On June 10, 2010, at 3 p.m., the City of Newburgh held a dedication ceremony for the art project completed by Bryan Guglielmi in the new courthouse. Above is the complete video of the ceremony. The ceremony video may also be downloaded here.

The invitation to the ceremony invoked Thurgood Marshall with his quote:

“…Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent. My intent will be evident in the results.”

Full press release from the City of Newburgh:

City of Newburgh Celebrates Completion of
Newburgh Courthouse Mural,
“Newburgh-The Evolution of an American City”
Artist & Designer Bryan Guglielmi

On Thursday, June 10, almost a year to the day after the dedication of the City of Newburgh Courthouse, City and Court officials, area dignitaries, and local artists gathered to celebrate artist and designer Bryan Guglielmi’s completion of the mural project which graces its lobby.  The mural, entitled “Newburgh- the Evolution of an American City” is comprised of 10 individual panels that span the walls at the top of the stairs. Over 40 feet long combined and 9 feet tall, each panel represents a different captivating era in the evolution of the City of Newburgh, including but not limited to panel #10, the multi-cultural Lady Liberty figure which is an allegorical reference to the concept of justice. Blind? Or just looking the other way? The work has received breathtaking reviews by courthouse staff and visitors.

The artwork and design was commissioned under the City’s “Percent for Art” program. Percent for Art refers to a process by which a small portion of a municipal construction project is separated from the larger project and completed by an artist contractor instead of the general contractor.  The artist completes work that would have been a part of the project in any case, and thus enhances the building with the touch of an artist without adding to the cost of construction.  The City’s Percent for Art ordinance was developed by the City of Newburgh Arts and Culture Commission (NACC) and the Department of Planning & Development, and enacted by the City Council.

NACC chair Stuart Sachs, stated, “Percent for Art brings municipal construction back to the individual. It transforms a functional building through the touch of an artist and reintroduces it to the public as a vibrant part of the social fabric. Bryan has successfully knitted Newburgh’s history into its new hall of justice. It is especially gratifying that our first Percent for Art commission was won by a hometown boy.”

Guglielmi’s concept was chosen from 36 submissions in a structured jury process conducted by NACC. An eleven-member panel, composed of artists, educators, historians, representatives from City government, the Court, and the community, chose the winning entry in a “blind” selection process, where the identity of the artists was not revealed. Jurors also considered the input of more than 100 visitors to a public showing at the Ritz Theater lobby, where submissions were displayed anonymously and viewers were encouraged to provide feedback.

“We wanted to ensure that the process reflected the perspectives of a broad constituency and desires of local Newburgh residents,” said Martha Zola, former Director of Economic and Cultural Development, “because public art should incorporate the opinions of the general public.”

In the end, the jurors and the public were in sync:  the jurors’ choice corresponded to the public’s top rated selection. 24 yr old Bryan Guglielmi, a Newburgh native, was chosen for his disciplined and thoughtful depiction of the City’s history in panoramic form.

Guglielmi attended Newburgh Free Academy and graduated from Storm King School.  In 2008, he graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.  While there, he also worked as a paid apprentice, painting with professional artists on several mural projects, including New Windsor’s Carriage House Art Studio, in New York and Washington, D.C.  In 2008, Guglielmi started working with the Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia on solo and collaborative murals and mural designs. He has sold work to private collectors and has shown nationally.  At age 19, his painting, Self Portrait,” received an award of excellence and was shown as part of a collection at the Smithsonian Institute, S. Dillon Ripley Center, in Washington D.C.

Today Guglielmi’s work can be seen in multiple shows in the Philadelphia area. He is currently the curator for art shows at Chris Jazz Club, a well-known hot spot for emerging artist in Philadelphia, and he is negotiating new projects with Philadelphia Mural Arts. In the fall he plans to return to school to complete his Masters in Fine Art. For more information, visit http://www.guglielmiart.com.

“This truly amazing young artist, who grew up here, and attended local schools, is a wonderful role model and a shining example of the good things about the City of Newburgh, and its tremendous potential,” Mayor Nicholas Valentine commented.

Hon. Alan D. Scheinkman, Presiding Judge for the 9th Judicial District commented, “On behalf of Chief Judge Lippman, we in the Unified Court System congratulate the City of Newburgh and Bryan Guglielmi on the completion of this important and vital work of art, which pulls together important elements from the history of the City and ties it in a unique and challenging way to its setting which, like the mural itself, is both historic and new.”

Hon. B. Harold Ramsey, Newburgh City Judge  added, “Newburgh-The Evolution of an American City” depicted in the mural, represents Newburgh past, present and future; active, lively people going about making Newburgh a beautiful city. This mural will remind all of us that Newburgh is a city whose roots of the present are deep in the past.”

Interactive planning session to envision transportation improvements and growth that:

• Protect community character and the environment
• Provide long-term transportation options

This new station will be uniquely decentralized with three main studios spread out across the listening range, allowing broader participation from residents of New York’s Greene and Columbia counties. Partnerships are already forming with schools, music venues, and town halls to create live feeds from various locations, furthering the scope of the station. WGXC: Hands-On Radio will be much more than just a radio station, with regular exhibitions and events, ongoing media trainings, a news blog, and community meetings. “We are all aware of the urgent importance of protecting and supporting our local resources, food system, watersheds, farmland, and local arts and cultures,” explains Kaya Weidman, a member of WGXC’s Radio Council and co-founder of Germantown Community Farm. “WGXC is simply local media, a key tool for all these crucial issues.”

From the press release by the city:

The City of Newburgh has retained Buckhurst Fish & Jacquemart, Inc. (BFJ Planning) to complete a Future Landuse Plan. This exercise is the second component of the Sustainable Master Plan adopted in December 2008. All are invited to attend a public meeting May 26 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the role of the future Landuse Plan and the work completed to date. The meeting will be held at 123 Grand Street in the Heritage Center.

By State law all landuse regulations must comply with an adopted master plan. Therefore, this will set the stage for major revisions or a complete rewrite of the City’s land use regulations.

For more information, call Ian MacDougall at 569-9400 ext. 205.

Newburgh Community Development Agency returns to action (after long hiatus):
When: Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 6:00 PM
Where: Council Chambers, City Hall, 3rd Floor, 83 Broadway
On the agenda: Three items.  1. NCDA Mortgage Loans; 2. NCDA Property (foot of former South Street – $3150 Quadricentennial Grant from Hudson River Foundation); 3. NCDA Long-Term Plans
What’s at stake: At a recent city council meeting, a resident complained that she could not get a document proving her loan granted by the NCDA years ago was satisfied (paid off)  from the City.  Without this document, the resident could not take out a needed loan.  This resident’s plight is due to the NCDA board not meeting for years and there being no one else authorized to take action.  (Although, curiously, a satisfaction document was signed by former Economic Development Director Lourdes Zapata as recently as March 2009; shortly thereafter, she and former Corporation Counsel Geoffrey Chanin sought the city council’s approval to authorize Zapata to act for the NCDA.  The council refused.  Additional NCDA loan satisfaction documents were signed by Zapata’s predecessor Robert McKenna, but then filed with the county years later.)  Recently, Corporation Counsel Bernis Nelson had proposed transferring all assets and liabilities of the NCDA to the City.  That action was not taken by the council (who currently are the NCDA board as well.) Losing the NCDA would also mean losing its ability to issue debt.
Question: Will the NCDA/City Council take any actions at the meeting?  The public notice states “the purpose of the meeting is to discuss” the agenda items (emphasis mine.)
More info: End may be nigh for NCDA

And next week…

Who: Pace University Land Use Law Center & Center for Community Progress
What: Strategy Sessions about City of Newburgh Vacant/Abandoned Buildings
When: Two Public Meetings: Wednesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. - Education Session & Overview of Best Practices
and Thursday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. - Community Strategy Session
Where: City of Newburgh Activity Center, 401 Washington Street
For more info: call the City of Newburgh at (845) 569-9400
Funder: made possible by grant from the Ford Foundation
Official description:
As in many communities across the country, vacant and abandoned buildings in the City of Newburgh continue to drain the energy and vitality of neighborhoods. Eyesores as well as  magnets for crime, these buildings degrade  the overall quality of life for people in the  surrounding blocks, while dragging down surrounding property values and negatively impacting rehabilitation efforts.

What are the best ways to address this pervasive problem? To learn more about how other communities deal with blighted buildings, and to participate in a community strategy session, all are invited to attend presentations.

Wednesday’s presentation is “Vacant & Abandoned Properties: Effective Public Policy Approaches.”  It will inform local leaders, partners, stakeholders, and the public of the land bank model, land management strategies, system reforms, and financial models to make it all work.

Invitation-only workshops / focus groups will be held on Thursday during the day. These workshops will facilitate discussions on present practices, challenges, and opportunities related to tax-foreclosed and other vacant and underutilized properties.

Thursday evening’s public community strategy session will include recommendations for next steps, system reforms, identifying possible funding sources, board composition, staffing needs of proposed programs, and more.

City Press Officer Ann Kuzmik clarified that “developers, local merchants/realtors, department heads, institutional stakeholders, non-profits, community/neighborhood group leaders, and advisory board reps will be attending the (invitation only) day sessions.”

On Tuesday, January 26th, the Newburgh Zoning Board of Appeals heard a presentation in which William Kaplan asked for a variance for his proposed housing development on waterfront land adjoining his Regal Bag Building.  Assisting Mr. Kaplan was Lou Marquet from the Leyland Alliance, in addition to an attorney from Jacobwitz and Gubits.  Kaplan explained he had hired Leyland to assist in the planning process and gaining approvals from the city.

Kaplan began with the history of the Regal Bag Building, before launching into a description of the proposed buildings.  Throughout, he emphasized that the variance was needed to make the project financially viable.  He compared it to other Newburgh projects, stating that “the Foundry is floudering… Ferry Crossing went bankrupt twice… Voisons, that went bankrupt…” until IBM and Kaplan brought Voisons back.

Claims project would bring $2M in taxes

Kaplan reiterated the financial advantages of approving his project, chief among them the $2M addition he claims the project would bring in taxes.

Mr. Kaplan did not sugarcoat his view of the reality facing developers in Newburgh.  “We are starting a project at the worst time in the country in one of the worst cities in the country… we have a bankrupt city right now.  You all know it, I don’t have to tell you.  With no chance of getting anything in here except Ray’s putting up some buildings there [referring to Ray Yannone's Colden Street project].  But there ain’t nothing else going on and there ain’t going to be anything else going on for a very, very long time.”

Public comments were only in favor of project

Several people spoke during the public comments period, including above-mentioned Ray Yannone and Chris Colombo, whose children are partners with Yannone on the Newburgh Train Station renovation.

Also speaking in favor of the project was Dick Polich of the Yellow Bird Gallery building.

Variance decision postponed until next month’s meeting

Because several board members were absent, and also due to the too-brief period board members had to review the proposal, a final decision about the variance was postponed until next month’s meeting.  One part of the variance request involves waiving a need to build over 100 parking spaces.

Full video coverage of the meeting is posted below (or access the video directly at this link.)

Merle Becker, a Newburgh-based producer and director, will return to Newburgh’s Ritz Theater on Friday, July 10th for the Hudson Valley premiere of her latest work, “American Artifact.”  Becker premiered her 2004 documentary, “Saving Newburgh,” at the Ritz.  “Saving Newburgh” followed the twists and turns of an election season in the city; “American Artifact,” according to the film’s website, “chronicles the rise of American rock poster art since its birth in the ’60s.”  Becker responded to the Newburgh Advocate’s questions today.

What drew you to make “Saving Newburgh”?

I had just bought a fixer-upper house in Newburgh with my husband, and I intended to make a short film about us fixing up our house and living in it at the same time (which was a challenge because there was no heat and no running water, and it was the middle of February).

As we got more involved in the renovation, I got turned on to some of what was going on in the local government. I decided to instead make a film about the election and the antics of the city government, with hopes of opening people’s eyes to what was going on here.

What kind of reactions did you get, both inside and outside Newburgh?

Most Newburgh-ers wanted a PR piece for the city, which “Saving Newburgh” is definitely not. Most outsiders thought what was going on here was as ridiculous as I did.

We still have many of the same problems today. Unfortunately, a PR piece for the city isn’t the kind of thing that will bring about change as quickly as a piece which makes the residents aware of what’s going on, and hopefully breaks the cycle. (Much like your website!)

Can you describe your creative process post-”Saving Newburgh” that lead to “American Artifact”?  Had you considered other documentary subjects?

I’ve always been really into rock imagery (music videos, album covers, etc), and I worked at MTV for several years (Beavis & Butthead, Daria, TRL, etc).  Around 2004, I came across a book called “The Art of Modern Rock”, which is this huge, coffee table book of modern rock posters. I was blown away.

What struck me the most about it is that rock poster art is so closely tied to cultural change in this country. Throughout the decades, you can see some of what was going on politically and socially in America, reflected in these posters. Yet, rock posters are still considered to be “lowbrow”, or “low culture” by many. To me, it is this incredibly beautiful, daring, art form, and perhaps most importantly, one of the truest forms of folk art we have in America today.

There is a huge number of people doing rock posters now. If you go to a website called GigPosters.com, you can see the work of over 20,000 rock poster artists on the site. These people are making posters on their own, without corporate backing. It is a huge modern day art movement, which up until now, no one has really focused on in a movie. I felt it was an important subject, and aside from my love of rock imagery, I felt that it’s history and the current movement should be documented.

And, In answer to your question, yes, I had considered many subjects. (And, some of those ideas will come to fruition some day!). But for this project, I felt that it was important to document this movement that we are currently experiencing in America while it was happening.

How does it feel to be returning to the Ritz for your second premiere?

Well, “American Artifact” premiered in San Francisco last month at the Rock Art By The Bay event. But for the first Hudson Valley screening, I wanted it to be at the Ritz. I was fortunate enough to receive a grant from the Orange County Arts Council for the movie, and it was important for me to do a local screening as a thank you for their support, and the support of the local community.

The Ritz has also always been supportive of my film projects (hosting focus groups for me, etc), and again, I’d like to support them, and bring more people down Broadway to events there. So, it feels great!

Any surprises about “American Artifact”? (either in making it or along the way…)

When I started work on the film, I had quit my day job and tried for months to get funding for the film (with no luck). So, I decided to fund it out of pocket with intentions of picking up freelance work towards the end of production to supplement my income.  Then, the recession hit, and suddenly it was very difficult to pick up freelance television work – So, the surprise was that I was super-broke by the end, haha.

How can we see your work?

[T]he Hudson Valley premiere of “American Artifact” will be at the Ritz Theater (111 Broadway, Newburgh) this Friday July 10th at 7:30 p.m. Afterwards, there is a party at the poster-adorned Wherehouse Restaurant, right around the corner (119 Liberty). It should be a fun time – We’re also giving away screen printing kits courtesy of Newburgh Art Supply and doing Q&A after the movie. So art lovers and rock lovers alike, c’mon down!

Friday’s screening is at 7:30 p.m. To order tickets in advance (recommended), order online here.  “Saving Newburgh” is available for sale at The Palatine Shop, 87 Liberty Street, Newburgh NY; (845) 561-5552.