The life and works of influential Black artist and master printer Robert Blackburn (1920-2003), whose innovation and expertise with the medium helped define the overall aesthetic of the American graphics “boom,” is highlighted in the new Smithsonian exhibition at The Hyde Collection.  

The exhibit runs through April 24.

“Robert Blackburn & Modern American Printmaking,” is curated by Deborah Cullen and organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in cooperation with the Trust for Robert Blackburn and The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts’ Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop Program. 

Blackburn was a key artist in developing printmaking in the United States. He became known as an influential teacher and master printer, engaging with avant-garde artistic ideas while promoting a new collaborative approach to a traditional medium. The exhibition traces Blackburn’s artistic evolution alongside the original prints of other iconic 20th-century American artists with whom he collaborated.  

“For more than five decades, Robert Blackburn ran a workshop open to everyone. His printmaking knowledge and skill were legendary, and his generosity opened printmaking to generations of artists from around the world,” said Jonathan Canning, The Hyde’s director of curatorial affairs and programming. “At the same time, he was deeply connected to Black artistic circles including the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.”

Blackburn was born to Jamaican immigrants on December 10, 1920, and raised in Harlem, New York, during the Harlem Renaissance, an unparalleled flourishing of the arts, centered in New York City’s creative black community. The arts were considered crucial to society’s well-being and a fertile medium for activism, and these values resonated with Blackburn throughout his life and work. 

West Mountain kicked off its 2021-22 season, opening Christmas weekend for skiing, riding and tubing.

 “The progress continues at West Mountain,” said Sara Montgomery, general manager of West Mountain. “Our snow sports school continues to grow, and this year we have expanded our learning center to accommodate more skiers and riders. We are excited to welcome newcomers who will be making their first winter sports memories at West. It’s going to be a fun-filled season.”

West Mountain offers beginner through advanced terrain and will be open for day and nighttime skiing, riding, and tubing. There are some additions to the mountain, as well as a continuation of West Mountain’s  lesson programs.

That includes a newly expanded learning terrain/bunny hill and more snow tubing lanes added to the Tubing Park. Being continued are the individual and after school program, the Academy and Club Race Team membership offerings for athletes ages 6-19, and continuation of events like Fire on the Mountain, Slush Cup and more. 

Officials said during non-holiday periods, West Mountain will offer ticket promotions such as Monday and Tuesday $35 for a four-hour ticket specials and breakfast or lunch plus lift ticket specials. 

West Mountain’s Bar and Eatery will be open at full capacity with daily specials such as Burgers, Beers and Bands Wednesdays, Fiddlehead and Fettuccine Fridays and Bloody Mary Sundays.

After nine years of a complete ski area infrastructure rebuild, West Mountain officials aid they have completed its Stage 1: Ski Area Infrastructure. West will now embark on Stage 2: A Luxury Ski/Stay Resort Development at the north side of the mountain.

The completed Stage 1 includes new chairlifts, 40,000 feet of new snowmaking pipeline, a new snowmaking pump house, a new cafeteria, a new rental ski and snowboard fleet, new LED trail lighting, 100 percent snowmaking and night skiing, a new tubing conveyor lift, an expanded Bunny Hill and a remodeled Northwest Lodge.

While Fort William Henry Hotel’s charms have been cultivated over more than 166 years of history, it never ceases to evolve and remain relevant to today’s guests. 

The next iteration of Fort William Henry’s continued evolution began in December with the unveiling of a new brand and the start of the first phase of a complete renovation. Phase one includes 36 annex guest rooms, a new kitchen, and the creation of an expanded outdoor three-season porch overlooking the magnificent view at the southernmost point of Lake George.

Officials said much of the first phase of the project will be completed over the winter months and first half of 2022. 

A three-year plan includes renovations of the conference center, the standard 64 units, and the Grand Hotel. The guest rooms renovations will be finished in three stages to ensure only a limited impact on the guest’s stay. 

The hotel’s lobby and room corridors now have a warm and luxurious atmosphere. A timeless palette of soft creams and pewters offers a seamless transition in mood from day to night, welcoming guests into a social space that is a destination in and of itself within the hotel. All of it has a nod to Fort William Henry’s historic past and deep connection with the outdoors. 

“For over a century, The Fort William Henry has stood as a storied landmark in our area,” says Sam Luciano, president of Fort William Henry. “We will draw inspiration from its origins to incorporate into the design of the interior spaces of this grand hotel, while linking it to the draw of the beautiful Adirondack Mountains and crystal-clear waters of Lake George. It is important to us that The Fort William Henry Hotel serve the needs of today’s guest, but also that its original charm is felt at every turn.”

The improvements will continue outside as well, none more evident than the three-season wrap-around porch, officials said. For decades, Fort William Henry’s guests have retreated to the sweeping views circling the hotel property, soaking in the sights and sounds and the pine-scented air that make the Adirondacks of New York so unique. Steps off the veranda and adjacent to the hotel is the village of Lake George and  Lake George itself. 

By Paul Post

The Adirondack Thunder, the ECHL’s smallest-market hockey team, is outperforming many of its biggest rivals both on and off the ice this year.

The Thunder, bolstered by a solid New Year’s Eve crowd (4,111), averaged 3,448 fans through their first 11 home dates, ranked 11th in the 27-team league. And by winning seven of 10 games (7-2-1) through Jan. 2, the team had moved to within six points of first-place Newfoundland in the tightly-packed North Division standings.

“It’s been a very strong start,” team president Jeff Mead said. “Season tickets, group numbers and walk-up sales are all up and corporate support is in the league’s top 10. Obviously we had a year off last year because of COVID, so there’s a lot of pent up demand. But the community is really embracing the Thunder and quality of play.”

It’s hoped that two major upgrades currently under way at Cool Insuring Arena will be completed before the ECHL’s Kelly Cup playoffs begin in April, perhaps even in time for the state high school boys basketball tournament in March.

Rozell Industries is hard at work constructing five new luxury suites, extending out from the press box, on the north side of the building.

“Just like the rest of the world, they’ve been dealing with supply chain issues,” Mead said. “We can’t wait to see it finished. All arenas have private seating areas now. It’s a big investment, but we think the return will be great for us long term.”

The suites are expected to generate considerable extra revenue, the same as other recent improvements such as the large video scoreboard that has created new advertising potential. The suites project is being funded by the Adirondack Coalition, which is in the second year of a five-year lease to operate the building with its owner, the City of Glens Falls. Mead, who is also the arena’s general manager, declined to cite the job’s price tag.

By State Sen. Dan Stec

The 2022 Legislative session in Albany marks a historic first with Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York state’s first female chief executive, at the helm.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation in August, after resisting calls to do so for months, was a welcomed relief for me and I know many New Yorkers. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been eager to turn the page and begin a new chapter that we hope is much less contentious or controversial. I wish Gov. Hochul well as our session gets underway and look forward to good conversations and productive debates with her and my colleagues.

The state budget is always our focus from January until the beginning of April. This year we have the additional early session focus of the once-a-decade process of redistricting. Following the U.S. Census, new legislative maps are drawn for all of New York’s congressional, state Senate and Assembly districts. 

Unlike years past when lawmakers exercised complete control and engaged in the oft-criticized process of gerrymandering, a voter-approved amendment to our State Constitution in 2014 created an independent redistricting commission.

The commission has held hearings statewide over the past half a year to gather input from citizens and concerned groups about how best to redraw the lines. I appreciate people from our region made the effort to submit testimony. It is very important that, in the best interests of representative democracy, the commission complete its work on-time this month and propose lines which, ideally, the State Legislature will accept. This is something to keep an eye on as the process continues over the next several weeks. 

Going back to the budget, I think it is important that Gov. Hochul set an optimistic tone. One way of achieving this is to commit to helping our businesses—big and small—recover from the impact of the pandemic. Many of our businesses showed remarkable resolve and resilience the past year and a half; others tried extremely hard but the sustained shutdown was too big a blow to their bottom line. 

The SUNY board of trustees appointed Dr. Lisa Vollendorf as president of SUNY Empire State College.

She was  interim provost and chief academic officer at the University of Northern Colorado. She replaces Dr. Nathan Gonyea, who has served as officer-in-charge at SUNY Empire since December 2020.

Vollendorf, who was selected after an extensive national search, will be SUNY Empire’s sixth president since its founding in 1971.

“I am both honored and excited to join SUNY Empire State College as its next president. I’ve spent my entire career championing the power of higher education to build a more inclusive, equitable society,” she said. “I believe deeply in SUNY Empire’s mission of meeting students where they are to help them achieve their educational dreams. I look forward to working with the SUNY Empire college community to advance the vital work already underway, find new and innovative ways to serve today’s diverse student population, and support the faculty, staff, and alumni at the heart of this amazing institution.” 

The search committee included four members of the college council, six faculty representatives, two students, an alumni representative, a campus-related foundation representative, an academic dean, a professional employee, a support staff member, a college senate member, a member of the chancellor’s senior staff, and three non-voting representatives. Consultants from Storbeck Search partnered with the search committee. 

John Maggiore, SUNY Empire State College presidential search chair and chairman of the SUNY Empire State College Council, said, “The breadth of Dr. Vollendorf’s administrative skill set, together with the depth of her academic experience and achievement, make her a compelling choice to lead SUNY Empire State College into its next half century of accessible, top-quality, innovative education for motivated adult learners. SUNY Empire is poised for strategic growth. 

“Dr. Vollendorf understands the college’s opportunities and challenges, and she has the determination and ability to move us forward in accordance with our mission.”

By Christine Graf

Bucks County Biscotti, a family-owned biscotti bakery, is moving forward with plans to relocate its Pennsylvania bakery to the Airport Industrial Park in Kingsbury.

The company was founded in 1993 by husband and wife Karen and Craig Silbert. Their son, Riley, joined the family business after working for a startup company in New York City.

“I joined about two years ago to help them grow and to eventually take over the business,” he said.

The decision to relocate the bakery occurred after the company maxed out on its production capabilities at their Hilltown Township, Pa., facility. The Queensbury area was chosen because that is where Karen and Craig plan to eventually retire. The couple purchased property in Queensbury and will be building a house there.

Bucks County Biscotti had humble beginnings, and Karen’s homemade biscotti was originally sold at farmer’s markets. It was a weekend endeavor. After perfecting her recipe and garnering a local following, she and her husband began selling the products wholesale to coffee shops and cafes.

The business moved its operation from the couple’s kitchen, to extending and converting their home into a fully registered and certified production bakery. The company now has an online store and ships gift boxes nationwide to consumers.

“My dad originally hand delivered from Washington, D.C., to New York,” said Siebert. “When the pandemic hit, we transitioned almost everything to shipping. In conjunction with that, we opened wholesale accounts throughout the country. We are now shipping nationwide to both retail online customers and our wholesale accounts.”