Schenectady Art Show: Today’s the Day…

… and I’m as nervous as anything.

I shouldn’t be nervous.  Heck, with what I’ve gone through in my life, I should be able to handle an art show opening.  It’s a group art show, I’m sharing the event with several very talented artists – for the record, those artists are Cookie, JoElla Casse, Kris Hauser, Noelle Macgonigle, Dan Oropallo, Clark Seeley, Lauren San, and TrueMaster DjTrumastr Trimingham. Many of these artists have participated in gallery shows before.  They know what to expect.  I don’t.

All I know is that ten of my polar panorama photographs, all foam-boarded and trimmed to the size of phonograph album covers, are arranged on the wall of the 440 Art Center in Schenectady, the building adjacent to Proctors’ Theater.  It’s across the street from what used to be the Center City sports complex, the place where I used to do radio broadcasts for station 3WD (and which now is the main location for Bombers’ Burrito Bar).

So what made the cut for Opening Night?

Two of my Nipper polar panoramas, the ones taken atop the Arnoff Moving and Storage Building.

Two of my Empire State Plaza polar panoramas, including one that makes the entire Empire State Plaza look like an Autobot.  Or since David Paterson is running New York, maybe it looks like a Decepticon.

A shot of the still waters at Buckingham Lake in Albany’s Pine Hills.

A shot of the sunset-tinted waters of the Mt. Ida Falls.

A shot of the Hamilton College Chapel, a 200-year-old structure that is the iconic symbol of my alma mater.

The first polar panorama I ever took, the shot you see above, of Washington Park.  This photo was taken while I was standing on the lake itself. Yes it was a frozen lake, I do not have the ability to walk upon the water, nor can I turn it into wine.  I can turn it into Kool-Aid, if necessary…

I know I shouldn’t be nervous.  I’ve been in pressure situations before.  Even back in grade school, whenever it was time to act in a school play or give a speech.  If I have to give some sort of an event presentation, or appear at a book signing for one of my two record collector’s guides.

And maybe that’s the worry.  Did I present the photographs in an appealing and interesting manner?  Did I pick suitable and interesting subjects to photograph?

One polar panorama, however, will not make the cut for the show.

And the reason this shot of Joe Bruno Stadium won’t be appearing at the Schenectady Art Show…

Is that it’s already making its own appearance.  If you go to tonight’s Tri-City ValleyCats home opener, you might see this polar panorama in tonight’s Game Day program!

So theoretically, tonight there will be ELEVEN polar panoramas making their print debut.

So if you can come to the 440 Art Gallery tonight (opening night starts at 5pm and runs to 9pm), please do so.  Check out the work of the Capital Region’s rising artists – and then, if you get a second or three, come see my stuff as well if you want.