Central New York Magazine - May/June 2023 preview

RAINBOW CONNECTIONS

ENGAGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY

IT’S ALL FUN AND GAME

PICKLEBALL’S POPULARITY IN CNY SURGES

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

GROUP SEEKS TO PUT KIDS, PARENTS IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

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

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

MAGAZINE/EVENTS

SALES MANAGER

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

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE

Debbie Feeley 315-282-8573 dfeeley@advancemediany.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF

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

ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

DESIGNERS Susan Santola ssantola@advancelocal.com

JoAnne Walsh jwalsh@advancelocal.com

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ON THE COVER

A little tree hugger at Sterling Nature Center in Sterling.

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.

ALL GOOD

Photo by Scott Schild. Cover design by Susan Santola. See story page 54.

On the edge of seventeen

Welcome to our 17th anniversary issue!

The milestone may not seem so special, but for me there is serendipity in this May/June edition. Seventeen happens to be my favorite number, and 17 years ago, while Central New York Magazine was being launched, I was beginning my editorial career in New York City. When I moved back to the Syracuse area 11 years ago, finding this publication (thank you, mom!) was the career lifeline I needed after worrying that I’d dashed my dreams by leaving New York. And now, exactly 10 years after my first story appeared in this magazine’s pages, I am writing my first editor’s letter.

I’m indebted to editors Tim Atseff, Mark Libbon, Linda Bien and MJ Kravec for leading the magazine to this point and I look forward to continuing our mission of sharing positive and uniquely CNY stories with all of you. I’m also extremely grateful to the subscribers, advertisers, retailers and frequent readers whose support makes it possible for us to do this work.

I never really believe it’s spring in CNY until Mother’s Day (gift ideas, for dads too, on p. 26), and we welcome it with a

recipe incorporating the season’s fresh herbs and veggies, a look at our area’s hot air balloon heritage and a chat with a prom queen, so to speak. Learn how silly walks can be good for your health, meet the couple livening up empty downtown storefronts with art and discover the insights of playwright Kyle Bass.

In our features, a group dedicated to spending more time outside encourages families to match screen time with nature time, and MJ courts local pickleball players to find out more about the increasingly popular sport. The owners of three family businesses share the values behind their vision, and we highlight four groups creating social outlets and opportunities for LGBTQ+ Central New Yorkers.

Our magazine is published by a very small but mighty team I’m proud to be a part of. I see CNY in the same light, and I can’t wait to meet more of you who make it that way.

As always, we’d love to hear from you about story ideas, thoughts, tips, suggestions, you name it. Drop us a line at info@readcnymagazine.com. And now, a word from our contributors:

Norah Machia

“It was interesting to see how a father and daughter from very different generations agreed on using social media to demystify the topic of death, while their empathetic and compassionate approach has remained timeless.”

On writing about the Hollis family

Desi Gillespie

“Understanding someone else’s creative process can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to communicate that process to others. Speaking with Kyle Bass was enlightening on several levels.”

On writing about Syracuse playwright Kyle Bass

Amy Bleier Long ableierlong@advancemediany.com

PHOTOS COURTESY NORAH MACHIA AND DESI GILLESPIE; JUSSARA POTTER

It ’s all good

POSITIVE VIBES • OUR TOWN • MARKET TRENDS

WARM EMBRACE

BY MJ KRAVEC

That sweet spot between late spring and early summer. It just hits. Your heart. Your mind. Your soul. With fragrant air, blossoms everywhere and the promise of all that lush green beauty to come. Hugs all around. Here are 7 ways to savor the season now.

PHOTO BY LAUREN LONG

MAKE THE CUT

Early June is peony time. To keep plants full and lush for next season, cut dead blooms back so your plant doesn’t waste valuable resources. It will look healthier and you’ll save the plant’s energy to put into next year’s flowering.

YOU CAN STAND IT

Support climbing plants in the garden with a homemade bean pole from Mother Earth News. Use a garbage can lid to outline a circle around your plant. Insert four-foot bamboo poles or sticks in four equidistant positions at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. Tie the poles together with twine at the top. Encircle the trellis with twine about a foot above the ground and again at three feet above ground to give vines something to cling to.

SUMMER LOVIN’

On June 21, the Summer Solstice marks the first day of summer, the longest day of the year when the earth’s tilt toward the sun is at its maximum in the Northern Hemisphere. Rituals around the world involve gathering around a bonfire, but you can create your own celebration of the day by lighting a firepit and gathering with friends or lighting a candle just for you.

It ’s all good

SEASON’S EATINGS

Get a taste of strawberry season beyond shortcake. Make a light lunch of spinach, sliced strawberries, walnuts and goat cheese. Drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette.

CLOSE TO HOME

Redhouse closes its 2022-2023 season with “The Bridges of Madison County.” This Tony Award-winning Broadway musical set on a farm in Iowa explores the themes of love and possibility when a chance encounter changes two lives. On its website, Redhouse notes “‘Bridges’ captures the lyrical expanse of America’s heartland along with the yearning entangled in the eternal question: ‘What if…?’” Runs May 12-21. Visit theredhouse.org.

TRAIL MIX

Peruse local artisans’ handicrafts for sale in one of CNY’s most iconic neighborhoods. The 22nd Annual Westcott Art Trail happens 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. June 17 at Westcott Community Center, Petit Library and yards throughout the Westcott area. Maps will be available the day of the event at the Westcott Community Center and online at westcottcc.org/westcott-art-trail.

RAINBOW BRIGHT

The CNY Pride Festival & Parade takes place June 10 at the Syracuse Inner Harbor. Featuring a drag queen showcase, local vendors selling clothing, jewelry, soaps and other creations along with local food and beverage vendors, a DJ and much more TBA. Go to cnypride.org for more.

PHOTOS BY SHUTTERSTOCK, KATRINA TULLOCH

ONCE YOU POP

Spring Confetti popcorn and Dark Chocolate popcorn, $22.50 each, H. Grey Supply Co., 53 Albany Street, Cazenovia, 315-815-5016, hgreysupplyco.com.

In full bloom

BY AMY BLEIER LONG PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

Spring is in full swing and seasonal motifs are showing up in home décor and fashion. Enchanting birdsong and early summer berry picking inspired some of our finds. Whether you adopt a little or a lot of this year’s Pantone color of the year, vibrant magenta will brighten your day. And, we know — florals for spring, groundbreaking. (Thank you, Miranda Priestly.) But there’s a reason these cheerful designs come back each year like a perennial. Plus, make a parent or grandparent’s day with some sweet and sassy gifts for Mother’s and Father’s Day.

Good news

SIMPLE PLEASURES

Carol Watson Greenhouse now provides more of a respite than before with the opening of Mt. Maple Cafe.

Inspired by the English practice of coffee and tea houses operating within greenhouses, owner Carol Watson and café manager Mary Purcell wanted to extend their welcoming space and fill a void in LaFayette — there are no coffee shops nearby. Customers had been asking for another reason to linger and employees pitched in with their varied talents to bring it to life.

The café features SkyTop Coffee beans and a pared-down menu of regular coffee, espresso, latte, cappuccino, mushroom coffee, tea and hot chocolate; the summer months will bring cans of cold brew. Scones, cookies and croissants come from Wide Awake Bakery in Trumansburg and Honeycomb Bakery in Syracuse. Sit at one of the garden tables scattered among the blooming plants, take in the earthy aromas and drink in a moment of peace.

For more information: visit carolwatsongreenhouse.com.

DOWNTOWN DOINGS • CAUGHT DOING GOOD • THE SEEN

PHOTO BY AMY BLEIER LONG

POISED FOR SUCCESS

A boy mom’s mission guides young women and girls

BY SUSAN KENNEDY

If someone needs direction in life, Debra McClendon-Boddie is there to give it with a smile and supportive get-up-and-getgoing energy.

She knows from experience how to guide others with grace.

Ten years ago, the now 64-year-old retiree experienced a challenging few years: her three-decades-long marriage ended, her beloved father passed away, her health was faltering, she retired after 34 years from a job she loved at Onondaga Community College, the son and nephew she raised grew up and moved out on their own and she sold the family home and bought another.

Others might crumble under the weight of all that change but not McClendon-Boddie. “I just kept my eyes on the prize,” she says, smiling broadly. “I focused on controlling what I could, my health first of all, and then these girls. They saved my life.”

The girls are members of the PGR (Poised, Gifted and Ready) Foundation, Inc., a mentoring program for girls and young women ages 6 to 18, that McClendon-Boddie founded in June 2012

when her life was upside down.

“It’s crazy, right? I raised two boys. I was the sports mom determined to make sure these African American young men were active and involved,” McClendon-Boddie recalls. “When I started working with girls on etiquette, leadership, philanthropy, even makeup lessons, I got emotional.” She was surprised to feel a deep connection with young women and girls that she hadn’t previously experienced in her male-dominant household. It’s a connection she calls sisterhood. “I realized I want these young women to have the hard and soft skills to be able to succeed and feel valued in their young lives.”

The PGR Foundation. Inc. grew out of a now-defunct mentoring program for girls that disbanded not long after McClendonBoddie and a work colleague volunteered to help. “Mentoring, even for just that month, brought joy to my heart while everything was topsy-turvy in my own world.” Enriched by the experience, McClendon-Boddie took

it.

over the program and reconfigured

Program graduate J’Viona Baker with Debra McClendon-Boddie, founder of PGR Foundation Inc. PGR (Poised, Gifted and Ready) is a mentoring program for girls and young women ages 6 to 18.

HIGH ON THE BALL

What’s up with the pickleball craze?

BY MJ KRAVEC

PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS BECKETT

It’s a gray, cold, dismal day, and yet, the people scattered on the tennis courts at Elevate Fitness in Liverpool are all so sunny. At the time of this writing, it’s close to St. Patrick’s Day. Almost everyone on the courts is wearing something green — from sequins to t-shirts bearing a pickle — as they lunge, leap and dash for a little plastic ball with holes in it. Linh Daino, of Fayetteville, is dressed in a green sequin tie, green tennis skirt and neon sneakers. She jabs her paddle at a fellow player. “See this guy? He says his underwear is green.” The guy, John Spencer, of Liverpool, hits back, “Well, do you consider a thong underwear? I don’t know.”

Everyone laughs.

That is part of the wackiness that can come with pickleball, the fastest growing, seemingly most addictive sport in the country, and quite possibly, the craziest, friendliest, most welcoming and most fun sport on the planet. It just happens to look like ping pong played while standing on the table.

“That’s the way I describe it sometimes,” says USA pickleball ambassador Brook Bregman, a Liverpool resident. Bregman is an executive committee member of CNY Pickleball — a local resource where players can get up-to-date info on lessons, courts, events, leagues and weekly emails. Reflecting a trend across the

Sue Daly and Gyata Stormon play pickleball at Magnarelli Community Center at McChesney Park in Syracuse.

PHOTO THIS PAGE COURTESY BROOK BREGMAN, CNY PICKLEBALL

100 HOURS

Start small! To track your time, color an empty segment of the flower for every hour you spend outside.

Let ’s head out

Group challenges families to spend 1,000 hours outside each year

BY MEGAN PLETE POSTOL

Busy mom Cassandra Wheeler, of Fulton, wanted her kids to spend more time outdoors, and she wanted to somehow encourage other families to do the same. Inspired by Ginny Yurich and her movement, 1000 Hours Outside, Wheeler started the regional Facebook group “1000 hours outside New York” in early 2022.

The concept of 1000 Hours Outside is to get kids and families outside more and in various weather conditions, with the understanding that more time outside generates health, wellness and the development of important and useful skills.

“A childhood flooded with nature time benefits kids (and adults) in untold ways,” Yurich explains on her blog and website. “However, the spirit behind the journey is one of encouragement, not competition. 1000 Hours Outside is about striving for engaged time outside, and that looks different from one family to the next.”

Michigan-based Yurich started the movement more than a decade ago as an exasperated mother of three kids under the age of three, on the suggestion of a friend who had become familiar with teachings popularized by British educator Charlotte Mason. Mason said children should play outside for several hours every day the weather allows; she referred to those days as “tolerable” weather days.

Yurich and her friend launched a small group of moms that met a few times a week to spend time outdoors with their kids. Yurich was amazed at the quick change she saw in her children, who she described as “happier, sleeping better and not getting sick.”

Yurich started a blog and website to encourage other families to spend time outdoors, with the ultimate goal of logging 1000 hours outside in a calendar year.

PHOTO BY DAVID LASSMAN

At Baltimore Woods in Marcellus, two girls compare their finds while exploring a stream.

R A I N B O W CONNECTIONS

CREATING SAFE, ENGAGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LGBTQ+ FOLKS

For so many queer people, having a community of one’s own — filled with people who not only are like themselves, but understand and identify with the things they say and feel — is one of the greatest assets in life. It is incredibly important to be able to have a place among peers, with people who have similar lived experiences and difficulties, who empathize and who help one another navigate through it all. Fortunately for folks living in the Syracuse area, several groups aim to provide community, resources or just a break for queer people (and allies) of all kinds.

BY CM M C CAMBRIDGE

In the inaugural year of Camp Beyond Binary, LGBTQ+ teens and allies enjoyed traditional summer camp activities, paired with opportunities to develop values such as justice, empathy, leadership, inclusiveness and belonging.

A LEGACY OF LOVE

HANDING DOWN MORE THAN A COMPANY

For family-owned businesses, the concept of a legacy may be top of mind more often than not. A succession from one generation to the next isn’t always guaranteed or of interest. Some people grow up with the business in their blood, some pursue a different path and later feel a pull and some find themselves at the helm by chance.

Bequeathing ownership or leadership isn’t the only aspect of a legacy, though. How many times has a business leader or entrepreneur attributed their work ethic, outlook or approach to a parent or close relative? The chance to build on the different strengths of each family member, to solve problems together in professional settings, to develop and evolve a company mission and to instill the work ethic and approach that exemplifies a family’s values and achievements — these are part of a family business’ legacy. Here are three Central New York families and their labors of love.

Above left, dol-sot bibimbap at Spoon and Chopsticks in Syracuse. Above right, a parlor at Hollis Funeral Home in Syracuse. Opposite, plant and gift shop Rainbow Cupboard in Clinton.

Making good

ORDER UP!

Julia Freeman started her Instagram account @SavorCuse to highlight up-and-coming restaurants in the Syracuse area, but soon began using her passion for food and knowledge of marketing to create something more. She partners with restaurants to create specials or events to draw customers in, and promotes them through her growing channel, taking some of the pressure off the establishments. Recognizing the reach her platform has been gaining — and that not everyone has the ability to dine out — Freeman wanted to do something good. In February, she launched the Food For All series with Food Bank of Central New York. Each month, Freeman and a popular local spot such as Sweet Praxis and Darwin (the first two collaborators) will offer and promote a special dish. Proceeds from the sales of that item will go directly to the Food Bank and support the food-insecure individuals and families the not-for-profit serves.

PHOTO BY @SAVORCUSE

And the beet goes on

Root veggie salad adds a seasonal twist to The Green Gate’s Pork Schnitzel

BY MJ KRAVEC

PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS BECKETT

Making good

Playing for change

Prolific playwright stages the first play he ever wrote, nearly 20 years later

BY DESI GILLESPIE

Kyle Bass hears voices. Voices of different times and different places, voices of different races and different genders. These voices belong to characters who begin to fill out the casts of his plays — and Bass tunes their traits and choices toward a complex realism.

He calls his writing process “listening,” though he certainly is writing. Bass says his best work comes in a flow state that feels like dictation and, although he is writing fiction, he feels like a conduit for truth.

Bass, a playwright born and raised in Central New York, became Syracuse Stage’s first resident playwright in 2021. He had served as the theater’s associate artistic director since 2016. In 2019, Bass also took a position as an assistant professor of theater at Colgate University.

“Tender Rain,” a play examining race relations in a small Southern town, premieres May 5 at Syracuse Stage. It is the third production of his residency; the show runs through May 21. The theater has also premiered his “Citizen James, or the Young Man Without a Country” and “salt/city/blues” in addition to “Possessing Harriet,” which Bass wrote while serving as associate artistic director.

It’s been a long time since Bass heard the voices that would become “Tender Rain.” It was the first play he ever wrote, nearly 20 years ago. Bass revised the text for its debut, due to the time that had passed and because plays are typically reworked as they are staged for the first time.

Bass was born in Frankfort, just east of Utica. Some parts of his family trace

Kyle Bass on the set of his play “Possessing Harriet” in October 2019.

PHOTO BY BRENNA MERRITT

Chromania at Everson. 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 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 scientiic and systematic. Through May 7.

Galleries

CAZENOVIA

ARTISANS

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

Ralph Buschbacher: Wood Fire and Light. Cazenovia Artisans announces Ralph as its visiting artist for the month of May. He began his career as a woodworker and turner, and now specializes in the decoration of his pieces. His work incorporates multiple modes of surface enhancement, and he has developed numerous innovative techniques. His signature styles create beautiful and unique heirloom pieces.

Artist reception from 2 to 5 p.m. Sat., May 6.

Leigh Yardley: The Nature of Things. Leigh is Cazenovia Artisans’ featured member artist for the month of June. “I create work that interacts with a space, moving my perception of landscape from a scenic vista to a larger ecological understanding of place… My connections and understandings of the physical impact of water, its role in the economy and culture is tied to this system of landscape… the watershed. I am beginning to think of the watershed as a metaphor for memory. That we have a collective memory that filters our views and understanding of space.”

Artist reception from 2 to 5 p.m., Sat. June 3.

EDGEWOOD GALLERY

216 Tecumseh Road, Syracuse. 315-445-8111, edgewoodartandframe.com. Open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. TuesdayFriday, 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. Artifact Collection. Leslie Green Guilbault will be exhibiting her recent series with a decidedly ancient look and feel: wheel-thrown porcelain vessels with pit-fired smoke finishes, earthtone metallic glazes or carved unglazed surfaces; and mixedmedia wall pieces incorporating natural elements such as antlers, porcupine quills, bone, fur and feathers. Sam Graceffo will be showing his handcrafted sterling silver jewelry. Opening reception 6 to 8 p.m., Fri. May 12. Runs May 12 through June 23.

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.

Frank Buffalo Hyde: Native Americana. Painter

Frank Buffalo Hyde grew up in the Onondaga Nation, where he absorbed much of the pop culture that is still central to his worldview.

Throughout his career, Buffalo Hyde has presented “pop” iconography like UFOs, hamburgers and corporate logos in parallel with Native symbology like the bison on the Onondaga Reservation and Indigenous leaders and dancers. Buffalo Hyde’s works grab attention through their bright colors and instantly recognizable iconography but resist easy stereotyping through their embedded messages about the fragmented nature of Native life. Native Americana is a homecoming for Buffalo Hyde, who left Central New York for New Mexico, where he studied at the Santa Fe Fine Arts Institute and the Institute of American Indian Arts. Frank Buffalo Hyde lives in Northfield, Minnesota. His work can be found in the collections of the

Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, the Hood Museum of Art, the Gilcrease Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, and of course, the Everson Museum of Art. In addition to large-format paintings, Native Americana will include a variety of interactive and mixed-media installations throughout the Museum. Runs June 10 through Sept. 17.

CNY Artist Initiative: Ryan Krueger. Ryan Patrick Krueger is a lens-based artist whose work addresses themes of masculinity and friendship. Their process includes collecting vernacular images and appropriating photographs in order to consider the intersections of LGBTQ+ American history and photography. Krueger holds a BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, and currently lives in Syracuse, where they work as Digital Services Coordinator for Light Work, a non-profit artist-run photography organization at Syracuse University. Runs May 6 through June 18.

Wood Fire and Light by Ralph Buschbacher at Cazenovia Artisans

Lightwork UVP at Everson

Leslie Green Guilbault’s mixed-media wall pieces at Edgewood Gallery

PHOTOS COURTESY CAZENOVIA ARTISANS, EVERSON, EDGEWOOD GALLERY

Galleries

CNY Artist Initiative: Mara Baldwin. Mara Baldwin’s work focuses on the impossible dream of utopia and asks if a perfect life can include the imperfect feelings of failure, loneliness and dissatisfaction. Baldwin’s multidisciplinary and research-based work uses textiles and drawings to create serial and narrative forms. She shares her time between Ithaca and the Hudson Valley where she teaches drawing at Cornell University and Bard College, respectively. She is the recipient of a 2022 New York State Council on the Arts grant and has been awarded residencies at, among others, Wassaic Project, Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency program, Ucross Foundation, Millay Colony for the Arts, Djerassi, and Saltonstall. Runs June 24 through Aug. 6.

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 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. Through May 21.

Light Work’s Urban Video Project Commission: The First 10 Years. In 2012, Light Work began the Urban Video Project (UVP) commission program, supporting emerging and mid-career artists in experimental media in the creation of new work for projection on the Everson Museum’s north facade. This exhibition presents the first 10 years of commissions. Runs through May 14.

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 fifty years through the generosity of former artist-in-residence

Stephanie H. Shih at Syracuse University Art Museum

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 under-represented artists working in photography and digital image-making. Highlights in the show include early works from acclaimed photographers Dawoud Bey, Carrie Mae Weems, James Welling and more. Runs through May 14.

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. Get the winter fashion without the winter chill! As the weather warms up, you can still view OHA’s Come In From The Cold, featuring 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 augment the display of clothing and accessories. The winter may have melted away from CNY, but this collection will remain on display through the end of 2023.

PHOTOS COURTESY SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM, EVERSON

Take Me to the Palace of Love at Syracuse University Art Museum

Mara Baldwin’s All Together Now at Everson

Galleries

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. 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 highlighted the everyday intimate moments.

Hoop Dreams at Everson

A Love Supreme, Special Collections Research Center at SU Libraries

Flashback WITH OHA

UP

CNY’s hot air history

BY JORDAN SCOTT

Balloons made headlines earlier this year, capturing the world’s attention with mystery and speculation. Central New York has its own piece of hot air history. As early as 1857, balloons took flight in Onondaga County. The Standard newspaper reported on two aeronauts that year: Professor John H. Steiner and Monsieur Alexander Morat. Morat’s flights were often powered by Syracuse Gas Light Company and launched near Mr. Ritchie’s Grocery Establishment across from the First Baptist Church, which was on the corner of West Genesee and Franklin streets.

The Standard described one of Morat’s September 1857 events this way: “The streets were filled with, and the roofs of the buildings, in all parts of the city, covered with people nearly the whole of the afternoon, but the number who went inside the enclosure was comparatively small.” Perhaps the crowd looked similar to the photo at right, which was taken in Clinton Square between the mid-1870s and 1880s.

That October, Lavina King rode with Morat and H.A. Barnum. She described her flight to The Standard, “To be seated as eosily [sic] as in an arm-chair, then rise aloft so gently that motion is imperceptible, and float away as gracefully and easily as a bird or a cloud, produced emotions and sensations which we who enjoyed them could hardly realize, much less describe... I was astonished at the distinctness of outline, which all objects presented, even the furrows in the ploughed fields and the ties in the railroad track being distinguishable.”

Onondaga County has been flying balloons in all seasons since the 19th century. But more recently, balloons hit the skies starting in 1979 with the Miller

High Life Festival, the Salt City Hot Air Balloon Festival, Coors Light Balloon Festival and later the Jamesville Balloon Festival at Jamesville Beach Park. The Jamesville Balloon Festival became a COVID casualty in 2020 and has failed to get off the ground since, but the colorful images continue to float in our collective memory today.

Jordan Scott is assistant archivist at OHA.

A hot air balloon in Clinton Square, circa 1870-1880.

PHOTO COURTESY OHA

MARIE ADORNATO WITH

President, Spybaby Bridal & Prom

BY MJ KRAVEC

It is officially prom season. So we went to prom queen Marie Adornato, who’s been in the prom (and bridal) business for 27 years. While managing her business, she’s also owner and lead designer of Adornato Couture Bridal, adjunct professor of entrepreneurial studies at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, wife and mom. We wanted to know how she juggles her roles and what keeps her going during the prom season rush.

What time do you get up in the morning and how do you take your coffee? As an entrepreneur, I am not on a schedule. Since my factories are in various time zones, I sometimes don’t go to bed. My U.S. customers will sometimes comment how responsive I am, even at 3 a.m.! Typically, I try to work around my children’s schedules to be there for their important activities and special events. My coffee? Always as sweet as I can get it.

What’s your favorite spot to enjoy the great outdoors in CNY? Spots around CNY I enjoy are Green Lakes, Skaneateles and Vespa Stables. I’m always looking for an inspirational location for a photoshoot for my gowns. All of these places are peaceful, organically moody, balancing and beautiful.

Favorite season? My favorite season would be late spring/early summer, symbolic of new growth. My favorite flower, the peony, is most healthy during this time.

What are you binge watching right now? I’m all about binge watching while I’m working on projects at home overnight. Right now, “Shooter,” is the action series on Netflix that I am watching. But I tend to like various genres of series.

What’s a typical day like for you during the prom dress rush?

A typical day during prom for me is consulting with customers on the most suitable styles and colors for their specific personality. The phone is ringing off the hook, my social media messages

are 24/7 and I’m constantly communicating with manufacturers working to get inventory delivered on time. Dance music is always a must during prom season, allowing me to channel my “Disco Marie” title from my high school days. So, it’s pretty fast paced.

Do you have a favorite prom movie?

Favorite prom movie, of course, is “Pretty in Pink,” but [musical comedy] “The Prom” is amazing also.

Your boutique has its own social media version of the “Say Yes to the Dress” television show on TLC. That’s pretty cute. In store, there’s always a TikTok being shot where we pull in customers to add to the fun. When a customer finds her gown, she takes a photo with her family with her ‘She Said Yes’ sign.”

Jon Cryer and Molly Ringwald in the 1986 romantic comedy “Pretty in Pink.”

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