"All true artists, whether they know it or not, create . . . from inner stillness." - Eckhart Tolle

Whenever I hear the word ART, for some reason the first image that pops into my head is, in fact, an image - a painting, a sculpture, some sort of visual art. And I suppose that may be typical for many people. Only, I’m a writer, so you might expect literary art to be my initial thought: maybe one of Shakespeare’s soliloquies or a few pithy lines from Rumi or maybe even one of the wonderful characters created by Harper Lee or that guy who lived down the road and his adventurous Huck Finn. But that’s the thing about art - it takes life in so many forms, in so many ways, from musical notes to dance steps to poetic words to moving images.

And when it comes to the Arts, Corning & the Finger Lakes rocks!

That’s why every year readers of AmericanStyle magazine consider Corning to be one of the top small city arts destinations in the US. Having a world-renowned museum with a collection of over 45,000 items gathered from around the globe and spanning 35 centuries, it’s no wonder America’s Crystal City sparkles. But there are other remarkable museums in Corning & the Finger Lakes, as well as wonderful galleries, studios, art shops, and art-related events held throughout the year, like the one listed below. That's right, I haven't even written about it yet and I'm already thinking about GlassFest. More on that later.

When some people think of art, they might forget about (or not even know about) one of the most vital organizations in the area. The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes is involved in the Arts, not only in Steuben County, but in three other counties as well, and impacts residents, artists, arts organizations, and visitors. The Arts Council does everything from providing grants to artists to providing space for some work to be exhibited to promoting a number of special events, not to mention offering guidance and support.

The ARTS Council is even working with the Steuben County CVB to offer a photography contest to high school students in Chemung and Steuben counties. The deadline to enter the contest is June 16th 2010 and there's no fee. It's an attempt to get a local perspective on what makes the area beautiful.

Although museums are often synonymous with art, some are more generally historical in nature. Yet, even these offer opportunities to experience some very unique and often historically relevant ways to appreciate art. The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is a perfect example. In addition to the remarkable history of the man, Glenn Curtiss, and the many cool exhibits that depict his accomplishments and other local history, the museum also has a special exhibit called Through the Eye of the Camera: The Civil War in Photography and Art going on through September 5th of this year and showcasing “photographs by many of the well-known photographers of the period” as well as “Civil War art” by a local artist.

In just a few weeks, Corning’s Gaffer District will unveil the next best thing in art festivals. The awesome new annual event, called GlassFest, runs from May 27-30 and is a celebration of the city’s long history of glass. GlassFest combines the best parts of a number of other events with live glassblowing demonstrations in Centerway Square, artist exhibits from members of the international glass community, wine & beer tastings from over 30 Finger Lakes wineries and breweries, a special 8-K run and 4K run/walk, a gallery hop, an Open House at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, a Corning Museum of Glass 2300º concert, special nighttime neon displays of glass art in Riverfront Park, an extended four day glass sale, special overnight packages, shopping and dining promotions, a juried art competition, live music, and more.

Of course, this time of the year, the sun hangs a bit longer in the sky each day and illuminates the incomparable natural art of the region, as trees and flowers bloom, rolling hills become verdant again, and streams run with renewed vigor. These are just a few of the many ways Corning & the Finger Lakes inspires artists of all genres.

Other Art-Related Information:

Wine & Art

Wine & Music

Art-Related Events

*Top photo courtesy of The Corning Museum of Glass. Above photo courtesy of Palatte's of Keuka (artist - Moretti)