Hello Sourcers!

What we've got lined up this week?

🛶 Canoes!

🎪 Circuses!

🥛 Glass!

⚾️ Baseball!

First off, this weekend is the General Clinton Canoe Regatta along the Susquehanna River (thank you, spellcheck). At 70 miles, this is the longest single-day flat water canoe race in the world, and is considered part of the “triple crown” of canoe racing—the other parts are down the Au Sable River in Michigan and the Saint-Maurice in Quebec. Race day is Sunday, but there are events including food vendors, live music, and carnival rides in Bainbridge’s Clinton Park all weekend.

In Ithaca, the Ithaca Children’s Garden, Cherry Arts and Circus Culture are teaming up for Circus in the Garden: three free circus shows over the weekend presented by circus folks from the community. There are seven performances total, and no reserve tickets, so just show up with a blanket or chairs and settle in. (Say hi to the chickens.)

Corning this weekend plays host to GlassFest, a three day celebration of the Crystal City! Bands, fireworks and food along Market Street and in Riverfront Centennial Park, plus live glass-blowing demonstrations. This event is free.

And in Cooperstown, a real sign summer has started: the annual Hall of Fame Military Classic is on Saturday at 1pm at Doubleday Field. Held Memorial Day weekend, this is a tribute to those who’ve served and features a roster that includes 17 All-Star Games, 24 World Series titles, three Gold Glove Award winners, a Rookie of the Year and a Cy Young Award winner. And the teams are coached by Rollie Fingers and Wade Boggs, gentlemen who have been named, by me, as having the Greatest Mustaches in Professional Sports.

That’s what I’ve got! And if you’re in Ithaca post-grilling on Memorial Day, we’ll be at Cinemapolis screening The Warrior Tradition, a documentary that tells the inspiring and heartbreaking stories of indigenous people who’ve served in the military. We’ll be joined by Michelle Seneca and Stephen Henhawk from the Gayogo̲hó:nǫˀ Learning Project. This is presented in partnership with the History Center of Tompkins County with support from the New York State Department of Education’s America 250th Commemoration Commission. Tickets are free, but pre-registration is suggested. You can get your tickets here.

Summer’s getting geared up. Let me know what’s going on near you!

See you soon, Sourcers!

Yours,

Bob Proehl

Locally Sourced editor

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If you’ve ever walked into The Rockwell Museum, chances are you’ve already experienced the museum’s knack for turning its entryway into something unexpected. Now, that tradition continues…only this time, it glows.

The museum’s newest Antigravity installation, True Gravity, is now suspended inside the building’s rotunda, and it’s hard to imagine a more fitting welcome. Created by neon artists Kelsey Issel and Meryl Pataky, the piece transforms the space into something that feels weightless. Sculpture and light study, all delicately hanging in the air.

At first glance, True Gravity might remind you of woven textiles floating in midair. That’s intentional. Drawing inspiration from open-weave fabrics, the artists explore the push and pull between structure and softness, independence and connection. But instead of thread, they’re working with hand-bent glass tubes filled with krypton gas, producing a dreamy milky-white glow that feels futuristic and organic.

And this isn’t a lightweight piece in any sense of the word. The sculpture weighs more than 100 pounds, yet appears to hover effortlessly, suspended by nearly invisible monofilament. That tension between heaviness and grace is central to the work.

Issel, who designed the installation with mentorship and collaboration from Pataky, describes True Gravity as a study in trust. Trust in materials, in process, and in each other. That spirit runs through their shared work at She Bends Studios, a studio and educational space that champions women and gender-expansive artists working in neon and glass.

Now in its eighth year, The Rockwell’s Antigravity series continues to be one of the most quietly exciting public art experiences in the region. Each installation greets visitors before they’ve even seen a single gallery, and often sets the tone for everything that follows.

True Gravity will be on view through March 2027, making this less of a “catch it while you can” exhibit and more of an invitation to slow down, look up, and maybe spend a little more time in the lobby than you planned.

And as always, if there is cool art stuff happening in your town, let me know about it! Email me at amicha@wskg.org.

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