Families Invited to Easter Events at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts

This March, the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is getting into the Easter spirit with special events geared toward families and children of all kinds.

Easter Bunny Family Fun Day will happen on Saturday, March 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. All families are welcome, with an admission fee of $7 per child above age 2. Activities will include Easter egg decorating, an Easter egg hunt with prizes, crafts, dancing and photos with the Easter Bunny. Please RSVP if you plan to attend at www.bit.ly/1QKEbON.

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is also offering an opportunity for children with special needs to meet the Easter Bunny. Their Sensory Friendly Easter Bunny event will take place on Friday, March 11, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. During the event, steps will be taken to reduce sensory triggers, creating a more comfortable and subdued environment for children with special needs to meet and take photos with the Easter Bunny. The cost is $5 per child. Please register for this event in advance at www.bit.ly/1QrUKjP.

All are welcome to attend these events. Both will take place at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts, 2736 State Highway 30, Gloversville. For more information or questions about either, visit www.pncreativeartscenter.org or call (518) 661-9932.

Transitions Apprentices Make Art with Barney Bellinger

Earlier today, Transitions Apprentices enjoyed an unforgettable artistic experience with critically acclaimed Adirondack artist and designer Barney Bellinger (Barney Bellinger Collection). Barney was kind enough to give a tour of his studio at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts. The renowned painter, furniture artisan and 3D artist also taught the Apprentices the ancient and delicate process of applying gold leaf to works of art. We would like to thank Barney for his generosity in sharing his workspace, skills and talent, and for letting the Apprentices help him finish one of his gorgeous pieces.

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts Announces Winter “Funderland” Day Camp

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is offering a day camp this winter break for children ages 5 to 10. On December 28, 29 and 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., campers will enjoy a wide range of winter crafts and activities at the art center’s facility at 2736 State Highway 30, Gloversville.

The theme of Monday, December 28, is Beach Party. Campers should bring their beach towels and dress for the warmth as the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts turns up the heat. The day will include s’mores, a dance-off and creating special sand sculptures to take home.

The theme of Tuesday, December 29, is Outdoor Adventure. Weather conditions permitting, campers will participate in outdoor activities such as building snowmen and snow painting. Inside, campers will warm up with hot chocolate and paint their own winter pictures to take home.

The theme of the last day of camp, December 30, is Imagination Celebration. The campers will use their imaginations, abilities and interests – including dancing, singing, acting, and creating costumes and props – to put on a mini production in one day. 

All children within the targeted age group are welcome. Campers should bring their own labeled lunch and water bottle. Refrigeration will be provided. Advanced registration is required. Children can register for all three days of camp or for individual days. The cost is $25 per day or $60 for all three days. For more information and to register, visit www.pncreativeartscenter.org/winter-funderland-camp or call (518) 661-9932.

Paul Nigra Center Music Teacher DiAnne Mott Nominated for a Grammy!

Congratulations to DiAnne Mott, who taught music and rhythm classes at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts this summer! She has been selected as one of only 25 semifinalists from all over the country for the 2016 Grammy Music Educator Award. This award is presented every year by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation to recognize educators who have made significant and lasting contributions to the field of music education.

DiAnne Mott teaches her Music & Rhythm class at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts this summer.

DiAnne Mott teaches her Music & Rhythm class at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts this summer.

DiAnne was chosen from more than 4,500 educators nominated. In December the semifinalists will be narrowed down to 10 finalists, who will each receive a $1,000 honorarium and grants for their schools. One winner will attend the Grammy Award ceremony in Los Angeles in February and receive a $10,000 honorarium.

For most of the year, DiAnne teaches music and leads the bands at Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Central School District. There is no one more deserving of this award, because there is no one more passionate about what she does. You make us all proud, DiAnne!

Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts names Sue Nigra Interim Director

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is pleased to announce that Sue Nigra has been named its interim director. Nigra is responsible for the oversight of all programs and activities at the center as well as marketing, membership recruitment and fund development.

“We are delighted to have Sue Nigra join us to help launch the creative arts center.  Her enthusiasm and experience are a perfect match, and who better to help us make the Paul Nigra Center a success than Sue Nigra?” said Wally Hart, executive director of The Lexington Foundation. 

Nigra, who will lead the center named in honor of her late father, brings to this role an extensive and broad experience in business, communications, public relations and the media. She most recently served as director of communications & outreach at the New York State Chapter of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which represents more than 4,000 members. Prior to her time at ACOG, Nigra worked as director of communications at Bellevue Woman's Hospital in Niskayuna. Sue Nigra is perhaps best known for her early career in television journalism, where she worked for several years as a news anchor and reporter at both WTEN in Albany and WRGB in Niskayuna. 

Ms. Nigra graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Public Communications from the College of Saint Rose in Albany. She resides in Rensselaer County with her husband Joe and daughter Elizabeth.

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts Announces Twin Technologies as Sponsor of its Grand Opening Gala

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is proud to announce that Twin Technologies will be a lead sponsor of its Grand Opening Gala, scheduled for Sept. 17, 2015 at 6 p.m. Twin Technologies, located in Altamont, NY, is a Digital Solutions and System Integration firm with clients across the globe. Owners Mary and Ben Elmore serve on the advisory board of Transitions, the program co-located with the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts that supports students with autism spectrum disorders and other learning differences who want to go to college or have a career and live independently.

The Grand Opening Gala will showcase the renovated facilities located at 2736 State Highway 30, Gloversville and will provide an opportunity for the public to see the type of classes, workshops and events that will take place at both the Creative Arts Center and Transitions. During the evening’s program, Ben Elmore and his son Haydn will tell Haydn’s story about what it’s like to live with autism and will encourage attendees and guests to underwrite scholarships for students to attend the Transitions program.

The Grand Opening is open to the public and tickets are available online at http://www.pncreativeartscenter.org/events/2015/9/17/grand-opening-of-the-paul-nigra-center-for-creative-arts.

What:  Grand Opening of the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts

When:  September 17, 2015, 6 p.m.

 Where:  Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts 2736 State Highway 30, Gloversville, NY, 12078

Cost:       $100 for individual ticket

                  $75 for young professional (under 40) ticket

                  $1,000 for table for 10

                  $1,250 for VIP table for 10

Contact and RSVP info:                    The Lexington Foundation, attn: Katherine Ehle

                                                                        465 N. Perry Street, Johnstown, NY 12095

                                                                        Phone: (518) 736-3909 Fax: (518) 762-0973

                                                                        ehlek@lexcenter.org

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts Announces Summer 2015 Artists-in-Residence

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is honored to welcome its first two artists-in-residence, Gwyneth Scally and Michaela Worosz, who are visiting for the next five weeks. They will be working on their own projects at our facility as well as sharing their talents with the public through a series of public workshops. Sign up for one of them for an exclusive sneak peek at the arts center before its September grand opening. Scally will present a three-week Portrait Painting in Oil workshop from 6 – 8PM on the following dates: 7/27/15, 7/29/15, 8/3/15, 8/5/15, 8/10/15 and 8/12/15. Worosz will teach two Fold and Cut Paper Art workshops. The first, a condensed two-week workshop, will go from 6 – 9PM on 7/14/15, 7/16/15, 7/21/15 and 7/23/15. The second, a three-week workshop, will be taught from 6 – 8PM on 7/28/15, 7/30/15, 8/4/15, 8/6/15, 8/11/15 and 8/13/15. All classes take place at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts, all materials will be provided, and the cost for each workshop is $100.

Scally is known and acclaimed internationally for her art, which includes large-scale paintings, installation and fiberglass sculpture. Born in Washington, D.C., Scally taught and created art in Arizona for about a decade before relocating to Brooklyn in 2012. She has worked as an instructor, assistant professor and adjunct professor of visual arts, career development, art appreciation, art history and more at six institutes of higher learning, including the University of Arizona, Southwest University of the Visual Arts and Bronx Community College.

Scally’s work has been featured in 20 solo exhibitions, 13 two- and three-person exhibitions and more than 60 group exhibitions throughout the United States, Europe and Mexico. The quality of her work has earned her 18 special awards, grants, scholarships and fellowships since 2000, and she has participated in nine other residencies, research trips, lectures and other such projects in the United States, Europe, Canada and East Asia. 33 reviews, articles and interviews about her work have been published in more than two dozen publications and television stations nationally.

Worosz, a native of Dunkirk, NY, will finish her degree in Visual Arts and New Media, with a minor in Art History, at SUNY Fredonia this coming winter. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in Curatorial Studies afterward in preparation for a career in cataloging and preserving old works of art.

Worosz works in installation, pen-and-ink illustration and book arts. She has participated in three exhibitions – all installation work – in the past year and worked as a gallery assistant in the spring. This fall, she will work at the Burchfield Penney, a Buffalo, NY, gallery, as an archival processing intern. 

Both artists are also teaching classes at Transitions, a supportive apprenticeship program for young adults with autism spectrum disorders including Asperger’s syndrome, nonverbal learning differences, ADHD, dyslexia and other learning differences. The program prepares its students for life after high school in college, at a career and/or living independently. Scally and Worosz’s classes are part of the arts enrichment section of the curriculum, which allows students to express themselves and be introduced to a wide variety of arts disciplines during their time at Transitions.

Visit http://www.pncreativeartscenter.org/summer-2015-workshops/ for more information about and to register for these workshops, as well as updates on other events the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is offering. For more information about Scally and to see examples of her work, visit her website at www.gwynethscallyart.com. For more information about Worosz and to see examples of her work, visit mworosz.weebly.com. For more information about Transitions, visit http://www.transitionsusa.org.

 

The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts Announces Summer Theater Camps for Children and Teens

This summer, the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts will present a collection of theater camps open to all children in the community. There will be seven weeklong camps in July and August, all taught by local actress, director, singer and drama teacher Roberta Esposito. There are two camps for children aged 4 to 7, two for 8- to 11-year-olds and three for theater fans ages 11 and up. Children of all experience and skill levels are welcome.

The youngest group can explore princes, princesses and royal kingdoms in the Royal Treasure Box camp or musical theater based on folklore and fairy tales in Broadway Babies. For the 8 to 11 age group, campers can put on an L. Frank Baum inspired production in Wizard of Oz Meets Wicked, or they can explore ways of interpreting musical theater characters in Disney Musical Express. The oldest age group has longer, more in-depth options. Audition Boot Camp is a comprehensive course aimed to prepare students for formal auditions. The Villains and Villainesses camp will build confidence as well as character acting skills in learning to play evil characters. Finally, Life Is a Cabaret will teach students how to put on the many-featured performance of a cabaret.

For more information and to register, please visit www.pncreativeartscenter.org/theater-camp. There is a 10% discount available for students taking more than one class, multiple students in the same family and children of Lexington employees. To receive this discount, you must use the coupon code SUMMER2015 in the online checkout form.

We hope your child will join us for a summer of fun and enrichment in the performing arts.

What: Summer theater camps open to all children of the community

Who:

Ages 4 to 7: Royal Treasure Box and Broadway Babies

Ages 8 to 11: Wizard of Oz Meets Wicked and Disney Musical Express

Ages 11 and up: Audition Boot Camp, Villains and Villainesses, and Life Is a Cabaret

 

When:

Audition Boot Camp: July 14-17, 9 a.m. to noon

Royal Treasure Box: July 20-24, 9-10 a.m.

Wizard of Oz Meets Wicked: July 20-14, 10:30 a.m. to noon

Villains and Villainesses: July 27-31, 9 a.m. to noon

Broadway Babies: Aug. 3-7, 9-10 a.m.

Disney Musical Express: Aug. 3-7, 10:30 a.m. to noon

Life Is a Cabaret: Aug. 10-14, 9 a.m. to noon (no class on Tuesday, Aug. 11)

Where: The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts: 2736 State Hwy 30, Gloversville, NY 12078

Cost:

Audition Boot Camp: $100

Royal Treasure Box: $45

Wizard of Oz Meets Wicked: $65

Villains and Villainesses: $125

Broadway Babies: $45

Disney Musical Express: $65

Life Is a Cabaret: $100

 

Contact and Registration Info: www.pncreativeartscenter.org/theater-camp