Christine Green, Reading at The Village Gate, Rochester, NY My ongoing series of interviews with aaduna artists continues this month with a conversation with Christine.  Enjoy! http://rockfordkingsley.org/EZine/EViewPoints/InterviewWithChristineGreen/tabid/420/Default.aspx

 First Friday Event, Auburn, NY July 1, 2011  The Seward House, Auburn, NY (l-r)  Billye Chabot & Lisa Brennan Leaders of Auburn's downtown cultural institutions in association with the Business Improvement District (BID) and local businesses kicked off the first "First Friday" monthly celebration on July 1st.  Of course, aaduna Board of Advisor member, Billye Chabot (executive director of the Seward House Museum) was instrumental in initiating this endeavor to draw residents and visitors to the downtown area of the City.  aaduna staff member and artist, Lisa Brennan documented our experiences at the venues we stopped at: Seward House, Swaby's, a local tavern; Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center and the Cayuga Museum.  To see the full video visit: http://youtu.be/mhlX114DKrQ     

Ellen Blalock was featured on the front page of the “CNY” section of the Sunday, June 12, 2011 edition of The Post-Standard.   Ellen was recruited by Light Work and the LGBT Resource Center at Syracuse University to create documentary portraits of LGBT families to create what was titled the “CNY Family Pride Project”, which was exhibited. This year, she agreed to revisit this project and add to the collection of portraits created in 2006-07.   The project recently concluded a critically acclaimed and successful showing at ArtRage Gallery in Syracuse , NY . http://www.lightwork.org/exhibitions/past/cnypridefamilies/ Billye Chabot, executive director of The Seward House Museum was recently featured on WCNY’s Bridge Street .   She talked about Auburn ’s inauguration of a “First Friday” initiative that starts this evening, July 1 from 5-8 PM.   Check out http://www.youtube.com/embed/2-gJrbU2euo Mr. Eli Hernandez Mr. Demetrius Murphy Honorable Mayor ...

aaduna Board of Advisors meeting June 27, 2011 Last night at 6 PM, the aaduna Board convened for their second meeting of the year.  I provided an expedited Publisher's Report since months ago I inadvertently scheduled a same night session with a decade old poetry workshop (Urban Monks, a multi-cultural group dedicated to expanding their creative talents through poetry ) at the Auburn Correctional Facility, and my clearance was approved earlier during the day.  I had to be at the facility by 6:30 PM for check-in, so Lisa Brennan conducted the meeting until an official Chair was elected.  left to right: Pat Clark, Ellen Blalock, Walt Aikman, Eli Hernandez, David Bergan, Billye Chabot, Sheila Applegate The Board approved the following agenda items: March 7 Minutes, the By-Laws as presented with the stipulation that needed changes would occur in the next few weeks for their review and ratification, and officers were elected (Dave Bergan, Chai...

 Jazz Fest Stage June 25, 2011  It may be easier to call this past weekend's jazz festival a music festival since Friday's and last night's acts covered R&B, soul and blues.  Rain and in a few cases thunderstroms dampened (no pun intended) the comfort of sitting in a lawn chair but the music soared.  Held on the campus of Onondaga  Community College in Syracuse, NY, Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, the Average White Band, and the Robert Cray Band headlined the evening.  The set by the Rascals included all their hits and a continuous medley of soul classics.  Not to be outdone, AWB brough fresh approaches to their hits and also borrowed extensively from the soul music portfolio.  Lisa and I did not stay for Robert Cray, who I really wanted to hear.  The crisp evening air and drenched clothes forced an unplanned retreat back to the car and home.  The reviews of Cray's set was what I expected....

I was asked to talk about the art I create so here goes. I’ve been writing poetry since 1970.   My first material was published in the ‘ Nickel Review’ - in that year.   My writing has changed a lot since then as might be expected.   I do not take myself all that seriously with regard to art.   I just consider it fun. I took up photography several years ago quite by accident and realized that I enjoyed it immensely. It took a while to try and make art from simple snapshots.   With the aid of software I taught myself how to manipulate photographs and to turn them into something that does not resemble what the original photograph represented. My approach to this I consider to be based on the philosophy of the ‘Tao’.   I approach the original image with the idea that it contains   an infinity of possibilities in much the same way the ‘empty bowl’ is always the reservoir of unlimited possibilities.   Buddhist principles related to ‘ emptiness’ ...

The Borders Gallery presents “Solitude: Regardless of Season” Lisa A. Brennan June 17 – October 2, 2011 The Penalver Gallery presents “Spring Break in the Republic of China” Kai Adwoa-Thomas June 17 – October 2, 2011 Both galleries are accessible in the current issue of aaduna Visit www.aaduna.org/galleries.html CHECK OUT DAVID ROCHE'S GUEST BLOG TOMORROW