Central New York Magazine - March/April 2023 preview

SOUL,MAN MAN CREATIVE OUTLETS FOR ADULTS

8

PLACES TO BRING THE KIDS FOR INDOOR FUN

AUBURN HOME GETS A NEW LOOK A MOVEMENT OF GARDEN VOLUNTEERS TAKES ROOT

PRESIDENT

Tim Kennedy

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OF THE GOOD LIFE

Annette Peters 315-282-8527 apeters@advancemediany.com

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Lindsay Marlenga lmarlenga@ advancemediany.com

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Gerry Bauer 315-470-3118 gbauer@advancelocal.com

MAGAZINE/EVENTS

SALES MANAGER

Jennifer K. Queri 315-282-8622 jqueri@advancemediany.com

EDITOR

MJ Kravec 315-766-7833 mkravec@advancemediany.com

CONTENT EDITOR

Amy Bleier Long 315-282-8553 ableierlong@advancemediany.com

DESIGNERS Susan Santola ssantola@advancelocal.com

JoAnne Walsh jwalsh@advancelocal.com

CUSTOMER SERVICE 315-282-8622

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Contact Jennifer Queri or visit readcnymagazine.com

ON THE COVER

Mag-nificent. Early spring magnolias in Franklin Square. See story page 54. Photo by Alaina Potrikus. Cover design by Susan Santola.

The Good Life, Central New York Magazine (ISSN 1931-194X) is published six times a year by Advance Media New York, 220 S. Warren St., Syracuse, New York 13202. The Post-Standard © 2023. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic/digital, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission.

All material submitted to Central New York Magazine becomes the property of Advance Media New York, publishers of The Post-Standard and Central New York Magazine. It will not be returned. Such a submission, to name a few examples, may be a letter to the editor, a cartoon, a picture, a poem and the like. Any such material may be excerpted, edited for length or content, and may be published or used in any other way. For example, on Syracuse.com or in The Post-Standard.

March, on

It’s not cool to say, but I don’t like spring. To me, spring is the seasonal equivalent of getting out of bed in the morning on a Monday. It’s cold (like the air), the floor is bare (like the trees) and you have to leave the warmth and comfort of your bed. I don’t like it.

But I’m getting there. As the years go by, I am learning to relish the slow growth of spring. The first peeks of crocus on the ground patched with snow. Robins in the front yard. A warm breeze carrying the faint smell of earth. All that rebirth and renewal.

This issue reflects that spirit with features that celebrate new life and the current space we’re in. Inside, take a tour of one family’s eye-popping renovation in their Auburn home, meet a group of Franklin Square dwellers who banded together during the pandemic to improve their landscape and discover new art therapies for adults that soothe the soul. Also in this issue, we round up a list of area play places for kids and introduce you to an Afghan family that found a new life in Syracuse.

In other departments, we visit the newly opened downtown boutique La Veranda, tour the town of Clay, stop by a food pantry and thrift shop for pets and introduce you to area artists who create personalized keepsakes of home, pets and family. We also take an in-depth look at robotic lawn mowers, get a recipe for hot cakes with local maple syrup from Center Street Market in Canastota and celebrate 50 years of Light Work. Lastly, we sat down with Rosamond Gifford Zoo Director Ted Fox on what it was like to witness the zoo’s historic birth of twin elephants.

On a side note, this will be my last issue as editor. While I’ll still be working on the magazine, I’m excited to take on other new roles at Advance Media. Our super talented Content Editor Amy Bleier Long will take over as editor and continue to bring you all the positive and uniquely CNY stories the magazine is known for.

All good things to celebrate the season of new beginnings. Cheers.

Want more?

Check out our website at readcnymagazine.com and contact us anytime at info@ readcnymagazine.com.

And now, a word from our contributors:

“The highlight of writing this piece was chatting with former artists-in-residence about Light Work’s community, fond memories from their residency and how their careers have expanded and thrived since.”

On writing about Light Work’s 50th anniversary

“I kept thinking about the importance of community engagement. I think we get so invested in what’s happening politically and nationally that we forget about our own communities and the power that small neighborhood movements can have.”

On writing about Franklin Square garden volunteers

Correction

In the Jan/Feb issue, the cover photograph was mistakenly credited to Ice Castles. The credit should be Danielle Benjamin.

Natalie Rieth

Joey Pagano

It ’s all good

POSITIVE VIBES • OUR TOWN • MARKET TRENDS

SPRING A DING

BY MJ KRAVEC

Open the windows

Get some plants, eat a salad

it’s winter’s last dance

For greener pastures are on the way With sweeter air and sun’s a-ray

Here are seven ways to take in springtime now.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK

SPRING ELIXIR

To ensure good health, try this ritual from The Magical Household by Scott Cunningham and David Harrington. Drink a glass of cold water and eat a sage leaf on the Spring Equinox, which occurs on Monday, March 20.

SHAMROCK IT

A local tradition since 1976, Byrne Dairy’s green mint milk easily rivals the Shamrock Shake. Still sold in iconic glass bottles, the sweet minty drink is only available from late February through St. Patrick’s Day. See a list of area stores at byrnedairystores.com/locations.

ON TWITTER

Welcome birds migrating back home by cleaning out bird feeders of moldy remnants, giving your bird bath a scrub and replenishing with fresh water. Birding experts recommend cleaning feeders every two weeks.

It ’s all good

IT’S IN THE CLOUD

We’re loving these homemade cloud lanterns as a way to cozy up the rainy season. White paper lanterns, a hot glue gun and fiber fill are all you need to create something truly dreamy.

SOMETHING WILD

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by planting native wildflowers. Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) blooms mid spring to early summer and adds a touch of purple to the garden. For a list of native plants, go to the Finger Lakes Native Plant Society’s website at flnps.org/plants/list.

LISTEN UP

Symphoria presents Fantasia of Dance

7:30 p.m. March 18 at Inspiration Hall. The concert features the music from the movie “Fantasia” accompanied by local dancers. Concert runs about two hours with a 20-minute intermission. Visit experiencesymphoria.org for more information.

CELEBRATE HOME

Syracuse Stage presents Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” March 29 through April 16. On its website, Syracuse Stage describes the play as “a heartfelt call to cherish every unimportant moment… Whether in Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, at the turn of the 20th century, or Syracuse, New York, in 2023, Wilder’s enduring classic asks us to stop and ponder what truly matters.” Directed by Bob Hupp. Visit syracusestage.org for more information.

A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTISTS

BY AMY BLEIER LONG

From whimsical digital illustrations to realism depicted in oils, commissioned portraits allow you to capture the essence of loved ones, beloved animals and special properties through the eyes of an artist. Explore the work and stories of 24 Central New York artists available to create these very personal works of art.

Things to know when commissioning a portrait

The local artists featured create portraits based off client-submitted photos unless otherwise noted. Providing a range of well-lit, clear photos from a variety of angles will help yield the greatest results. Additionally, the more information you can share about the subject, the more interesting the work will be. For most, the starting size for a portrait is 8- by 10 inches. Pricing and lead times depend on the artist, the medium (oils take much longer), size and level of detail of the portrait. If you have a specific deadline, such as a birthday, anniversary, Mother’s or Father’s Day, or the holidays, be sure to communicate that with the artist.

Good news

MAKING YOUR CONNECTION

In the often-hectic scramble to pack and get to the gate on time, it can be easy to forget to bring something to entertain your little ones. Through a partnership between Onondaga County Public Libraries (OCPL) and the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (operator of Syracuse Hancock International Airport), the SYR Reading Runway provides parents and guardians peace of mind.

On the second floor of the center terminal, before the TSA checkpoint, is a nook stocked by OCPL with donated books

geared toward younger children, comfy seating and an instrument panel-themed rug. Families can share a few moments reading together and kids can select a title to take with them. Library membership is not required, nor is returning the book. Travelers who have already gone to their gate are allowed to exit back to the pre-security side (as long as bags aren’t left unattended) to pick out a book or read and then pass back through security. Travelers already have been appreciating the effort to make the skies more friendly.

PHOTO BY AMY BLEIER LONG

A PET PROJECT

BY SUSAN KENNEDY

Ava Coleman has a wonderful daughter, a good job at Walmart and five furry pets she lovingly calls her babies. There’s Cola, a Havanese; Halo, a rescued bulldog/pit bull mix; and Goldy, a rambunctious four-month-old Rottweiler puppy. Coleman’s two cats round out the household pets that fill her heart, yet can strain her budget, she says.

When money’s tight, Coleman, a Syracuse resident, stops into The Kia Foundation, Inc. Pet Thrift Store & Pet Food Pantry in Syracuse’s Eastwood neighborhood for free dog food. “It’s really helpful,” she says, reaching for a one-gallon bag of puppy kibble for Goldy. “I’m so thankful Kia’s here for me and my babies in between paychecks.”

Coleman’s little pooch has a full tummy thanks to another pup, a shar-pei/pit bull mix named Kia. “She was a ball of energy,” smiles Samuel Washington, recalling his childhood dog and

the inspiration behind The Kia Foundation, Inc., his nonprofit. As one of four children raised by a single mother on Syracuse’s South Side, Washington spent hours in the library reading about the care and feeding of dogs before his mother ever committed to owning one. “I was an adventurous kid, a curious kid, an empathetic kid anyway, but when she got Kia, my life changed,” he says. “Kia showed me how to truly love someone outside of myself.”

On occasion over the course of Kia’s 17 years, Washington’s family would give Kia table scraps when money was tight and the dog food bin was empty. Washington always wondered why there wasn’t support for pet owners, to give them a little help for pet care before payday. In 2011, two years after Kia died, Washington honored her by creating what his family never had — a pet food pantry modeled after a food pantry for people.

Kia Foundation founder Samuel Washington with his sons Jayden and Cameron who help with the shop. Washington’s childhood dog, Kia, is the inspiration for the foundation and the main character of Washington’s children’s books (below).

The power of puppy love shows in this food pantry and thrift store for fur babies

At first, The Kia Foundation pantry was mobile. Washington, then in his mid-20s and with a family of his own, delivered donated dog and cat food to pet owners in his neighborhood. With the help of Facebook, word spread, and Washington soon started driving to other neighborhoods to deliver pet food, pick up donations and build relationships with pet owners and donors. By 2015, the program grew enough that he would host monthly pet food pantries at various spots in the city: a school gym, a veterans’ post, an area church. He and his team — mainly his children — would repackage into gallon baggies 4,000 pounds of donated dog and cat food, rent a truck to haul it to the site, pay a fee to use the community space, and set up shop each month, serving those in need across the city.

“We were off and running!” he says.

Donors began dropping off more than pet food. New and gently used crates, bowls, leashes and toys filled box after box at the mobile sites. The pet food was free to families, but Washington tagged the other items for mere dollars — $10 for a previously loved $200 crate, only $2 for a gently used pet bed. The fees help offset the personal cost of setting up the monthly pantries and finance the Furry Kisses Fund Washington founded to aid elderly, veteran and disabled pet owners with pet care costs. By 2019, Washington’s garage was filled with donations. “I couldn’t get rid of the stuff fast enough,” he says.

In early 2020, he took a leap of faith. He leased space at 2546 James Street and opened a storefront, a brick-and-mortar spot for both the thrift shop and pet food pantry that now serves more than 150 deserving pet owners each month. “I did the research, put up the capital, and now give folks a centralized place to go rather than bouncing around somewhere new each month.” You can’t miss the shop: It’s painted in joyful pink and white stripes.

The Foundation has expanded its scope since moving to Eastwood. It is now licensed to offer a variety of pets for adoption; bunnies, turtles and a tarantula were recent animals waiting for a home. The storefront gives Washington room to stock more items such as new, large bags of dog food valued at upwards of $60 that he gets at warehouse sales. He’s able to sell them to fru-

gal shoppers starting at just $10. His childhood dog, Kia, isn’t just the inspiration for the foundation, she’s also the main character of Washington’s children’s books. His third book will be published this year, and

For more information: visit thekiafoundation.org or @thekiafoundationinc on Instagram and Facebook. Donations needed: Dry cat and dog food from new, opened or damaged bags; new or gently used pet supplies.

The Kia Foundation is located at 2546 James St. in Eastwood.

PHOTOS BY SUSAN KENNEDY

like the first two, will be sold at the shop and on Amazon. There’s also a Kia-branded dog food in the works. All proceeds from the books and thrift pet shop sales are invested back into the nonprofit and support the free pet food pantry that’s housed in the back of the shop.

Washington oversees the foundation while working full-time as a commercial HVAC technician and raising his five children, some of them grown. “I’m blessed in many ways,” reflects Washington. “Community is important.” He grew up watching his mother help those less fortunate, even though her budget was tight. “I learned from her that the energy you put out into the universe is the same energy you’re gonna get in return. So I put out positivity!”

In the back of the bright and colorful thrift shop filled with organized bins of pet supplies, employee Megan Fazio tidies up the pantry after offering free pet food to a grateful guest. “Animals bring happiness and joy,” she says, “and don’t we all deserve happiness?”

Learn to play, take lessons!

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2023 Schedule

We will be Open:

March: Thursday - Saturday

April: Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Last Admission is at 4 PM

Other Days by Appointment

Please contact us at: 607-299-4185 or info@cnylivinghistory.org

Our Regular Hours will resume on Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Tuesday - Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM

Last Admission is at 4 PM Groups of 10 or More are Welcome Anytime by Appointment

Ask about Discounted Rates and Meal Packages

For More Information

“

KIA SHOWED ME HOW TO TRULY LOVE SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF MYSELF.”

Samuel Washington

ELEVATED AN

STORY

APPROACH

AUBURN COUPLE

TAKES HOME RENOVATION TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH CREATIVITY AND COLOR

Five years ago, Maggie Clark posted her first image on Instagram as she transformed her drab laundry room using chic subway tile, shiplap and other farmhouse details.

Today, her feed is a dreamy collection of renovations she tackled with her husband, Zach, including:

A wall of moody evergreen bookcases complete with rolling library ladder in the study, furnished with a low leather sofa and a pair of chairs perfect for lounging. A board and batten feature that adds detail to the serene primary bedroom, leading to a spa-like en suite bathroom with a double farmhouse sink vanity and luxurious shower.

“Our Upstate Home” has more than 6,000 followers on Instagram, giving users a peek behind the scenes of their daily life and ongoing projects.

The Clarks bought their first home in 2017, after more than a year of house hunting.

AND PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

Left, the Clarks built the library wall’s shelves and drawers. Above, the renovated entry way.

FRANKLIN SQUARE NEIGHBORS GROW MORE THAN FLOWERS

BRANCHING OUT

BY JOEY PAGANO

PHOTOS BY MARIEL MIRRA

Above, Volunteer Taylor Zekri makes a hole for a new plant. Opposite, Franklin Square Park was spruced up by a dedicated team of neighborhood volunteers.

Classes and workshops provide creative outlets for adults

BY BECCA TAURISANO

When was the last time you created something purely for your own enjoyment? Most of us think of art as a hobby for children, but it has just as many benefits for adults’ mental, physical and social wellbeing. As Pablo Picasso said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Our creative outlets as adults are limited as we become encumbered with the responsibilities of work, family and adulthood.

Claire McKenney, owner of Right Mind Syracuse, says she noticed people were craving classes where they could be creative. “Most people will say they haven’t done anything creative since school,” McKenney says. “But it is just as important for adults to create. We just have to find what speaks to us.” McKenney looks at what is trending in home decor and fashion to determine what kind of classes to offer and then figures out how to teach people to make it themselves. “It is so rewarding to teach people that skill so they can create art on their own,” she says.

Engaging our brains in learning a new skill is good for us, both mentally and physically, improving brain health and problem-solving abilities and memory. According to Shari Merten, learning and engagement coordinator at the Everson Museum

of Art, everyone is a lifelong learner, and the museum hopes to spark interest by offering new and interesting classes not seen elsewhere in the community. “We are constantly thinking about the different ways we experience art and how art is expressed,” says Merten. “Everson is always going to be a place where you can not only see art, but create art.”

Art can improve cognition in a variety of ways as it opens pathways in the brain. Kitty Rex Studio owner Stephanie Porcello was working as an audiologist when she suffered a concussion. After her injury, Porcello turned to art for the first time as an adult. “The more I did art and the more my brain healed, the more I was hearing that internal dialogue and noticing the world. I felt like myself again,” she says. Porcello often works with autistic and non-verbal students. “Even if we don’t use words, art is so communicative,” Porcello says. “Through the process of art, I feel like we communicate in a different way.”

Kathleen O’Dell of Magic Garden Arts, who has a background in art education and experience as a florist, wanted to give people permission to gather again. At the start of every class, she leads students in a game or a warm-up to break the ice and help

ILLUSTRATION BY JOANNE COUGHLIN WALSH

8 INDOOR SPOTS TO LET KIDS BURN OFF ALL THAT ENERGY

LET ’S PL AY!

BY ALLISON KENIEN

March is famous for coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb but in Central New York, that pesky lion-like weather might stick around until May. On cold, rainy spring days, taking kids outside is tough, so in our locale, families spend a lot of time indoors. For young children (and their parents or guardians), staying cooped up inside the house can be challenging. Luckily we have fantastic play spaces for a change of scenery where kids can run around, get creative and use their imaginations. With exciting activities like educational games, science experiments, natural wonders, climbing structures and hands-on crafts, these eight colorful venues will brighten up any muddy (or snowy) spring day.

Prepping a pretend pizza at Children’s Museum of Oswego.

Making good

KNOW WHEN TO FOLD ’EM

Take taco night to the next level with locally made flour, corn and whole wheat tortillas by Caz Tortilla Company.

Owners and Air Force veterans Casey and Katie Masters started the company in 2021 with their neighbor, Operations Manager Drew Merkel, after missing the abundance of fresh tortillas they enjoyed while previously stationed in New Mexico.

Utilizing the Masterses’ technical know-how and Merkel’s food production experience, the team approached recipe development, operations standards

and testing with military precision. The science behind finding the right hydration levels, cook speeds, mix times and other variables is quite technical, but the results are flavorful tortillas earning rave reviews.

Each week they fire up the ovens at their Burnet Avenue factory and press thousands of six-inch shells immediately destined for local shelves, including those at 20|East, Syracuse Cooperative Market and Green Hills Farms. Their tortillas are also on the menu at several restaurants including Mamacita’s, Madison County Distillery, Alto Cinco and Mad Tacos.

For more information: visit caztortilla.com or @caztortilla on Instagram.

PHOTO BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

What all the flaps about

BY MJ KRAVEC

PHOTOS

BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

Galleries

ARTRAGE GALLERY, THE NORTON PUTTER GALLERY

505 Hawley Avenue, Syracuse, 315-218-5711, artragegallery.org. Open 2 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and by appointment for groups. Reservations required. Ukraine. For the past nine years, Ukraine has been represented by images of conflict, destruction and carnage, brought about by Russia’s war on Ukraine. As a first-generation American and daughter of Ukrainian refugees, Lida Suchy draws on her background as a resource and inspiration for her creative work. For nearly 30 years she has been photographing in the Ukrainian village, Kryvorivnya, creating a composite portrait of this rural community. In this exhibition, Lida presents us with images that can help viewers to connect with Ukraine beyond the news headlines. In her statement Lida dedicates this exhibition, “…to the people of Ukraine, all those who stand in support of a free Ukraine, and to the memory of 27-year-old Artem Dymyd, who ‘lived life to its fullest.’ He is one of thousands of beautiful young people giving their lives to defend their country and our freedom.” Runs through March 11.

CAZENOVIA ARTISANS

39 Albany Street, Cazenovia. 315 655-2225, info@ cazenoviaartisans.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Emergence, A Wood Turning Journey.

Cazenovia Artisans will be celebrating member John Volcko, with an exhibition of his latest wood turnings. John has been turning domestic and exotic woods for 38 years. He is an active member of the American Association of Wood Turners and The World of Woodturners. An artist reception will be held 2 to 5 p.m., March 4. Runs March 1 through 31.

Side by Side. Cazenovia Artisans welcomes back former member and well-known visual artist Lori Portka as Visiting Artist for the month of April. Lori’s paintings are full of color, kindness and compassion. She now lives in Asheville, N.C. An artist reception will be held 2 to 5 p.m., Sat. April 1. Runs April 1 through 30.

EDGEWOOD GALLERY

216 Tecumseh Road, Syracuse. 315-445-8111, edgewoodartandframe.com. Open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday - Monday. Free. Please wear a mask, observe proper social distancing. Hand sanitizer, gloves and masks are available in the gallery. David Hicock. Traditional character animation and illustration artwork used in webtoons, computer games and local and national business advertising; with J.P. Crangle’s original character wall work and 3D pieces, and Sharon Alama’s colorful handmade paper jewelry. March 3 through April 14.

Annual High School Seniors’ Exhibit. High schools within a 30-mile radius of Syracuse are invited to exhibit seniors’ artwork to be juried by the CNY Art Guild. April 21 through May 5. Reception, 6-7 p.m., Thurs. April 27.

EVERSON MUSEUM OF ART

401 Harrison St., Syracuse. 315-474-6064, everson.org. Open noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, noon to 8 p.m.

Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday -Tuesday. $5 suggested donation. Hoop Dreams: Basketball and Contemporary Art. A multibillion-dollar global industry that began as a recreational activity more than a century ago, the game of basketball is deeply rooted in our society and culture. James Naismith, the physical education teacher who invented the game in 1891, could never have imagined how his basic 13-rule game would grow into an international sensation and cultural agent. Considered the fastest-growing sport in the world, basketball now has hundreds of millions of players and fans across the globe and more than 200 professional leagues. Basketball is more than just a game, however; it is also a vast cultural universe — fashion, music, film and electronic media, dance, art and design — where pressing social issues of the times are played out on a world stage. While the athleticism of the game, its personalities, and the widespread culture of basketball have served as creative inspiration for artists for decades, there is a new generation of artists approaching

The work of Lida Suchy featuring Vasyl Mykolajovych Zelenchuk and Vasylina Dmytrivna on their wedding day, 1993, on view at ArtRage

the topic from diverse perspectives. Many of these artists grew up immersed in basketball culture, and several even played the game at a collegiate level. Hoop Dreams: Basketball and Contemporary Art brings together a roster of emerging and mid-career artists who, as fans, players, or just cultural observers, are adding to the dialogue about basketball’s impact today. Runs through May 21.

50th Anniversary: Selections from Light Work Collection. Remarkable in its breadth and depth, Light Work’s 50th Anniversary exhibition is a thoughtful composition of photographic works that have come into Light Work’s permanent collection over the past 50 years through the generosity of former artist-in-residence participants, grant awardees and individual donations. The works on view are a reflective curation from over 4,000 objects and photographic prints from an extensive and diverse archive that maps the trends and developments in contemporary photography. The semi-centennial presents a unique opportunity to share the legacy of support the organization has extended to emerging and underrepresented artists working in photography and digital image-making. Curator, artist, and scholar Dr. Deborah Willis will be a guest speaker in April. Runs through May 14.

Chromania. In the depths of a cold and gray Central New York winter, color is an essential therapy. The Everson embraces this impulse with Chromania, a riot of kaleidoscopic color guaranteed to chase the winter blues away. In the wake of Impressionism, 20th century artists developed a range of strategies to explore and employ color. Painter and educator Josef Albers taught that all color is relative, meaning that the appearance of a color can change based on the other colors it is surrounded by. Beginning with Albers’ iconic Homage to the Square series, Chromania explores how subsequent generations of artists in the Everson’s collection employ color in ways that are subjective and expressive, as well as scientific and systematic. From the precise geometry of Peter Pincus’ ceramics to the animated gesture of a painting by Jackie Saccoccio, Chromania provides dazzle and inspiration during the long months of winter. Runs through May 7.

Common Ground. To celebrate the new millennium, in the year 2000 artist Neil Tetkowski undertook a Herculean project: gathering clay from all 188 member countries from the United Nations. With these clay samples, Tetkowski created a suitably monumental work that debuted at United Nations headquarters in New York City — the Common Ground World Mandala. Measuring seven feet in diameter and more than nine feet high, Tetkowski’s sculpture is a testament to the artist’s ability to think beyond boundaries — of scale, of geography, and of politics. Common Ground uses Tetkowski’s World Mandala as the centerpiece of an exhibition that showcases the Everson’s vast collection of

Wood turnings by John Volcko at Cazenovia Artisans

50th Anniversary: Selections from Light Work Collection at Everson

Painting by Lori Portka at Cazenovia Artisans

PHOTOS COURTESY EVERSON, CAZENOVIA ARTISIANS

world ceramics. From ancient Mesopotamian and Greek pottery to contemporary Zulu beer brewing vessels and a life-size terracotta horse built by Indian priests, the Everson’s collection traces the evolution of ceramics across cultures over thousands of years. Because of Syracuse’s focus on welcoming immigrants and refugees to the community, there are over 70 languages spoken in city schools. Common Ground uses ceramics, one of humankind’s oldest art forms, to remind us of our shared bonds with the Earth. Runs through April 9.

CNY Artist Initiative. The CNY Artist Initiative builds upon the Everson’s ongoing support of the region’s vibrant arts community through a competitive program that highlights the multifaceted talents of regional artists. Each year, Everson curators select six artists to display their work in solo exhibitions at the museum. Selections are based on the innovative quality of the work, how the work aligns with the museum’s mission, and its relevance to the community. Jamie Young is a photographer based in Syracuse. His work has often focused on the natural world as a source of spiritual redemption and renewal in a time of cultural upheavals and challenges. Young has traveled extensively in Iceland over the last 25 years, and his ongoing Icelandic series documents both the extraordinary solace of the country’s geology and landscapes, and the land’s rapid transformations due to climate change. He also runs a professional photography business and teaches photography and wood & metal fabrication at local universities. Runs through March 12.

Alison Altafi. A self-taught fiber artist who lives and works in Syracuse. In recent years, she has transitioned from traditional tapestry weaving to weaving in the round. Altafi utilizes hand-spun and hand-dyed yarn to create works that feel magical, otherworldly and fantastical, artworks that viewers can escape into. Often described as portals to other worlds, her works offer a unique spin on contemporary fiber art. Runs March 18 through April 30.

Pick & Mix. As the Everson prepares to renovate an incredible new storage area for its ceramics collection with hi-tech space saver technology, the ceramics gallery

will serve double duty as museum staff unpack and sort collection treasures. To stay flexible and nimble, the ceramics gallery will present Pick & Mix, four small exhibitions centered on feminist ceramics, art pottery, new acquisitions and more. Pick & Mix will present a variety of sweet and unexpected treats as the museum builds toward the future. Opens April 29.

ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

321 Montgomery St., Syracuse. 315-428-1864, cnyhistory.org. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free but donations encouraged. Check their website for updates. Come In From The Cold: Winter Clothing from OHA’s Collection. Embrace the cold winter weather with OHA’s display of winter clothing and accessories. Come In From The Cold presents some of OHA’s exquisite cold weather adult and children’s fashions from the 19th and early 20th centuries: black bear and raccoon fur coats; fur hats and muffs; beautiful children’s outwear, and several other items associated with the cold weather. Photographs of the winter landscape will augment the display of clothing and accessories.

Common Ground at Everson PHOTO

A Love Supreme at Special Collections Research Center at SU Libraries

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM

1st floor, Shaffer Art Building, museum.syr.edu. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday and until 8 p.m. Thursday. Closed Mondays and University Holidays.

Take Me to the Palace of Love. An exhibition of critical artworks by acclaimed artist Rina Banerjee that explores the meaning of home in diasporic communities and invites minority groups in Syracuse to tell their own stories of identity, place and belonging. Runs Jan. 18 through May 14.

Stephanie H. Shih: My Sweetie Has No Pockmarks. The second iteration of The Art Wall Project features the sculptures made by Stephanie H. Shih. Best known for her ceramic groceries, Shih’s work explores ideas of home and nostalgia through the lens of food. Her installation at the museum will feature bags of rice to consider how Asian identity has been flattened through stereotypes, and to reclaim this pantry staple as a touchpoint of Asian American identity. Runs through May 14.

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

222 Waverly Avenue, Syracuse, library.syr.edu. Open to the public 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday- Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 6th Floor is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.

A Love Supreme. This work is titled after John Coltrane’s 1964 revolutionary jazz album and spiritual declaration, and best encompasses the breadth of Black American life featured in this exhibition. Showcasing both the Black Power Movement and its cultural counterpart, the Black Arts Movement, as each iteration called for the narrative of Blackness to be authored by and for Black people, A Love Supreme amplifies the “Say it Loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud” and “Black is Beautiful” ethos that were actively tying together the lived experiences of Black people around the world. This exhibition highlights the dedication of Black writers, leaders, visual artists and performers of the 1960s and 1970s in cultivating a sense of Black consciousness and racial pride, not only in the form of large-scale movements but also by highlighting the everyday intimate moments.

CNY Art Guild will hold its Spring 2023 Fine Art Show and Sale

11 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 15-16 at the Aspen House in Radisson. The show features artwork created by the artists of the CNY Art Guild including pieces for sale in ceramics, stained glass, watercolors, acrylics and oil paintings, photography, mixed media and more. Each day, guild members will perform artwork demonstrations. Raffles of donated artwork will raise money for the Student Art Show Awards benefiting high school senior artists. Admission and parking is free. For more information, visit cnyartguild.org.

Left, Hill Island Lighthouse by Bob Hines, CNY Art Guild

Alison Altafi’s contemporary fiber art at Everson

PHOTOS COURTESY EVERSON, CNY ART GUILD

RISING STAR

renewal of Sibley’s department store into City Center

BY THOMAS HUNTER

During the urban renewal program of the 1960s, the City of Syracuse announced that Sibley, Lindsay & Curr, a Rochester, New York department store enterprise, would construct a new 280,000-square-foot store along the 400 block of South Salina Street. Joseph Ganley, writing for the Syracuse Herald-Journal, declared in November 1964 that Sibley, Lindsay & Curr investing $9 million to build a new department store “marks a spectacular breakthrough in the modernization in downtown.”

To accommodate Sibley’s, the city would raze several buildings between South Salina and South Clinton streets, including the Paramount and Keith’s movie theaters, Hotel Wood, Clark Music Company and Howard Clothes, Inc. The city also announced that it would construct a contiguous parking garage for 600-800 cars with access on South Clinton Street. The development was part of the Downtown One renewal project focused on revitalizing the Central Business District of Syracuse.

Syracuse’s Sibley’s opened in October 1969 with 1,500 spectators jamming the sidewalk to watch the ribbon cutting cere-

mony. Shoppers wasted no time crowding the store’s aisles and several times during the day it temporarily closed to relieve congestion. Sibley’s thrived throughout the 1970s and 1980s but closed in January 1989. The building remained vacant until the late 1990s, then housed a few businesses until 2013 when it once again became a vacant downtown property.

Today, the Sibley’s building and the 750-space parking garage are being reinvigorated via a $37-million-dollar revitalization project, known as City Center, announced in 2014. The Hayner Hoyt Corporation is renovating the building into a mixture of commercial and retail space, with plans to become an anchor tenant in 2023, along with Huntington Ingalls Industries and CXtec. These companies will join Redhouse Arts Center, an anchor tenant since 2018. This building revitalization project is just one of several renewal projects that have occurred in downtown Syracuse in the last few years.

Thomas Hunter is curator of collections at OHA.

The

Sibley’s department store facade, January 1981.

WITH OHA

TED FOX

WITH Rosamond Gifford Zoo Executive Director

BY MJ KRAVEC

Since spring is all about nature’s rebirth, we went to Rosamond Gifford Zoo’s Executive Director Ted Fox. With the zoo’s historic birth of elephant twins, we wanted to know what it was like to witness the event and what his favorite part of the day was.

What time do you get up in the morning and how do you take your coffee? In addition to my responsibilities at the zoo, I choose to share a good part of my private life with animals, too. I have many animals at home so my day starts very early. I usually get up around 4:30 a.m. so that I can get a little exercise, enjoy the morning outdoors and spend time with the animals. I take my coffee as strong as possible with a bit of cream.

What’s your favorite spot to enjoy the great outdoors? Tough question! There are so many great places in CNY. I grew up in Ithaca and spent much of my childhood hiking the gorges and still love to visit them. I love the Finger Lakes and spending time on any of the lakes. They are each so different but similar, too.

Favorite season? Definitely spring! Even if I get home after dark, I can’t help but take a walk through the woods and gardens with a head lamp to see the daily changes as things come out of dormancy! There is nothing like the smell of the first spring rains and seeing how vibrant everything looks.

What do you like best about your job? Making and strengthening the connection between people and the natural world. As responsible, AZA-accredited (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) zoos have evolved, we are sharing amazing stories of the countless ways we support conservation efforts worldwide and the tremendous work that our staffs do every day to improve the wellbeing of every animal in our care, as well as their wild counterparts.

Elephant twins are extremely rare. What was it like the day Yaad and Tukada were born? We knew that Mali, the mother, was pregnant very early in her 22 month gestation, so there was a lot of time to get prepared and excited! The veterinary and animal care staffs participated in drills to ensure their readiness to assist with the birth if necessary. Many staff had been monitoring Mali’s progress for days and were understandably tired but still extremely excited. At around 2 a.m., Mali began

going into labor and had a smooth delivery of Yaad, the first calf. Yaad was a healthy, active calf right from the beginning and it didn’t take him long to bond with Mali... At around 10:45 a.m., Mali started to become uncomfortable and the staff were ready to assist with what they thought was going to be retrieving the placenta. Instead, after just a couple contractions, the second calf, Tukada, was born. What was at first a routine procedure quickly turned into an emergency. Ashley Sheppard, the elephant manager, was present and she immediately realized that the calf was not moving or breathing. The veterinary and elephant staffs, as if it were second nature, immediately mobilized performing the individual jobs they all had trained to do in this situation. Tukada needed help to begin breathing and increase his heart rate. After 30 very intense minutes, he began to stabilize and move his limbs. The staff assisted him while he tried to get up and walk under the very watchful and trusting eye of Mali. After a few hours of close observation the staff began to relax, but we were all in a bit of a haze as to the details of what had just happened.

What’s your favorite memory from that day? When I returned to the elephant barn later that day, Mali was gently playing with the calves. Oddly, all of the staff were silent not at all usual for this group just watching this absolutely remarkable scene. I will never forget the look on their faces.

Above, Yaad and Tukada at Rosamond Gifford Zoo. According to the zoo’s website, twins make up less than one percent of elephant births in the world.