Homegrown talent: Newburgh resident Debbe Cushman Femiak is the subject of a solo exhibit, entitled A Passion for Art, at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum. Femiak, who works with oils, pencil, pen and ink, and acrylics — among other media — has been associated with Ulster County’s Wallkill River School of Art since 2008; she began there as a student, and is now an instructor. Cityscapes, floral paintings, and autumn landscapes (like the one above) are among the subjects on view. Thurs.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. 12-4 p.m. through Dec. 29. • 94 Broadway, Newburgh. 845-569-4997 or www.karpeles.com
Known for its series of performances of Bach’s cantatas, the local choral ensemble Kairos: A Consort of Singers takes on a completely different type of musical composition this month: Ralph Vaughan Williams’s unusual and infrequently performed Flos Campi. The chorus is joined by the Esopus Chamber Orchestra for this concert, which also includes works by Holst, Britten, and Elgar, as well as selections befitting the holiday season. Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. $30, $15 students. • Quimby Theater, SUNY Ulster campus. 491 Cottekill Rd., Stone Ridge. 845-256-9114 or www.kairosconsort.org
Two international stage performances hit the big screen this month at the Jacob Burns Film Center. On the 4th, a recorded-live broadcast of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s current production of Richard II is on the bill. Scottish actor David Tennant (whose credits include Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) stars as the troubled king whose vanity leads to civil war. The 2012 filming of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, as danced by Russia’s Mariinsky Ballet, is screened on the 25th and the 30th. Call or visit Web site for times and ticket information. • 364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville. 914-747-5555 or www.burnsfilmcenter.org
During his stand-up routine, comedian Brian Regan riffs on everyday events — like visiting the optometrist — and childhood rites of passage (playing Little League baseball, taking part in spelling bees, building science projects). Eschewing profanity and off-color jokes, his squeaky-clean observational humor has earned him a fan base among young and old alike. Catch his act this month in Albany. Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. $39.75. • Palace Theatre. 19 Clinton Ave., Albany. 518-465-3335 or www.palacealbany.com
Entitled “Systems,” the current exhibit at the Rockland Center for the Arts features the work of five artists. Their cutting-edge pieces are hard to categorize: Bradley Hart, for instance, creates photograph-like images by injecting paint into Bubble Wrap, while Devorah Sperber utilizes thread spools and other everyday items as stand-ins for pixels in well-known images (such as of the Enterprise, the Star Trek space ship). Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 1-4 p.m. through Dec. 15. • 27 S. Greenbush Rd., W. Nyack. 845-358-0877 or www.rocklandartcenter.org
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