Monthly Archives: July 2025

education, museum, nostalgia, retrospective, vintage

Back @ the OHA

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It’s an abbreviated local trip down memory lane, dominated by Syracuse China, Harriet Tubman’s role in the Underground Railroad and some Iroquois lore.  The Onondaga Historical Association is located at 321 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, New York 13202 – it is (at) the heart of downtown Syracuse.

They are currently undergoing a massive renovation so the upstairs floors are off limits.  Someday I will get to play on the Magic Toy Shop set.  And someday, I will have an art show here.  One of these days I will explore the history of my home if there is any info to be found in their archives.  And eventually, I will purchase an autographed copy of Dennis Connors’ book.

The gift shop is the current highlight of the museum.  You can peruse books about the city as well as books by local authors.  All things L. Frank Baum seems to be a favorite topic.  There are T-shirts, posters, postcards and lots of small touristy gifts.

The OHA hours of operation:

Monday  Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Thursday  10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday  11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday  11:00 am – 4:00 pm

 

abstract, acrylic, art, art for sale, art gallery, art group, clay, clothing, cooperative, design, encaustic, jewelry, Karen Tashkovski, leather, mixed media, oil painting, pottery, retail, shopping, silk

Betsy Menson Sio

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On a recent visit to Cazenovia Artisans, 39 Albany Street, Cazenovia, New York, 13135, I met co-op member Betsy Menson Sio, a former art teacher in the Jordan-Elbridge School District, now working as a full-time artist and jewelry designer.  She is selling earrings made of vintage tins that speak of recycling paired with sterling silver.

The pieces are whimsical, meant to be worn for fun with everyday casual gear.  She calls her business East Street Tins.

This is a materials driven art form.  She must first find the vintage tins – soda cans, candy or coffee canisters, perhaps even motor oil containers – then decide on the shape and cut forming two symmetrical bespoke pieces.

She also creates necklaces and bracelets when not taking her weekly turn as salesperson at the gallery.

As mentioned, Cazenovia Artisans is a co-op.  Artist members must be voted in with the understanding that they will commit to retail sales as well as providing cohesive artwork for sale and paying a monthly fee.  There are other avenues as well – offering work on consignment or being considered as a guest artist.  All information is listed on their website.

Current hours of operation:

Mon

10:00 am – 06:00 pm

Tue

10:00 am – 06:00 pm

Wed

10:00 am – 06:00 pm

Thu

10:00 am – 06:00 pm

Fri

10:00 am – 06:00 pm

Sat

10:00 am – 05:00 pm

Sun

10:00 am – 04:00 pm

accessories, art, ceramics, design, furniture, jewelry, Karen Tashkovski, nostalgia, pottery, retail, shopping

Mia Galletta Home & Design

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The Yard, at 604 E. Manlius Street, Manlius, New York 13104, is a conglomeration of shoppes, cafés and such built on the site of a 19th century lumber yard.  They have a brewery on-site as well, and often schedule festive musical events.

The newest resident of The Yard is Mia Galletta Home & Design.  This shoppe is located at the top of the compound, next to Café Jarosz and adjacent to the parking lot.  Open from noon-5:00 PM Wednesday – Sunday, Mia Galletta sells an eclectic mix of furniture, home furnishings and women’s accessories while also offering her services as a real estate agent for Howard Hanna.  This includes home buying and selling, and home staging with some custom design options.

It is a powerfully vibrant space – fuchsia and lime walls, tangerine chairs, floral motif pillows and colorful resin chunky jewelry abound.  If you are looking for bright options, this is your jam – but you will need to be quick because it is mostly bespoke and my thought is the store will look different each week due to sales.  She’s only been in business for two-weeks so far and has already had to redecorate due to sales.  The merchandise is very reasonably priced.  It’s a fun shopping experience!

I hadn’t seen Mia in over forty years – we graduated high school together.  Since then she has graduated from FIT and worked in the fashion industry, mainly in accessory design, in New York City (where she still keeps an apartment) and oversees, even working in China for a time!  She recently returned to this area to be closer to family and will remain here at least a year – the duration of her store lease.

Welcome back, Mia!

art, art festival, Arts & Crafts, ceramics, Karen Tashkovski

Columbus Circle & Art

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The rain held off today in what became for me a four-hour walk  around the M & T Bank sponsored Arts & Crafts Festival in Syracuse, New York.

Food trucks, free give aways and many, many artisans and craftsmen selling their wares under white tents on and around Columbus Circle make up this fabulous festival.  There is a lot to see – it can be a serendipitous stroll full of impulse purchases or, like me, you will manifest something you have been longing for.

I finally bought the oak charcuterie board lazy susan I have been coveting for three years.  Carrying it back to the car was not fun because it was so heavy – I recommend that you have a plan in place for how you will maneuver your cash and carry purchases.

The Onondaga Historical Association was open too  (321 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, New York 13202) and about 1/4 of my time was spent in there.

I will highlight four ceramic artists this year –

  1.  Smokepail Studios

2.  Greg Parizek Ceramics

3.  Diane Sullivan Design

3.  Peter Valenti Studios 

2025 Festival Dates:

Friday, July 25: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday, July 26: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday, July 27: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

The spectacular three-day festival is centered in Downtown Syracuse and will showcase talented artists, craftspeople and entertainers. The festival provides opportunities for visitors to experience the vibrancy of Downtown Syracuse through a presentation of visual and performing arts that demonstrate diverse art forms and cultures.  

Arts & Crafts – The Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival will feature around 140 artists and crafters. Visitors can shop and browse among the art and craft exhibits showcasing an exceptionally wide selection of contemporary arts and crafts, from functional to decorative.

Performing Arts – The festival showcases the performing arts. Attendees can enjoy free daily strolling entertainment between including a variety of music entertainers, open hand legacy puppets, hooping and much more! The Syracuse Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will present mini-organ recitals over the course of the festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons at Plymouth Congregational Church.

Family Activities – Families are integral to the success of the event, and participatory activities are designed with them in mind. Interactive projects provide young attendees with opportunities to create three-dimensional masterpieces. Join the Everson Museum of Art for a collaborative mural activity inspired by Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez’s exhibition Dream Map and Cornucopia, on view at the Everson through October 19th. Participants are invited to paint or illustrate a native flower, plant, or animal of their choosing, and contribute to our mural featuring flora and fauna of Central New York. Artmaking supplies and tools provided.

Syracuse Art Trail – A collaborative project between CNY Arts and local arts & culture organizations. The Trail builds connections and promotes collaboration amongst organizations & individuals in our local arts community. We aim to bring Syracuse residents together in a creative, meaningful way to support the arts! More information here!

Stay Fresh Chalk Jam – Over 50 artists will take to the sidewalks on Saturday, July 26th to create beautiful works of art all done in chalk! (Rain date – July 27th).

Summer Refreshments – Food vendors will be on-site to serve a diverse mix of summer favorites.

A Community Festival – Area businesses participate by hosting open houses and various activities, such as family-friendly art activities and the popular sidewalk art competition, Chalk Jam. Many of these initiatives are organized in collaboratiion with the Everson Museum of Art, the Onondaga Historical Association, the YMCA – Downtown Writers Center and the Montgomery Street Collective crafts show. Thousands of visitors are expected to attend these events, establishing this as Syracuse’s signature cultural event of the summer!

The Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival was ranked 11th best Contemporary Craft Show in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine.

 

 

#ootd, abstract, art, art exhibition, art for sale, art in libraries, encaustic, encaustic & collage, Karen Tashkovski

Fan-Girl Gratitude

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I appreciate everyone who attended the art talk/reception I had for Fan-Girl on Tuesday evening at the Fayetteville Free Library.  Thank you!  The exhibition continues until July 31, 2025.

It’s supposed to rain tomorrow – a perfect day to spend lounging on Stickley furniture in this beautiful library!

angels, art, art exhibition, art museum, art venue, inspiration, Karen Tashkovski, sculpture

God Speed & God Bless

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Although these sculptures in the Robineau Memorial Gallery (at the Everson Museum of Art, 401 Harrison Street, Syracuse, New York 13202) have the ability to move and create sound, there is a big sign at the entrance that tells us to not touch them because eventually, a docent/museum person will demonstrate them.  This did not happen on Sunday when there was one person at the desk, one person wanting to wax juxtapostion-laden sentences about the supposedly social justice paintings in the basement and another who stood adjacent to the skateboarding tragedy that has infiltrated three upstairs galleries in addition to glorifying its trespass of the outdoor courtyard.  No security guards and nobody in the viewing room of the text driven CNY initiative artist.

Still, I was drawn to the magnificence of the woodwork and spiritual infusion of it that constitutes D. Lee DuSell’s sculptures.  He died last year – three of these pieces had previously been displayed here in 1980.  They are part of a series he’d initiated in the 1970s when a spiritual calling allowed divine inspiration.  Christian symbolism and church iconography coalesced as part of the landscape of his artwork.  There are angels and the sounds of pipe organs, the idea of pulpits and of course, the large scale that acknowledges his deep faith.

In addition, he had harvested the wood on his own land, which creates a bond with the natural world and he’d incorporated the love of his family into each turn while also teaching at the university for thirty years, which grounds his work in a love of humanity, as well.

The show is called Benediction, as it relays a sort of swan song, a “spiritual ending” to quote the text, to his quiet strength and its innovative tenacity.

I was able to realign my source energy in this room after the other exhibitions provoked me so negatively.  I highly recommend a visit to see Benediction at the Everson.  It is on view through August 31, 2025.

This Sunday there will be a City Market event on the grounds complete with food trucks, music and artisans peddling their wares.  The museum will be open with a pay-what-you-will sliding scale, that is,  if you are not yet a member (members are free).

abstract, art, art exhibition, art for sale, art in libraries, art venue, encaustic, encaustic & collage, found object, Karen Tashkovski, mixed media, painting

Fan-Girl @ FFL

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Does it look like I was at the Fayetteville Free Library (300 Orchard Street, Fayetteville, NY 13066) for six hours installing this art exhibition?  The hard part was organizing the apparatus then deciding what to put where.  Of course, my desire to have these 8″ x 8″ encaustic paintings at the same height, same distance apart was the most challenging part.

I’ve installed many art shows in my life but this one is up there as one of my most satisfying triumphs.  It’s fan-tastic.

I am so pleased with the way everything looks.  I feel like I manifested a dream because it is such a perfect fit and placing seventy-two paintings in one place is no easy feat.  There are three sections:  the wall space that goes up the ramp and into the gorgeous community room filled with Stickley furniture, the space around the corner, which leads to the juvenile literature section and the stunning area around the fireplace.

There were not enough hooks to hang everything.  Luckily, I have these beautiful mission-style stands and was able to place the remaining paintings on top of the mantle, the book shelves, a piano and two tables.  The result is this homey atmosphere and by that I mean the paintings are very much at home with Stickley, as I am a mission oak kind of girl, as well as a Fan-Girl.

The show is called Fan-Girl.

I will do an artist talk on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 from 5:00-7:00 PM.  This exhibition will conclude at the end of July.  See their web-site for hours of operation.  The library will be closed on holidays and I think closed on Sundays during the summer.

All artwork is for sale.