Corey Aldrich

The Fish Market Project : Creativity Outside the City Center Update with D. Colin

November 2, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

Poet, artist, performer, curator and activist D. Colin wears many hats. Over the last year she has donned a newer one to add to her collection as Curator and Program Director at the Fish Market Project in North Central Troy, a satellite of the Arts Center of the Capital Regio n. As she wraps up the 2023 season, we thought it would be informative to get an inside track of what it’s like moving the boundaries of art and creativity outside of the city center and spreading it to areas that otherwise would not have that hyper local opportunity to participate.

D. Colin – Curator and Program Director at the Fish Market Project in Troy, NY | Image: Provided

Please state your name and role in the organization. How long have you been in this role?

My name is D. Colin and I am the Curator and Program Director for The Fish Market Project. Although my time at The Fish Market started in January 2022 as an artist in residence, I’ve been in this current role since March of 2023.

Poetic Visions Event at the Fish Market in Troy NY | Photo: Provided

Can you tell us more about what the FISHMARKET is and what type of programming you are running there? How long has it been in existence?

The Fish Market is literally a former fish market turned into a community arts engagement project by the Arts Center of the Capital Region. In 2021, ACCR offered two six-month artist residencies to launch the space. The second year an NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) grant made it possible for Meg Jala and myself, to offer a variety of arts programming in the space with Jade Warrick joining the team. Though they both moved on to pursue other opportunities, I’ve worked to continue the vision of community-centered arts programming. The Fish Market is a neighborhood arts hub for creatives and community members to gather, connect, and make art. Over the past year, there have been art exhibits, poetry open mics, and free workshops for a variety of art forms including acting, dance, drumming, and drawing. Every week, artists and community members have the opportunity to use the space to explore their own creative work during open hours which I like to call co-create time. I have also been able to have collaborative arts programming and special events in the space with a variety of partners including the Social Justice Artists Collective and Black Dimensions in Art, Inc. Now that The Fish Market is entering its third year and we have a better idea of what works most meaningfully there. I am excited to see how the community continues to grow.

Participatory Art Making at the Fish Market Project in Troy NY | Photo: Provided

As a satellite location for the Arts Center of the Capital Region, you have strong backing and institutional support. That said, this is a newer endeavor that will be carving out its own path in the neighborhood. What is the overall goal of the programming and what do you envision it becoming to the neighborhood?

The overall goal of programming is to provide a safe space for artists and community members to gather, to foster relationships between artists and the community, and to create together. I believe that it’s important for the arts to be accessible. A space like The Fish Market gives folks an opportunity to learn more about the arts and their own creative process while also impacting the neighborhood in a positive way. Personally, I see The Fish Market as a gathering space with the arts at its core, someplace where people can heal and grow together with creativity leading the way. When I was a young artist, I didn’t have spaces like this to help in demystifying the process of being an artist or even just in learning a variety of ways to express myself. I had to look for those outlets in other ways. My hope for The Fish Market is that it continues to be that space for others, especially those who live in North Central Troy.

Gallery Attendees Checking Out the Art at the Fish Market in Troy NY | Photo: Provided

As you try different events and initiatives, what are some best practice principles or suggestions you could share with other folks looking to replicate this model?

I’m often asking for feedback. Some of the ideas for workshops and events have come from folks who’ve walked in during open hours or who’ve attended other events. Keeping ideas community-centered whether through direct conversations or having a suggestion box helps not only with ideas but also with relationships. At the same time, I try to weave in programming that nobody suggested or thought about by asking what might be missing and how can I connect with the community. If people don’t know what to ask for, sometimes it’s useful to introduce experiences to see how it goes. Consistency is also a driving force in helping programming grow. When folks have an expectation of how an event will go and when programming will happen, it’s easier to promote and likely attendance will steadily grow. I think with any new project, it also takes time. The Fish Market is two years old, but I think that amount of time is necessary to get a more solid understanding of what makes the most sense in the space.

Jordan Taylor Hill Running a Drum Clinic at the Troy Fish Market Project, Troy NY | Photo: Provided

Any programming or events you have coming up that you would like to share?

We just had our Fish Market Festival, a 3-day end of season celebration. The Hudson Valley Writers Guild will be at The Fish Market in November. There will be an opening reception for their art exhibit on Friday, November 3rd starting at 5 pm. There will also be collage workshops, a poetry reading, and open gallery hours for folks to attend and see the art. I encourage folks to follow @fishmarketproject on Instagram or Facebook for schedule details. People can also stay updated by getting on the Arts Center of the Capital Region’s email list.

Caffé Lena’s Sarah Craig Activates the Power of Music to Heal Community…Literally

November 2, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

I have been a big fan of Sarah Craig for a long time. Several years ago, I was producing an annual music series in Saratoga for Universal Preservation Hall. The second year in, I reached out to Sarah to co-create the 2015 season. The idea was to have a feel good moment with some inter-institutional collaboration – a cross pollination of audience. Working with her and the Caffe Lena team up close and personal helped hone my idea of what true mission orientation is. It’s in their DNA.

Being a big fan of what the O+ Festival in Kingston is doing for creatives and healthcare, I was super excited to see a similar program being promoted last month (October) at Caffe Lena. I just had to hear more about it and get a general update on the good things we see coming out of Saratoga that have Sarah’s fingerprints all over them.

Sarah Craig, Executive Director at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs NY | Image Provided

Please state your name and role in the organization. How long have you been in this role? Can you share a little about your background?

I’m Sarah Craig, the Executive Director of Caffe Lena. I’ve held that title for 28 years, but the designation today bears little resemblance to the job I was first hired for. When I came on board in 1995, I had four years of experience fundraising for a nonprofit disarmament organization in Boston. I had also put in some years as an activist on LGBT and women’s issues and the war in Central America. Though I loved music, and in fact was totally immersed in the folk music of the late ’50s/60s Folk Revival at the time I applied to Lena’s, I wasn’t seeing the job as an extension of my peace work. I just felt like it was a nice way to make a living for a while. But over the years, my understanding of the role of arts in creating a healthy world has evolved. I’ve come to believe that, actually, the arts are our best hope for hanging onto our humanity in a world that increasingly commodifies and separates us.

Historic Image of an Audience at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Photo: Provided

Historic Image of Performers Warming up at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: Provided

When I first arrived, Caffe Lena was still finding its way as a nonprofit following the unexpected death of its owner, Lena Spencer, about five years earlier. We did an open mic and three shows a week. That was the entire output. The board hired me as the organization’s first Executive Director in an effort to move the Caffe toward more community service, develop a larger membership base, and find new ways to fund programming. We were on a slow, steady growth curve for about 20 years, but since the renovation and expansion of our venue in 2017, we’ve seen rapid growth. Pre-renovation, I had become an expert at keeping things going in a climate of extreme scarcity. Post-renovation, I struggled to manage our growing resources–both funds and staff. But I love to learn, and I’m doing a pretty good job now. I don’t have a direct role in managing shows anymore (I really miss it!) but having this fabulous staff has created very exciting opportunities to explore the potential of the organization to make a difference beyond putting on shows.

New Exterior of Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs NY | Image: Provided

Can you tell us more about what the overall goals are at Caffe Lena what types of programming you are running there? How long has it been in existence?

The venue opened in 1960 at the peak of the Folk Revival, when folk was all the rage and there were hundreds and hundreds of folk clubs across the country. Most of that scene started fading in the late ’60s, and it was largely a memory by the ’80s. But Lena hung on in Saratoga, and when she died her friends decided to keep the place going as a nonprofit. Before she died, it achieved the distinction of being the longest running folk music venue in the country. Caffe Lena is a link to a hugely influential era in American music, and now it’s a fabulous venue full of new music, and it’s reimagining the role of a small music venue in creating healthy communities.

Caffé Lena Promotional Flyers | Image: Provided

The list of programs we run is too long to print here, but it all boils down to music, connection, and learning. Here’s a typical week: four+ concerts by nationally touring headliners, a very popular alcohol-free open mic, a daytime jam circle for seniors, after-school group lessons for kids, and ‘Caffe Lena On the Road,’ which is a program that sends national acts to play for free at shelters, our local soup kitchen, nursing homes and schools.

My daily reminder-to-self goes like this: embrace music as an antidote to division and a path to health, as an alternative to the embattled society. I know it sounds pie-in-the-sky, but it’s honestly the lens through which I see this work. So, to answer your question about our overall goal: heal division and create health by bringing diverse people together to experience something emotional, thought-provoking and genuine.

Live Performance at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: PPP

Over the last few years, your programming has expanded into new areas that support a larger and more diverse communities. Can you share a bit about this evolution? I am especially excited about some of the collaborative connections you are making with other regional institutions like SPAC.

As far as collaboration among Saratoga arts organizations, I credit SPAC CEO Elizabeth Sobol with opening that door. Not too many people in her position would see a small organization like Caffe Lena as a valuable ally. But she does, and it’s mutual, and that has created wonderful cooperation between our organizations. We do an annual festival together, and we’re doing some off-season shows together in Spa Little Theater. And we get together and talk about stuff because we’re very much on the same page regarding the healing potential of the arts.

What’s a little more unexpected is our work with nonprofits outside the arts sector. We launched the aforementioned Caffe Lena ‘On the Road in 2018.‘ Our collaboration with social service organizations led me to realize that our community is packed with organizations that are trying to make the world healthier by treating addiction, supporting prisoners, housing people, building nature trails, preserving historic architecture, etc. I realized that we all have the same underlying motivation. And I also realized that the people these organizations are serving are like the characters our artists are singing about on our stage every night. Like folk ballads in the real world. So, that led me to launch an annual event called ‘TrueSongs,’ happening this year on November 11, as well as a ‘Community Classroom‘ series and a monthly nonprofit meet-up called ‘Serving Saratoga : Conversations with Community Leaders.’ This is how we’re drawing on our folk roots and reinventing how a small music venue can make an impact in its community.

Youth Programming at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: Provided

The Grace Kelly Band Live at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: Provided

Recently I was super excited to see you offer a health screening for creatives clinic for regional artists and musicians. Can you share a bit about this program specifically and how it came to be? How did you get the interest of your project partners lined up to make this a reality? Do you feel it was a success?

I go to music conferences where MusiCares, a project of the Grammy Foundation, funds dental clinics. Pretty much no working musicians have dental insurance, so the queue is out the door! After a show at Lena’s one night, Jill Burnham, who is a Saratoga blues singer and a nurse, approached me with the idea of doing something to address the health needs of uninsured musicians, and based on my conference experience, I knew what that could look like. The clinic we just held was the second annual. It got off the ground because Jill got Saratoga Hospital involved, and Saratoga Hospital got their Saratoga Community Health Center (free clinic) and Hudson Headwaters on board. And then the Caffe’s Operations Director, Mateo Vosganian, Drummer for Wild Adriatic, worked out a plan for holding the clinic in our performance space and he got all of his uninsured musician friends to show up and get checked out. In year one, the medical staff found some serious issues that needed attention, and they hooked those people up with meds and insurance. Amazing! After year one, Mateo and Jill realized there was no reason to limit the clinic to musicians. So this year, they put it out to all creatives, and attendance doubled. People are so terrified of finding out they have some medical condition that will require treatment that they avoid doctors. Well, this clinic is free, it’s in a familiar setting, the follow-up care is free, you can get free eyeglasses, you can get free custom ear protection that normally costs $200+. Again, I say amazing!

Caffé Lena Health Clinic for Creatives | Image: Provided

Is this a program that you are looking to continue? If so, how can other relevant organizations get on board to participate? Thinking specifically of sponsors and care providers…

MusiCares and BroadwayCares and O+ Festival in the Hudson Valley are organizations dedicated to this kind of service. Locally, Southern Adirondack Musicians Fund* (SAM Fund) has been helping out musicians with cash to address medical emergencies for years. We will keep our annual clinic going, and we would more than welcome medical and insurance providers to connect their services with our artist community through this event. Having a multi-year sponsor to underwrite the costs would be a dream come true. Just reach out to Mateo ([email protected]) with ideas or offers or questions.

Any programming or events you have coming up that you are especially excited about and would like to share?

Check out ‘TrueSongs‘ on November 11. It pairs songwriters with local people who have been helped through some big life challenge by a local nonprofit. The person tells their story on stage, and the songwriter performs an original song that gets to the emotional heart of that person’s journey. So, we’ve got a night coming where Sean Rowe, Holly McGarry of Honeysuckle, and other amazing songwriters are working with a person who lost their sight, an autistic child whose life was transformed by working with horses, a person who nearly lost her family farm, and more. You’ll see the true story of our world, and it won’t bum you out. And if you want just a normal, fabulous night of music, the list of options is endless. Roots, Jazz, Global, acoustic music of every kind. Exquisite sound–really the best anywhere. A seat no more than 30′ from the stage. Caffe Lena is a wonderful place to see a show!

Live Performance at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY | Image: Provided

EDITORS NOTE: *The Southern Adirondack Musicians (SAM) Fund is a not for profit (501 C 3) corporation dedicated to providing emergency financial assistance to musicians and their families who are facing serious, catastrophic health issues, injuries and death. A volunteer and locally oriented charity (serving Saratoga, Washington and Warren Counties), the S.A.M Fund’s mission is to keep the “wolf from the door” for those in need.

Video Game Composer Tommy Talarico Joins Forces with the ASO for VIDEO GAMES LIVE!

September 28, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

I played a lot of video games in high school. The arcade at lunch (Gauntlet and Galaga were my favorites) followed by the couch at my best friend Dustin’s house after school (Laser Gates on the Atari). My how things have progressed. This issue we catch up with a gentleman who has been helping that progression on the music front. Our interview with Tommy Talarico is in preparation to hear what that sounds like live and in person when he joins the Albany Symphony Orchestra for the internationally acclaimed Video Games LIVE performance in early October 2023.

Tommy Talarico Plays Video Games Live | Photo: Provided

Please state your name, where you are from and profession / title.

Tommy Tallarico – Born and raised in Springfield, MA but have been living in Southern California for over 3 decades. Have been a video game composer and sound designer for over 33 years. I started Video Games Live over 20 years ago (2002) and have performed over 525 shows in 42 countries around the world.

Video game music is kind of specialized, how did you get into this profession, what was the path for you?

My two greatest loves growing up were video games and music. But I never thought I could ever put the two together because there was no such thing as a video game composer in the 70’s! When I was 21 I got in my car and drove to California. I was homeless, didn’t have any friends out there, no job, etc. The day I got there I picked up a newspaper and got a job at Guitar Center selling keyboards. The first customer who walked in the following day was a producer who worked for Richard Branson who was starting a Virgin video game company. I was wearing a video game t-shirt so we struck up a conversation and he gave me a job as a video game tester. I was in California about 3 days and was already in the video game industry. I would beg and bug the Vice-President of the company to let me do music when needed. They gave me a shot to translate, compose and do sound design for the Gameboy version of Prince of Persia, which was a huge game at the time. I won a bunch of awards while at Virgin so they made me the full time audio person. In 1994 I left Virgin after 4 years and started my own company so I could do contracts for all the different game companies.

Can you give us some highlights, interesting projects and games you have worked on. Any favorites?

There was a big game in the early to mid 90’s called Earthworm Jim that myself and 8 friends created and worked on together. We were the same group of guys who had done the award winning Cool Spot and Disney’s Aladdin video games for the Sega Genesis. Creating something on our own, with good friends and something for which we owned a part of and became hugely successful, was definitely a highlight. Doing the audio design for Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater was also a great experience as none of us working on the project at the time had any idea on how successful it was going to be.

Working with Stan Lee on Spider-Man, working with the original Sonic team on a Sonic game and helping the original Guitar Hero team get tracks from the music industry were also big highlights. Two of the biggest highlights though were working with my two biggest childhood heroes. I worked with Muhammad Ali over a 6 month period in 1992 for the Muhammad Ali boxing game on the Sega Genesis and then a year later in 1993 I worked with Slyvestor Stallone for a week on the Demolition Man video game. They were both a dream come true and I have so many incredible stories about both.

What inspired you to move from the console to the real world symphonic environment? Any special moments to share in this area?

I always wanted to use REAL instruments for video game music. In fact, one of the first times a real guitar was used in a video game was for The Terminator game on the Sega-CD. The technology made this possible because instead of having to store everything into a small game cartridge, you could now just record real music and real instruments and have it play off of a CD! I remember some of the producers from the game feeling a little shocked that the rock music we were doing was “real” and that it didn’t match the 16-bit graphics of the game. They felt at the time that it sounded out of place. Only because they had never really heard real music with a video game before. Luckily, the soundtrack to The Terminator ended up winning multiple BEST MUSIC Awards throughout the industry. Once the CD technology arrived, it ended up becoming the norm moving forward.

A lot of you people into music fantasize about having their work in a video game. Any suggestions on how to break into that arena?

Yes! For sure! Join the Game Audio Network Guild or G.A.N.G. as it is commonly referred to. It is a non-profit organization I founded over 20 years ago. So much great information and networking one could do by joining.

You’ll also want to attend the Game Sound Conference which happens once a year in Los Angeles and the Game Developers Conference which happens once a year in San Francisco.

Like most careers, networking is a HUGE part in getting your foot in the door and becoming successful.

Anything on the radar that you would like to share with us? It can be more than one thing!

I would encourage people to please check out our six Video Games Live albums. I think that most people who aren’t familiar with video game music will get a huge surprise as to the quality. That is why Video Games Live has become so popular and successful over two decades. The music and the experience is really for everyone, not just hardcore gamers. The storylines, visuals, characters and of course the MUSIC is really exemplary in every sense of the word. Some of the greatest letters and e-mails we’ll get after a performance are from the non-gamers in the audience saying… “I never knew!“

You can also catch me in Albany on Sunday, October 8 playing with the Albany Symphony Orchestra…see you there!

EDITORS NOTE: Click on the image below for tickets. Use code : ACE20 for a 20% discount!

Video Games Live with the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Sunday, October 8th 2023 at 7:30 PM.

Marvel Writer Ryan Little on Deck for First Annual 1UpState Gaming Conference

September 28, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

You may have noticed that at ACE! we like to cover writers. This month is a special treat as I got to chat a bit about what it’s like to be in the universe of comics and film with Ryan Little who works on a couple of different series for Marvel Studios. Ryan will be in town for the upcoming 1UpState Video Game Conference so it seemed like a good time to catch up and get some tips how young aspiring writers can break into the biz.

Ryan Little : TV and Comic Writer, Story Editor | Photo: Provided

Please state your name, where you are from and profession / title. Tell us a bit about what you do.

I’m Ryan Little, a TV and comic writer from the small town of Easton, Pennsylvania. In the last five years, I’ve written 21 episodes of TV for Marvel Studios. I co-created the series ‘I Am Groot‘, serving as the Story Editor for both seasons, and wrote on ‘What If‘ Seasons 2 and 3. Most notably, I was tapped to create an entirely new section of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which introduces the indigenous hero, Kahhori. In the graphic novel space, I’ve run 31 successful Kickstarters that have grossed over $100K in sales and shipped to 33 countries globally. This October, my title Super Scouts is arriving to brick and mortar shops via CEX.

Marvel Studios : I Am Groot | Image: Provided

A lot of writers would love to be doing what you are doing. How did you get into this profession, what was the path for you?

I have bad news. I didn’t catch lightning in a bottle or write that one glorious script that cracked open the doors of Hollywood. I did things the long, slow, hard way. I got my foot in the door as an unpaid intern and spent the next year climbing the ladder. My advice? Most folks I meet in LA writing circles aren’t willing to do the long hard road. And most of them never break in. If you want to be a write, get in the mix and take any job that moves you closer to the creative work you want to be doing.

Marvel Studios : What If… | Image: Provided

Can you give us some highlights, interesting projects you have worked on. Any favorites?

I’m immensely proud of the ten I Am Groot shorts I made for Disney+. They’re just some quality sci-fi fun. My proudest work, however, is creating Kahhori and a whole new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe filled with indigenous heroes which will be debuting in ‘What If’ Season 2.

Marvel Studios : I Am Groot *and* What If…Kahhori | Images: Provided

Any projects that you are especially jazzed about or can give us an inside peek on coming down the pike?

I can’t wait for everyone to see my episodes in What If Seasons 2 and 3. I’m also always putting out new graphic novels through my imprint, Plastic Sword Press.

On Saturday, October 21 (2023) I will be making an appearance in person speaking at the 1UpState Gaming Conference in Albany, NY at the Albany Capital Center. Hope to see you there!

EDITORS NOTE: Click Here To Purchase Tickets to the 1UpState Gaming Conference. ACE! will be there!

Ryan Little’s Plastic Sword Press | Image: Provided

Leigh Wen : International Provenance, Local Roots

August 31, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

The first memory I have of meeting Leigh Wen was at an Albany Center Gallery gala held in the amazing Union Station building in downtown Albany. She had a live auction piece that went for I believe a couple thousand dollars. (I picked up an Averill Greene painting that same night and regretfully, missed out on a Nadia Trinkala painting…) Over the years I have had brief moments with her, once in her studio in Albany and a few years later I believe in Beacon, NY for a Friendsgiving event. Now a sought after international artist who’s work and commissions can surpass $100K, she once again is participating in the area with a fundraising collaboration with Tony Iadicicco‘s team at the Albany Center Gallery. A very busy woman, she was kind enough to share some insight into her work and process.

Please state your name, occupation and background.

Leigh Wen, Artist, I was born in Taipei, Taiwan and currently reside in New York City, I received my BFA from Washington State University and MFA from the State University of New York at Albany. I’ve exhibited nationally and internationally since the 1980’s.

Leigh Wen’s FIRE Series | Image: Provided

What would you say is the motivation or inspirational seed for your creative direction?

Nature is the motivation for my creative direction, I paint what I see and apply color intuitively depending on how I feel in the moment. A lot of my work relates to natural elements and themes of nature.

From the words of Independent Curator and Arts Writer Sarah Tanguy:

“Lines, in Leigh Wen’s art, are the defining agent. They form the hidden pulse and layered score of all the paintings, sculptures, and mixed media works…Etched deep into the surface, they spring and scamper across lush passages of graduated colors, distilling nature’s underlying forces into energized patterns of concentrated beauty.“

I find that while working I go into a deep state of concentration and meditation. Color is used to expand the work’s emotional range; my palette is drawn not from appearances but from the lyric and psychic necessities of my art. The uniformity of line, from edge to edge and painting to painting, implies suppression of the artists hand in favor of objectivity learned from nature.

Leigh Wen Working and Fire Dress | Photos: Provided

You have been involved with ACG for many years now…what keeps you connected with the gallery?

ACG held my first show after finishing graduate school and it was very well supported and received. I received a lot of recognition after showing there, including being awarded with the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, NYFA, and Helena Rubinstein grants all in the same year. I still have a lot of friends in the Capital district, and still consider it my home.

Leigh Wen’s ‘Iceberg V’ : 2019 Oil on Linen | Photo: Provided

Anything coming up that you would like to share?

I will be having a solo show in Chelsea, NYC at Fremin Gallery opening on November 16. I will also be participating in the Art Taipei and Art Miami Art Fair. Locally, I am participating in a sweepstakes with ACG as well to help raise funds for the gallery.

Leigh Wen’s Reproduction of ‘Peony,’ (2 of 10 Tables) is being offered in a sweepstakes to benefit the Albany Center Gallery | Photo: Provided

EDITORS NOTE: For those interested in a deep dive on Leigh’s amazing story I have included her official bio here below.

In 1979, she won the First Prize in Painting in the Ten Outstanding Young Talents Competition in Taiwan. In 1980, she was awarded Outstanding Merit in the Young Artists in Asia Now competition in Hong Kong. In 1995 and 1996, her work was selected in many national and international jury shows including the ninth and tenth Parkside National Small Print Exhibition, Large Small Work ’95 International, Small Works International and the First Annual National Juried Small Work Exhibition in New York, NY. These shows are highly competitive and are chosen from thousands of submissions.

Leigh won the SUNY Albany Purchase Award in 1995 the University of Wisconsin Purchase Award in the 1995 Parkside National Small Print Exhibition. She was also awarded an Artist Grant by the National Taiwan Art and Humanity Foundation in support of her solo exhibitions in the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. A catalog entitled The Harbour and the Open Sea was published by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Leigh was awarded a 1997 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. In 1997 she was honored with “The Artist Award of 1997” by the New York State Assembly.

Leigh Wen’s ‘Midsummer Glim V’ : 2019 Oil on Linen

In 1998, Leigh’s work was selected by juror Linda Weintraub to be included in The New York State Biennale Exhibition at The New York State Museum. Also, Juror Lela Hersh, Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the Chicago Contemporary Museum of Art, selected Leigh’s work for inclusion in the annual Mohawk Hudson Region Juried Exhibition. Leigh received First Prize. Her painting, Untitled #6, was purchased by the Albany Institute of History & Art for the permanent collection.

In 1999 and 2005 she was awarded Artist Grants by the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. Since 1999, her paintings have been selected to be part of the Art in Embassies Program of the United States Department of State and have been exhibited in the U.S. Embassies in Jordan, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Botswana, Barbados, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Namibia, Denmark, and Poland. Over 15 American Embassies around the world. In mid-2019 her works were inquired by US Embassy in Botswana for exhibition and a cultural exchange program with Botswana Culture Bureau is scheduled. In 2019 summer a solo exhibition is invited by Farglory Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. It opens on July 13, 2019. Additional international exhibitions include – America University Art Museum, Washington D.C. in 2021, and the Bangkok Art And Culture Centre, Bangkok, Thailand in 2022.

Leigh Wen’s ‘Midsummer Glim VII’ : 2019 Oil on Linen | Photo: Provided

Hundreds of her works were included in both private and public collections. Her paintings had been featured in many major magazines including Art in America, New American Paintings, Art in Asia, Sotheby’s Auction Magazine, Christy’s Auction Magazine, Better Home and Gardens, Harper’s Bazaar, Architecture, Water Front Home and Design, San Diego Home and Garden and Interior, Art Trade Journal and Marie Claire, Taiwan.