CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
AMANDA RUSSO RUBMAN • artist and designer • AR Studio NY
Neighborhood you work in: Accord, NY
Neighborhood you live in: Marbletown, NY
It’s Tuesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Each day begins with fresh-roasted espresso (current roast: Tree House Brewing Company), followed by a walk with our English Bulldog, Oliver. It’s a brief distance to my studio, but long enough that it allows for decompression as I take a path that passes a pond through a field. Then, I open the oversized doors of our late 1800s horse barn where I work, to let the light in. I cherish this walk in the rain, extreme heat, and snow. It's peaceful and magical. Once inside, I typically stand in the center looking at current open projects to see what speaks to me, followed by a dance party to free my mind. Then, I dive in to create.
What’s on the agenda for today?
I’m in the final stages of a large-scale interactive installation, 'Untitled Narrative of Nature,' an attempt to satisfy a personal desire to express the beauty of hope. Like all of my installation work, it’s site-specific. I’m taking over the facade and full exterior of Weird Specialty in Tivoli, NY. The work is an expression of film, fashion, and sculpture set in the landscape of the Hudson Valley, intended as an invitation to invoke imagination through light, texture, and community. Today, I’ll work with half-inch wire to create one of the sculptures in a series. I will do all of this by hand and body force. The final shape will be formed on-site to allow for an understanding of the approach from all angles.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Food is one of my favorite layers of life. When you live in an area that can be tourist-driven, navigating weeknights requires effort. In various directions are Stissing House, Casa Susanna, and The Debruce, but in my immediate backyard, delicious go-tos include Upstate Taco, Inness, and Ollie's.
How about a little leisure or culture this week?
It's a beautiful thing to watch the Hudson Valley emerge in spring and thrive from summer into fall. The art scene in the Hudson Valley is spectacular, and July is for the arts. An annual curated favorite is Upstate Art Weekend, 07/17-21. The opening event for 'Untitled Narrative of Nature' is next Thursday, 07/18 (5-8p) at Weird Specialty.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My first form of expression starts in my closet, and there’s nothing like finding a vintage piece that defies all logic but for pure art. My most recent joyous pleasure is an archival Christian Dior silk multi-tier gown, at my first stop for all occasions, Three Turtle Doves in Woodstock.
What NYC store or service do you love to recommend?
Skincare is self-care, and one of the most important investments of both physical and mental health. I am grateful for the experts I am surrounded by, both in Kingston, Maria Vera, and in NYC, Dr. Amy Weschler.
Where are you donating your time or money?
I believe in the power of community and proudly reinvest right here at home, with a focus on education, art, and nature. Just recently, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a fundraiser at Friends and Neighbors for a local arts institution, Woodstock School of Art, which was established under FDR and still provides accessible workshops and classes with Masters on a picturesque historic property in Woodstock. I proudly serve on the board of Woodstock Artist Association and Museum.