Arts in Exile celebrates its EMMY nomination!

Director of Photography Daniel McCullum, producer Paul Larson and editor Michael Hansen

The documentary Arts in Exile: Tibetan Treasures in Small Town America will compete against six other programs this June, vying for the title of "Outstanding Documentary" at the Boston/New England Regional Emmy Awards ceremony.  The selected programs were announced last night at a nomination party in Boston.

Arts in Exile chronicles the creation of the Tibetan arts festival held last fall in Plattsburgh, New York, exploring how the city in northern New York was inspired by, and connected to the culture of Tibet from across the globe.  The documentary examines how several Tibetan refugees use the arts to raise awareness about the global problems they face and keep their culture alive.

The program features insight from Tibet House President Dr. Robert Thurman, and the talents of photographer Sonam Zoksang, freedom singer Techung, thangka painter Tsering Phuntsok, monks Lobsang Dorjee and Yeshi Dorjee, wood carver Tashi Dholak and many other visual artists and performers.

“This project was a huge undertaking for this station. The documentary was just one part of a much larger initiative that engaged the community on many levels, from a 10-foot tile mural installed in downtown Plattsburgh to a multi-week festival of exhibitions and performances. This nomination honors not only Mountain Lake PBS, but everyone involved in this community project,” said Erik Nycklemoe, President & CEO of Mountain Lake PBS.

“The team here at Mountain Lake PBS works diligently to bring the unique stories of our region to the wider world, and we’re proud to be recognized for doing it well,” said Bill McColgan, Director of Production and Content at Mountain Lake PBS.

Arts in Exile producer Paul Larson took home a regional Emmy for his 2013 documentary Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector, which included the talents of videographer Daniel McCullum. McCullum and editor Michael C. Hansen collaborated with Larson on Arts in Exile, and were previously honored with a regional Emmy nomination for the documentary On Home Ground, produced by Tomeka Weatherspoon.

Mountain Lake PBS will celebrate its current Emmy nomination with five airings of Arts in Exile, beginning on Sunday, May 1 at 7pm.  Other airings follow on Monday, May 2 at 10pm, Tuesday, May 3 at 3am, Wednesday, May 4 at noon, and Thursday, May 5 at 4am. 

"I hope people who haven't seen the program before will get the chance to enjoy it in May," Larson said.  "We aimed to make an entertaining documentary, while highlighting creative ways people are spreading awareness about the issues Tibetans face overseas and in our own country."

The documentary is one component of the 2015 Festival of Tibetan Arts & Culture of the Adirondack Coast.  The festival, organized in part by restaurant owners Tenzin and Yangchen Dorjee and SUNY Anthropology Professor Amy Mountcastle, included performances by the Adirondack Youth Orchestra, an exhibition at SUNY Plattsburgh, and the creation of a tile mural led by artist Sue Burdick Young and the Plattsburgh Renewal Project with support from the Strand Center for the Arts. This festival was funded, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

The 39th Boston/New England Regional Emmy Awards Ceremony takes place Saturday, June 4 in Boston.

More information about Arts in Exile: Tibetan Treasures in Small Town America  - http://artsinexile.mountainlake.org/

Paul Larson's Emmy win!

Paul Larson at the Emmy ceremony in Boston with his award for
Songs to Keep: Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector

A television documentary celebrating history through music in the Adirondacks can celebrate its Emmy Award win this week.  Songs to Keep: Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector won a regional Emmy award for Outstanding Documentary at the Boston/New England Emmy Awards gala.  The Mountain Lake PBS production tells the story of Adirondack historian Marjorie Lansing Porter, who recorded traditional folk songs and stories from the last generation of people who remembered them, thus preserving them for the future.

"Porter is a hero for having captured these songs in the nick of time," said producer Paul Larson, who received his award at the gala this past weekend.  "Without Porter's original foresight and hard work to preserve these treasures, we would have lost a lot of music and stories that originated in the Adirondacks.  She never cared much for receiving awards for herself, but she would probably have been thrilled to know the songs she collected have received such a high honor."

The program includes musical performances from contemporary folk singers, who aim to revive Porter's songs.  Performers included Dave Ruch, Lee Knight and Dan Berggren, who had all previously worked with Porter's collection in their own projects, and who helped Larson understand the historical significance of the folk songs. Larson invited the Bacon Brothers, Kevin and Michael, to record a song for the project, as they frequently visit their family camp in the Adirondacks.  Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stooky of Peter, Paul and Mary fame gave their insight into traditional music of the northeast. Larson was also able to speak with folk legend Pete Seeger, a conversation that became his official final television interview when the singer passed away in January of this year.

Paul Larson with his Emmy award for
Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector

"Mountain Lake PBS has aspired to tell the stories of the Adirondack region for over 35 years," Dan Swinton, executive producer of the documentary, said. "We are extremely honored to receive this award as it reinforces our role as an important voice for our communities we serve."

This documentary was just one part of a multiplatform project aiming to increase awareness of and access to the Marjorie L. Porter Collection of North Country Folklore. Traditional Arts of Upstate New York (TAUNY) partnered with Mountain Lake PBS, SUNY Plattsburgh, and The Adirondack History Center Museum on the initiative which included: an album of new recordings from the Porter Collection interpreted by well-known regional and national musicians;  a traveling exhibit about Marjorie Lansing Porter and her work, including new original research with descendants of Porter and the singers she recorded; a manuscript of all the folksongs of Porter Collection; publication of a 40 page songbook from the Porter Collection; a concert series hitting six locations throughout the Adirondack Park; and this 1-hour televised documentary.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences distributes Regional Emmy® Awards in 20 regions across the United States.