Chandra Ping and Lauren Sansaricq share 2008 Reiss award: Walking the Dog Theater improv groups to perform

Chandra Ping and Lauren Sansaricq, both of Ghent, N.Y., will share this year's Henriette Reiss Award for artistic endeavor, given each year to current or former graduates of the Hawthorne Valley School in Harlemville. Checks will be presented to both winners at the 16th-annual arts celebration to be held Saturday, May 24th, at the Basilica Industria, 110 South Front Street, Hudson (one block south of the AMTRAK station). As always, the event is open to the public. This year the starting time is 5:00 p.m.. A festive reception will follow the presentation and artistic demonstration. There will also be an exhibit of the award recipients’ work. The annual Henriette Reiss festivals feature the artistic process itself as their theme. This year Walking the Dog Theater’s adult and after-school Improv groups will team up to explore the art of spontaneous imagination. The actors will “perform” scenes and sketches based on improvisational games and audience suggestions, sharing their unplanned discoveries with an interactive audience.

A 2003 Hawthorne Valley graduate, Ms. Ping’s primary artistic discipline is painting. She has also branched out into glass art, which has evolved from flat-panel stained glass to original jewelry created from self-made glass beads. “I first learned this technique from local artist Linda Hartka,” comments Ping, “and I’ve enjoyed building on those skills by exploring how the different glasses react with and relate to each other. Most recently I’ve worked on a series that integrates both painting and glass work, creating two-dimensional “mannequins” that are adorned with glass bead necklaces.” Ms. Ping’s plan is to finish her Associate’s degree in Fine Arts while researching art schools for future attendance. She is the daughter of Martin and Janene Ping of Ghent.

Also a painter, Lauren Sansaricq is a member of the 2008 senior class at Hawthorne Valley. She has been working with local master landscape artist Thomas Locker. “From what Mr. Locker has taught me, I find I see the world in a new way,” Sansaricq explains. “I cannot help noticing the clouds and the colors they show—burnt sienna, mars ivory black, titanium white. I cannot help noticing how the orange of autumn trees complements the cool blue sky. I cannot help noticing how magnificently the light of dusk shades the landscape into colors of gold and bronze. When I’m in nature, I feel inspiration for scenes I would love to paint.” Sansaricq has been accepted at the Grand Central Academy of Art in Manhattan, which accepts only fifteen students each year. She hopes to begin her studies there in September. “I wholeheartedly want to attend the Academy, not because of its fame but because the students receive a classical artistic training similar to what the old masters received. I’m fully aware that the curriculum is rigorous and difficult, yet I’m excited at the prospect of learning about the things I’m most passionate about—drawing and painting.” Lauren is the daughter of Ralph Sansaricq and Mary Faherty Sansaricq of Ghent.

The Henriette Reiss Award was established in 1993 by Elizabeth Papas of Philmont, N.Y., a long-time friend of the Reiss family. Ms. Reiss, a resident of Columbia County, N.Y., for twenty-five years, was an internationally respected artist and designer. Born in England and raised in Switzerland, she followed her husband, the artist Winold Reiss, to New York in 1914, where she soon established her own career and became well known for her textile and rug designs, as well as for her book jackets and advertising layouts. She also taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She died in Philmont in 1992. For further information on Henriette Reiss, see http://winold-reiss.org/studiocircle/henriettereiss/.

Admission to the event is free, but contributions to the scholarship fund are appreciated. For additional information, please call 518-672-4910 or go to http://www.hawthornevalleyschool.org/alumni/reiss.html#award.

March 29, 2008 Hawthorne Valley School Hosts Open House

Hawthorne Valley School is one of 170 Waldorf schools in North America and more than 1,000 schools worldwide. The school is easily accessible to residents of Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, Rensselaer, and Berkshire Counties. It is located 1.5 miles east of the Philmont-Harlemville exit of the Taconic State Parkway. For more information on the Open House, contact Gary Lamb, Admissions Director, at 518-672-7092, ext 111, or glamb@hawthornevalleyschool.org.

December 8, Yuletide Fair and Gingerbread House Auction

Hawthorne Valley Farm Festival and School Open Houses

Ghent, NY – Hawthorne Valley Association’s annual Farm Festival and School Open House will take place rain or shine in Harlemville on Saturday, October 6.

The Farm Festival, which runs from 11:00—4:00, sponsored by the 400-acre biodynamic Hawthorne Valley Farm and Farm Store, is a day of fun and education, filled with activities for the entire family. There will be a theatre presentation by Walking the dog Theater; music from local musicians; Sky Hunters in Flight, an outdoor demonstration with live raptors; Beth Bidwell’s “Raptors and Reptiles” from The Wildlife Institute of Eastern New York;; participatory demonstrations; pumpkin carving; scarecrow doll- and apple-cider making; horse-rides; hay maze; tours of the biodynamic farm, creamery, and bakery; chats with local farmers; and sampling of delicious produce and farm products from regional growers and producers. Organic fare that features locally-grown ingredients will be available throughout the day, and the Festival’s Dessert Café will offer delicious homemade goodies.

Hawthorne Valley School, the largest independent, co-educational day school (Pre-K and nursery through twelfth grade) in Columbia and Greene Counties, welcomes parents, students, and other visitors to its Open House. Visitors can tour classrooms, meet with teachers, view student work samples, and attend informational workshops on science and ecology, foreign languages, math, and movement. In addition, admissions information will be provided to interested parents. A feature attraction of the day will be three presentations by The Magical Puppet Tree of “Nkosnati and the Dragon,” a humorous African folktale, at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:00 pm, performed by local musicians and early childhood teachers.

Hawthorne Valley School educates 300 students with a curriculum that balances academics, art, and practical work. The distinctive Waldorf education offered by the 30-year old school attracts students from the tri-state region. Numerous families have moved from across the country, and even from abroad, to participate in the Hawthorne Valley School’s unique learning community.

For more information, contact Hawthorne Valley Farm at 518.672.7500x105 or Hawthorne Valley School at 518.672.7092x111.

Hawthorne Valley School Graduation Keynote Speaker Offers Inspiration to Youth through Multicultural Community Building

On June 9, 2007 at 2:00 in the Hudson Middle School auditorium, the nineteen Hawthorne Valley School seniors receive their diplomas accompanied by music, song, and inspirational words. Graduates will be attending a variety of colleges including Haverford College, Smith College, St. John's College, Green Mountain College, SUNY New Paltz, Lawrence University, and American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Some students plan for travel and community service in the upcoming year with college to follow. Others are already launching into the professional world.

The keynote speaker at the event is Orland Bishop whose ShadeTree Multicultural Foundation based in Los Angeles, CA provides mentoring of potential, restoring vital wellness, and creation of supportive communities. ShadeTree's work is accomplished through these intertwining yet distinct branches of service. 

For more than ten years, before and after being incorporated, ShadeTree has created mentorship models that have resulted in long-term positive impact on youth life within various communities in the United States and overseas.  They have provided consulting services for a wide range of civil and cultural agencies that work to serve children and youth and have mentored numerous youth over many years.  "As the youth life is stabilized, to the degree that they are able to sustain a level of self-sufficiency, they become active in the cultural process that supports a healthy society." 

The ShadeTree organization introduces their philosophy of youth mentorship with the following words, "Let us begin by saying Sawubona, a Zulu word that translates as "I see you."  It speaks to the necessity that in one being seeing another, we owe each other something.  Sawubona is an invitation to create a relationship for the future, to express gratitude we have met.  We find ourselves interrupted by certain situations in our lives that force us to come to terms with life inside us.  There are many paths to entering one's life, for those of us at ShadeTree Multicultural Foundation, we have chosen to enter our lives by taking an interest in human suffering - to understand the time in which we live and how to give to it in such a way that we can resolve some of the struggles that human beings encounter living in this time."

ShadeTree Multicultural Foundation is a unique organization rooted in indigenous wisdom and practices applied through contemporary methods to mentor the human potential and create intentional communities.  ShadeTree draws on the ancient practice of Indaba, a Zulu tradition of "deep talk", through which conversation returns to its old meaning of soulful communication where essential but hidden aspects of the individual and community are revealed.

ShadeTree grew out of the inspiration of Orland Bishop to provide "sanctuary", an agreement of the heart accomplished through the process of giving context and meaning for the recovery and coherence of the Self.  Sanctuary is a vital flow from the symbolic intention of the heart to the practical spaces of the world that nourishes the human potential and growth of community.

Hawthorne Valley School is part of the Hawthorne Valley Association whose mission is social and cultural renewal through farming, education, and the arts. For more information about the school or the association call 518 672-7092.

Open House Featuring Early Childhood Program To Acquaint Parents With Waldorf Education

Ghent, NY -- Hawthorne Valley School, the largest independent, co-educational day school (nursery through twelfth grade) in Columbia and Greene County invites students and their parents to visit the campus for the school's first Open House of the year on Saturday, January 13, 2007, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Open House will offer a chance to tour classrooms, meet with teachers, view student work samples, and attend informational workshops. We will also offer in our Kindergarten building a magical puppet performance of "Kind Winter's Wonderland" for the little ones from the Magical Puppet Tree Marionette theater.

Hawthorne Valley School educates 300 students from nursery through 12th grade with an academic curriculum heavily focused on the arts, languages, movement, and developing an appreciation for the world we live in through experiential learning. The distinctive education offered by the over 30-year old school attracts students from the tri-state region. Numerous families have moved from across the country, and even from abroad, to enroll their children in this learning community. The school is a part of the Hawthorne Valley Association, whose other branches include a 300-acre biodynamic farm and the Visiting Students Program, which sponsors one-week farm-based learning opportunities for primary school classes from around the country.

Hawthorne Valley School is one of 170 Waldorf schools in the US, and more than 900 schools worldwide. The focus of Waldorf education is to awaken the creative capacities living in each child, to encourage clear thinking, artistic imagination and practical skills, while developing academic capacities that meet the demands of the 21st century. At our school good teachers give themselves to their work in the same way that children give themselves to theirs using their minds and hearts in an active and enthusiastic fashion. William Butler Yeats' paradigm speaks for our education when he writes "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

Hawthorne Valley School's campus includes our award-winning Fine Arts Wing, featuring exquisite movement spaces, exhibit spaces for students' works, practice rooms, a music room and an impressive library with handcrafted interior shelves. Our new kindergarten building houses 3 kindergarten classes plus nursery school, and regularly hosts Magical Puppet Tree Marionette theater performances.

Hawthorne Valley School is easily accessible to residents of Columbia, Green, Dutchess, Renssealaer, and Berkshire Counties (busing available). The school is located 1 mile off of the Route 217 (Philmont) exit from the Taconic State Parkway. For more information on the Open House, visit www.hawthornevalleyschool.org or call Regine Shemroske at 518-672-7092, ext 111 or hvsadmissions@taconic.net.

Hawthorne Valley School is an independent co-educational day school (nursery through twelfth grade) within the Hawthorne Valley Association, Inc., a non-profit, tax-exempt ional origin. The school is committed to the ideals, insights, and methods of Waldorf education, preparing students for the world through a balance of academic discipline, artistic creativity, and practical skills. The school is located in the area of Ghent just east of the Taconic Parkway in Columbia County, in the community known as Harlemville.

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King Winter's Wonderland

Ghent, NY - Magical Puppet Tree presents a seasonal fairy tale in two performances on Saturday, January 13, 2007 at The Hawthorne Valley School. The performances are open to the public, and tickets will be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Songs, verses, and stories that celebrate the wonders of winter are featured in this delightful participatory performance for young children. Jackie Frost, the North Wind, Mother Holle, and others share their reflections of the season with the help of our audience. This open house offering brings us an important message from the folktale tradition. This performance is offered by the Hawthorne Valley Early Childhood teachers and will take place in the Morningstar kindergarten room.

The puppet shows will take place at 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. They will take place as part of Hawthorne Valley School's Open House.

Hawthorne Valley School is easily accessible to residents of Columbia, Green, Dutchess, Renssealaer, and Berkshire Counties. The school is located 1 mile off of the Route 217 (Philmont) exit from the Taconic State Parkway. For more information, visit www.hawthornevalleyschool.org or call 518-672-7092, ext 11.

Hawthorne Valley School is an independent co-educational day school (nursery through twelfth grade) within the Hawthorne Valley Association, Inc., a non-profit, tax-exempt ional origin. The school is committed to the ideals, insights, and methods of Waldorf education, preparing students for the world through a balance of academic discipline, artistic creativity, and practical skills. The school is located in the area of Ghent just east of the Taconic Parkway in Columbia County, in the community known as Harlemville.

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88 Keys Concert Series, Harlemville, New York

The 88 Keys Concert Series at Hawthorne Valley for support of music education kicks off its Fall season with two extraordinary performances. First up, on September 24, is the seasoned master of the piano, Albert Lotto, whom the New York Times called "a spectacular virtuoso at the keyboard." Mr. Lotto has spanned the globe with his distinctive combination of musical intelligence and dramatic flair. He will be performing a selection of music from Liszt, Franck, Brahms, and Ravel. A native New Yorker, he has had a career that has taken him to Japan, China, Korea, South America and Europe. Mr. Lotto received his doctorate at the Juilliard School and is presently the Director of Programs at the Tenry Cultural Institute of New York. Dr. Lotto produces programs with the Manhattan School of Music, New York University ,Columbia University and other universities and institutions. Dr. Lotto resides in New York City with his family.

In addition, our September 24 program will feature a gift to Mr. Lotto from the students at Hawthorne Valley School in the form of a performance of "Pax" from the Rose Quartet by Catherine McMichael. This piece will be performed by student musicians: Lailah Amstutz-flute, Nathanael Amstutz-violin, Alexandra Dow-harp, Jonathan Byron-Woodin-cello, Julian Muller-cello, Shai Lev-violin, Helena Zay-violin, Jonathan Talbot-violin, and is directed by: Gili Melamed-Lev.

Next up is our November 19th performance presenting the Da Capo Chamber Players. Widely acclaimed for virtuosity and stimulating programs, Da Capo is synonymous with an exciting legacy of musical directions: openness to a wide spectrum of styles of new music plus a special dedication to working with composers. Recent major commissions have been especially exciting: Chinary Ung's Oracle (commissioned by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust) will be performed at the November 19 concert, as well as, work by Chandler Carter, Eric Chasalow, Su Lian Tan, and, from the greats of the past, Joseph Haydn. The group has very exciting plans to release an all-Chinary Ung CD with Bridge Records!

The members of Da Capo are: David Bowlin, violin; André Emelianoff, cello; Blair McMillen, piano; Patricia Spencer, flute; and Meighan Stoops, clarinet. Da Capo has been in residence at Bard College for more than two decades, and starting in the fall of 2006 will be Ensemble in Residence with the Composition Program of the new Bard College Conservatory of Music.

Upcoming concerts in the series include cellist Ashley Bathgate and pianist Andre Watts.

Tickets for either one of these events are $20 for adults, $5 for students and children seven and under are free. For more information, call (518) 672-7092 ext. 114.

Hawthorne Valley School is located two miles east of the Taconic State Parkway at Exit/ Rte 217, Harlemville-Philmont. Or six miles west of Rte. 22 on Rte. 21C.

Both performances begin at 3:00 PM and are followed by a reception with the artists.

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Seamus Maynard is winner of 2006 Reiss award: Mayorgas' performance to accompany presentation

Seamus Maynard has been named winner of the 14th-annual Henriette Reiss Award for artistic endeavor. He will receive a $1,000 check at the arts celebration to be held on Saturday, May 27th, at the Spencertown Academy. The public event begins at 5 pm and will feature a musical performance by Lincoln Mayorga and Sheri Bauer-Mayorga, an exhibition by area artists, and a reception. Suggested donation is $15, $8 for students and seniors. For information, contact the Spencertown Academy at 518-392-3693 or visit their website at www.spencertownacademy.org.

A 1999 graduate of the Hawthorne Valley School in Ghent, N.Y., Maynard is currently finishing his second term of study at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. After graduating from Hawthorne Valley, Maynard studied locally, taking part in the Shakespeare Alive! intensive training program and performing with the Actors Ensemble. His studies in classical text, primarily Shakespeare, fanned his desire to study in England so as to steep himself in its rich theatrical culture and tradition. He auditioned at the various acting conservatories in and around London and was accepted at four of them. Out of 2,500 applicants, the Guildhall School accepts only 24 annually.

Interest in acting began when a teacher at Hawthorne Valley cast him in a lead role in the senior production of Les Miserables. He thought the teacher had made "a big mistake," but this experience led him to pursue acting full-time.

Maynard comments that his Guildhall experience is "the most intense and demanding thing I have ever done in my life--it requires absolutely all my focus and energy."

He goes on to say, "So much of acting seems to boil down to the ability to think, move, speak, play, and perceive with the imagination. I feel that this ability was strongly developed in my early years at Hawthorne Valley, from all the story-telling and plays that we experienced as youngsters. Now I am taught every day by some of the best teachers, directors, and acting coaches in the industry. The knowledge that in addition to their classes at Guildhall, many of them are coaching actors on film sets or on the great stages of London fills a young actor like me with excitement...." Maynard is the son of David and Patrice Maynard of Ghent.

The annual Henriette Reiss arts festivals have taken the artistic process itself as their theme, and this year's event will feature a musical performance and demonstration of the creative process by the noted husband-and-wife team Lincoln Mayorga (pianist, arranger, conductor) and Sheri Bauer-Mayorga (vocalist, songwriter, pianist, and folk-song collector) of East Chatham, N.Y. The Mayorgas will present "An Open Window on Preparing and Performing American Snapshots: Two Hundred Years of the American Spirit in Song."

The Henriette Reiss Award, presented annually to a student or graduate of the Hawthorne Valley School, was established in 1993 by Elizabeth Papas of Philmont, N.Y., a long-time friend of the Reiss family. Ms. Reiss, a resident of Columbia County, N.Y., for twenty-five years, was an internationally respected artist and designer. Born in England and raised in Switzerland, she followed her husband, the artist Winold Reiss, to New York in 1914, where she soon established her own career and became well known for her textile and rug designs, as well as for her book jackets and advertising layouts. She also taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She died in Philmont in 1992. For further information on Henriette Reiss, see www.winold-reiss.org/studiocircle/henriettereiss.

A variety of works by area artists, including former recipients of the Reiss award, will be on display and for sale. A percentage of all art sales will benefit the award fund.

Past recipients of the award include Simone Chezar (North Egremont, Mass.), Lee-Lee Core (Catskill), Benjamin Dalton, honorable mention (Ghent), Tiffany Fredericks (Ghent), Gabriel Giles (Great Barrington), Rebecca Hartka (Claverack), Emily Hassell (Ghent, presently Guatemala City), Linda Kaufman (Churchtown), Emily Klavun (Ghent), Vanessa Kobran (Great Barrington), Marianka Madey (Hillsdale), Matthew Muller (Ghent), Claire Roberts (Copake), Tara Shumer-Decker (Chatham), Sabrina Tranchita (Claverack), and Martin Young (Ghent).

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