Boat Tour

CRANBERRY LAKE - 5/20/16

Thank you Bill Gleason and Ron Capone for the boat tour around Cranberry Lake. Their binoculars, maps, and knowledge of the area aided in the location of historic camps, tucked-away fishing holes, osprey nests, campsites, islands, and gorgeous views at all corners of the third largest lake in the Adirondack State Park.

Research

TRUCK TRAIL MAPPING - 5/19/20

Otto's Abode contracted artist Nolan Fedorow to map a portion of the High Falls Loop hiking trail heading south west out of Wanakena towards High Rock. A work in progress in conjunction with the Gateway to the Wilderness Project its objective is to map the walking trail as it snakes side to side upon and along the overgrown foundation of the long since removed rail line that extended into the wilderness. The trail is located within a primitive wilderness classified area but tangos with a loophole that allows motor vehicles access for utility purpose. This stretch of the trail is also notoriously known as a beaver dam flood zone, which was/is the major force in the formation of the "slithering" hiking path along the truck-trail.

Visiting Artist

JOE MCCARTHY - MAY 2016

During his one week stay Joe McCarthy paddled up the Oswegatchie River from Inlet to High Falls with his keyboard, melodica and accordion. The musical performance in combination with temporary impractical bear trip-wires he had rigged up insured a pleasant nights sleep while camped out lean-to on the west side of the falls. Starburst candy from the Otto's Abode gift shop proved a valuable resource in the plugging of a hole in the canoe made worse along the beaver dam speckled trip. In celebration of the lake at the mouth of the river McCarthy co-wrote and performed a song entitled  "Cranberry Lake"  in conjunction with an open mic/open jam at Otto's Abode. En plein air style McCarthy painted the steel deck bridge in town. The painting, depicting the view is looking upstream from Nevil's Island, hangs in the current HARGAIN BUNTER exhibition.

Music Event

HUM A SONG, STRUM ALONG. OR JUST WATCH. - 5/18/16

Informal, open jam, open mic. Wesndesday May 18th - 6-8pm. All levels of musicianship welcome. Free and open to the public. Bring your own noise makers/instrument(s). 

Highlights included: Eagles, John Denver, Dylan and Beatles renditions and sing a longs, everyone all playing at once in all different keys, debut performance of the new hit song: "Cranberry Lake", and an extended ambient jam to close the night. Thanks to all who came out - lets do it again some time.

Exhibition Opening

HARGAIN BUNTER - May 6th, 2016

OTTO’S ABODE, an experimental art centric storefront, invites you to use this page of the Bargain Hunter as material for a creative project of your choice, which in turn we hope you will loan to us for the month of May to be included as part of an exhibition we’re calling: HARGAN BUNTER.

Some ideas we suggest but do not limit you to: Draw a map on it, give it to a friend instead, crumple it up, put it in a frame, write a poem, attach something  to it, attach it onto something, make a hat, tell a story, make it beautiful, make it ugly, make it funny, photo-copy it one hundred times and tape them all together as one giant sheet, use a hole-puncher to turn it into tiny paper dots, bury it for a week and dig it back up, etc...

You may drop your project off to us directly, or slap a stamp on it and mail it to: OTTO’S ABODE, PO Box 1, Wanakena, NY 13695. Please include your name, phone number, a brief project description, and any other supportive material. We ask all submissions to be received by us on or before Monday, May 2^nd 2016. If applicable, please include payment for return postage. Submissions can be picked back up after Sunday May 29th. 

Join us at OTTO’S ABODE, 6 Hamele st. Downtown Wanakena, 5-8pm, Friday May 6^th for the HARGAN BUNTER exhibition opening celebration. This event is free and open to the public.

Email (ottosabode@gmail.com) or phone us (315-848-3008) with any questions. Otto’s Abode reserves the right to refuse any submission we deem inappropriate or vulgar. Otto’s Abode is not responsible for reimbursement of any form for any lost, stolen, or damaged submissions.

Exhibition on view through month of May. 

Lean-To Project

Otto's Abode volunteered their shingle installation skills on the soon to be completed Wanakena Campground Lean-to Project. April 16th, 2016

Project Description:

The materials placed here came from an old Port-A Ferry Scout Camp lean-to that is to be reconstructed, somewhat smaller, here in the "Wanakena Picnic Area" fondly known by local Wanakena residents as the "Wanakena Campsite". 

These Materials are placed in the approximate area where the lean-to is to soon be reconstructed. It should be noted that the Ranger School Class of 2015 played a key role in helping transport the Lean-to components from Port-A-Ferry to Wanakena. The lean-to was donated by current Port-A-Ferry land owner James Armstrong, who wanted the lean-to be used and enjoyed.

Please refrain from disturbing and of the pieces pile here as they will become part of the newly reconstructed structure. Thank you - Wayne G. Allen.

Exhibition Opening

LOTS - April 2016

In "Lots" the human use of land and trees is presented as art by my interactions with them through improvisation and planning. Drawing on the ground by skidding and manipulating logs, burnt wood, other plants and things found in there as tools for works to be contemplated. An attempt to continue my body of art with application of age old crafts hoping, in part, to pass on these practices using indirect documentation in substitute for how-to manuals and books and the ever decreasing teachers of the knowledge. It is important that we all learn to live responsibly and sustainably in the environment while retaining our ancient and ever expanding arts and human culture.

-Tavish Costello

Ford Hill

PANTS FLAG - March 2016

With trees lacking leaves, specific landmarks of the town such as the church's steeple, or the house next to the bridge, are easily discernible from the overlook on ford hill. Looking back up at the hill from the valley below, a precise location of the overlook was flagged using a pair of highly visible pants raised up on a pole.

Exhibition Opening

 Nolan Fedorow and Joseph McCarthy. Murls and Burls. No relation. March 12th, 2016

When squirrels approach a pinecone with intentions of consumption, knowledge of the cone’s anatomy proves a valuable partner in aid of discerning the difference between a morsel of desire and trash. Once chosen, the cone is torn apart; squirrel-chucked to the tone of shucking corn. Ingesting the edible seeds within and discarding the rest. 

Scattered below a favorite snack perch, accumulation of the unwanted scraps stack up and might eventually take the form of a mound. This is not called a murl. It is called midden. Not a midden - just midden. It is not size or quantity that constitutes it being referred to as such, rather this label of status is the result of the ultimate judgment by its user. Not a trash – just trash.

Burls are those knots on trees they chop off to make bowls out of. 

A murl isn’t anything.

Exhibition on view through month of March.

Visiting Artist

Joe McCarthy - March 1st 2016

For five days painter Joe McCarthy visited Otto's Abode, explored the neighboring wilderness, towns, and participated in the conception and construction of a collaborative art project with Otto's Abode's resident artist Nolan Fedorow.

Ice Jam Aftermath

March 2016 - Year after year slabs of ice smash and scar trees along the Oswegatchie.

White Out Weekend

White Out Weekend - Presidents Day Weekend 2016

Otto's Abode hosted the Wanakena Historical Association as they presented their annual Beauty Of Winter photography competition (WHA Facebook page has detailed images of all entries and winners). Selected images and postcards from the Historical Association's collection were also on view. Two quilts were on display as part of a raffle in support of raising funds to rebuild the historic Wanakena Footbridge (refer to WHA Facebook for bridge rebuild information). The Exhibition was on display through the month of February. This event was in conjunction with Clifton-Fine's White Out Weekend celebration.

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****And since you made it this far back... Bonus! here's the final wheezy cough of our relationship with tumblr; essentially a photo album of our (almost) first year -----ENJOY-----> ottosabode-blog.tumblr.com