Cool art, reasonable prices

If your best friend's boudoir needs a shot of style, consider giving her a print from a cutting edge illustrator or designer.

This weekend's "Limited Run" show at the new Open Space gallery in Beacon features wallet-friendly prints and zines from more than 25 artists.

I love this "Star Girl" print from graphic artist Wing Ngan.

Best friend's gift solved. I might also do some shopping for myself.

Don't you just love Prince?

Sorry for the lame reference to a certain 1990 film.

If you didn't get your fill at the "Purple Rain" screenings at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck, you're going to love this one:

The Colony Cafe in Woodstock is hosting a Prince dance party Saturday at 9 p.m.

DJ Delirious, aka Sharon Nichols, invites you to "come worship at the Prince shrine, watch some 'Purple Rain' and dance! All Prince, All Night."

Admission is just 5 bucks.

Go crazy.

Bardavon screens 'Sound of Music' tonight

Movie musicals are among the three terminally unhip guilty pleasures to which I succumb.

The other two are trips to Disney World — I'm going in December — and "Neil Diamond - The Greatest Hits (1966-1992)."

"The Sound of Music," one of the greatest movie musicals of all time, will be screened tonight at 8 at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, 35 Market St., Poughkeepsie.

Tickets are $5.

For more information, click here.

If you are willing to share your unhip guilty pleasures — anonymously is fine — please comment below.

Shop for handmade this weekend, Part 3

Stacie Flint's flower oil paintings are part of "Made in the Hudson Valley 2007," an exhibition of high-end crafts and fine art at the Pritzker Gallery @ Casa del Arte.

The opening reception takes place Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. at the gallery, 257 South Riverside Road in Highland.

Featured artists are Jose Acosta, Judi Boruta, Felicia Flanagan, Stacie Flint, Ana Laura Gonzalez, Nanci Hawkins, Susanah Lor, Susan Minier, Franc Palaia, Claudia Pflueger, Karin Ruoff, Micky Shorr and Marlene Wiedenbaum.

Shop for handmade this weekend, Part 2

The December Group Show opens Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kingston Museum of Contemporary Arts, a friendly, progressive gallery on Abeel Street in Kingston.

KMOCA concentrates on outsider art and work with a strong social commentary.

The following artists are featured: Cindy Hoose (creatures and small paintings), Heather Gabriel (pottery), Jacinta Bunnell (handmade journals, small paintings), Jennifer Maharry (paintings), Jenny Fowler (3D snowflakes and silhouette portraits), Lea Bozman (encaustic pieces), Marlene Bloomer (postcards), Morgan Haude (pottery and jewelry), Oliver Piperato (photography), Sadie Brathwaite (paintings), Sue Foss (paintings and collage), Trevor Bittinger (photos and illustrations) and Warren Schmahl (cardboard sculpture window display).

Saturday's opening party features music by Fergie & Bob.

Refreshments include homemade cookies and hot-mulled wine. Cozy.

The group show gives you the opportunity to get original presents and support the arts instead of the box stores.

KMOCA's normal hours are Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

(Courtesy photo of Warren Schmahl's colorful cardboard creations)

Shop for handmade this weekend, Part 1

Don't do malls? Me neither (except for the occasional trip to Target).

When it comes to the holidays, I want to give gifts that are handmade by my neighbors, not mass-produced in a sketchy factory a world away.

But I don't want to give crafts that are too precious.

For me, this weekend's Tivoli United Craft + Art marketplace is the answer.

It has an independent spirit — many of the Tivoli-based artisans have Etsy.com Web sites — and the works for sale have style.

Check it out.

My Thanksgiving Eve party pick

It's arguably one of the biggest nights to party of the year: Thanksgiving Eve.

If you have no plans yet, may I suggest heading to Tivoli for Santa Fe's party with DJ Mr. Chips? He will serve up hip-hop, electro funk, mash-ups and dance classics.

The party starts at 10 p.m. No cover. (which leaves dinero for margaritas)

If you know of any other good Thanksgiving Eve parties, please comment. Gracias.

Vassar party celebrates hip-hop

Vassar College is hosting a party tonight as part of its celebration of Hip Hop History Month.

The Four Pillars Concert/Party, which begins at 10 p.m. at the Villard Room in the College Center, features emcee Tu Phace.

Breakdancing, graffiti art, djing and emceeing will all be celebrated.

Earlier today at 4 p.m. in Room 300 of Rockefeller Hall, a panel of experts will discuss "Under the Turntable: Examining Violence, Misogyny & Homophobia in Hip Hop."

The events are free and open to the public.

Check it.

Warhol legend Billy Name to exhibit here

Poughkeepsie native and resident Billy Name, the "fotographer" for Andy Warhol's Factory, will exhibit 1968 color photographs at Albert Shahinian Fine Art in Poughkeepsie.

Name will appear at an opening reception for his exhibition, which he is co-headlining with Pleasant Valley painter Margaret Crenson, Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery, 198 Main St.

(1968 photo of Andy Warhol by Billy Name)

Also on Saturday, Cabaret Voltaire Art Center will open "Transience" and "Re-words," multi-media installations with video, sound, photo and text by Sukran Aziz, Karen Dolmanisth, Kirtland Synder, Matthew Slaats and Fuat Yalin.

The opening takes place Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Dada-inspired art center, 358 Main St.

I think it's high time you all took a second look at the art coming out of Po-town. See you Saturday.

Cheap old — and new — clothes

Out with the old ...

My colleague, Sarah Bradshaw, wrote a great story about the ins-and-outs of donating used clothing to local thrift shops and charities.

In the meantime, readers like me got some new ideas for places to shop for vintage threads like The Barn thrift shop in Pleasant Valley (pictured).

Check out Sarah's story here.

(Poughkeepsie Journal photo by Karl Rabe)

... and in with the new

I just got word that Steve & Barry's is opening a new location Thursday in the Kingston Plaza in Kingston.

The store, which touts itself as selling "high quality clothing for the entire family at astonishing low prices," features Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten line.

Beacon wine shop talks turkey Saturday

Artisan Wine Shop, one of my favorite wine stores in the Hudson Valley, will be hosting a Thanksgiving-themed tasting this Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m.

From the Web site:

"As we said last year, the Thanksgiving meal has its own set of challenges. While in some homes, turkey takes center stage, it’s really all the sides that should be the focus of your wine choice. Stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy all duke it out for attention, creating a melée of divergent flavors. Our approach is to focus on wines that offer balance, meaning wines that possess moderate amounts of acid, fruit, tannin and so on, with no one component overshadowing the others.

This Saturday, we’re focusing on U.S. wines, taking you on a tour of a few key American growing regions. Join us as we welcome Peter Zitz from acclaimed distributor Michael Skurnik Wines as he guides us through these prime holiday selections. We will also be making roast turkey and a savory sausage and fennel stuffing to give you a preview of how these wines will liven up your holiday table."

Here are the wines that will be poured: Gruet Rosé Brut Méthode Champenoise NV, Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas Blanc Paso Robles 2005 – Organically Grown, A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir Oregon 2006, Teira Zinfandel Sonoma County 2005, Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon Washington State 2006.

All will be on sale at Saturday's tasting.

Bearsville Theater hosts hip-hop party

Clubhouse presents "The Backyard," a party with Woodstock-based DJs Lady Verse, G-Pace and Magic Juan at the Bearsville Theater on Friday.

Doors open at 10 p.m. and admission is $5.

Freaky puppet show in Kingston warehouse

Masked performers, puppeteers and video and soundscape designers will present "Quaque Nocte," an active dreamscape world, at a warehouse space in Kingston's midtown neighborhood.

Performances are this Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m., Nov. 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 17 at 5 p.m.

There is a $10 suggested donation at the door, 82 Prince St., Kingston.

Oh, and I don't advise bringing the kids to this one.

DJ Paul Nice to spin in Beacon Saturday

Paul Nice, the Poughkeepsie-based DJ/producer who has worked with Mark Ronson, the Beastie Boys and Amy Winehouse, will rock the decks at Saturday's Next Step party at the Piggy Bank Restaurant in Beacon.

The party, presented by the new Open Space gallery, begins at 10 p.m., right after the Second Saturday art opening receptions in the city.

It takes place at the Piggy Bank, 448 Main St., and costs 5 bucks.

Celebren El Dia de Los Muertos hoy

Many of the mid-Hudson Valley's Mexican restaurants and bodega kitchens have decorated elaborate altars and feature special menus for the culmination of El Dia de Los Muertos.

For upscale Mexican, try Mexican Radio in Hudson, Santa Fe in Tivoli, La Puerta Azul in Millbroook or Armadillo in Kingston.

For more casual fare, head to La Cabanita or Mole Mole in Poughkeepsie, Tacocina Groceries and Mexican Food in Wappingers, La Mexicana Mexican Grocery in Red Hook, or El Danzante in Kingston.

Speaking of Day of the Dead the Elting Library in New Paltz is hosting a talk about the festival today at 5 p.m.

(Poughkeepsie Journal archive photo of La Puerta Azul by A. J. Soto)

New Yorker artist gets love from Vassar

The work of Saul Steinberg, who is best known for his New Yorker covers, will be exhibited starting Friday at Vassar College's Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center on the Poughkeepsie campus.

"Saul Steinberg: Illuminations" is a retrospective of more than 100 works.

Read my preview of the show here.

It's a must-see. And it's free. (Which means I will have cash to spend on cocktails at The Artist's Palate restaurant after I hit Friday's opening.)

("I Do, I Have, I Am," 1971, The Saul Steinberg Foundation, New York.)

Get your scare on at Beacon's Muddy Cup

I just got an e-mail from the Beacon Arts Community Association.

They are hosting a costume party fund-raiser at the Muddy Cup on Friday.

Tickets are $10 and include music, food and non-alcoholic beverages. BYOB.

The Muddy Cup is at 129 Main St. in Beacon.

More details to (hopefully) come.

If you feel like dancing and/or rocking out ...

I've got some Halloween-themed parties for you this weekend:

Friday

The Down in the Valley crew is hosting a Halloween Spooktacular at the reopened Coast in Tivoli.

DJ Mr Chips will be spinning "on the bubbling cauldron of beats." Costumes are mandatory.

Party starts at 10 p.m. and costs $5.

Kingston's Muddy Cup hosts Clubhouse's HallowGroove, described as a "night of debauchery" with DJ Lemar Soulflower (phat, dark beats) and DJ Lady Verse (hip-hop grooves).

Beer will be provided courtesy of Keegan Ales.

Cost is $10 with costume, $15 without.

Doors open at 9 p.m.

Saturday

Speaking of Keegan Ales, the Kingston brewery is hosting its own Halloween costume party Saturday night.

The bands White Knuckle Rodeo, Love Panther and Johnny Thursday And The Friday Nights are scheduled to play.

Also Saturday, the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock is throwing a Halloween bash with S'OVA, a two-man funk band with guitar and turntables; The Passage Project, a mix of jazz, funk, rock and electronica; and Funk Mafia, a five-piece funk band.

DJs Flaniman and Magic Juan will keep the costumed party-goers dancing.

Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20.

For you fans of rockabilly, The Greyhounds are playing a free 9 p.m. show at Hoe Bowl Mardi-Bob bowling alley, 45 Taft Ave. in Poughkeepsie.

Dress code is "Dress to kill."

If you know of any other adult-oriented Halloween happenings, please share and post below.

'Purple Rain' named best soundtrack ever

Could the timing be more perfect?

Just two days before the sing-along screening of "Purple Rain" at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck, Reuters reports that the editors of Vanity Fair have named the soundtrack of Prince's cult film the best ever.

All hail the Purple One.

4 1/2 stars for Elephant

I took a deep breath after hearing the Poughkeepsie Journal's restaurant critic, Daniel Mochon, had reviewed Kingston's Elephant, my favorite place to sip and nosh.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Mochon knows his stuff and expects a lot from mid-Hudson Valley chefs and restauranteurs.

From his past reviews, I can conclude that bad service is his biggest bugaboo.

I am happy to report that he loved Elephant co-owner Maya Karrol's approach: "Her service was very attentive and thoughtful, with a professional poise and sense of timing that comes from years of dining room experience. With all of the small dishes, table busing becomes even more critical and Karrol did a great job keeping clutter to a minimum."

Read the full, glowing, review here.

Phew.

Now I can continue to eat there in peace.

(Poughkeepsie Journal photo by A.J. Soto)