The Belli Arti Center for Performing arts is a music school located on 72nd Avenue in Forest Hills. The school offers music instruction in the European tradition for all levels and ages, and is the first school of its kind in Forest Hills. The Belli Arti Center also offers musical therapy.
In addition to featuring a wide variety of local artists in the gallery, the Fitzgerald Gallery also offers custom framing. The business is located on the western side of Main Street, close to Saint Mark's Church and across from Mitchell Road. Run by Kevin and Mary Fitzgerald, the business boasts more than 60 years of experience between the two owners. All prints are matted and framed to musuem quality. The business also has a variety of local art and jewelry, handmade by Kevin Fitzgerald, available for sale.
This non-profit art center is dedicated to the advancement of the ceramic arts and offers classes, studio spaces, exhibitions and outreach.
Guild Hall is a center for the arts, entertainment and education. It has presented visual and performing arts programs for the past 76 years; 40,000 visitors entered its doors in 2009. Guild Hall does have a permanent collection and nearly 1,900 works of art from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, including paintings, sculptures, prints, watercolors, photographs and drawings by such notables as Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, William deKooning and Roy Lichtenstein. The museum displays many local artists. Also on the premises is The John Drew Theater, named for area resident and great great grandfather of actress Drew Barrymore. The striking 360-seat auditorium has a balcony, removable orchestra seating and blue and white striped tent-like ceiling that sweeps up to a chandelier of the glass balloons. Since 1931, it has hosted plays, musicals and lectures with the likes of Mercedes Ruehl, Alec Baldwin, Regina Carter and Michael Feinstein taking the stage.
Five Towns Mini Golf & Batting Range has been a staple in Lawrence since 1978. Offering a variety of fun activities including slow-, medium-, and fast-pitch baseball cages and softball cages, there are also video game arcade areas, a paintball shooting range and a mini golf course here. Every day the staff hosts trivia contests, batting contests, mini-golf contests and weekly sweepstakes drawing for Mets and Yankees tickets. The park stays open through the end of October and re-opens in March. An ATM and change machine are available on premise.
Spencer Pilates Arts specializes in group and individual instruction, with classes in both machine and mat pilates. Machines include the Reformer, the Chair and the Cadillac. Group classes are available, and advance reservations are encouraged. The website features a demonstration video. Spencer Pilates has been open since 2006.
Bach to Rock is a music education school for students of all ages from early childhood through high school and beyond. it offers lessons and recording studios at each of its schools, and more.
The Invisible Dog is an interdisciplinary arts center founded in 2009 to present visual art exhibits, dance, theatre, music, film and poetry in an eclectic, community-based environment. The center rents studio space to artists on the second and third floors of its converted factory building.
Founded in 1960, the Southold Historical Society houses 12 buildings and countless exhibits focusing on the history of Southold and the surrounding area. Throughout the year, various art exhibits are held by local artists and the museum hosts special events including an ice cream social in the summer and Annual Holiday Candlelight Tour. Museum members hold a variety of fundraisers throughout the year to help with restoration projects.
The museum opens its doors to school children during the school year and has childrens programs each summer.
Please call for membership information and a list of upcoming public events.
More than 100 sculptures dot the sprawling hills and fields of Storm King Art Center in New Windsor, New York. Visitors can walk along paved paths, rent a bicycle, or ride the free tram to discover a world renowned collection of large-scale sculptures, each of them carefully placed to interact with their environment. Some of the pieces rise majestically out of the 500-acre landscape, while others blend quietly into their surroundings. Like the best marriages, Storm King's art and nature bring out the best in each other.
Parking and public transportation at Storm King Art Center
Storm King Art Center is easily accessible by car, but the parking lot can fill to capacity on busy days. Coach USA offers daily bus service from New York City, and New Jersey Transit provides a train to Salisbury Mills, three miles away from Storm King. A taxi can get you the rest of the way there.
Best and worst time to go to Storm King Art Center
Mid-October is spectacular in the Lower Hudson Valley. The weather is cool and fall foliage is at its peak. The surrounding mountains are ablaze with red and gold, and the massive sculptures absorb autumn's colors and play around with the season's changing light. The dog days of summer, from mid-July to mid-August, can be muggy and unpleasant for a full day outdoors. Some of the sculptures lack shade, and mosquitos are plentiful.
Admission to Storm King Art Center
Admission is $15 per person, with discounts available for seniors and children. Zipcar members are eligible for two-for-one admission. For those whose walking capacity is limited, the free tram around the grounds is a convenient option. Bikes are available for rent on a first-come, first-served basis, and personal bicycles are not allowed.
Must see/do at Storm King Art Center
While the free map that's available at the Visitor's Center can help you navigate Storm King, there isn't a lot of information displayed at the sculptures. Fortunately, there are three options for informative tours: a docent led Highlights Tour, a self-guided audio tour, or a comfortable ride on the tram while the driver narrates the sites. Be sure not to miss the must-see sculptures, which include the long and winding Storm King Wall, the Wavefield, which evokes ocean waves in a grassy field, and Three Legged Buddha, where picture taking tourists appear as small as ants in the copper statue's enormity.
Other places to visit near Storm King Art Center
Storm King Art Center could be a pin in the Shawangunk Wine Trail's map. Palaia Winery is nearby, and has live music on the weekends. Also a short drive away is Brotherhood, America's Oldest Winery. To make it an arts destination weekend, the Dia: Beacon, located a few minutes north and across the Hudson River, offers large-scale site-specific sculptures similar to Storm King's.
Insider tip for visitors to Storm King Art Center
The friendly docents are posted around the sculptures to remind visitors not to touch (ask them which ones the kids are allowed to climb on), but they're also excited to talk with visitors about upcoming exhibits, their favorite sculptures, and the best spots for a serene walk on the grounds.
Author's bio: Michele DeBella is a freelance writer based in New York City. She is sometimes lured back to her upstate New York roots with the promise of nature, art, and wineries all in close proximity. Follow her on Twitter @MicheleDeBella.