Julio’s Musings Around Columbia County, New York

Renowned Cuban Folk artist Maria Victoria de Bernard is quietly (until now) making plans for a Cuban Cuisine service in the bucolic town of Gallatin, New York . Gallatin is a few miles South/East of the hip artist centric city of Hudson, New York and 20 miles West of Millerton, New York.
Come back for further details. What I can say right now is it will be simple fare revolving around Cuban sandwiches, Media Noches, Sandwich de Croquetta. Plans for a kiosk or home cooking and delivery service have not yet been decided.

Tags: Gallatin, Columbia County, Julio Hernandez-Miyares, Maria Victoria de Bernard

A raw view of incipient Cuban Artistic Creations workshop, Hudson’s latest and soon to be most exciting artistic endeabor. Principal Maria Victoria de Bernard, famous Cuban Folk Artist and sole proprietor of Columbia Artistic Cleaning is in the midst of setting up the workshop. The premise is simple. Find furniture of all types throughout Columbia County, usually at yard or barn sales, rehabilitate them with a Cuban Artistic touch and then sell them at lower prices then the outrageous prices for similar non-styled furniture found in Hudson, New York.
Ms de Bernard, who long ago swore off working for the man especially when it meant being told what to think, what to do and how to do it is in the process of lining up investors in her art business. The initial funding will be devoted to securing the necessary wood-working equipment to be installed in the Workshop as well as other incidentals as marketing, publicity, her own Web-Site and initial stock of furniture in need of re-furbishing.

Tags: Maria Victoria de Bernard, Columbia County, Hudson New York, Cuban Folk Art

If you look at the inscription on the front of the counter, it says “Thanks Fidel for all that you give us”. Of course that refers to Fidel Castro.
The object of the game here is to find anything in this bodega that resembles food for purchase.
Admittedly, Cubans have a great sense of humour. At least I hope that inscription is an attempt of humour.

Tags: Cuba, Julio Hernandez-Miyares

A work in process from well known Cuban artist Maria Victoria currently based in Columbia County, New York. Maria Victoria has recently taken up rug making and can be frequently seen in her Columbia County Gallery near Hudson, New York tearing apart cloth from old jeans, shirts etc and weaving them into these works of art.

The concentration necessary to practice this craft can not be broken even when consuming 2 or 3 martinis (her favorite drink).

Maria Victoria is a woman of many talents, she is also owner of “Artistic Cleanings” , a cleaning service with an artistic touch. There is more to cleaning then just picking up the dust.

For your info, Sometime early in April 2007, at Hawthorne Farm, Ms Bernard will be showing off her handiwork at a exposition of Columbia County, New York artists.

Tags: Maria Victoria de Bernard, Columbia County, Artistic Cleaning, Rub Weaving

i caught and snapped a glimpse of Columbia County, New York artist extraordinaire, Maria Victoria shown here practicing her new craft of rug-making in her country gallery. So far after a few weeks of this labor intensive activity, she has two half-done rugs. Makes you wonder how you are supposed to make a living doing this. I think I will stick to writing code for a living, or at least managing people that write code for a living.

Tags: Julio Hernandez-Miyares, Maria Victoria de Bernard, Rug making, Columbia County

On a gloomy (lugubrious) winter afternoon with thick fog enveloping the day, I decided to take the plunge and finally after many years, redact and practice my grandmother’s Cuban croqueta recipe.

She is 93 years old and she has much more energy,feistiness and originality then many folks half her age. I suspect those are some of the qualities necessary to reaching that age.

Anyway, no one can go on forever and I decided it was time to transfer the secret Cuban croqueta recipe to the next generation.

Why the photo of the long abandoned Capuccino stand near my Columbia County, New York farm? Well its been for sale for many year with 33 acres to boot. It is conveniently located right next to the country exit of the Taconic Parkway which though not an Interstate, has plenty of day trippers making the trek from New York City to the various hamlets in Columbia County.

With the secret Cuban Croqueta recipe in hand, the Cuban Black Bean recipe to come the next time there is a wash-out of a Sunday, I believe I have the perfect set of enticements for the hurried , often times hungry folks as they make their way along the long trek from or to New York City.

Add a good expresso machine, some original Cuban Folk Art for sale from a bonafide Castro loving/Castro hating (depending or your politics) Cuban Artist and I think I have something!

Tags: Julio Hernandez-Miyares, Julio’s Cuban Delight , Columbia County

Well, Thanksgiving came and went this year already and now we are head long into the Christmas Holiday season.
Here is a picture of the room getting prepped for the Thanksgiving Feast in my Columbia County Farm in Gallatin County.
Somewhat busy looking I know, I have been asked to move the Fuzzball (lower left hand of image) down to the basement but I have been resistent. The room does double duty as Maria Victoria de Bernard’s (renowed Columbia County Cuban Folk Artist) studio. Her art supplies were conveniently and somewhat unceremoniously stuffed in boxes and put in whatever crevice was available to make room for all of the country guests at the feast.

Thanksgiving in Columbia County , New York is a special time. Some of the local farms are working overdrive to bake all sorts of pies for the local residents. The farms themselves are rapidly going into a state of hibernation till late spring as the onslaught of winter which can be brutal here encroaches on a daily basis.

Another onslaught is notable by its absense as the weather turns bone-chilling. The yuppies from the City trim back their day trips up north. That can only be considered a good thing from my vantage point.

Tags: Columbia County, Maria Victoria de Bernard, Cuban Folk Art

I had previously posted a blog entry about the renowned Cuban Folk Artist Maria Victoria de Bernard. She is one of the many artists that have come to Columbia County, New York in the past few years and set up shop in this idyllic rural community about 120 miles north of New York City. The reasons for the influx are as varied as the individual artists therefore I won’t try to posit a one size fits all explanation. Well, I can’t resist listing at least one reason! Perhaps its the fact when you are here, you actually have a sense of where you are. It is not a cookie cutter assemblege of strip malls, franchise store fronts, tract housing with similar looking McMansions for the want to appear rich but soon to be poor, Hummers etc.
Mind you , it takes major effort and commitment from the concerned citizens of Columbia County to keep it this way and the new residents of this community , with their unique esthetic are championing this effort.
Ms de Bernard, has agreed to post regular blog entries on a weekly basis called appropriately enough “Voice of the Columbia County Artist”. That is her title not mine. I will give her total editorial freedom which is not something she was used to in Cuba, her birthplace where she lived until she immigrated 10 years ago.

Tags: Maria Victoria de Bernard, Columbia County, Cuban Folk Art

Cuban Folk Artist Maria Victoria de Bernard at work on a gloomy fall day in her art Studio near Hudson, New York.
Hudson, New York which is in Columbia County 120 miles north of New York City has become a magnet for artists attracted by rural setting and progressive mindset of the local population.

Body of Work

Tags: Columbia County, Cuban Folk Art, Maria Victoria de Bernard