Photo:Emily Jablon River Walk Sculpture
BROOME COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL is expanding its on-line “Sculpture Outdoors” catalogue on First Friday September 4th. New research about 6 additional works will go live at 6:00pm at www.broomearts.org/public-sculpture. The site currently showcases 13 public sculptures. The new additions are:
· “Fountain & Sculpture” (attached photograph by Kari Bayait), located in downtown Binghamton
· “Venus” by Arline Peartree, located in downtown Binghamton;
· “Wisdom’s Truth” by Nathaniel Kaz, located at Binghamton University’s Fine Arts Building;
· “Supporting Hands” by Yvonne R. Hobbs, located at Binghamton General Hospital;
· “Lady Justice”, located atop the Broome County Court House; and
· “High Point #62” by Genevieve Karr Hamlin, located in Harpursville.
A Press conference and rally will be held on Wednesday August 26 at Noon in front of Representative Richard Hanna's office at 49 Court St., Binghamton. The purpose of this rally is to urge his support for the Iran Nuclear Deal. Currently he is planning to vote no.
Last month, the United States and its P5+1 partners reached a historic agreement with Iran that aims to curb Iran's development of nuclear weapons while allowing the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. It supports a diplomatic initiative that has already begun and will curb the possibility of nuclear action.
We are encouraging Congress not to take any actions that could undermine this agreement. Instead, in the words of Bishop Cantú, we "urge Congress to endorse the result of these intense negotiations because the alternative leads toward armed conflict, an outcome of profound concern to the Church."
Photo credit by Robert C. Johnston (archival)
Sponsored by the New York Cultural Heritage Tourism Network
In conjunction with its Women’s Rights & Suffrage Committee
A conference to provide awareness, stimulate interest and nurture partnerships in preparation for the
Centennial Celebration of women’s right to vote in New York State & to explore cultural heritage tourism opportunities for 2017
Holiday Inn – Waterloo/Seneca Falls
2468 NYS Route 414
Waterloo, NY 13165
Thursday, October 1, 2015 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
An Attempt to Scare Residents and Prevent Passage of the Bill?
Binghamton, NY -- Misinformation is being spread by the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the police union, about the content of the Police Modernization Law being considered by the Binghamton City Council. The public, including many human services and advocacy organizations and religious leaders, has demonstrated strong support for this legislation, and it has the support of a majority of city council members. This week, however, a memo from the PBA was circulated among the rank and file members, residents and business owners on Binghamton’s West Side stating that if the law is passed, police will no longer be able to respond to information provided by the victim of a crime and will no longer be able to present suspects to crime victims for identification. These statements are completely false and this memo appears to be an unfortunate scare tactic intended to shift public support away from passage of the law.
In addition to the memo, it has been reported that some Binghamton police officers are telling residents that the law will require them, during minor traffic stops, to ask intrusive questions about their religion and sexual orientation. These statements are also completely untrue. The law does not require the police to ask anyone about anything.
What the law does say is that racial profiling and bias-based policing are wrong and illegal and that a person's race alone cannot be used to assign suspicion. The law still allows police to use race as part of the description of a suspect as long as they have probable cause to believe that the suspect (of that particular race) is linked to specific illegal activity. What the law does do is establish the following priorities: tracking, analysis and reporting of data collected during standard police investigations; cultural competency and anti-bias training for our officers; and development of a plan to diversify the police force. And it allows the specific plans for implementation of these priorities to be developed over 6 months, through dialogue and cooperation among the police, city leaders, and the community. These are all proactive and positive measures to provide our officers the resources and support they need to build trust between the police and residents of color in our community and to prevent a racially charged tragedy, like we’ve seen in the national headlines, from happening in our city.
The Police Administration has stated on multiple occasions that the Binghamton police do not racially profile. We applaud their commitment to fairness and justice, and ask: if they do not racially profile, why are they so opposed to a law making racial profiling illegal?
The current draft of the legislation can be found here on the City of Binghamton website: http://www.binghamton-ny.gov/city-council-business-meeting-61 or at tinyurl.com/PoliceModernizationAct.
There will be a Public Hearing on the Police Modernization Law (LL15-2) on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 6:30pm in City Council Chambers.
Two murals created at Mural Fest and used here on a boarded up building as part of a blight mitigation project funded by the Chenango Co Arts Council, NYS Decentralization grant and the Hoyt Foundation. The Dept of Public Art, a group of volunteers dedicated to public art, are placing original murals on boarded up properties in Binghamton, in an attempt to bring attention to buildings that can be re-purposed and to bring art to neighborhoods with blighted properties. Three other properties have been chosen for new murals and artists may submit proposals by August 19th. Info binghamtonbridgeATgmail.com.
Photo Left mural panel painted by Jesse Ryan, and on the right by Mural Arts Students, Bracken, Zizak and Yetsko.
First Presbyterian Church of Johnson City would like to invite you to an extraordinary event: A Free Concert for Johnson City on Sunday, September 27th featuring Brother Sun. Fusing folk, Americana, blues, pop, jazz, rock, and a cappella singing, Brother Sun is an explosion of musical diversity and harmony, in the finest of male singing traditions.
After viewing the February 10, 2015 Press and Sun Bulletin article, Johnson City and Binghamton in Top 10 Most Dangerous Places in NY, the congregation decided to raise hope and fellowship within our community. Brother Sun compositions promote love, social justice, and faith in humanity, “where unsung heroes struggle and sometimes win the daily battles of life and love.” The event is totally free, so please invite family, co-workers, and friends.
First Presbyterian Church of Johnson City is covering the first $500 of the $2500 cost of the event. We are asking Johnson City business owners to contribute a $500 match to offset expenses in exchange for a placard demonstrating your donation in support of the Johnson City community.
If you are able to contribute to this event in any way, please contact Diane Olmstead immediately at 759-0467.
The following sponsorships are also available:
$400 Advertising in television, radio, and print media
$300 Lodging for the three musicians
$200 Printing of posters and flyers for distribution
$100 A meal for performers and workers the day of the event
We hope you will join us in spirit and in person for the this wonderful opportunity to deliver a message to those residing and working in the Johnson City and Binghamton area that we are still a neighborhood of caring people.
Photographers Bill Gorman and Geof Gould Exhibiting New Work at the Cooperative Gallery 213
September Song: Portraits of Autumn, the title of Bill Gorman’s latest exhibit, will be sharing space at the Cooperative Gallery 213 with Geof Gould’s latest work titled Southern Exposures. Both photographers, who have exhibited together over the years, work in vibrant colors and spectacular landscapes. The exhibit will open with a reception, open to the public, on Thursday August 6th from 5 -8 PM, will continue through First Friday on August 7th from 3-9 PM and will close on Saturday, August 29th.Through the month of August the Gallery is open to view the exhibits on Fridays from 3-6 PM and Saturdays from 12-4.
Gould’s exhibit Southern Exposures will feature photographs of people as well as a few nature photos. Most of the images are from Chile, Costa Rica, Bermuda, Jamaica, and Peru with a few from the American Southwest. Geof is known as a landscape photographer and in this show he focuses on people to great effect.
Gorman’s September Song; Portraits of Autumn will feature a number of large scale photographic portraits of autumn leaves of late fall as well as leaf portraits printed on canvas. According to Gorman, “The show is really about the passing of time, about aging and the complex beauty of aging.” The Kurt Weil-Maxwell Anderson song inspired the exhibit: “The autumn weather turns the leaves to flame, ...when the days come down to a precious few...September, November.” Some of his leaf photos are hugely enlarged and are sharp in details and colors.
The Cooperative Gallery 213 is located in downtown Binghamton on State of the Art, 213 State Street. For more information and newsletter sign up go to: www.cooperativegallery.com or to the Cooperative Gallery 213's Facebook page. Regular hours are First Friday 3- 9 pm, other Fridays 3-6pm, Saturdays, 12-4pm, and by appointment with the artists.
1 Dressed for a Procession by Geof Gould
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