ACE PEOPLE

Four Questions with Laura Ten Eyck, Indian Ladder Farms

August 27, 2018 By upstatecreative

ACE met with Laura Ten Eyck, the 4th-generation Vice President of Indian Ladder Farms, ahead of the September 5th Mixer on their property. Laura returned to the family business after a career in journalism, and used her writing experience to co-author a book titled The Hop Grower’s Handbook. Laura’s husband Dietrich Gehring runs the Indian Ladder Farmstead Cidery and Brewery LLC along with partner Stuart Morris. Dietrich has a background in photography editing for publications and calendars, but turned an interest in home-brewing into the Brewery two years ago.

Location: 342 Altamont Rd, Altamont NY
Employees: Between 10-100+, depending on season
In business since: 1916

What hurdles and successes do you see after 102 years in business?

Success is to stay sustainable during the transition from my father’s generation to me and my brother, and to pass the business on to the next generation if they are interested. This is a community resource; we can’t just walk away from it. We all live here. We placed a Conservation Easement on the farmland to restrict development; by selling our development rights we reinvested in the farm to protect the future.

We face the same struggles as all agricultural businesses. The weather has been made more intense with climate change, which has brought new pest species and severe weather that is problematic. Ultimately, keeping on top of pests like termites is tougher than it has ever been before. That being said, fortunately, there are plenty of pest control experts in our area to keep unwanted insects under control. Correspondingly, if you would like to learn more about how to tackle termites and other common pests, you can find a wide range of useful information on websites like: https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/termite-control/. A hot March causes an early bloom, then a typical April overnight in the 20s brings a killing frost – that has increased in recent years. Also, the labor market is tight and finding seasonal workers for minimum wage level work is a real challenge: we do over 50% of our business in 8 weeks in September/October. Hiring and training people for that short a period is difficult.

Is there still room for growth?

You have to be careful not to grow too fast, and we want things to remain authentic. We don’t do anything artificial. We are in the process of renovating a building as a production brewery and it will include increased event space. Currently, we can’t host weddings in the fall because the space is used for apple cider. Once this structure is complete we can move the apple cider donut production to a larger space since they are so popular. The Brewery and Cider LLC opened in 2016 and should continue to grow. We may do a book about hemp production; we have a lot of plans moving forward to expand the business. We’ve looked at getting something like this promotional custom embroidery merchandise that is specifically for Breweries.

Is there an opportunity for creatives in Farming?

The skillset of the creative mind is a necessity for a business like this. There has to be new and innovative ways to solve problems, and the creative mind is a huge benefit in a business where you have the ability to actually act upon those ideas and not just be a cog in a corporation’s machine. Others hit a roadblock and may not be able to get around it. Innovation has always been a key aspect of farming, whether it be improving crop productions by using creative agricultural design, similar to the designs Impact Engineering, or thinking outside the box to expand the farm into the wedding industry, for example. Other ways of increasing crop production might also include using good-quality farming equipment. For instance, in the agricultural sector, a tractor is useful for digging irrigation canals, harvesting, fertilizing, and so on. Even if a part of a tractor is damaged, it can be replaced by its new parts, which could be bought at reputable web-shops like Costex Tractor Parts (or similar others) and make it work efficiently again.

We have a large number of creatives here: our cider presser and assistant farm manager are both talented musicians, our Farm Manager does carvings and has a great visual eye. The seasonality works for a lot of creatives, where they have winters free for other pursuits.

What should ACE members expect to see when visiting Indian Ladder Farms for the September 5th mixer?

There will be music in the Beer Garden (Zan & the Winter Folk), a tour of the brewery and of course refreshments. The farm is open, so they can see the hop garden and animals. We want everything to remain real and authentic here; this is a working farm and people really enjoy seeing it in action.
[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

Creative Beginnings- Meg Affonso

August 20, 2018 By upstatecreative

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”2/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://www.upstatecreative.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/UPDATED-ForColoredGirls-square.png” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://www.upstatecreative.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DSC_1275.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][x_image type=”none” src=”https://www.upstatecreative.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DSC_8349.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]

ACE’s Ashleigh Kinsey spoke with Meg Affonso, a creative who is a creative in every sense of the word – singer,dancer, actor, model, yogi, and now producer! Meg shares her journey as a creative and what led her to collaborating with other creatives to present the production of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf and The Women of Color in the Arts Expo in Albany NY.

Where are you from, and where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Martinsburg, WV. I have lived in the Capital Region of NY for 12 years.

Did you seek out higher education, or are you self taught? Where did you study?
I studied Musical Theatre at Shepherd University for a few years before moving to Upstate NY. I then went on to study Meisner Technique with the Deena Levy Theatre Studio in NYC. Most of my training comes from being on set and around the stage.

Would you say you have always been a creative person? What other work have you done?
Creativity is in my bones. I began singing in my church at age 4 and formal dance lessons started at age 5. This was where my creativity really started to come out of its shell! I loved my dance lessons, so I cannot recommend them enough. If you have a creative child who is interested in that sort of thing, you could take a look at DivaDance to see if you could get them some lessons. I’m sure they’d love it and its so good for creativity and confidence building as well! Then, once my dancing and singing skills were practised, I became involved in the local theatre scene at 14. I’ve performed in plays, films, web series, commercials and occasionally do freelance modeling.

How did you become interested in your industry?
I’ve always been an entertainer and once I discovered how to tell a story through performance, I was hooked for life. There was a period of time that I stopped performing and doing creative work; I was discouraged because my life wasn’t working out the way that I had hoped it would. I had a child very young and I needed to find a means to an end to be financially stable, so I left the creative stuff behind and tried to move forward. Fortunately, my creative work wouldn’t let me go and I was forced to face it, to begin again. Beginning again didn’t come without some uncertainty and embarrassment. I’ve had my share of terrible auditions and worked through the awkwardness of learning how to communicate what I need. A true artist is not one who loves the work, but one who cannot live without it.

Did you have a defining moment that pushed you to start working on your production?
This play has been nagging at my mind for 9 years. From the moment I read Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem, it struck a chord in me that had never been struck before. Having gotten back into professional acting in the past 3 years has put me in a lot of situations where I recognize that I am sometimes the only person of color in the room for an audition or on set. I wanted to celebrate the beauty of black women artists in all their forms and this was the way to do it. I’ve also entered a point in my life where it’s time to tell my own stories, so I have been writing a few short films and I am beginning the process of directing a documentary. This whole process occurred all because my heart and my mind won’t let me rest. I want give life to stories that will help heal myself and others in the process, specifically women. I want to start a conversation and give people space to share their stories, as well.

What does running a production like this entail?
This is my first time producing and it’s probably the most difficult thing that I have ever done, but it is also incredibly rewarding. As the producer, I have had to find funding, secure the location, secure rehearsal space, hire creative talent + crew, be responsible for everything that goes along with promoting the production and more. As the director & choreographer, I am responsible for bringing the story to life through blocking, dance and working with my actors. There’s a lot that falls on my shoulders because I am doing so many things at once, but I am incredibly blessed to have a great crew, cast, mentors and a supportive network of people who want this to be successful.

What would you tell others who are aspiring to be doing what you are doing? What would you have done differently? Any advice?
The most important thing for others who are aspiring to do what I do, is to have people around you that can advise you though the process. I am doing well because I have a wonderful support system of other creative professionals who know more than me, which is quite possibly the most important asset that anyone can have. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or help. Don’t be afraid to ask more than one person for advice or help. Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t have all of the answers, because you never will. The second most important thing is to start where you are and be okay with that. It’s so important for artists to be able to do their own work and tell their own stories. Advocate for yourself. I don’t know that I would have done anything differently, except begin sooner. I have no regrets, only lessons. A piece of advice for artists making their own work is to begin the grant process early, if you’re going that route. It’s very time consuming and a lengthly process. Also be prepared to hear ‘no’ frequently, but keep going. Be honest with yourself about where you need to improve and be flexible about working with what you have until you can work with what you want.

What would you like the community to know about the local arts scene and creative economy?
The local arts scene and creative economy is rich and diverse. I myself am excited to become more immersed in it. We have a huge theatre scene, visual arts, dance, music & several films are made in Upstate NY each year. Go out and experience all of the different art forms, support one another, spread the word and if you don’t know here to begin – ask around.

If there was one thing you would change about our creative economy, what would it be?
This goes without saying, but there has to be more diversity. Employers, theatre companies, filmmakers, producers, galleries, creative businesses must be aware of having workspaces that are conducive to a positive environment for women and people of color. I’m not talking about filling your quota of diversity, having your one woman at the top, or your token person of color, but I am saying make space for everyone and be consciously aware of the environment that you create. Advocate to see more art by women and by people of color, ask for it, show up for it and PAY for it. Hire that female director. Fund that female producer. Demand equality and set the standard for it to be commonplace.

Lotus & Bamboo Productions + Albany Barn are proud to present the production of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf & The Women of Color in the Arts Expo! On September 27th we will be debuting the SHOW ONLY at 6 p.m. On September 28th & 29th doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 6 p.m. The Expo will immediately follow the production on September 28th & 29th. You will be able to mingle, enjoy art in all forms and shop a variety of artistic items + pieces.

The Expo on Friday, September 28th will feature live music by Audrey Zaccarya & Sibie LaVoz, spoken word by D. Colin, an art exhibit + sale with work from Takeyce Walter, Danielle Colin, Anusha Sekhar + Paula Frazzle, vendors, light passed hors d’eouvres by 677 Prime, plus Beer + Wine cash bar by Umana Restaurant & Wine Bar.

The Expo on Saturday, September 29th will feature DJ Poetik Selektions, moving art by Victoria Rutledge with live drumming, vendors, women of color in food showcase & sampling, plus a Beer + Wine cash bar by Umana Restaurant & Wine Bar.

Sponsored by Albany Barn, Mantralogy, Ungerman Electric, Fifi’s Frocks & Frills, 677 Prime, Umana Restaurant, The Good Karma Studio, Heart Space Albany, Jai Albany, Yoga Mandali, CHEEK by Re’z Cosmetics, Yoga Garden, Mel eMedia, and Birth New York.

www.megaffonso.com[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

Creative Beginnings: Angelique Powell

July 30, 2018 By upstatecreative

Where are you from, and where do you live now? I’m from Latham, NY and I live in Albany, NY

Where did you attend school? What did you study? I graduated from Shaker High School and then graduated from Ithaca College with a BA in Psychology.

Family? I’m the oldest of six kids and really only grew up with my immediate family, but they all live locally to this day.

What Job titles have you held? I’ve been at the Palace for a year and 7 months. I started in the Box Office as a Ticket Seller and then after 6 months I was promoted to Part-Time Event Night Supervisor and 10 months later I was promoted to Development Manager and Community Events Coordinator as a part of the Development Department here.

What got you interested in performing arts and acting? I honestly feel like I was born this way. I am the oldest of a tribe of children and I always turned our play time, into full scale productions in which I did costumes, constructed the set, directed and was the lead actor, hahaha! Everything I was involved in, until I finally began to perform in middle school, I brought to it, this very dynamic, performance aspect to it until I finally found my home on stage.

Do you have a favorite role you’ve played? Which? Last March, I played Mrs. Mueller in DOUBT at Schenectady Civic Playhouse.

As an actor and an administrator, how does this impact your daily life and how do you find balance? I wish I could answer this in a more beautiful and inspiring way but the honesty and transparency is that I don’t always succeed at finding the balance. There are some days that I’m learning my lines frantically, backstage, as I’m awaiting my scene to approach. There are some days when I arrive to work two hours early because of the guilt of not being able to stay later the night before. There are days when I’m so exhausted, I feel like I feel it in the very tips of my fingers and toes and I’m just praying to get through the week and I ask myself, why do I continue to do this? The answer; I can’t NOT do this. On days when I am unsure about everything, that is the one thing I am completely certain of; I was meant to be an actor.

What does your job at The Palace entail? What do you enjoy about your job? I have a really big, community relations, aspect to my position here at the Palace. A key component to my roles and responsibilities is being the point of contact for all of our non-commercial events and help engage and potentially reengage the community in a way they may not have otherwise had a relationship with the theatre. I love the community. I truly and genuinely enjoy and am filled with immense gratitude to be afforded this opportunity to truly serve my community and through arts engagement. I have been so impacted by the arts and the ability to use the arts to connect, include, build, rebuild, and heal and to be able to share that with the community as both a professional and an artist; let’s just say the beauty isn’t lost on me.

Many people leave a job in order to grow and move ahead in their career but you’ve been able to grow and see opportunities for growth in your field while staying at the Palace. How have you navigated that? Well, I actually had a long-standing, retail managerial career that I left before I ended up at the Palace. I took a major pay cut and decided, that it was time to think about and take a chance on myself and what truly makes me happy.

Life is so unimaginably short and we only get one; what is the point if we don’t take every gift, privilege and opportunity afforded us and do something really amazing with it? My time, here at the Palace, has been relatively short in comparison to that eight-year career, but it has been so rich in experience and fulfillment. From working in the box office and getting to give amazing customer service and be a part of how excited people would get over their favorite artists or children absolutely beaming at the opportunity to see a movie or performance for the very first time in a theatre, to working in Development and getting to put together a film screening of, “I Am Evidence,” during Sexual Assault Awareness Month to call attention to the significant number of cases that have had justice impeded by backlogged evidence and then to take on the amazing, “Summer in the City” Program, to allow the community children a free movie series, incorporating their favorites, that allows them to enjoy the place that has really become my second home; this has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.

I truly believe in the mission and vision of the Palace Theatre and what we have and will continue to contribute to the local arts community and now, when I’m at home, still working or thinking about something work related, it’s not simply to hit a sales goal. I have a real opportunity to make a difference, in my own, totally unique way. That being said, it’s easy to think of longevity here instead of moving on to another job, because here, I can create opportunities for myself and others.

What’s one thing you want the community to know about the local arts scene? It’s larger than you think and probably just a Facebook invite away. [/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

Four Questions With Kyle Patzwahl, Art Omi

July 23, 2018 By upstatecreative

ACE met with Art Omi’s Director of External Relations, Kyle Patzwahl, ahead of our August 1st Mixer Event to give members a glimpse into what has made their operation so successful and what to expect when touring the campus. He works closely with Executive Director Ruth Adams, who directs all of Art Omi’s programs..

Kyle parlayed a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Architecture into a career in commercial real estate before joining Art Omi. He proudly states “there’s no need to leave Columbia County because we bring the world to you”, and that’s no idle boast: since 1992, artists from 130 countries have participated in Art Omi’s residency programs. Specialized Program Directors work year-round on planning, selecting and executing their residencies in five disciplines: architecture, dance, visual art, writing, and music.

Location: 1405 Co Rt 22, Ghent NY
Employees: 9 full-time, 37 part-time and up to 20 seasonal
In business since: 1992

How do you draw world-class artists to Ghent for residencies?

Our residencies are unique – we focus on the process behind each of the art forms. We don’t require any participant to complete a project while on campus, which creates a different dynamic than many other residencies by allowing free-form thought and ‘best practice’ discussions to emerge. There are no costs to any artists beyond travel, so they are truly free to explore the campus and consider their work and process. We allow for a lot of open-ended time and work space, while bringing in guest critics to enhance the experience and push the artists in a thoughtful way to achieve something meaningful.

After 26 years are there still fresh hurdles and successes?

Funding is always a hurdle. Federal and State art budgets are being cut, like school budgets following the 2008 recession: art, music and theater are the first things to be cut. Public and private programs rely on these grants to expose children to the arts early in their life. Here, these cuts also impact our operation – we lessen staff to allow more scholarships for kids to attend summer camps or more artists to come to our campus. It is the life of a non-profit: you work hard and take less because you believe in the greater good and continuation of art and education.

As for successes, the staff pitches in to ensure we are moving forward; our success is bringing talented individuals to our team who ask questions and develop a sustainable growth model which will allow us to continue to engage with the community and our visitors from around the world. We pride ourselves on being a community organization – we have a $1.5 million economic impact on the county and Capital District. Buying local products and using local partners may be marginally more expensive but it is important to invest in our community, as they invest in our organization.

What advice would you give to someone looking to work in a creative business?

Keep at it and read. A mentor once told me that if you read on any subject for seven years you can become an expert; you have to find what you’re passionate about and always keep at it. You can’t be timid in the face of failure or adversity. Going in with an open mind and a strong sense of ambition and innovation makes you unstoppable. Be the most positive, have the most energy – people feed off that.

What should ACE members expect to see when visiting Art Omi for the August 1st mixer?

Art Omi is an experience – you will see some beautiful things and interesting things but really it is about discovery. The main public draw is the sculpture park and gallery space which brings well known and emerging artists to the attention of visitors. There is such an energy here when you enter the building – if you are looking to build relationships and connections while discovering great things about yourself and the creative economy Art Omi is on the short list to achieve those things.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

Local Producer Commemorates Juneteenth with ‘Talk Eat Art’ Event

June 6, 2018 By upstatecreative

*Kaciem Swain, Founder and Creative Director of Velvet Rope Group*

This was necessary since the Emancipation Proclamation, announced by President Lincoln about three years before, did not have jurisdiction over Confederate states like Texas and technically didn’t free a single enslaved Black person. Even after it was law, there was minimal support in enforcing the law.

In the Capital Region, a local entrepreneur is producing an event that not only celebrates the Emancipation of Black people, but celebrates the creative impact Black people have made in the region. Through art, poetry and music, Talk Eat Art, or T.E.A. is an event that has been happening for 4 years in the Capital Region, but this year, the event also commemorates an important day in Black History.

Kaciem Swain (aka @CampaignSwain) is the Founder and Creative Director of Velvet Rope Group, an experiential special events company. He says he decided to celebrate freedom and economic development for people of color rather than a history of slavery and inequality. Six venues, over a thousand tickets sold, and 100 performances later, this year’s event will be held at Proctors Theatre on June 15th.

Swain wants to provide a platform for artists, musicians, and creatives of color to share their talents. His event promotion career began as a teenage protegee with a series called “Rock The Mic.” That started Swain on a path to creating a diverse range of experiences and events, like He said She said, a forum about love, intimacy and relationships, and a writers forum called “A Penny for Your Thoughts”.

Swain wanted to offer a safe space for people to come together, eat, drink, and share constructive criticism in a safe creative environment.

Swain has also teamed up with entrepreneur Liska Wilson, marketing consultant, founder of the nonprofit She’s a Boss, and Busy Day co-owner. Together they created Think Tank Thursdays, a mastermind event series in which aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, and visionaries meet up and share ideas about success, innovation, and growth.

“The goal is to build relationships that are diverse and inclusive. Instead of focusing on us having seats at the table, we should focus on building a table together.” Swain also wants to help the creative economy as well through events like T.E.A., whose business model has changed to a profit sharing model where creatives are empowered to deliver and understand that they can create their own financial destiny. The new business model has allowed creatives to see the impact they can have from a business perspective.

I also got a chance to speak to a musician Jordan Taylor-Hill, who will be a part of the opening performance at T.E.A.

“Juneteenth for me personally means freedom of expression as an artist and a drummer. Practices like drumming were condemned and banned on plantations and places where Africans would gather. So to be able to perform , and commemorate people who have laid the groundwork and made this possible is an honor. I’m excited to be involved in this event.”

Tickets for TEA can be purchased at Proctors website. The event begins at 7pm. For more information, contact Velvet Rope Group.

Guest post by Ashleigh Kinsey, owner, AK Design[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]