ACE

Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

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Freelancers Are Investing in Training to Prepare for Future Economic Downturns

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The Covid-19 pandemic has unquestionably overturned the economy and financial stability for many professionals. Many remain un- or under-employed, and the future remains uncertain.

Conversations with local freelancers and entrepreneurs have shown us that many of them are working to diversify their skillsets to become more marketable in the current pandemic and in any future downturns.

That 77% are partaking in additional skill training or development to build an updated skill portfolio and planning to transition careers to a more in-demand industry.

Mind you, these stats come from a 2019 report, before the pandemic started.

As we await the 2020 report, one can imagine that the number of freelancers currently taking these steps will be greater due to current circumstances.

Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) has developed a flexible and affordable program to meet these needs.

The HVCC Career Launchpad has fast-track options to provide the education necessary to enhance skills or develop new ones. They provide non-credit and credit courses which can prove vital to preparing for an extended, or future economic downturn.

Invest in marketplace and financial stability. Let’s launch! Get started HERE.

CapNY Insider Tips: King Bakery Donut Cart

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By: Danielle Sanzone

Set your clock early on a Sunday and head out a road trip to get donuts in scenic, rural Washington County. The King Bakery Donut Cart is a family-run business open only on Sunday mornings. Some of their customers drive as long as 2.5 hours to wait on line to get a taste!

Family-Owned & Operated

From Deathwish coffee cream to maple bacon flavors, and their best-selling glazed donuts, people from near and far form lines up the driveway leading up to an old-fashioned cart that sits in front of the King family home.

 “My father thought no one would come to our house to buy donuts,” said James “Skip” King with a smile as he sat on his porch. His father started the family’s original bakery in Cambridge in 1956 and when the space closed, the King family moved the operation to their home.

From Their Farm to Your Donut

Holly King, the third-generation of the King family to have a role in this sweet business talked about how the menu offerings are heavily influenced by what they’re able to produce on their small property.

“My father is an avid beekeeper and honey is used as a sugar in many of our fillings and toppings. We tap our own maple trees. 30 chickens reside here to provide enough eggs for our production. We also grow our own rhubarb, black and red currants and black caps. Growing our own ingredients allows us to subsidize our product with high quality ingredients without the influence of the high purchase price.”

Community

You can also find Reggie’s Veggies of Greenwich selling produce in another cart in the King’s driveway. “We like to collaborate and help people out,” said Skip. They have always tried to serve their community.

The Kings, who all have other jobs during the week, have no interest in expanding their operation.

The King Donut Cart is popular during Saratoga’s track season, for summer road trips, and during foliage season. So set your alarm, hop in line, and get tasting on some of this local homemade goodness.

If you’re looking to spend the day exploring Washington County, check out our daycation itinerary here!

Note: They accept cash only!
Address: 108 West Main St. in Cambridge, 12186
Facebook: their menu is listed weekly!
Phone: 518-677-3530.

CapNY Woman-Owned Business: Collective 131

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“My dream of opening a gallery would be impossible in NYC. Here in the Capital Region, there’s a feeling that people want to help each other. I didn’t see that in the city or while living in Hoboken,” said Cassie Fiorenza, Founder and Director of Collective 131, a new gallery in Saratoga Springs. “Here, there’s a mindset of, ‘what’s good for me is good for everyone else.'”

Fiorenza grew up in the Albany area, worked in a major gallery in Manhattan and lived in Hoboken, NJ, and then recently found her way up to Saratoga Springs. This is where she’s decided to open up her first gallery space, in the town’s Arts District on Beekman Street. “If I can bring people to Beekman Street, it’ll be good for the other galleries on the street.”

Representing Women in Art

While working in galleries in New York City, Cassie found that female artists were underrepresented. She observed that many male artists were repeatedly being featured in shows and galleries, while the same did not hold true for women.

As a response, Cassie curated an art show in Manhattan that exclusively featuring women artists. The response was wonderful. This inspired her to start Collective 131, which originated as an online gallery.

Cassie began by featuring the works of her friends and close network, but the platform quickly grew to include the works of artists from all over the country. The goal was to develop a platform of affordable, original art created by women.

A Brick and Mortar Space in Saratoga Springs

The new space features work of two local artists, Tatiana Schynoll of Albany and Hazal Ozturk of Malta.

After an overwhelming outpouring of support for the online gallery, Cassie’s next step was to find a physical space to promote the art and mission of Collective 131. Cassie and her husband were living in Hoboken and starting to outgrow it. They were ready for a change.

When the pandemic emerged, they found it was a perfect time to make the move to CapNY. They landed in Saratoga Springs. They loved the bustling downtown area, the vibrant art scene, the restaurants, and the fact that it is surrounded by mountains and lakes.

Cassie joined Palette as a coworking member and with the support of other strong female entrepreneurs, she found a gallery space on Beekman Street, part of the Beekman Street Arts District.

Beekman Street Arts District

One Million Residents

There are one million residents across the 8-counties of CapNY. Cassie said if she was able to reach all one million of them, she would use her platform to promote the creativity of the female artists she works with…to make the art world a more inclusive place for female talent. She feels the potential of this region is endless and hopes to expand her galleries to other places across CapNY.

Collective 131 opened on 74 Beekman St., Saratoga Springs on October 27th.

Connect with Collective 131!
Website
Address: 74 Beekman St., Saratoga Springs 12866
Phone: 518-339-0512
FB / IG / Twitter / Pinterest

An Update on #CapNYRedAlert

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Dear Supporters,

Thank you for standing in solidarity with ACE and the other CapNY creative businesses and organizations that have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. Originally, the #CapNYRedAlert movement was centered around one day of action, November 1st, where we would all shine our red lights bright to show support of the creative industries who add so much vibrancy to our region.

Through numerous conversations over the past month, we have come to these realizations:

  • This is a movement that needs to be carried on far through November 1st, and therefore, ACE will be keeping a (red) light shining on this critical sector of the economy during our recovery efforts. We ask you to continue sharing #CapNYRedAlert information via your social media and digital platforms. 
  • It will likely be easier for media outlets to carry these stories and statistics after the November 3rd election, which has been dominating social media and other coverage for months. It was very difficult — if not impossible — to shoehorn another issue into this overwhelming news cycle.

Here, you can find articles regarding the impact of the pandemic on the arts, including profiles of local leaders in the creative industries from organizations like SPAC, The Hyde Collection, and Troy Savings Bank Music Hall that show how the CapNY is dealing with, and overcoming, current challenges. We ask that you share these with your audience to raise awareness of this campaign.

Thank you for being a part of the #CapNYRedAlert movement. Together, we will rebuild, support one another, and overcome these overwhelming challenges.

Best,
The ACE Team

Thank you to our partners:

Freelancers Need Flexible, Affordable Skill Development Options

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By: Gabby Fisher, Senior Producer

Let’s jump straight to the numbers…

Yes, you read that right.

More than half of freelancers do not take skill training trainings or courses they want or need because they cannot afford it.

Also…though freelancers largely attribute positive value to their college education, freelancers find skill-related training more useful to the work they do now when asked to compare the two.

The HVCC Career Launchpad is right on the mark with what freelancers are looking for…flexible, affordable, non-degree education options. The goal: to enhance skills, learn new ones, and to increase earning power and marketability.

How the Program Started

Penny Hill, HVCC’s Dean of Economic Development and Workforce Initiatives and her team have been offering professional development and training for people, businesses and organizations throughout the Cap Region for a long time.

When the pandemic hit, they jumped into action to develop the HVCC Career Launchpad.

Flexibility

Penny said one of the main priorities of the program was flexibility. A lot is uncertain at the moment. People don’t necessarily want to commit to or pay for college degrees. The Launchpad offers credit and non-credit courses, a first for the college.

HVCC knew this program had to allow all required work to be done digitally and on the individual’s own time, within one year max.

They understood that many of the individual’s would have other responsibilities – jobs, kids, etc. so all of the flexible program attributes were important in its development.

Affordability

Affordability was also a main priority for Penny and her team. The program was intended to be an option for those unemployed due to COVID-19. The idea was to get them trained and/or industry-certified and back out into the job market quickly.

If you’re a freelancer like me, chances are you relate to some of these circumstances and like most freelancers, value professional development.

Get in Touch with HVCC today!

Opportunities for tuition funding may be available. Invest in yourself. Invest in marketplace stability. Let’s launch!

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