LAKE GEORGE — Lake George’s newest event, Winterfest, is planned for the four weekends of February, welcoming visitors to enjoy socially-distanced safe outdoor events such as cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, winter “fat tire” mountain biking, axe throwing, dog sled rides and more while they dine and relax in the Lake George area.

A wristband is $30 and with it comes your choice of adventure, plus access to horse-drawn carriage rides around Lake George, hot cocoa stations, 15% off your hotel stay and 10% off at many participating restaurants, which are all listed on the website. Many of the restaurants offer takeout and delivery options. Children’s wristbands are $15.

Your wristband is valid to enjoy these perks every weekend in February, from Thursday through Sunday. The activity must be chosen at the time you reserve, however. 

“WinterFest is designed with safety being top of mind,’’ says Americade organizer Christian Dutcher, who is heading up the event. “In addition to providing unique experiences that will provide lasting memories and excellent photo ops, these are all healthy, outdoor activities with social distancing in place. Meanwhile, we are keeping a watchful eye on public safety and are poised to respond and change events should the need arise.”

WinterFest is funded by Warren County and supported by the Warren County Board of Supervisors, the Town and Village of Lake George, Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce, and major hoteliers and restaurateurs. 

Wristbands are on sale now at www.lakegeorgewinterfest.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS —
The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College invites the public to experience a double feature of exclusive videos starting this week on the Tang website at tang.skidmore.edu.

In an online version of the Tang screening series, Whole Grain: Experiments in Film and Video, the Museum presents a limited-access presentation of Eve Fowler’s With It Which It As It If It Is To Be, Part II (2019) in conjunction with the exhibition Never Done: 100 Years of Women in Politics and Beyond.

Fowler’s video is the second installment in her planned ten-part video series that explores the working practices of women artists in their later years of their career, in their studios, and interacting with their art. In this collaborative work, Fowler visits the studios of women artists in New York City and Los Angeles. The soundtrack consists of different artists and writers reading Gertrude Stein’s 1910 story Many Many Women. The repetitive stream of consciousness oration is hypnotic and provocative in its consideration of the lives and works of these prolific artists. The video will be available for streaming on the Tang website through Feb. 7 at tang.skidmore.edu.

Also this week, the Tang will release a special recording of a commissioned performance by Silver the Void in the installation Nicole Cherubini: Shaking the Trees – an improvisational music/art project of artist Susan Jennings, who makes sculptures and plays those sculptures with her husband and daughter. Watch the video on the Shaking the Trees exhibition page. 

This double feature is part of the Tang’s ongoing commitment to supporting artists and to bringing engaging experiences to its audiences, even as the Museum building remains closed to the public at least through the end of the spring semester. 

Access to the online videos is free and open to the public.

The museum has also announced the release of a new publication – Culture as Catalyst – focused on the most urgent issues of the day. The book is a collection of compelling dialogues and new writings by artists, scholars, activists, and influential thinkers who present new perspectives that disrupt the status quo by encouraging a “getting comfortable with discomfort” attitude to work through big ideas to drive change.

Edited by Isolde Brielmaier, the first Curator at Large at the Tang Teaching Museum, Culture as Catalyst accompanies the 2017–2019 Accelerator Series of public conversations she organized at the Museum to shed new light on the topics of whiteness, migration, mass incarceration, feminism, monuments, citizenship, cultural appropriation, forgiveness, and food justice. These dialogues were part of a three-year project called Accelerate: Access & Inclusion at The Tang Teaching Museum, which was supported in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. 

Culture as Catalyst (276 pages; $30) is edited by Isolde Brielmaier, designed by Beverly Joel / pulp, ink., and includes an introduction by Brielmaier and a welcome by Ian Berry, Dayton Director of the Tang Teaching Museum. It is now available from the Tang website at tang.skidmore.edu/shop. 

Every other Thursday through May 27, the Tang Teaching Museum will launch a video trailer on social media for each chapter of the book and make that chapter available as a downloadable PDF on the Museum’s website at tang.skidmore.edu.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Universal Preservation Hall presents a live-stream virtual concert Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. of Williamstown, MA recording artist Misty Blues. The group is celebrating the release of their 10th album in over two decades together. 

Following a live performance of their new album, “None More Blue,” the band will celebrate Black History Month with a performance of the “Queens of the Blues” soundtrack. The “Queens of the Blues” movie showcases the lives of four African-American female blues artists – Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown and Koko Taylor – who left an indelible mark on popular blues for generations to come. 

All original compositions on “None More Blue” were written during the pandemic and shed light on the creative connections band members were able to maintain in a primarily virtual and remote environment. The early single release from the album, “Nothing To Lose,” has taken the Roots Music Contemporary Blues Charts by storm. The album release date is Feb. 14. 

Tickets for the livestream event are $20 and available at: universalpreservationhall.org 

SARATOGA SPRINGS ­— The music goes on at Caffe Lena. For information about how to livestream events from the café, go to: caffelena.org.

THIS WEEK: 
Friday, Jan. 22 | 8 p.m. Meadow Mountain Watch Party
Saturday, Jan. 23 | 7 p.m. Stephane Wrembel
Sunday, Jan. 24 | 7 p.m. Nellie McKay
Monday, Jan. 25 | 3:30 p.m. Teen Book Club
Tuesday, Jan. 26 | 7 p.m. Storytelling Night 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Northshire Bookstore Saratoga, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at its Broadway location, additionally offers a series of Northshire Live events, which can be experienced virtually several times per week from the comfort of your home.   

This week Edward Schwarzschild presents ‘In Security’ in conversation with Adam Johnson at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22; Bookseller Chat literary conversation takes place 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, and a special Saratoga Book Festival Online event at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, featuring a cook-along demonstration with Anna Francese Gass, author of Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women. 

For more information about Northshire Bookstore Saratoga and how to view Northshire Live events, go to: northshire.com. 

NASHVILLE — Each year, The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), along with presenting partners Martin Guitars and Strings and CMT hold an annual song contest inviting aspiring songwriters around the world to enter their songs and/or lyrics into one of two categories for a chance to win several incredible prizes including up to $5,000 cash and mentor sessions with some of today’s greatest songwriters.

Mark Giufre, of Burnt Hills, won the 20th annual contest’s Lyric-Only category with his entry “Cast Away.” As contest winner, Giufre was awarded a mentor session with legendary songwriter Tom Douglas, $2,000 cash, and Martin OME Cherry guitar. 

With nearly 3,000 entries, each of the total 21 placing songs advanced through several levels of judging with the final judging event taking place Spring 2020, where the Grand Prize-winning song was determined by a panel of elite judges. In the Fall of 2020, each of the winners connected via Zoom with their mentors, receiving valuable insight and inspiration to propel them into the new year. 

Mark Giufre is an educator from the small town of Burnt Hills.  He began his career teaching Kindergarten and currently works at a private school for students with autism and special needs. Mark’s love of country music and lyrics is rooted in his love of early country music from the fourth generation up to the great storytellers of today.   Mark’s motivation for writing is to tell a story.  He says, “The power of song lies in its ability, in only a couple of minutes, to tell a story that may span many years and evoke the strongest of emotions in the listener.”  His winning song Cast Away does just that.  It tells the story of the life and evolution of the relationship between a Father and a Son, but it goes far beyond that. It includes memories so many of us can relate to. Mark’s ultimate goal is to draw out memories that the listener may have forgotten about and give them something to relate to as they navigate life’s ups and downs. Another song he is currently working on titled “Pixiedust and Whiskey” alludes to life’s highs and lows and how we get through it all with a little bit of faith. His latest work, “If I Could Write A Country Song,” tells a story of fate, life and love that many may relate to. 

Established in 1967, NSAI is the world’s largest not-for-profit songwriters trade organization with more than 5,000 members spanning the United States and several foreign countries. Consisting of a body of creative minds, including songwriters from all genres of music, professional and aspiring, for over 52 years, NSAI has been committed to protecting the rights and future of the profession of songwriting, as well as carrying a commitment to educate, elevate and celebrate the songwriter, acting as a unifying force within the music community and the community at large. For more information, visit nashvillesongwriters.com.

LAKE GEORGE —  “Painted Stories,” new work by Susan Hoffer is presented at Courthouse Gallery by Lake George Arts Project Jan. 16 – Feb. 19.  An Online Talk with Susan Hoffer will be held 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16 via Zoom. Link at: www.lakegeorgearts.org.   

Hoffer’s new work is deeply rooted in her surrounding environment, rural Upstate NY’s Adirondack Park. Her autobiographical paintings spring from her experiences and exchanges with family, friends, students and neighbors. With close attention to current events, and a keen eye for observing detail, she depicts how technology is relied on and weaved into everyday life. Her subjects are carefully staged in various interior spaces, often with dramatic lighting rendered through thick brushwork, and surrounded by objects that inform each narrative. Her compositions reveal psychological states of her subjects, her empathy for them, as well as her love of light and texture in paint.

“I am interested in the experience of real or perceived isolation that is a result of geographical place and in the ways we use technology to form connections. In our digital age, new media have become a primary means of informational access for many people living in rural areas such as the Adirondack Park,” Hoffer said, in a statement. “In each painting, I aim to connect my subjects to their broader context, hinting at their engagement with global concerns.” 

Hoffer’s work has been featured in solo shows at Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, Blue Mountain Lake, and group shows at Emerge Gallery in Saugerties, Albany Institute of History & Art, The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, and Saratoga Arts in Saratoga Springs, among others. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Opera Saratoga announced last week that the company has converted its popular in-school OPERA-TO-GO tour into an interactive, virtual program this year to ensure safety for all while continuing to provide a unique and enriching arts education experience. 

The new program will feature the digital world premiere of The Selfish Giant, a new one-act opera based on the short story by Oscar Wilde, written by Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad and librettist Lila Palmer, commissioned by American Lyric Theater in New York City specifically for young audiences. 

“While we love visiting schools and introducing children to opera, proceeding with an in-person tour this winter and spring would not only be impractical, but also irresponsible. Safety must come first. However, we are still committed to providing access to the performing arts to students as well as robust arts education resources to educators – whether they are teaching virtually, in person, or in some combination of the two,” company artistic and general director Lawrence Edelson said in statement.

 Over the past six months, Opera Saratoga has re-envisioned the OPERA-TO-GO program as a digital initiative that will be available for free to educators for their students.  The program will be available to schools in late February, and is comprised of the following elements:

 • Opera Saratoga is creating a series of short video lessons on opera, aligned to New York State Common Core Standards in Music, Theater, Visual Arts, and English/Literature at grade levels from K-5, as well as the National Social Emotional Learning Standards. For each grade level, there will be a series of 6 videos, each 10 to 15 minutes in length, available for use in class, or for at-home viewing. Each video is accompanied by a comprehensive teacher’s guide that includes details of the alignment to State standards, and grade appropriate follow-up activities for students.

• Opera Saratoga is making a professional audio recording of the new opera THE SELFISH GIANT, by composer Clarice Assad and librettist Lila Palmer, based on the short story by Oscar Wilde. This recording will be fully integrated into the digital curriculum, providing opportunities to explore subjects including adaptation (how a short story becomes an opera), the role of the librettist, the role of the composer, collaboration, how words and music come together to create sung theater, the textual and musical “building blocks” of opera, and how opera is produced on stage.

• Using the recording, students will have the opportunity to make their own film versions of THE SELFISH GIANT by creating art that reflects the story and music. A scene-by-scene breakdown of the dramatic action of THE SELFISH GIANT will be provided to each class participating in the program, along with very clear, grade appropriate instructions. Students will be assigned specific moments of the opera to illustrate in a manner appropriate to their age/grade level, through drawing, painting, collage, or digital photography. Opera Saratoga will then create films of THE SELFISH GIANT, synching the recording of the opera to the art created by the students that bring each scene to life. Each school or class will have the opportunity to create their own versions of the film. In the spring, these videos will be completed and made available to share with family members as well as on each school’s website and social media channels. Opera Saratoga will also create an online library of student-created films of the opera, which will be hosted on the company’s website. 

Educators interested in offering this program to their students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 should register at www.operasaratoga.org/virtual-education no later than Jan. 22.

Opera Saratoga is able to provide free access to the entire video lesson series with educational support materials for all teachers and all schools. However, as the company does have limited capacity to create the opera-video projects, this portion of the program will be limited to schools in Saratoga, Warren, Washington, Essex, Albany, Rensselaer, and Schenectady counties, and will be limited to the first 50 schools or classes that register for the program. 

Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962, playing to an audience of 230. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually. Opera Saratoga celebrates its 60th Anniversary this season. For more information, visit www.operasaratoga.org

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In this city, the guitars have all gone silent. Matt McCabe has passed away, COVID-19 taking from the city one of its most endearing souls. 

“June 14, 1994. Flag Day. I started in a little 160 square-foot hole-in-the-wall space on Caroline Street,” he recalled with a smile, on a weekday afternoon 25 years later, celebrating a quarter-century in this city. 

“That was my first real business venture. I opened with 48 used guitars and 10 used amplifiers. There was a lot going on and I’ll never forget it.” It was a week when he had watched his beloved New York Rangers hockey team win their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years, and experienced the buzz among all the other storefronts on Caroline Street as O.J. Simpson slinked in the back seat of a white Ford Bronco, leading a low-speed chase by police through Southern California.

A quarter-century later, he had opened a number of Saratoga Guitar shops, where he sold new, used, and vintage instruments, a plethora of accessories, sheet music, vinyl records, and conducted instrument repairs. For a generation he hosted The Capital Region Guitar Show – which became one of the longest running guitar shows in the country – drawing dealers, musicians and fans from across the northeast to the Spa City. On occasion, he made the time to take to the stage – “playing and singing with whoever will have me, me and my guitar compadres.” 

The shop served as a musician’s meeting place, and he often played host for some of the biggest ones coming through town.   

“Over the years we’ve seen Graham Nash and Stephen Stills, John Fogerty, Joe Bonamassa. Beck stopped in. Dave Matthews has always been very nice to us. Sam Shepard, the actor. We’ve met some nice people over the years. They come here, they love Saratoga and they like that they don’t get bothered here. We always take the low key, engage as they want, but you have to know that they’re working people too.”

As a young man, McCabe had fancied becoming a veterinarian or a baseball player. “Everything else since then happened by accident,” he said. “Thanks to family and friends I’ve been able to make it work over the years. The city’s been very good to me. The kids were all born here. And the downtown vibe is great.” 

From 2004-2007, McCabe served as city Finance Commissioner.  He was a popular member of the council and independent of any political party. 

“You learn a lot about your fellow citizens, and what I learned was: how smart I wasn’t. At those meetings when people come up and speak – people from all walks of life and from all over our city – you see how varied our population is. When you listen to the public comments you realize: My goodness, how many passionate people there are; How many qualified opinions there are. And from people out there who are smarter than you. Just because you’re in office, it doesn’t mean you’re smarter. It was a life-learning experience for me,” he said.

“I certainly look back on it fondly. It was a challenge, but I thoroughly enjoyed working for the people of Saratoga Springs. I did my best.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — When the Nazis invaded France in 1940, Jewish parents first ran, then hid, and finally entrusted their children to various organizations and churches to shelter their youngsters. The story of Fanny’s Journey  – Le Voyage de Fanny, a 2016 French and Belgian film – is told through the eyes of some of those children. 

Saratoga Jewish Community Arts and Temple Sinai presents a Zoom discussion of the film Fanny’s Journey at 7 p.m. on Jan. 10.

Fanny’s Journey is based on the life of Fanny Ben-Ami and her two sisters. The story is true, but as a film, elements were fictionalized. Ben-Ami, 85 in 2016 when the film was released, was at first taken aback by the liberties taken in the film, but then reconciled that the film conveys the appropriate message. Fanny did not help eleven children to escape to Switzerland, as portrayed in the film; she travelled with 28 children.

In 1943 France, Fanny had barely turned 13 when her father was arrested in German occupied Paris. Fanny’s mother sent her and her younger sisters to the French free zone until it was no longer safe there, and then they went on to an Italian foster home. She and her younger sisters faced language barriers and Nazi persecution. The young children were again threatened and must once again be on the run. This time, the agency head was determined that they get to Switzerland, obtaining false passports for them, coercing the children to learn new names and backstories, securing them on a train to Switzerland, and then disappears, leaving 13- year-old Fanny in charge. When the war ended, Fanny learned her parents had died in Auschwitz and Lublin. 

The film is based on Fanny Ben Ami’s 2015 memoir. Registration required for Zoom discussion at sjca.sjcf@gmail.com. For more information, visit: Saratoga jewish cultural festival.org; saratogasinai.org.