LOCAL ARTIST FEATURED IN THE BIG CITY (NEW YORK): Jean Dahlgren, an associate prof and the graphic-design program coordinator at the Sage Colleges, will have an example of her arboreal art displayed in New York’s Times Square this summer. “Arboreal” art? In this case, it would be a banner which integrates the form of a tree into its design, for the Urban Forest Project, sponsored by the American Institute for Graphic Arts. Dahlgren was one of only 200 artists chosen to participate in the show. For more information, visit www.aiga.org.

LOCAL ARTIST FEATURED IN CHARMING SMALL CITY (CORNING): Meanwhile, out in the Western portion of New York’s Southern Tier, Albany artist Val Tran will be featured in a storefront exhibit on Market Street in beautiful downtown Corning. We’re not kidding about the “beautiful,” either—Corning is actually quite charming. The exhibit is titled outside the box: an exhibition of contemporary arts. Tran’s oil paintings will be on display on the first floor of 100 W. Market St. through Aug. 13.

FILM SERIES ANNOUNCED (SARATOGA): Saratoga Film Forum has announced their fall film series. If, by September, you still haven’t seen An Inconvenient Truth or Tsotsi or A Scanner Darkly on the big screen, SFF will provide you that last chance to do so before DVD becomes your only option. They’ve got a few surprises, too, like America: From Freedom to Fascism and Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep. For more info, call 584-3456.

C’MON, CHECK US OUT: Proctor’s Theatre, the gem of downtown Schenectady, is offering free public tours again beginning Aug. 5 from 10 AM to noon. As you probably know, Proctor’s is in the middle of an expensive, elaborate rebuilding process that has (so far) seen the reconstruction of the stage/stagehouse and various other changes to house itself—not to mention the Proctor’s (Golub) Arcade. We have to admit we were skeptical about the project at first, but now that the final shape is coming into view, we’re more on board with the vision for the venerable theater. So, why not take a day trip on Aug. 5 and see for yourself? For more info, call Proctor’s business office at 382-3884.

LAST CHANCE FOR WOULD-BE THESPIANS: We have been informed by Ed. Lange that there are but a few openings remaining in the New York State Theatre Institute’s fall 2006 intern program. Now, if NYSTI’s intern program is anything like Metroland’s intern program, you youngsters will be entering an exciting world of coffee and snack procurement in a “lively” atmosphere of diverse, “quirky” personalities. . . . Looking over the NYSTI program, however, it seems like interns actually get to learn and do things: “Interns take classes and workshops in acting, design, circus skills [ed. note: sweet!], movement, stage combat, voice and many other subjects.” Wow—that actually sounds like a learning experience; guess we’ll have to make sure our intern doesn’t read this and get any ideas about what an internship is supposed to be. If you want to be a NYSTI intern, contact Arlene Leff at 274-3573 or e-mail her at aileff@nysti.org. As noted before, however, only a few spots are left in the program, so don’t delay.

—Shawn Stone