Offering a feast for the senses, the Malta League of Arts (MLA) holds its first fundraiser at the Round Lake Auditorium.

BY JENNIE GREY
jennie@theballstonjournal.com

MALTA—Vivid oil paintings of musicians caught the eye, while a live band brought jazz images to the ear. The MLA even served delectable food, with a showpiece of a cake. The August 5 Art Attitudes fundraiser presented art in every sense of the word.

The nonprofit MLA was founded a year ago by Malta councilperson Tara Thomas. Wanting to nurture artistic and cultural development in the region, Thomas became president of the league, which now has 100 members. Their Jazz and Art fundraiser took seven months of planning.

“I was afraid we would hear crickets,” said MLA board member Sue Allen. “But there are people here, and the artists’ work takes up the whole perimeter of the auditorium. It shows there’s a lot of excitement about art in Round Lake and Malta.”

The Round Lake Auditorium, which dates from 1884, can seat 2,000 people. It could have been an intimidating site for the MLA. But the league fit Art Attitudes into the soaring space and created a gallery at eye level.

Local works in oil, acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media hung on the auditorium’s walls. Attendees circled the periphery, gazing at each piece and pausing for discussions in the aisles.

The diversity ranged from Linda Peterson’s watercolor of bees on pink phlox to Elaina Clavin’s mixed media work of colored paper shapes. From a counter by the entrance, William Perry’s wooden bird carvings took flight.

Music by Saratoga jazz group Almost Uncommon wove through the air along with lively conversation. Gail Stein of Ballston Lake stood talking with Rebecca DuBois of Halfmoon.

“I came because I wanted to meet featured artist Frankie Flores and see his work,” Stein said. “His paintings are spectacular—everything I’d hoped.”

“I’m a member of the Malta Business and Professional Association,” DuBois said. “I wanted to support this new organization that upholds the arts. The auditorium is beautiful. The artwork is fabulous. And the food from Lake Ridge is wonderful.”

Lake Ridge Restaurant and cake designer Leah Stein of the Bread Basket Bakery outdid themselves with platters of hors d’oeuvres and canapés, as well as delicious desserts.

Although agreeing the food was great, Lenore Norris of Saratoga Springs found the whole reception appealing: art, venue, artists.

The represented artists enjoyed their evening in the spotlight. Mary Frances Millet of Schenectady showed her watercolor collage Three Dancers.

“I love it,” she said. “I was surprised there weren’t more artists here.”

Her student Erin Fish had attended the opening, amused to find her own small watercolor Cantaloupes on a stand on the stage. The two women described their frantic last-minute rush to get their works framed and presented.

“We had to frame them real quick and then run them across,” Millet said, laughing. “It was like ‘Lucy and Ethel Enter an Art Show.’”

The key artist of the evening looked calm and pleased with the art show honoring his paintings. Flores, whose New Orleans musicians graced the stage, is a well-known artist and local gallery owner in Saratoga Springs. His paintings flow with color and vibrancy.

“I believe any time you have something new, you have to go big,” Flores said. “You have to introduce your work to a whole new demographic.” He looked around him at the vast auditorium. “This is a great venue.”

Caption 1 (Frankie and Tara): Featured artist Frankie Flores and MLA president Tara Thomas stand in front of Flores’s works. Photo by Jennie Grey.