McMansions as kaleidoscope

"Earthscapes," which opens Saturday at the Kingston Museum of Contemporary Arts, is an exhibition of landscape photography made through the open door of a Cessna 206.

Artist Paul Joffe captures the strangely beautiful patterns of tract houses and cul-de-sacs. He also documents cloud formations.

KMOCA, 103 Abeel St. in Kingston, is open Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment.

The reception is this Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Start building your soapbox

From bearings and brakes to steering linkages, a workshop this Saturday will prepare you to enter one of the coolest events of the Hudson Valley summer: the 13th annual Artists' Soapbox Derby in Kingston, which takes place Aug. 19.

Saturday is the first of four informational public workshops on the design and construction of soapbox cars. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cornell Shops Building, 110 East Strand.

Other workshops take place Aug. 4, 11 and 18.

Now you have no excuse.

(Photo by Poughkeepsie Journal staffer Kathy McLaughlin)

Elliott Smith fans, take note

"The Elliott Smith Project," a new site-specific work, will be performed in the Spiegeltent on the Bard College campus.

The music theater piece is based on the singer-songwriter's posthumously released, “From a Basement on the Hill."

I'm going to check it out on opening night (Thursday) in advance of a story I'm writing about the dramatic song cycle.

"The Elliott Smith Project," directed by Daniel Fish, is performed Thursday, Saturday and Sunday as well as Aug. 3, 4 and 5, all at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25.

(Photo courtesy of Bard College and Autumn de Wilde)

My weekend picks

If I were you this is where I'd head this weekend:

Tonight, 9 p.m., Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker St., Woodstock



Get your groove on at the Midsummer Clubhouse Party, an underground dance party at the Bearsville Theater. Resident turntablists Lemar Soulflower and Anthony Molina will be joined by guest DJs from Boston Keith Kene and Judea Stonez.

Tickets are $10.


Saturday, 6-9 p.m., Van Brunt Gallery, 460 Main St., Beacon
For any child of the '80s, the "Pretty in Pink" album had plenty of anthem-worthy tunes, including the title track by British rock band, The Psychedelic Furs. I've been a huge fan of the Furs for years, but only saw them in concert once: Site: Opus 40; date -- summer 2000.


So I jumped at the chance to interview Cold Spring resident and lead singer Richard Butler for this week's Enjoy! Bet you didn't know he is a painter as well as a musician. Meet him at the artist's reception Saturday.




Saturday and Sunday

Rosendale Street Festival, Main Street, Rosendale, free!

These Saturday acts, all fronted by ladies, caught my eye: Sarah Perrotta, Emily Zuzik, Carla Rozman and of course, Dar Williams.

On Sunday, I can't wait to check out Bouva.

Party with Beacon artists 'til dawn

Keith Zarriello of The Shivers will perform at Saturday's open studios at Spire Studios in Beacon.

The party, which includes an exhibition of work by the gallery attendants of Dia:Beacon, begins at 6 p.m.

Zarriello plays at 10 p.m.

Then DJ Jeff spins until very, very late.