New book by alumnae captures life at Saratoga Race Course
Race Course Reflections: Ashley Halsey's Saratoga Race Course, featuring watercolors of historic Saratoga Race Course and comments by people whose lives are intertwined with the racing season, has been released by the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation.
The publication, illustrated by Ashley Halsey ?07 and edited by Helen Susan Edelman ?74, will benefit the Preservation Foundation by the sale of both the limited-edition
book and the original art, according to Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the
not-for-profit organization.
?The foundation is excited to have this opportunity to highlight Saratoga Race Course,
especially areas that many people who go to the track do not often have the opportunity
to see,? said Bosshart. ?The foundation commissioned Ashley Halsey to paint watercolors
of the historic Saratoga Race Course to capture its unique sense of place as part
of an ongoing effort to advocate for the preservation of the track as a living legacy
for future generations.?
Race Course Reflections: Ashley Halsey's Saratoga Race Course is available for $12.95, plus tax and shipping/handling, by calling 518-587-5030.
The original watercolor paintings are for sale and can be viewed online here. Half
the price of an original watercolor is a tax-deductible donation to the Saratoga Springs
Preservation Foundation.
Note cards featuring images from the book will be for sale at a reception celebrating
its release, Thursday, Dec. 11, 6 pm - 8 pm, Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation,
112 Spring St., Saratoga Springs.
Illustrator Ashley Halsey, a native of Stonington, Conn., is a devoted equestrian
and an artist whose passion for the horse culture is expressed through her favorite
medium, watercolor. In her visits beyond the grandstand, she captured lush vignettes
including images of the barns, recreation building, training gate, and clubhouse entrance.
Said Halsey, ?It was a privilege to study the culture behind the scenes, especially
the complex personalities and interconnected roles of individuals in this setting.?
Halsey also designed and wrote Saratoga: A Historical Guide and painted a sculpture for ?Horses, Saratoga Style 2007,? a public art event. Currently
a resident of Brooklyn, she is a graphic designer for HarperCollins Publishers and
a freelance artist.
Race Course Reflections editor Helen Susan Edelman, of Wilton, interviewed the individuals who contributed
their observations and shaped the book's content. Edelman is a journalist and editor
who writes about people, places, cultural phenomena, social history, the arts, health
care, and education. A Skidmore graduate with a master's degree in anthropology from
the State University at Albany, she has lived in and around Saratoga Springs since
1970.
?Saratoga Race Course is a vivid symbol of this city that excites people as a visual
and sensory experience,? said Edelman. ?The track and the horses also evoke powerful
emotions. I culled quotes that represent multi-dimensional responses."
Saratoga Springs resident Susan Rosenberg provided additional editorial insights
for Race Course Reflections. Rosenberg is editor of Skidmore?s Scope quarterly magazine.
Support for printing the book came from The Nordlys Foundation directed by Saratogian
Barbara Glaser. ?The Nordlys Foundation is proud to support a project that features
a young, local artist; highlights the efforts of the Saratoga Springs Preservation
Foundation; and celebrates the historic structures at Saratoga Race Course,? said
Glaser
More information about preservation efforts on behalf of the track is available here.
