This article brings together lists of artists, locations, artistic productions and movements associated with upstate New York.
Literature
Writers Diana Abu-Jaber, memoirist of her Central New York childhood who has set two of her novels there. Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian writer, is a resident of Annandale-on-Hudson and has taught at Bard College since 1990. Laurie Halse Anderson, a Potsdam native and resident of Onondaga County, writes for children and young adults. John Ashbery, poet laureate of New York state from 2001 to 2003. Born on a farm near Lake Ontario and raised in Rochester, was a resident of Hudson Russell Banks, several of whose novels are set in Northern New York, who has served as New York State Author L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; resident of Chittenango T. Coraghessan Boyle, who grew up in the Hudson Valley and who attended college in the North Country, which he describes as the "frozen skullcap of New York State" Walter R. Brooks, author of the 26-book Freddy the Pig series set in central New York. Born in Rome, NY, Brooks lived in Rochester, New York City, and lastly in Roxbury, NY. Ned Buntline, a pseudonym of Edward Zane Carroll Judson, the publisher, journalist, writer and publicist best known for his dime novels and the Colt Buntline Special he commissioned from Colt's Manufacturing Company. Edward Judson was born and died in Stamford. John Burroughs of Roxbury, a naturalist and essayist important in the evolution of the U.S. conservation movement. According to biographers at the American Memory project at the Library of Congress, John Burroughs was the most important practitioner after Thoreau of that especially American literary genre, the nature essay. Frederick Busch, who taught at Colgate University and whose characters are often Downstate New Yorkers transplanted upstate Hayden Carruth, poet, who taught at Syracuse University and lived in Munnsville Raymond Carver, who taught at Syracuse University Brock Clarke, who grew up in Little Falls, and who has set novels there and in Watertown. Lucille Clifton, poet, born in Depew. Though African-American, she grew up speaking Polish as well as English in the neighborhood. James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote The Last of the Mohicans in Warrensburg, and who spent the last years of his life in Cooperstown Robert White Creeley, professor of poetry at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and New York State Poet from 1989 to 1991University at Albany Leslie Daniels, who wrote the novel Cleaning Nabokov's House William D. Danko, of Albany, author of The Millionaire Next Door Lydia Davis, a contemporary American author and translator of French, who teaches at SUNY Albany. Walter D. Edmonds, born in Boonville, author of "Drums Along the Mohawk" and the Erie Canal novel "Rome Haul." Frederick Exley, from the Watertown area Harold Frederic, from Utica, set his novels in 19th-Century upstate New York. Tess Gallagher, who taught at Syracuse University John Gardner, Batavia native and SUNY Binghamton professor Tim Green, who grew up in Liverpool and who was a student at Syracuse University of Raymond Carver and Tobias Wolff Washington Irving, resident of Tarrytown, who is buried in Sleepy Hollow Mary Jemison, the "White Woman of the Genesee," whose story was told in J. E. Seaver's classic captivity narrative "Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison" (1824; latest ed. 1967) William J. Kennedy, the Bard of Albany Maurice Kenny, Mohawk poet from Saranac Lake James Howard Kunstler, resident of Saratoga Springs Alison Lurie, resident of Ithaca Bill McKibben, longtime resident of the Keene Valley in the Adirondacks Herman Melville, resident of Albany and graduate of the Lansingburgh Academy, who began writing his first novels in Lansingburgh Lorrie Moore, whose novel "Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?" is set in the Lake George area Howard Frank Mosher, usually associated with the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, but who grew up in Cato and who has written about the North Country William Henry Harrison Murray, known as "Adirondack Murray" Vladimir Nabokov, resident of Ithaca Solomon Northup of Saratoga Springs, who published an account of his abduction and ordeal entitled "Twelve Years a Slave" in 1853. The book was written with the help of David Wilson, a local writer. Published when the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a bestseller, Northup's book sold 30,000 copies within three years. Joyce Carol Oates, born in Lockport Camille Anna Paglia, born in Endicott David Pietrusza, born in Amsterdam Daniel Pinkwater, resident of the Hudson Valley Connie Porter, grew up in Lackawanna Richard Russo, from Johnstown and Gloversville, many of whose novels are set in the Mohawk Valley Edna St. Vincent Millay, resident of Austerlitz George Saunders, who teaches at Syracuse University Delmore Schwartz, poet, Syracuse University professor and mentor to Lou Reed W. D. Snodgrass of Erieville Sparrow, poet, resident of Phoenicia Julia Spencer-Fleming, native of Plattsburgh and resident of Argyle and Liverpool, whose books are set in the Adirondacks Dana Spiotta of Syracuse and Cherry Valley, whose novel Eat the Document is set in part in Little Falls. Wendy Corsi Staub, born and raised in Dunkirk and Fredonia, New York Times bestselling author Sandra Steingraber, an American biologist and author in the tradition of Rachel Carson, who lives in Trumansburg. Trevanian, born in Granville Mark Twain, resident of Elmira and Buffalo Kurt Vonnegut, who began his literary career in Schenectady while working for General Electric in the early 1950s, and who set some of his novels in "Ilium," a fictionalized Schenectady John A. Williams of Syracuse, novelist of the black experience in white America. Edmund Wilson, summer resident of Talcottville and author of "Upstate: Records and Recollections of Northern New York." New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1971; reprint, Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1990 and "Apologies to the Iroquois." New York: Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1960; reprint, paper, Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1992 Tobias Wolff, who taught at Syracuse University
Venues Millay Colony for the Arts, residency program for writers, composers and visual artists Yaddo, an artists' community in Saratoga Springs.
Music
Musicians Harold Arlen, native of Buffalo, composer of popular song including "Over the Rainbow" Melissa Auf der Maur, Montrealer and former bassiste of Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins, now lives in "a small town in upstate New York""Family legacy: Catching up with Melissa Auf der Maur" , Montreal Gazette, 4 April 2008 Carla Bley, resident of Willow, near Woodstock. Joe Bonamassa, born in Utica Fran Cosmo of the band Boston, resident of upstate New York Elizabeth Cotten, resident of Syracuse The late Chuck Cuminale, Rochester's Bodhisattva, aka Colorblind James of The Colorblind James Experience Blossom Dearie, jazz singer and pianist, who grew up in East Durham Ani DiFranco of Buffalo Ronnie James Dio, raised in Cortland Donna The Buffalo of Trumansburg Ray Evans, songwriter and native of Salamanca Renée Fleming, soprano, who grew up in Rochester, studied at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam, the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music and Juilliard. Jackson C. Frank, folksinger, who grew up in Cheektowaga and later lived in Woodstock Greg Graffin, vocalist of Bad Religion who is a resident of upstate New York Lou Gramm, of Foreigner, from Rochester Son House, resident of Rochester Rick James, born in Buffalo Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis & The Playboys, although a Californian, now makes his home in Henrietta Riki Lindhome of Portville, member of Garfunkel and Oates John Lombardo of Buffalo, former founding member of 10,000 Maniacs and member of folk duo John & Mary the song "Low Bridge, Everybody Down", also known as "Fifteen Years on the Erie Canal" or "Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal", by Thomas S. Allen Lydia Lunch, born in Rochester Teo Macero, producer of the Miles Davis album, Kind of Blue, from Glens Falls Chuck Mangione of Rochester Gap Mangione of Rochester Natalie Merchant of Jamestown Mitch Miller, born in Rochester, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music Chauncey Olcott, songwriter of "My Wild Irish Rose" and "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" Steve Perry, lead singer of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, born in Syracuse and raised in Apalachin Kristen Pfaff of Buffalo, first bassist of Hole Mary Ramsey of Buffalo, lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs and member of folk duo John & Mary Sigurd Raschèr of Shushan, one of the most important figures in the development of the 20th century repertoire for the concert saxophone. Pete Seeger, protest singer and environmental activist. Longtime resident of Fishkill, he co-founded the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater organization Colleen Sexton, from Syracuse Martin Sexton, from Syracuse Billy Sheehan, from Buffalo, bass guitarist and co-founder of the band Talas Joanne Shenandoah of the Oneida Nation Kim Simmonds of the British blues band Savoy Brown, now a resident of Oswego Alice Tully, opera singer and philanthropist, born in Corning Jimmy Van Heusen, songwriter, native of Syracuse, 1944 winner of an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Swinging on a Star" Jerry Jeff Walker, born in Oneonta Alec Wilder, native of Rochester, composer Gary Wilson, native of Endicott, experimental musician Thomasina Winslow, born New Baltimore, resident of the Albany area Tom Winslow of New Baltimore
Bands and groups 10,000 Maniacs of Jamestown Blotto, a new wave band from Albany Brand New Sin, a hard rock band from Syracuse The Burns Sisters of Ithaca Cannibal Corpse, a death metal band originally from Buffalo Every Time I Die from Buffalo Gym Class Heroes from Geneva Goo Goo Dolls, from Buffalo Honor Bright, pop-punk band from Syracuse The Horse Flies of Trumansburg Joywave from Rochester Manowar from Auburn The Modernaires, from Buffalo moe. from Buffalo Old Crow Medicine Show, originally formed around Trumansburg and Ithaca Ra Ra Riot, an indie rock band from Syracuse Soulive from Woodstock Spyro Gyra of Buffalo State Champs, a pop punk band from Albany X Ambassadors from Ithaca
Festivals Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance The Great Blue Heron Music Festival of Sherman Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, 1973 Woodstock Music Festival Yasgur Road Reunion, Yearly Woodstock Reunion festival at Yasgur's Farm in Bethel, NY
Venues Caffe Lena of Saratoga Springs, the oldest continuously operating coffee house in North America, founded by Lena Spencer
Fine arts
Artists Milton Avery, born in Altmar, buried in Woodstock George Bellows – painter Jake Berthot Ralph Albert Blakelock Arnold Blanch – painter Lucile Blanch - painter Francis Bicknell Carpenter (1830–1900), an American painter born in Homer. Carpenter is best known for his painting First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, which is hanging in the United States Capitol. Wendell Castle (*1932), Rochester, furniture artist Frederic Church Thomas Cole (1801–1848), painter regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School Arthur Bowen Davies, born in Utica, a principal organizer of the 1913 Armory Show and a member of The Eight, a group of painters including five associated with the Ashcan School Dorothy Dehner Arthur Dove, born in Canandaigua Wilhelmina Weber Furlong (1878–1962) of Glens Falls, the first female modernist painter in the American Modernism movement. Sanford Robinson Gifford Phillip Guston Ellsworth Kelly Rockwell Kent Ronnie Landfield Robert Mangold Sylvia Plimack Mangold Brice Marden Fletcher Martin Arto Monaco of Upper Jay, artist, theme park designer, toy designer, and cartoonist. Samuel Morse (1791–1872), a painter perhaps best known for his portraits, lived on his estate, Locust Grove in the Town of Poughkeepsie Grandma Moses Georgia O'Keeffe, resident of Lake George Marla Olmstead, Binghamton