So Much Fun In October!

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

There's so much happening in October, it's difficult to know where to start.  

October 12-14, my work will be featured at the Coffee Art Project (http://coffeeartproject.com/About) as a part of the New York Coffee Festival (https://www.newyorkcoffeefestival.com).  The Coffee Art Project supports Project Waterfall, which is committed to bringing clean water to communities which grow coffee.  So far, Project Waterfall has raised more than $1 million and delivered clean water to over 27,000 people in Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Nicaragua in partnership with WaterAid, Charity: Water, and Water for People. 

540WMain Learning Academy ​in celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month presents:The Business of Creating: Making A Career Out Art.  Are you interested in taking your art career from hobby to career? Or maybe you are a graduating art major wondering how you will take your studies to full-time art career?  Join me on Thursday, October 18th for an engaging and informational workshop designed to be part storytelling part informational class on how to launch a successful art career and maintain it.  Information about registraton at: https://www.facebook.com/events/308616739898516 

October 10-14, see my wife, Megan Bell, as Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire.  A play by Tennessee Williams, this renowned drama follows troubled former schoolteacher Blanche DuBois as she leaves small-town Mississippi and moves in with her sister, Stella Kowalski, and her husband, Stanley, in New Orleans. Blanche's flirtatious Southern-belle presence causes problems for Stella and Stanley, who already have a volatile relationship, leading to even greater conflict in the Kowalski household.  Purchase tickets at: https://www.muccc.org/events/screen-plays-presents-a-streetcar-named-desire

In early November, I will be having a show at Books Etc. (https://www.facebook.com/booksetcmacedon/).  Watch for updates soon!

Unfortunately, I was one of the 50+ million victims of the latest Facebook hack and I'm unable to log in to my account.  I apologize if I haven't responded to your messages because of this issue.  If you need anything, please feel free to contact me by email or on another social media platform listed below.

Your Friend,
Mike Kraus
MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

More About Mike Kraus Art
My work featured in The Boston Arts and Culture Weekly Review of Boston Voyager Magazine
http://bostonvoyager.com/2018/08/17/boston-arts-culture-weekly-review-2/#comment-51434

Please support my friend Jen Lunsford for Senate
https://www.facebook.com/VoteJenLunsford

Please listen to my Graphic Ear Interview on WAYO 104.3 FM​ Rochester at:
https://www.mixcloud.com/graphic-ear/070518-graphic-ear-with-mike-kraus/

Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MikeKrausArt

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/

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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MikeKrausBlog

Google+: http://plus.google.com/111168390406803022323/posts

Danube Reflection - Grein, Austria

WELCOME TO GREIN, AUSTRIA! A small village of about 2,900 people on the Danube River. Grein roughly translates into "shriek" or "scream" in old German. The Danube use to be very treacherous here and the city was named after shipwrecked sailors yelling and their widow's cries. 

Stadttheater Grein. Notice the three dates on the building. 1468 was the year it was constructed as a granery. 1563 is when it became a rathhaus (city hall). 1791 is when it installed a theater. Emperor Josef II encouraged the construction of theaters so the proceeds could be used to fund poor houses. A cause that was really supported by citizens after a major flood. 

Inside Stadttheater Grein, the oldest theater in Austria. Lots of funny and interesting facts about this theater. The first couple of rows had an early form of season ticket holders. To guarantee your seat, you were given a key. When you weren't at the show, you'd fold your seat to the back and lock it so there was no place for a person to sit. 

Shows use to be very, very long. So, there's a small bathroom located stage right for the audience. The only barrier was a small curtain. This meant if an exciting, funny, or climatic scene was about to happen you could peek out the curtain and not miss a thing. "It didn't smell nice near the bathroom, so these seats were cheaper..."

This building also had a small jail that was located stage left. To keep the prisoners entertained, they gnawed a hole in the wall so they could watch from their cell. The audience was very kind to the prisoners bringing them food and drinks during the show. A somewhat selfish gesture though because this was to prevent them from yelling and disrupting the show.

I think this is my favorite theater.

Volksbank Niederösterreich Building 

St. Giles Church - Saint Giles was a hermit living in the woods of Septimania and Provence. He foraged for food and drank the milk from a deer. Because of this, St. Giles is the patron saint of lactating mothers.

Looking toward the Danube from Böhmergasse

View of the Wachau Valley from the Grein cemetery.

View of the Danube from the grounds of Schloss Greinburg

View of old town with mist rising of the mountains in the background.

DANCE PARTY ON THE CRUISE!

And yes, Marianne is to the far left dancing with her tiny hands... YEAH!!!

More vacation posts at:

Vienna, Austria - http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2016/10/danube-reflection-vienna-austria.html

Bratislava, Slovokia - http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2016/10/danube-reflection-bratislava-slovakia.html

Wachau Valley - http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2016/10/danube-reflection-wachau-valley.html

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic/Linz, Austria -
http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2016/10/danube-reflection-cesky-krumlov-czech.html

Passau, Germany - http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2016/10/danube-reflection-passau-germany.html

Regenburg, Germany - http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2016/10/danube-reflection-regensburg-germany.html

Prague, Czech Republic - http://mikekraus.blogspot.com/2016/10/danube-reflection-prague-czech-republic.html

Wedding Libre

Who I was meant to be!



This about sums it up.  The Bell family wedding that is...



St. Mary's church in downtown Rochester.  A lot like the St. Mary's church in downtown Muskegon.  Too bad they whitewashed the whole inside because it looks like it has an incredible paint job underneath.  



Geva Theatre.  No photos allowed inside of On Golden Pond.  May I say "THE LOONS!  THE LOONS!!!"  I've never seen the movie before so I can't compare.  The theater was a lot nicer than I expected and it was well performed.  I'm no expert on these things, but luckily my wife is and you can ask her opinion about it.



PLEASE SUPPORT THESE PUPPIES and other animals of Lollypop Farm by donating to my page for Barktober Fest 2011 at:  http://lollypop.kintera.org/ba
rktoberfest/mike I'm helping organize the run/walk and will be running around with a bullhorn, air horn, and a starter pistol.  So, fun for the whole family!

She Has To Love Me. It's In the Contract

Photo by Jon Purington & Erin Schmidtmann


Final weekend to see Pittsford Musical's Company.  There's a show tonight (in a few minutes actually, so hurry), a matinee tomorrrow and the closing show.  Bobby...
Bobby...  Bobby baby...  Bobby bubbi...  Robby...  Good stuff!  http://pittsfordmusicals.org/


Framing kids art at work.  Good to see my art degree is really paying off!



Linear Park in Penfield.  Just taking a little walk on one of the few nice days we've had lately.



Mustache Pony.  Classic


  
Megan scaring off the ducks in the Irondequoit Creek



Twala helping me with donor relations at work.


That's about it for now.  Again, if you need tickets to Megan's show, go to:


www.pittsfordmusicals.org/tickets.cfm

Gots me some errands to run!

Eggo My Lego

This is a snowfall that started about a week ago and hasn't stopped. We've have a few inches since this was taken and about 6 more by x-mas.


The view of the bush outside my window. It has about twice as much snow after today.


This is Nick's "Yankee Gift Exchange" for Megan. Lego Star Wars guys!


They are so epic


Brave!


Fast!


LOYAL!


and the latest addition to our toy shelf...


Here's Grover on the lunchbox flashing the "Van Buren Boys" gang sign


Megan love "It's A Wonderful Life." So, when she saw that it was going to be on the big screen at the Music Box as a double feature, we had to go. We were completely unprepared. We thought we were going to a movie, not an experience. It was their 25th x-mas show that featured a choir, a organ player, and a possibly drunk Santa leading a sing-a-long. Everyone (except us) was dressed up and insane. Every time (literally) Mr. Potter came on the screen everyone hissed. Whenever Clarence was on screen people would ring their little bells. We were completely unprepared, but it was good fun.


The show was sold out. This is before. The second movie was "A White Christmas" with Bing Crosby and George Clooney's grandma. Megan has never seen it and I forgot which movie that was. Once it started, I remembered I really don't like that movie and Megan leaned over half way through and said, "I really don't like this." So, we left. The crowd for the second movie was weird too. There was some Army guy that was so excited by everything and sang along to the "Sisters" song.

Christmas plans are still somewhat in flux. I'm staying in Chicago for the 25th for sure. We're heading to a couple parties that day after we open gifts under our little tree. Michigan for a quick weekend trip (pending weather that won't kill us).

On a final note: You have to check out this story from Chicago today. It's like something out of a movie. Amazing and stupid at the same time! http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/man-survives-100-foot-fall-from-dan-ryan.html

COME TO NICK’S BIRTHDAY PARTY TONIGHT! (or pic of Labor Day Drunken Irish Actor Car Thiefs)

Hope to see everyone at Nick's B-day tonight at my apartment!

Mi Terra in Little Village for Amanda's B-day.

 B-DAY GIRL!  The Mariachi Band I like this pic because it is red for some reason... Mexican food and mariachi music!



Amanda, Brent, and Karli at Mi Terra.

After picking up Paul Bourdon from the train station and getting some drinks with Ronan and Cormac, Megan's car was broken into. All they stole was Paul's old cell phone maybe worth $3 on the street. There was a Lexus parked behind us with nicer stuff too. Must have been a crack head...
SUPERDAWG! If you haven't been here for a hot dog, then you've never had a real hot dog!
Labor Day festivities at the Murder House
Katie showing off some athletic ability.
Matt nailing the birdie. Team Nick & Karli.

Frances would appreciate this. I found our old screen at a jewelry store near my work. Probably was the most valuable thing in Cherry House.
My next album cover.
Wednesday Night BBQ never looked so exciting....
Waiting for the play Sive to begin. Ronan's parents are in the show and traveled from Sligo, Ireland to put it on. Very Irish. I understood about half of what was said. I think I got it though. It was very good.
Play action!

Having a few Guinness' after the show with the crew.
This guy is professional Gaelic Football player in Ireland and an actor in the show. He's holding a trophy, which is the equivalent of the Stanley Cup in hockey. They used it for the raffle...
Why is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar giving martial arts classes near my house? Anyway, see you all tonight at NICK NUMMERDOR'S BIRTHDAY BASH!