Free colony-wide activities at the historic Byrdcliffe Art Colony: On Saturday, September 29, the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild is hosting a colony-wide Byrdcliffe Afternoon, inviting area residents and out-of-town visitors to experience the multiple creative disciplines and services at the heart of the organization’s mission. From 12:30 to 2:30pm, Byrdcliffe’s Artist-in-Residence program will host its final Open Studios of the season at the Villetta Inn, where visual artists including ceramicists, videographers, and more will share the fruits of their nearly four-week stay atop Mount Guardian in an informal, meet-the-artist format. Visitors to Byrdcliffe Afternoon can also drop in at the jewelry studio, where Robin “The Hammer” Ludwig will have a class in session at 17 Whitehead Road; and see the ceramic studio run by long-time director Rich Conti, at the Byrdcliffe Barn, 485 Upper Byrdcliffe Road. Also to be unveiled on September 29, artist Melinda Stickney-Gibson has organized the Haiku Box Project, a series of artist-made boxes installed on trees throughout the Byrdcliffe colony. Visitors who find the boxes can consider leaving an anonymous haiku, thought, prayer, or secret in the box.

The day’s many events also include at 2:00 pm a tour of White Pines (454 Upper Byrdcliffe Road), the beautiful 1902 Arts & Crafts home of Byrdcliffe’s founders, Ralph and Jane Whitehead. The tour is guided by Byrdcliffe Board member and Byrdcliffe historian par excellence Henry T. Ford. Visitors to White Pines always enjoy the grand finale of the tour: the legendary “pottery attic,” housing hundreds of wooden and plaster molds and unglazed pots created by the Byrdcliffe Pottery between 1916 and 1925.

  At 2:30 pm, visitors will have the opportunity to convene at the Byrdcliffe Barn (handicap accessible) to hear readings and performances by Byrdcliffe’s artists-in-residence, always a highlight demonstrating the interdisciplinary spirit that makes Byrdcliffe’s residency program so unique. Ending the day, visitors will be treated to a free concert at 4:00 pm at the Barn by British pianist Simon Mulligan, a collaboration with our friends at Maverick Concerts. According to the Times of London, Mr. Mulligan is “the most abundantly gifted of pianists.” Pulitzer prizewinning composer Paul Moravec calls him “a pianist with complete mastery of the instrument” while Herbie Hancock says “You have a phenomenal touch, man!” In addition to his extensive discography and vast repertoire, Mulligan’s solo work gains praise from critics and audiences alike, and his collaborations include performances and recordings with Yehudi Menuhin, Joshua Bell, Leonard Slatkin, and Sting. He has performed all over the world, most notably at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, as well as private performances for Her Majesty the Queen and President Barack Obama. His keen interest in film composition led to a long association with composer Michael Kamen, culminating in his performance on the soundtrack to Steven Spielberg’s Band of Brothers. He has led his own jazz quartet since he was thirteen, which has performed in major international festivals. His eclectic work has led to profiles in Downbeat, JazzTimes, BBC Music, Classic FM, and Gramophone magazines, among others. Simon is a recipient of the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music, and his teachers include Alexander Kelly, Murray Perahia, Alfred Brendel, and Alexis Weissenberg. More info: SimonMulligan.com

All events for the September 29 Byrdcliffe Afternoon are free to the public. Maps of the colony and an itinerary for the day’s events will be available at the Byrdcliffe Theater, 380 Upper Byrdcliffe Road.

Event Duration: 5.5 hours, events throughout the afternoon

Register By: No registration required

Questions About the Event: Call 845.679.2079 or e-mail derin@woodstockguild.org

Dogs: Not permitted

Driving Directions: 

From Woodstock head west on Mill Hill Road toward Rock City Road

Turn left onto Lower Byrdcliffe Road

Turn left onto Glasco Turnpike

Turn right onto Upper Byrdcliffe Road