latter would be re-recorded for Sean’s solo album, Magic, without Haber and with different instrumentation. He recorded his album, Magic, at Collar City Sound and released it through Collar City Records on April 21, 2009. In 2009, Rowe was asked to open for Noah and the Whale in the United Kingdom. Soon after, Sean signed with ANTI- Records, which re-released Magic on February 22, 2011, and released The Salesman and the Shark on August 28, 2012. On March 4, Sean played his new release, “Downwind”, on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The movie The Accountant with actor Ben Affleck (2016) features Sean Rowe’s song “To Leave Something Behind”

 

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Gallery Opening Featuring Artist John Hampshire

Join us to view an exhibit of artwork by John Hampshire while listening to live jazz by the Julia Donnaruma Trio. Meet the artist, enjoy refreshments and share in this lovely evening with us.

$10 Entry Fee/Suggested Donation

John Hampshire is a Professor of Studio Art at SUNY Adirondack and has had numerous solo and group exhibitions nationally. He is the recipient of many honors and awards, including most recently a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creativity, a NYFA fellowship grant, and a Purchase Award from the Hyde Museum.