CoSM blog

Happy Day of the Dead!

Fall Color at CoSM

Get your beauty on at CoSM!  Come enjoy the Fall colors at this weekend's "Nature Mysticism" workshop.

Women's Visionary Congress

Allyson represented the community of CoSM at the Women's Visionary Congress.  Pictured below: (l to r) Carolyn "Mountain Girl" Garcia, Allyson Grey, Annie "Oak" Harrison, Maria "Hidden Mountain" Mangini, and Liz Rymland, Allyson's sister.  M.G., Annie and HMt are the three originators/producers of the WVC, this summer in its third year. 

Notice the teepees, the work of Hog Farmer extraordinaire, Dorji who promises to soon make teepees for CoSM.  Can't you just see them surrounding the "Altered State" sculpture in our meadow? 

Presenting at this year's Congress were devoted activists, authors, researchers, shaman and healers. Talks began with the subject of Visionary Communities, including the Hog Farm, our hosts, now in existence for over 40 years.  Allyson offered the past, present and future of CoSM, established in 1996, a relative new-comer to community organization.  Topics also included the role of the healer and healing with medicinal plants. A men's panel reflected on cultivating visionary relationships.  Performance goddesses, Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens spoke on "Exploring Sexecology with the Love Art" and then led a marriage with the earth.  Following this marriage, Nicky Scully ceremonialized the reception, complete with wedding cake, and then Allyson led the honeymoon procession to the labyrinth where in the center, the seed (crystals) were spilled into the earth.  In the future, we envision a Women's Visionary Congress at CoSM in the Hudson Valley.  

John Gilmore sits regally in the altar.  Thanks to John and all the men that served the ladies  at the Women's Visionary Congress.

Love to John Daido Loori

The great Zen Master of the Hudson Valley, John Daido Loori, transitioned to parinirvana October 9th, 2009.  He was the founder and abbott of nearby Mt. Tremper monastery, and an extraordinary photographer of the Nature field surrounding Mt. Tremper.  He brilliantly embodied the character of both artist and wisdom master.  He was beloved by his friends and students.  Check out his gifts to the world.

Kate Raudenbush's sculpture opens at CoSM

Kate Raudenbush with Allyson and Alex Grey

Kate and Eduardo on swing at the opening great photo by Hannah Thiem

Susan Buck photographed the opening blessing circle

Hannah Thiem played extraordinary haunting and uplifting melodies throughout the opening afternoon.

Michael Unger and Maren Goode provided the sonorous thunderous planetary gongs welcoming the sculpture into the meadow.

Kate cut the ribbon to open her sculpture, then asked others to cut the ribbon

Kate's Mom

Kate's Dad

 

Kate with husband Rob and her parents     

Allyson, Kate, Alex this and following photos by Bronwyn

Luke through Kate's window by Bronwyn Smith

 

Alex with Mark Lieberman, Building Inspector for the Town of Wappinger 

Alex with Colleen Cannon, former director of Deer Hill Conference Center, the land and buildings now owned by CoSM

We thank our photographers Susan Buck, Bronwyn Smith and Hannah Thiem.  The sculptor  Kate Raudenbush generously offered CoSM such a boon and our unstoppable staff worked double time for the love and commitment to see it happen.  Our architect, Al Cappelli and our contractor, Kevin Lund, graciously donated the plans, the materials and the labor to create the concrete base. The awesome CoSM builders included Peaches, Brian James, Joey Stiles, Thomas Jay VanVoors, Eduardo Darancou, Colin, Gordo, Syd, Steve Shorts, and the 125 first visitors to bless CoSM's newest addition.  Bronwyn co-piloted the transport and Zoe Knight and Sarah Wood, CoSM's office goddesses, were as always, instrumental.

Altered State odyssey to CoSM

Altered State at Burning Man 2008.

Kate Raudenbush's awesome sculpture, Altered State, was recently loaded onto a truck in Reno, and made it's way across the USA to CoSM.  Shown here are some postcards on the journey from Peaches and Bronwyn, the team who made the odyssey. 

The Mission of Art workshop participants prayed for the safe journey of the sculpture and for it's graceful installation, and being a blessing for the community.  Now we are unloading, repairing and installing the beautiful structure. 

Brian James operates the forklift, removing tons of steel sculpture.

Kate Raudenbush, Joey Stiles, Steven Shorts and Syd unload the sculpture.

Concrete pad begins

Steven Shorts by some pieces that need repair.  

Off to the sandblaster for re-surfacing...

Hey would any of our Burner or CoSM friends care to help us out paying for this extraordinary installation?  Any DONATION would help.   Be sure to come to the (free, open to the public) opening October 11!!!

Kevin Lund, who is generously donating his services building the concrete foundation for Kate's sculpture, here buries a crystal in a center of the circle that Kate and Alex energized with prayer.

Kevin colors the concrete with special pigments.

Kevin Lund and Kate Raudenbush watching concrete cure...

OH NOOOO!!! A POOR LITTLE ANT IS ON THE WET CONCRETE!!!

SAVED!!!

Sergio, Jay, Kate, Alex, Kevin and Jose, the spirit of Team Awesome continues...

Colin and Joey

Syd, Steve, Kate, Eduardo, Allyson and Alex

 

Abundant Nature at CoSM Art Sanctuary

Alex takes you on a brief movie tour of CoSM Art Sanctuary, starting with the frogs.

Download CoSM frogs

Nature abounds year round at CoSM. 
Profoundly wet summer has brought a wide variety of mushrooms everywhere.

Mycologists please weigh in.

Eduardo admires a beautiful fungus.

Common Thelophora?

A white hen-of-the-woods?
 
Stage One Fometopsis pinacola?

Young Fometopsis pinacola?

Elderly Fometopsis pinacola with slug?

Morel. We ate it.

Artist's Polypore?

Stacka Hydnum (Climacodon septentrionolis)?

 

Renovation Frenzy at CoSM Art Sanctuary

Contractors, staff and volunteers are working together to make CoSM Art Sanctuary ready for guests, friends and family.  Here, (l to r), master builders, Joey "Stiles" McNamara, Brian James and Lenny Hart are creating the sweet Mushroom Cafe, soon to open in the guest house.

Sharon Fulcher, staff sculptor, examines the ceiling piece she has been working on, a relief of the painting "Vision Crystal," an artwork in the CoSM permanent collection.   This architectural detail will grace  light fixtures in the guest house.

Randy Nason, on stilts, "muds" the ceiling of the Dining Hall, soon to be ready along with the new store.

The painting studio is happening, financed solely by Alex and Allyson Grey. 
Goal: move in ready by Alex's birthday, 11/29.

High ceilings in the painting studio.  Big paintings planned?

Great light for painting.

Allyson's New Painting

Allyson just finished this painting in which the spectra of the "secret writing" and the spectra of the surroundings are reversed complimentary colors.  Yellow occurs next to Purple.  Orange next to Blue, etc.  We both look forward to beginning major works in the new studio when it is completed at CoSM Art Sanctuary. 



Message, by Allyson Grey, 2009, oil on wood, 10 x 20 in.