Compiled by Janice Llanes Fabry
This Weekend
The Work of Art
On Saturday from 9-4, art lovers can enjoy the Rye Arts Center’s “Inspired: Masters and Students” exhibit, featuring the work of master artists along with those of the Young Men of the Youth Shelter Program of Westchester. Curated by Omo Misha, the show highlights the raw talent and vibrant spirits of these young adults, as well as works from celebrated contemporary and historic artists.
The Youth Shelter Program in Mount Vernon is a not-for-profit residential alternative to incarceration for young men and provides positive alternatives and educational programs.
All About You
On Saturday at 11 join author Carol Costa at the Rye Free Reading Room, where she will lead a workshop on the basics of memoir writing. Bring a notebook and writing implements to get started with relating your own history in a reader-friendly fashion.
Back to School
The Rye Free Reading Room invites the newest students to a K-Day Social Open House Saturday from 2-4. Kindergarteners can meet and greet their fellow classmates, pick up their very own library cards, and have their caricatures drawn by artist Judy Tourangeau of JT Art and Design in Connecticut.
Hands-on activities and refreshments will be available as well. Pre-registration is required; visit ryelibrary.org.
Saturday Night Fever
On the second Saturday of each month, the Rye YMCA is open just to middle schoolers from 7-10. This Saturday evening, they can head to the Y for fun, food, camaraderie, activities, competitions, and games in a supervised environment. For more information, call 967-6363 or email johnrice@ryeymca.org.
Health and Wellness Expo
Sample some of Wainwright House’s many classes on Sunday from 9-4:30, rain or shine. Mini-sessions will be available in creativity, yoga and movement, spirituality, health, and the environment. On hand will be holistic vendors and practitioners in reflexology, astrology, chakra, tarot, massage therapy, homeopathy, and more. Taikasin Ghosthorse from the Cheyenne River Lakota (Sioux) Nation is the keynote speaker.
Register at wainwright.org, or at 9 that morning. Cost for auditing each mini-class is $5. Lunch will be available from Butler Brothers at noon.
For a Good Cause
Coastal Cleanup
On September 19, thousands of volunteers around the globe help clean trash and debris from local waterways and shorelines. Anyone age 10 and up may join Friends of the Rye Nature Center from 9-12 to clean up their local brook, or Friends of Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary at 10 to help make their own beach trash-free. Email taroietaka@ryenaturecenter.org or notifications@friendsofreadwildlifesanctuary.org for more information.
Arts & Entertainment
Mondays Are for Moviegoers
The library is launching a lunchtime movie series on Mondays. The first, “Singin’ in the Rain,” will be shown on September 14 from 12-2. One of the best musicals ever filmed, “Singin’ in the Rain” stars the inimitable Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor.
Bring your own lunch and enjoy the memorable songs, lavish routines, and Kelly’s fabulous song and dance numbers. A light dessert will be served.
Neighborhood Favorite
Recent works by Rye resident and multi-award winning artist Elizabeth B. Derderian are on display at the Rye Free Reading Room through September 30. The exhibit, “A New Chapter,” includes still life, land/cityscapes, and figurative paintings that incorporate the artist’s captivating use of light and color.
Her paintings can be spotted in establishments around town and in the 2015 Rye Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Guide. An artist’s reception will be held September 27 from 2-4.
Welcome to the Neighborhood
The Rye Newcomers will hold their annual barbecue at Rye Nature Center on September 20 from 4-6. Enjoy food and drinks, and live animal presentations. It’s a great opportunity to meet new neighbors and make new friends. To purchase tickets, visit ryenewcomersclub.org.
Eye on Art Tours and Talks
Join the Rye Arts Center for an eye-opening tour of Storm King Art Center in New Windsor September 17 from 10-1:30. Their distinguished collection comprises more than 100 sculptures by some of the most acclaimed artists of our era, from post-World War II to the present.
The tour will be led by Margot Clark-Junkins, M.A., History of Design & Curatorial Studies from Parsons School of Design. She is also a contributing writer for The Rye Record. Advance registration required, $35. Visit ryeartscenter .org.
On September 23 from 10-11 at the Rye Arts Center, Clark-Junkins will examine art in the public sphere, from public plazas to sculpture parks to street art. Why do some works cause controversy (Banksy’s graffiti art, Richard Serra’s Tilted Arc), while others engender admiration and good will (Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate in Chicago, Christo’s draping of Central Park)? The fee is $10.
Talks, Workshops, and Just for Fun
Historic Landscape
“Mary Rutherford Jay: Garden Architect” is running through September 27 at the Jay Heritage Center. The great, great-granddaughter of American Founding Father John Jay grew up in Rye, studied at Harvard and MIT, and became one of the few landscape architects of the early 20th century.
Visitors will enjoy the ancestral landscape that served as her inspiration and may catch a glimpse of the ongoing $1.5 million transformation of the historic Jay Gardens.
The Buzz on Bees
Head over to Read Wildlife Sanctuary September 12 at 1 to learn about bees and their hives. Beekeeper Margaret von der Meden will share how teachings of the beehive offer a beautiful and critical message for survival of both bees and mankind.
Havana Then and Now
Join SPRYE for a lively and timely discussion on “Cuba Today and Yesterday” at Wainwright House on September 16 from 3-4:30. The speakers include three locally prominent Cuban-American women: Isabel Villar, Founding Executive Director of El Centro Hispano; Teresita Wisell, Vice-President and Dean of Westchester Community College; and Judith Aucar, Deputy Director of El Centro Hispano.
In addition, local residents Dolores Eyler and Van Siler will offer their impressions based on a recent visit to Cuba.
Safe Surfing
The Rye Free Reading Room is holding a workshop on “Enhancing Your Internet Browsing” on September 17 from 10-12. Computer teacher Mike Negrelli will cover a number of new features in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser. Among the topics addressed will be setting new home pages, using tabs for quick access, clearing Internet data, using the private browsing feature, and security issues.
Naturalist Among Us
Show your Rye pride and help the city become the second Community Wildlife Habitat in the state of New York by making your property more welcoming to wildlife. Learn how September 18 from 10-4 when a Rye Nature Center naturalist will visit your property, identify weeds, wildlife needs, and offer other suggestions.
The program is free. Contact taroietaka@ryenaturecenter.org for more information.
Night and Day
Celebrate the autumnal equinox and celebrate the sacred change of seasons at Wainwright House on September 20 from 5-7. All are invited to come into awareness and balance regarding the light and dark aspects of themselves — and the world.
Homeopathic Treatments
The Holistic Moms Network invites you to a talk on homeopathic approaches, September 24 at 7:30 at the Rye Free Reading Room. Janice Solomon will explain the development of major trends in the field, as well as the difference between using remedies as a layperson and a certified practitioner.
Family Ties
High-Tech Fitness
Check out the Rye YMCA’s new ExerZone on opening day, September 21. This innovative new studio offers members of all ages another option to become active and fit. It features cutting-edge, interactive equipment that combines fitness, movement, light, and sound.
Teen Time
Fashion Forward
Square House Museum Educator Devon Pentz will be at the Rye library September 25 at 3:30 to lead a 1940s Rye Fashion Flashback Workshop for teens. Discover how fashion drastically changed from military-inspired embellishments to Dior’s “new look” in 1947.
After hearing how World War II affected the design and manufacture of women’s clothing, participants will design their own Rosie the Riveter-inspired headscarves. All material will be supplied. Pre-registration is required at ryelibrary.org.
Children’s Corner
A Mad, Mad World
Students in grades K-4 are invited to spend Mad Science days at the Rye Recreation Center’s McDonald Building. On September 14 from 9:30-4, they will be “shipwrecked” on a deserted island, so they’ll have many opportunities to invent, problem-solve, and design bridges and boats.
On September 15, from 9:30-4, they will find themselves in the science fiction world. With a focus on inventing and dreaming, they will follow a telecommunications timeline and develop a design for future transportation. They will also learn to decipher fact from fiction.
The fee is $100 for residents, $125 non-residents. Bring your own lunch.
Hidden in Plain Sight
Fifth and sixth graders will make a lot of discoveries while having lots of fun at the Rye Nature Center during a group session of hide and seek, September 18 from 6:30-7:30. Pre-registration is required at ryenaturecenter.org. The cost is $10 per child.
Chalk it Up to the Good Old Days
Before Smart Boards, there were blackboards and before Apple iPads, there were just apples! Ages 6-11 are invited to the Square House Museum on September 24 from 3:30-5 to experience what a one-room schoolhouse was like in the 1800s.
They’ll enjoy stepping back in time with crafts and games that don’t require keyboards or Wi-Fi. Kids will play and create using their own imaginations. The $10 fee includes supplies and a snack. Space is limited. Call 967-7588 to reserve a spot.
Save the Date
Painters on Location
On October 3, more than 40 professional artists will paint the scenic beauty of Rye in a one-day, plein-air paint out. Artists will be painting the town, parks, beaches, landmarks, buildings, landscapes, and surrounding areas. A reception to view the wet works will be held the same day from 4:30-6 at the Rye Arts Center. A live art auction will start at 6:15.
Anyone interested in seeing the artists at work may visit ryeartscenter.org for a map of all the locations. Additional works by the participating artists will be on display before the Painters on Location event at the Rye Arts Center Gallery September 21-October 3. These inspiring works may be purchased through a silent auction.
Biergarten on the Sound
Wainwright House is holding its first Oktoberfest September 27 from 1-5. Make your way to the Biergarten for beer tastings and traditional German fare, courtesy of Half Time and Butler Brothers.
Bavarian music and merriment will make for a delightful festival on Wainwright’s gardens. Tickets are $55 per person, $35 per designated driver. Proceeds support the Center’s ongoing programs. Visit wainwright.org or call 967-6080.
Estates of Grace
The Rye Historical Society’s popular fall history tours will be held on October 4, rain or shine, starting at 11:30. This year, the focus is the role of religion in Rye, from its founding days by Presbyterians and the early days of the Anglican Church.
Participants will learn about the impact of the Revolutionary War on Rye and its churches, the rise and decline of Methodism, and the impact of immigration on the Catholic Church. They will also learn about the rich Jewish heritage in Rye and the founding of the Community Synagogue.
Check-in will be at the Square House Museum. Parking at the Rye High School parking lot on Parsons Street is recommended. A shuttle is available. Tours depart every 30 minutes, from 11:30 -3:30, and are approximately two hours long.
Tickets are $25 for members, $30 non-members, and $15 for students. To register for a preferred start time, please call the Historical Society at 967-7588.
Oktoberfest
On October 2 from 7-10, Rye Nature Center is holding its annual fundraiser with traditional Bavarian foods, music, and festive treats. This year’s silent auction boasts a wonderful array of opportunities for the whole family, including: 20 nature experiences on- and off-site; private campouts; wild edible workshops; outdoor yoga; historical Rye bike rides; and an insider’s trip to Arthur Avenue.
Levels of tickets available include: Naturalist for $150; Conservationist for $250; and Steward for $350. All proceeds benefit Friends of Rye Nature Center education programs and conservation projects.
The World Is Your Oyster
The Bird Homestead nonprofit is featuring Peter Malinowski, director of the Billion Oyster Project, at the Rye Meeting House on October 24 at 3. The project is an ecosystem and educational endeavor aimed at restoring one billion live oysters to New York Harbor and engaging hundreds of thousands of school children through restoration-based STEM educational programs.
Shedding Light
The Rye Free Reading Room invites the entire community to come together to read “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr, who will visit on November 5. Join in a discussion and activities related to the book’s themes and setting.
Having been awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Prize and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, Doerr wrote a memorable story of a blind French girl and an orphan German boy, whose paths collide in occupied France during World War II. Copies of the novel are available at the library.
