‘Building Up’ is the word as DVAA’s Salon Series returns

DVAA’s Salon Series returns, with programming both in-person and livestreamed that treat the theme of “Building Up” – the process of creative construction.

The events will be held on selected Saturdays at 2 p.m., from Feb. 5 through April 9 (unless otherwise noted), at Krause Recital Hall, located on the second floor at the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, 37 Main St., Narrowsburg. The events will also be livestreamed on the DVAA’s Facebook page.

Attendance is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is required for in-person attendees, since capacity is limited. Covid safety protocols will apply. For a complete list of safety protocols and requirements as well as complete descriptions of each event, visit delawarevalleyartsalliance.org. To register to attend visit calendly.com/dvaa.

● February 5 at 2 p.m. “Movement for Artists” led by professional dancer and wellness coach Amanda McCormick. This hour-long movement workshop will help you re-connect with your creativity in an embodied way.

● February 12 at 2 p.m. “2x2x4” featuring dancer Charles Dennis and accompanied by live music by Sal Cataldi. Dennis engages in creative play with wooden two-by-fours, building and destroying structures and creating landscapes he can dance through. The performance coincides with the opening receptions of the exhibition “For the Love of Wood,” a curated group show by Eric Baylin and Bo Stevens.

● February 26 at 2 p.m. “Words & Sounds of Wood,” an afternoon of poetry and music with a wood theme, is organized by “For the Love of Wood” co-curator and Sullivan County Poet Laureate Eric Baylin. The program will include local poets reading works about trees, about working in a woodshop, re-finishing floors, chopping wood, and more. Musicians will sing tree-inspired songs and play handmade wood-based instruments. A special feature of the event will be a choral poem and song “How Much Wood....Chuck Chuck” with a mix of voices accompanied by a chorus of wooden instruments.

● March 5 at 2 p.m. Concert celebrating Women’s History Month by local singer-songwriter Calla Sun. Taking inspiration from the American folk tradition, her music style blends harmonic poetry and personal storytelling. The program will feature songs written by women songwriters ranging from Billie Holiday to Dolly Parton, as well as a selection of Sun’s own original music.

● March 12 at 2 p.m. Master percussionist, composer, and jazz professor Thurman Barker and his trio returns to delight audiences with a performance of his favorite jazz standards and originals.

● March 19 at 2 p.m. “Stone Soup Cooking Class” by Farm Arts Collective, written and performed by Tannis Kowalchuk and Jess Beveridge, is a live theatrical cooking show for families that makes cooking seasonal vegetables fun and accessible for all.

● April 3 (Sunday) at 2 p.m. The Sullivan County Chamber Orchestra presents “Ladies Night,” a program of chamber music by three under-recognized women composers, Fanny Mendelssohn, Teresa Carreño, and Ethel Smyth.

● April 9 at 2 p.m. Book launch of “Situationist Funhouse” and a conversation between artist G.H. Hovagimyan and curator Stephen Zacks. An absurdist, strategist, serial collaborator, and a cultural icon in the world of contemporary art, Hovagimyan stands out for his work with the digital technological tools of our times, adapting them in his work for critique of art, popular culture, and social engagement.

DVAA’s programs are made possible thanks in part to the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; the Sullivan County Legislature; the Nancy Stevenson Memorial Fund; Business Sponsors; members; and individuals.

For more information call 845-252-7576 or visit delawarevalleyartsalliance.org.