Alumna's art to be featured at foundation event

?Watercolors of Saratoga Race Course,? a collection created by Ashley Halsey ?07, will be featured at a reception sponsored by the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation on Thursday, July 31.

Free and open to the public, the event is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Spring Street Gallery, 110 Spring St. Wine and light hors d?oeuvres will be served. Reservations are requested (to assist with menu planning) and may be made by calling the foundation at 587-5030.

Proceeds from the sale of the watercolors will benefit the preservation foundation.

Halsey, who majored in studio art at Skidmore, became familiar with Saratoga Springs during her student days and used that knowledge on several art projects. During the spring semester of her senior year, she completed a painted horse for the ?Horses: Saratoga Style? exhibition that was mounted throughout the city last summer. Her horse, titled ?Taking Flight,? showcased a number of birds common to the northeastern U.S.: blue jay, goldfinch, robin, pileated woodpecker, snowy owl, and red-tailed hawk, among others. She chose birds as subject matter because they, like horses, are creatures of flight.

The exhibition, hosted by the Saratoga County Arts Council, was installed throughout Saratoga Springs and Schuylerville last summer.

Another Halsey project was a book titled Saratoga: A Historical Guide. Written by Halsey, the book features her original illustrations of such sites as Canfield Casino, Congress Park, the Adelphi Hotel, Adirondack Trust Co., and the Skidmore campus. She chose "places that are beautiful, interesting, and important to the history of Saratoga," according to the introduction.