Graham exhibit opens at NorthEast-Millerton Library

Barbara Graham’s exhibit is called “Nature’s Mysteries.”

Avery Wickwire

Graham exhibit opens at NorthEast-Millerton Library

MILLERTON — Barbara Graham’s art will grace the walls of the NorthEast-Millerton Library through the end of July.

Her exhibit, “Nature’s Mysteries,” which took about a year to complete, features what she labels as “Totems” inspired by objects she has found walking through nature and the town. Using everything from tree bark to twigs to fungi and more, Graham says the resulting art aids in thought clarification, similar to Shamanism which began in Tibet and India centuries ago.

The response that she has to the objects she uses can depend on many things, Graham says, including her mood at the moment, the time of day and the light in which they are seen.

In some instances, the works of art emerge quickly, but in others, time is needed for the material and images to evolve.

She cites a neighbor’s tree which hosts a fungus, noting that its texture and color change as the year progresses. She waits to harvest it — usually until autumn — when the right color is achieved, and dries what she has collected on top of her furnace at home.

Because the material she uses continuously changes as it ages and dries, she completes her work by spraying a preservative over the designs which are glued to cardboard.

Graham’s journey to the Millerton exhibit was not a simple one. “I wanted to be a dancer when I was a little kid,” Graham said. “But then I segued into being a costume designer which I did for 40 years, and a lot of my art reflects that sense of fantasy.”

After she completed a master’s in costume design at New York University she toured the country, plying her trade from Broadway to the West Coast for 40 years, particularly enjoying creations for opera and Shakespeare. Eventually she found less satisfaction in traveling for months at a time and decided to create a home base.

That led her to focus on visual art, which now includes her nature series and a series of greeting cards. In addition to exhibiting her work, Graham also sells her creations at the Millerton Farmers Market and the Salisbury General Store in Connecticut.

She does the majority of her work at home, but about once a week she and other artists gather in someone’s home to work as they provide encouragement and feedback to one another. Anyone who is interested in joining that group may leave a message at the front desk of the library.

Library director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson says Graham’s work has been exhibited and appreciated in the past and adds an interesting element to the facility. She notes that patrons enjoy looking at the walls covered with unique creations. She invites area artists to reach out to the library if they would like to display their work.

For more information about the exhibit or the library, located at 75 Main St., call 518-789-3440 or go to nemillertonlibrary.org.

Latest News

New Millerton eatery sets April 26 opening

Tallow, a new restaurant, will be located in the former McDonald’s site on Route 44 in Millerton.

Photo by Nathan Miller

MILLERTON — A new restaurant was granted site approval by the Town of North East Planning Board on Wednesday, March 27.

Austin Cornell, a co-founder of the new eatery, has been before the Board, detailing plans for the restaurant, which will be located at the site of the former McDonald’s on Route 44.

Keep ReadingShow less
Housing plan amendments aired
Amenia Town Hall
Photo by John Coston

AMENIA — The nonprofit Hudson River Housing Inc. described amendments to their plans for the Cascade Creek subdivision at the regular meeting of the Planning Board on Wednesday, March 26.

The company is continuing to gather input and develop the conservation plan for the subdivision.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Lustre Kings rock at The Millbrook Library

Rocking the Millbrook Library with landmark hits from the early years of rock and roll, The Lustre Kings entertained a large audience on Saturday, March 29. From left, Marcus Benoit on sax, lead singer Mark Gamsjager on guitar, Mike Lomaestro on drums, and Butch Amiot on bass.

Photo by Leila Hawken

MILLBROOK — Celebrating and preserving the hard-driving rhythmic roots of rock and roll, The Lustre Kings rocked the stacks at The Millbrook Library on Saturday, March 29, as part of the Winter Concert Series, sponsored by the library and the Millbrook Arts Group.

Tracing the evolution of music and performers from the mid-1950s with Sun Records in Memphis and how those hits influenced the music of the Beatles in the early 1960s, lead singer and guitarist Mark Gamsjager and the Lustre Kings quartet allowed the audience to embrace memories of their youthful pop music cultural roots. Toes tapped and heads bobbed

Keep ReadingShow less
Steamy behavior during the Gilded Age detailed at Amenia Free Library talk

Regaling his listeners with scandalous tales of the Gilded Age, Don Fraser, educator at the Staatsburgh Estate, spoke at the Amenia Free Library on Thursday, March 27.

Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — Rampant unseemly escapades, the norm among members of the social set during the Gilded Age, were detailed during a colorful talk at the Amenia Free Library on Thursday, March 27. The Gilded Age extended from about 1865 to 1914.

The featured speaker was Don Fraser of the Staatsburgh Estate, a state historic site with a stately summer mansion overlooking the Hudson River. His presentation included a selection of images which illustrated the historic narrative of the life and home of Ruth Livingston Mills, her capitalist husband, Ogden, and the wealthy socialites and aristocrats who kept themselves amused by seamy society events and sordid sleepovers at homes such as Staatsburgh.

Keep ReadingShow less