art opening: albany airport (tomorrow)

AIRPORT TO HOST RECEPTION FOR NEW SITE-SPECIFIC PROJECT
CELEBRATING SHAKER HISTORY
Albany, NY (November 20, 2006) - - - The Albany International Airport will host a public
reception to premiere Watervliet, a multimedia, site specific installation by artist Pablo Helguera, on
Thursday December 7th at 7:00 p.m. on the third floor Observation Level.
Watervliet is presented in partnership with the Shaker Heritage Society, which was one of five
museums in New York State to receive a Sites Re-Seen grant from the New York State Council on the
Arts. The grant program funds unique collaborations between established artists and museums that are
working to interpret significant historic sites in a new way.
The Albany International Airport Art & Culture Program commissioned the site specific
installation, which will remain on exhibit for two years on the third floor of the terminal in the
Observation Area.
Watervliet was inspired by a Shaker map in the collection of the Albany Institute of History and
Art. Established in 1776, the first Shaker community, “Watervliet,” consisted of vast land holdings in the
area now known as the Town of Colonie. In 1926, the Shakers sold part of their land to Albany County
and helped clear the property for construction of what is now Albany International Airport. The map
remains a visibly important part of the work, linking geographic areas and Shaker landmarks to
photographs and a video that documents Shaker music, religion, history and the changes that have taken
place at the Watervliet site.
Pablo Helguera is a performance and multi-media artist who has exhibited at the Museum of
Modern Art, NY, the Royal College of Art, London, the Havana Biennial, and many other museums and
galleries around the world. His work as a museum educator has influenced his interests as an artist,
leading him to pursue works that concern issues of interpretation, dialogue, and the role of contemporary
culture in a global age.
Mr. Helgura’s most recent project, The School of Pan-American Unrest, involved his travel by
car from Alaska to Chile and included exhibits, discussions, and video at 40 locations, with the aim of
encouraging cultural exchange between communities throughout the Americas.
The reception is free and open to the public. Parking will be validated for guests. For additional
information, please contact Sharon Bates, Director of the Art & Culture Program, at 518 242-2243.