By Jaime Thomas
Paintings galore will be on display at both the Pember Library and the Slate Valley Museum on July 5 as part of the First Friday series.
Two of the Pember’s three artists will be painters Stan Gilbert and Steve Burgess, while Kathy Hall will display photographs and monoprints.
For musical entertainment the Evans Family Band, an acoustic father, mother and son trio, will provide what they describe as classic country and bluegrass. The band is based out of Granville and includes rhythm guitar, lead guitar, a stand-up bass and singing.
As far as food, locals will be treated to samples from Beelezebubbe, a new bakery opening soon in Granville. Pember Director Pat Wesner said the bakers offer pastries, bread and other goods.
“They bring in samples all the time, and I said, “Can you do First Friday sometime?” Wesner said. And the bakers agreed.
Nearby at the Slate Valley Museum, Artist Adriano Manocchia will display his oil and watercolor paintings and be on hand to talk about his work. His new book, “Water, Sky and Time,” which features 156 of his most notable paintings, will also be available for purchase and signing during the exhibit.
Museum officials describe Manocchia as a contemporary artist who is well known for capturing waterscapes and still-life in his paintings.
“The landscapes that Adriano captures in his paintings are magnificent pieces that show the culture and beauty of our region. Each of these works of art depicts natural scenery, which defines our area with our colorful greenery and rivers and this is what we hope to bring out with our cultural campus,” officials said.
His works range from photographic-like pictures of fly fisherman to golf landscapes and nature.
Manocchia, who lives in Cambridge, received his bachelor’s degree from Pace University and went on to be a photojournalist for 12 years. In addition to being a renowned painter, Adriano was also an art and photography professor at Long Island University, according to a release.
First Friday takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information about the Slate Valley Museum, visit www.slatevalleymuseum.org or call the museum at 518-642-1417. To find out more about the Pember go to Pember.sals.edu or call 518-642-1515.