Linda Marston-Reid
President

Looking Ahead to 2012

The end of the year always seems filled with festivities and multiple holiday parties, and then we begin to imagine what the New Year holds for us.  2012 could be a turning point for our region if we harness all the assets that we have available in our community.  Although I have lived in this region for a short three months, I see this area as rich with possibilities! There are many artists here, but I have also seen many empty buildings as I drive around Poughkeepsie and the surrounding communities.  There is an increasing amount of evidence that points to cities that have successfully used the arts as an economic development tool.  Naturally, I have thought about this as portions of Poughkeepsie’s Main Street become vibrant and a lively place to be and be seen. 

Jane Jacobs was a proponent of mixed-use and arts-friendly businesses such as cafes, small neighborhood stores in conjunction with live-work spaces for artists.  Her work is well-known in urban planning circles, but also within the artists’ community as a champion for living, vibrant cities.  Published 50 years ago, her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities is a classic example of how we all need to be involved with creating a place that we want to live.  She believed that, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

What would happen in 2012 if we began
to examine the empty buildings that surround many of our Main Streets, and began to reimagine them as different types of spaces?  One developer did just that in DUMBO, a small area filled with empty, moldering buildings across the water from Manhattan.  He looked at the view of the water and the proximity to the city and began buying empty buildings, allowing artists to utilize the spaces as low cost live-work spaces.  The presence of the artists in the area acted as a catalyst, bringing together the diverse population to enjoy the arts.  It also gave the downtown businesses an opportunity to market their shops to new audiences that may not normally travel on that street.  An active local community assisted with this development that made the DUMBO area of Brooklyn such a thriving place.  Today, the area has over 400 small businesses located in the area including ; 6 arts nonprofits and 10 nonprofits,  15 business services, 10 entertainment businesses, 12 dining establishments, 10 art galleries, 25 graphic designing, 28 advertising businesses, 28 stores, and others. 

This column originially appeared in the Poughekepsie Journal's Enjoy on
December 23, 2011

The art-buying waters are perfect at this time of year and the Arts Council can help you take the plunge with our Art 101 Buying Guide written especially for you, the art curious.  So read on to learn more about the art of buying art!

First and most important – if you love something, go for it! Art is all about your personal taste and emotional experience, so don’t be shy if you really want that painting or photograph. And definitely don’t be afraid to ask questions! Art is meant to inspire conversation, and most artists appreciate the opportunity to talk about their work. If you are purchase-shy though and feel intimidated by some of the unfamiliar art terms, we have some pointers and definitions that will build your art-buying confidence.

Click here to get a list of terms and

buying tips.

“There is no right or wrong way to buy art. I like to buy images that evoke a feeling a feeling or an emotional response. It could be any medium or subject matter as long as I like and find it visually appealing,” - Besty Jacaruso

“People sometimes say that they don’t feel qualified to make a decision about whether or not a work of art is good...but most important, buyers should trust their intuition: if they love a piece, they will enjoy it, and that’s the most valuable aspect of owning art that I can think of.” – Linda Piuatti

“If one doesn’t have confidence in his or her own eye then what fun would collecting be?” – Jack Banning

“Some artists don’t consider photography an ‘art’…but to truly capture the essence of light and emotion, [it] takes talent, practice, hard work and knowledge…Photography gives us views of ourselves, our world in its own unique way.” – Linda Hubbard

Lowell Handler
Writer, Photographer

Image by Roxanne Jarrett

Lowell Handler is a former Black Star contract photographer-journalist whose pictures have appeared in numerous publications including Life, Newsweek, Elle, The (London) Sunday Times Magazine, and The New York Times, as well as many international journals..

Handler’s appearances on national and international television programs have helped increase awareness and understanding of Tourette syndrome. He has proved an affable spokesperson for a disorder characterized by behavior that appears off-putting. As the star, narrator, guide, and associate producer of the Emmy-nominated PBS television documentary Twitch & Shout, Handler reached a mainstream audience and set the stage for his 1998 memoir, Twitch & Shout: A Touretter’s Tale, published by Penguin.

Lowell traveled extensively with famed neurologist, Dr. Oliver Sacks in the late ’80s, assisting Sacks in documenting research on Tourette syndrome through photography, and becoming a not-always agreeable sounding board and traveling companion. Their ultimate friendship is chronicled in the book, along with the revolutionary effects of Prozac, and the rewards and complications of coming to terms with a mysterious and ostracizing condition. Handler also tells of his testimony for the Food and Drug Administration on “orphan” drugs, helping to open up treatment options.

Lowell is currently working on his new on-line book Crazy and Proud, the inside story of an inner-city shelter for transient, mentally-ill women.

Lowell Handler lives with his wife, writer Jane Smith, in Rhinecliff, New York, and is on the faculty at Dutchess Community College.

Lowell is a participant in the Arts Council's Fiscal Sponsorship* program for Crazy and Proud, and was a recipient of the Arts Council's 2008-2009 Individual Artist Fellowship in Writing. To learn more about Lowell and his upcoming book visit his
web site .

*The Dutchess County Arts Council offers a Fiscal Sponsorship program for individual artists and non-incorporated organizations or groups. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To learn about our program and to receive an application, please contact us at 845-454-3222 or info@artsmidhudson.org