AHA! | 805
Season 8 Episode 5 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Explore the grounds of Storm King, Raè Frasier promotes positive change through her art.
Join producer Matt Rogowicz on a trip to Storm King to explore the grounds and learn more about their art collection. Schenectady resident Raè Frasier is a full-time artist who uses her work to promote positive change in her community. Troy NY based 518 Artist Ryan Leddick performs "Stay the Night" and "Brown Eyes" .
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
AHA! A House for Arts is a local public television program presented by WMHT
Support provided by M&T Bank, the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, and is also provided by contributors to the WMHT Venture Fund including Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert & Doris...
AHA! | 805
Season 8 Episode 5 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Join producer Matt Rogowicz on a trip to Storm King to explore the grounds and learn more about their art collection. Schenectady resident Raè Frasier is a full-time artist who uses her work to promote positive change in her community. Troy NY based 518 Artist Ryan Leddick performs "Stay the Night" and "Brown Eyes" .
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch AHA! A House for Arts
AHA! A House for Arts is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(bright music) - [Jade Warrick] Explore the grounds at the Storm King Art Center.
Rae Frasier uses art to promote positive change, and catch a performance from Ryan Leddick.
It's all ahead on this episode of "AHA!
A House for Arts".
(gentle upbeat music) - [Presenter] Funding for AHA!
has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT Venture Fund.
Contributors include: the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation; Chet and Karen Opalka; Robert and Doris Fischer Malesardi; the Alexander and Marjorie Hover Foundation; and the Robison Family Foundation.
- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.
That's why we take an active role in our community.
M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts and we invite you to do the same.
(playful upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Jade Warrick and this is "AHA!
A House for Arts", a place for all things creative.
Here's Matt with today's field segment.
(light instrumental music) - I'm in Cornwall, New York at Storm King Art Center, a massive 500-acre outdoor museum that you just have to experience for yourself.
But first, follow me.
(dramatic instrumental music) - Storm King is a 500-acre outdoor museum and sculpture park.
We have permanent exhibitions of works of art by some of the greatest artists of our time.
We have a number of site-specific commissions that have been created over a span of many years and we also have temporary exhibitions that come in and out on a yearly basis.
I think one thing that people really enjoy about coming to Storm King is being able to have a really free and really open experience with contemporary art and modern art.
I think sometimes people feel either constrained by experiences in museums, or they feel uncomfortable, or like they're not quite sure what to do.
But here at Storm King, every approach is the right approach.
There are many, many ways to engage with our artworks, to engage with our beautiful landscape.
We find that Storm King is a place where people can come if they have a huge wealth of experience with and knowledge of contemporary and modern art but it's just as well to come if you're a 4 years old and are seeing things for the very first time.
(light playful music) - It's kind of a magical place.
It was started by my grandfather, Ted Ogden.
He really wanted to preserve this beautiful estate, what is now our museum building.
He wanted to do this for this community.
It was meant to be an art center so we started with music from 1960 when it opened.
And over time, he was looking for a type of art that could work with land and landscape.
- In 1967, Ted Ogden was able to visit the studio of the artist, David Smith, who had passed away 2 years before but still had about 80 artworks outdoors on display across his grounds, and Ted Ogden was so struck by the way that those sculptures by David Smith looked in that landscape that he realized he could do something very different from what he had started at Storm King but that he could really emulate this idea of showing large-scale sculpture outdoors at our site at Storm King as well.
So on that trip, he purchased 13 sculptures by David Smith and brought them back.
Those were the first sculptures at Storm King to be on display outdoors.
(upbeat music) But from there, it kept being that artists drew Ted Ogden and his co-founder Peter Stern further and further into the Storm King landscape to site art.
For instance, Andy Goldsworthy with his "Storm King Wall" started weaving this old stone wall in and out of some of the trees in our woods on the south most part of our property.
And then, Maya Lin in 2009 with "Storm King Wavefield", took an 11-acre site that had been really decimated by the creation of the New York State Thruway right along our Western border and reclaimed that site, made it into a beautiful artwork with some of the remaining gravel and soil that had been kind of left there.
So we keep pushing ourselves as artists ask us to push ourselves and I think that that's been a really amazing collaboration with artists as Storm King has been created throughout the years.
(birds chirping) - You'll see, as you walk around, that almost every sculpture has its own views and space.
We're known for how we sited and really thought about the backdrop that you see, the mountains, the fields, the trees.
(light airy music) - There's really not a hierarchy between the works of art and the landscape and they really work together and that's very important for anyone's experience of the art that we have here at Storm King.
We try to make any experience of art at Storm King feel like something that could only happen here.
So we want you to leave and feel not only that you've seen an amazing work of art, but also remember the setting that you are in when you saw it and how that also affected your experience of that work.
I love Sarah Sze's "Fallen Sky".
I think it really provides something very different to our landscape and brings people into our landscape in a new way and I've loved seeing Mark di Suvero's "Pyramidian" since it was installed in the mid-1990s and it's something that people often know of us because they see it sort of going through on the highway, and they can say, "Oh, you know, I've seen Storm King.
I've seen 'Pyramidian'."
But to be under it and to kind of experience a sculpture that is 65-feet tall by walking through it is something that I think is kind of a once in a lifetime experience.
- We're all looking at our phones.
We're looking, you know, at screens all the time.
And when I see people here, yeah, they're using their iPhone for images but they're really looking.
They're looking at the trees.
They're looking at the fields, our native grasses and our art.
I look at people here, they're smiling, they're happy.
- People feel comfortable in the outdoors.
There are studies showing that people's blood pressure goes down when they spend time in the outdoors and that type of background and that type of backdrop for works of art, I think, is really meaningful and allows people to really have the type of experience with the work of art or works of art that suits them.
I love that there are kind of alternative models for how to show art and we are definitely one of the preeminent ones of those.
- For Schenectady resident, Rae Frasier, art is more than just a hobby.
It's her full-time passion.
And beyond that, art is a powerful tool that she uses to promote positive change in her community.
So how does Rae promote change through her art?
I sat down with her to find out.
Hi Rae, welcome to AHA!
today.
- Thanks for having me.
I love the rug.
I love the comfy couch.
- Right?
- Thanks for having me.
- The colors are on point with our tan right now.
- You know the vibes.
- You know it, artist, right?
- Absolutely.
- So I want to talk to you a little bit about your history with art.
Like one of the things I wanna know is like, how did you get into art full-time?
Like what's your history from going to a full-time artist?
- Good question, so first, I was an educator in Schenectady City School District for about four to five years.
And then, the pandemic happened.
I've always done art on the side actually, but full-time, I was an educator.
And the pandemic happened, and unfortunately, I got one of those crazy phone calls from my supervisor and she told me I got laid off.
And of course, you know, I'm super competitive.
I look at everything as like a win or a lose.
- Mm-hmm.
- And so she calls me and I'm like, "Are you sure you got the right number?
Like I'm the person that is getting laid off?"
And she's like, "Sadly yes, Rae."
So you know, I instantly shouted out like "Challenge accepted!"
Like all right, time to do art full-time.
I took that as a sign like I was supposed to be doing art, like that was the biggest sign right there.
- Like that's what I need to do.
- Right.
- Exactly.
- Right.
- So with that, we know that you got Art Money so tell us a little bit about Art Money.
What is Art Money to the folks who don't know?
- What a loaded question.
- I know but it's a beautiful one.
- Art Money is a lifestyle, a livelihood.
You know, transitioning out of being a full-time educator in the school system, you know, I have found that people don't always take the profession of art serious.
- Right?
- Mm-hmm.
- I know that.
- So.
And I've found like, when I transitioned to art full-time, telling people like I'm a full-time artist, you know, sometimes I've gotten, "Well, what do you really do?"
It's like, "I'm an artist.
That's what I do.
That's my job," right?
So you know, that's kinda like in a nutshell why I decided to call the brand Art Money, you know?
It is really honing in on making people respect the profession of being an artist.
It's like, yes, this is how I pay my mortgage.
This is how I survive day to day.
It's getting Art Money.
It's my clothing brand.
It's my platform of being a muralist.
Art education has dived into there, and I think we'll talk about a little bit of Carver and the plans for art education in there.
First, it started as expression of clothes, right?
So for me as an artist, I've always gravitated to fashion, and that being my primary way of expressing myself and telling the story of who I am.
So making clothes is like one of my number one, you know, passions.
- Wearable art.
- Wearable art.
- Right?
- Yeah.
- So making those collections was really what like, shifted Art Money into, you know, being a brand.
- Now do you think it's more than just a brand?
Like because it seems to promote a lot of change and a lot of upliftment.
Like everyone I know in the Albany area is like, "We got at least one piece of Rae Frasier's Art Money."
- Ayy!
- So it gets a lot of support and a lot of people are inspired by the clothing that you do.
Do you wanna tell us a little bit behind your themes that you do?
I know you have done breast cancer awareness, Black Lives Matter, all those types of designs.
So do you think these designs actually not only empower you but help empower others?
- Absolutely, yeah, so I'm super passionate about you know, not only designing clothes but the clothes like making a powerful statement, you know?
It's saying something, you know?
The art on the clothes being, you know, moveable canvases, but empowering people like you said.
So you know, different collections, and I don't recreate anything.
That's another special thing about my brand.
It's that, you know, my collections it's like, if you're lucky enough and I say lucky enough like, you know.
To have one of these pieces, it's one of 20, it's one of 30, one of 50, and that's it.
I won't recreate it but it'll be something special.
It's celebrating, you know, black art, black culture.
You know, I did the breast cancer awareness theme because I don't have breast cancer but I know people who do suffer from breast cancer, and you know, I always wanna be a catalyst to celebrate people through art and celebrate different journeys and different fights, you know?
- Just to.
- Yeah.
- It's like, keep going.
- Exactly.
- You never know what people - Keeping it accessible.
- are going through.
- And empowering - Yeah.
- So I'm gonna go off empowerment, Carver Center.
You've gotta tell us a little bit about the community center.
- Absolutely.
- I would love some history behind that because that's also empowering.
- Yeah, so Carver Community Center is a community center in Schenectady, New York.
And myself and my amazing team, actually my fiance, Rosa, is the one who really spearheaded this project.
So it shut down in 2015 and it's had such a deep history.
Actually, my great, great grandmother was one of the people who started Carver Community Center - back in the '60s.
- Oh, I didn't know that!
- Yeah and it was like a hub for civil rights movements and a place where, you know, black people can be seen and fight for their rights.
And you know, so it's shutting down, it was like a big staple in Schenectady.
So once it's shut down, it's like we felt we gotta do something to get this back open.
So in 2019, we finally attained ownership of the building after, you know, cutting through a lot of red tape.
Yeah, so now we're going through the renovation stages and there's a lot of beautiful programs that will happen there, doula programming.
It'll be a hub for, you know, wellness and of course art.
- I cannot wait to share all the different art plans I have for the building.
- Oh, I can't even imagine.
It's gonna be beautiful.
Are you gonna do kids programming there as well like youth programming and continue with the mural programming?
- Absolutely, I'm glad you asked that.
So you know, while we're in the renovation stages, I'm designing a programming to have, you know, both a youth programming and adult programming for muraling to happen while we're renovating.
- So you know.
- That's amazing.
- It'll be a part of like, you know, I'll document it too, of course.
- It's like gonna be a program and putting art at the same time that it's being renovated?
- Absolutely.
- That's so cool.
- So the community will be a part of building the center up.
- Oh my God!
- Which is important.
- Right?
- That is important.
- Right?
- Because you don't want to like, I always think personally, it's important to involve community into large-scale art projects like that.
Any project that I do, I try to have the community's voice and also just a community fingerprint.
- You know?
- Mm-hmm.
- I think it's really cool to just have your fingerprint in something that's gonna be up for decades, if not hopefully centuries.
- Absolutely, because like I said, we're catalysts, you know?
Us people who are crazy enough to, you know, kinda spearhead big projects like this.
It's important to, you know, not forget that the community is it's who it's for.
So we would be doing a huge disservice to the people if we don't include them, right?
- Yes.
- And if we don't amplify their voices.
- Right?
- Yeah.
There you go, hashtag!
(both laughing) Well, awesome, it's amazing speaking with you, Rae, and you know, keep arting and keep empowering people.
I love it.
- Yes, thank you for having me, such an honor, always a blessing to be in your presence.
- Please welcome Ryan Leddick.
- This one's about just having someone there just to listen to you vent.
(Ryan chuckling) And just wanting someone to be there.
("Stay The Night" by Ryan Leddick) ♪ Do, do, do, do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, do, ooh ♪ ♪ I am empty ♪ ♪ I am full ♪ ♪ Said the blind man ♪ ♪ To the fool ♪ ♪ Now I am darkness ♪ ♪ I am the light ♪ ♪ Devil said come in for the night ♪ ♪ Come in for the night ♪ ♪ Stay with me the night ♪ ♪ My arms are wide open ♪ ♪ Stay with me ♪ ♪ The night, the night ♪ ♪ Do do do do do ♪ ♪ Do do ♪ ♪ Do do do do ooh ♪ ♪ Are you somewhere out there ♪ ♪ Somewhere out there ♪ ♪ Or deep in my heart ♪ ♪ Unaware, yeah baby now ♪ ♪ I am darkness ♪ ♪ I am the light ♪ ♪ Devil says come in for the night ♪ ♪ I come in for the night ♪ ♪ Stay with me the night ♪ ♪ My arms are wide open ♪ ♪ Stay with me ♪ ♪ With me, with me, with me, with me ♪ ♪ The night ♪ ♪ Come on and stay ♪ ♪ Come on and stay ♪ ♪ Come on and stay ♪ ♪ Come on and stay ♪ ♪ Stay with me the night ♪ ♪ My arms are wide open ♪ ♪ Stay with me ♪ ♪ With me, with me the night ♪ ♪ My arms are wide ♪ ♪ Wide open ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, do, ooh, do ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do ♪ ("Stay The Night" by Ryan Leddick continues) ("Brown Eyes" by Ryan Leddick) ♪ Like this glass of wine I prefer ♪ ♪ Take my time ♪ ♪ And savor, savor it all ♪ ♪ Savor it all ♪ ♪ With these candle lights ♪ ♪ And these brown eyes ♪ ♪ How they hold my gaze ♪ ♪ And my, and my amazement ♪ ♪ My amazement ♪ ♪ I've been around the world once or twice ♪ ♪ Read the book ♪ ♪ Front to back ♪ ♪ But all that I seem to find ♪ ♪ Is in, is in, is in ♪ ♪ These candle lights ♪ ♪ And these brown eyes ♪ ♪ How they hold my gaze ♪ ♪ And my, and my amazement ♪ ♪ My amazement ♪ ♪ Take one bottle down ♪ ♪ And pass it, pass it, pass it around ♪ ♪ Nothing, nothing ♪ ♪ Looks like these candle lights ♪ ♪ And these brown eyes ♪ ♪ How they hold my gaze ♪ ♪ And my, and my ♪ ♪ And my amazement ♪ ♪ Ee, ee ♪ ♪ Ee, ee ♪ ♪ Ee, ee ♪ ♪ Down down, down down ♪ ♪ Down down down ♪ ♪ Down down, down down down ♪ ♪ Down down, down down down down ♪ (dramatic music) - Thank you for joining us.
For more arts, visit wmht.org/aha and be sure to connect with us on social.
I'm Jade Warrick and thank you for watching.
(upbeat dramatic music) - [Presenter] Funding for AHA!
has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT Venture Fund.
Contributors include: the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation; Chet and Karen Opalka; Robert and Doris Fischer Malesardi; the Alexander and Marjorie Hover Foundation; and the Robison Family Foundation.
- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.
That's why we take an active role in our community.
M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts and we invite you to do the same.
Video has Closed Captions
Preview: S8 Ep5 | 30s | Explore the grounds of Storm King, Raè Frasier promotes positive change through her art. (30s)
Artist Raè Frasier Promotes Positive Change in Her Community
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S8 Ep5 | 7m 36s | Full-time artist Raè Frasier uses her work to promote positive change in her community. (7m 36s)
Outdoor Art Museum, Storm King Art Center
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S8 Ep5 | 6m 50s | Take a trip to Storm King to explore the grounds & learn more about their art collection. (6m 50s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S8 Ep5 | 5m 23s | Troy NY-based 518 Artist Ryan Leddick performs "Stay the Night". (5m 23s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Support for PBS provided by:
AHA! A House for Arts is a local public television program presented by WMHT
Support provided by M&T Bank, the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, and is also provided by contributors to the WMHT Venture Fund including Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert & Doris...