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Street Art / Graffiti as Gravity – Part II of III : Cities with ‘Speak Art’ Vibes

August 3, 2022 By Taliesin Thomas

This 3-part series on the dynamic nature of street art, graffiti, and murals—as both symbols of cultural consciousness and cultural commodities—highlights these genres as viable assets within the regional and global creative economy of today. In this second segment, the author considers the financial side of local art initiatives.

I am pleased to share this second segment in my three-part series concerning dialogues around street art, graffiti, and public art projects in the Capital Region. In the first segment, I discussed these topics from a Troy-townie perspective.

Mural art in North Central Troy, NY | Photo: Corey Aldrich

For this installment, I explored the mural-street-art-graffiti-scene from the financial side of the equation. We all know that art is also about “biz-naz” at every level, so how does the money make its way into the street as street art? To understand more, I turned my focus to the creative economies of Troy, Albany, and Glens Falls as a trifecta case study. Each of these cities boasts a unique vibe with respect to murals and public art projects. I was delighted to communicate with several esteemed arts professionals for greater insight, including Elizabeth Reiss, Executive Director of the Arts Center of the Capital Region; Tony Iadicicco, Executive Director of the Albany Center Gallery; Chad Robinovich, Artistic Director of New Works for Constellation Stage & Screen; and Casey Polomaine, Executive Director of the Albany Barn.

Each of these conversations was lively and informative; herein I comment on some of the facts that were presented to me. Chad Robinovich—a champion of Glens Falls and a member of the Glens Falls Arts District Committee—spoke passionately about community endeavors to “beautify a beautiful city” that is also his home. Chad discussed the ongoing efforts of the New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), an organization that serves as a cornerstone of the State’s economic development program.

While Glens Falls already has an established arts district area, the DRI has supported the existing infrastructure while expanding local arts programming. Chad clarified the DRI is not only solely about funding the arts, however, some of the total $10 million grant for Glens Falls was indeed used for public art initiatives.

Painted electrical boxes in Glens Falls, NY | Images courtesy of Chad Robinovich

He also shared with me that a micro grant from the Touba Family Foundation resulted in a popular project that took place last year, where local artists—including Kevin Clark, Shelley Fairbanks, Leah Hofgesang, Stephanie Vaus, Rodney Bentley, Hannah Williams and Olga Aleksandrova—were awarded funds to paint electrical boxes around Glens Falls. He spoke sincerely about the impact of that project and how the community reacted so positively to the colorful designs, stating “a little bit goes a long way” with regard to the public reception for art.

During our call Chad spoke of Glens Falls as a place with a “speak art” vibe and he emphasized the “instant visual impact” of murals as a point of engagement. This year, the Glens Falls Arts District Committee put out a nationwide call for artists to apply for a large-scale mural project. Over the next two months, the committee will allocate approximately $75,000 to install three new mural designs around Glens Falls by artists Hannah Williams (Glens Falls, NY), Toni Ardizzone (Texas), and Jesse Melanson (Los Angeles, CA).

Murals off River Street near the Hudson River in Troy, NY | Photo: Taliesin Thomas

Turning to Troy, we encounter a thriving local energy at the Arts Center for the Capital Region (ACCR). Director Liz Reiss is a seasoned arts professional with diverse experience overseeing art in the public realm. During our conversation, she emphasized her belief that “art belongs to everyone” and that art functions as a tool for revitalization. Liz also spoke candidly about the challenge to obtain annual funding and she considers the role of the institution as the “translator” of art for the community. She carefully posed various questions with respect to the best use of funding: What needs help? Who is asking for that change? Who is most likely to benefit? Liz cited city murals as one of several modes that bring local artists further into the public realm and she lauded the resounding success of the Uniting Line, a project that received funds from Bloomberg’s “Asphalt Art” initiative. This highly visible series of murals features artwork by Jade Warrick. Originally from Los Angeles, Warrick is a Capital Region-based visual designer who focuses on bringing art and wellness programming into BIPOC and marginalized communities.

Uniting Line artworks by Jade Warrick, Troy NY | Photo: Taliesin Thomas

Since staring the program in 2018, Liz confirmed the ACCR has spent approximately $375,000 on various public art projects around Troy, including the Uniting Line, Franklin Alley, School 2, Troy to Troy Murals (the bulk of which was used for the Uniting Line). The ACCR is currently working to realize the Troy Glo project that will present a distinct category of public art—light sculptures—and will feature the work of architects and designers as part of these plans. Troy Glo will launch in December 2022 to coincide with the annual Troy Victoria Stroll.

Street art by Joe Iurato as part of the Frankly Alley project, Troy NY | Photo: Taliesin Thomas

Next I connected with Casey Polomaine regarding her work with public art projects in Albany. She spoke of the great success of the Capital Walls project, a collaboration between Albany Barn, Albany Center Gallery, and the Albany Parking Authority. The Capital Walls murals aim to inspire all walks of life with buoyant works of art installed in various locations around downtown Albany. Programming designed to promote and educate the community about these artworks include walking tours (docent led and self-guided), bike tours in partnership with the Capital District Transportation Authority, and the Artful Albany podcasts with Discover Albany.

Capital Walls murals by (back to front) Rosy Sunshine, Vanessa Mastronardi,
Arzu Fallahi, and NDA in Albany, NY | Photo: Taliesin Thomas

Casey explained the ongoing efforts of the Capital Walls program, stating that the city is currently working to expand the program and is actively looking for new walls. She spoke of the sheer joy of public art that is made accessible to all and how the murals naturally “uplift your spirits” as works of art that break down barriers while also “putting money in the pockets of artists.”

Rounding out the trifecta focus, Tony Iadicicco provided additional information about Capital Walls. Started in 2016, the project now boasts 16 murals by local, regional, national, and international artists. Chosen from an open call, many of these artists are first time muralists while others are well-established. Tony indicated that each muralist was paired with an available, funded wall based on their style. Once selected, the muralist works closely with Tony and his team to create the work on-site. He indicated that over $150,000 in public art has been funded by Albany Parking Authority and an additional $72,000 was awarded to Albany Center Gallery as part of the DRI award (with additional partner Downtown Albany BID and Capital Walls partners).

Capital Walls mural by Rachel Baxter in Albany, NY | Photo: Taliesin Thomas

Albany Barn also received additional funds for the Schenectady DRI for murals to be installed in Schenectady, along with a Capital Walls mural in Schenectady on Albany Street (completed in 2021). In an email to me, Tony included these comments from Matthew Peter of the Albany Parking Authority: “the murals act as landmarks, promote walkability and tourism, and restore a sense of place … At the same time, the city is able to attract and promote local art and artists and support the local creative economy, creating a win/win situation for all involved.” On a recent summer afternoon, I toured the Capital Walls murals and it was indeed a thrill to encounter these magnificent murals, each one both inspired and inspiring. As these and other arts professionals attest, the “speak art” vibes of cities such as Troy, Albany, and Glens Falls are a vital part of the artistic energy and business goals of our region as a whole.

Capital Walls mural by Sylvie Kantorovitz in Albany, NY | Photo: Taliesin Thomas

Street art in downtown Troy, NY | Photo: Taliesin Thomas

PART III: In the next installment, we consider the “macro level” of these topics and explore how art initiatives in Capital Region fit into the arts ecosystem on a national—and international—scale.

For more check out Part I of the series : Street Art / Graffiti as Gravity – Part I of III : A Townie Perspective

Taliesin Thomas, Ph.D. is an artist-philosopher, writer, lecturer, and collector based in Troy, NY. Since 2007, she is the founding director of AW Asia, NY and the collection manager of Art Issue Editions, NY—two private art collections that are the foundation for collaborations and projects with artists and museums worldwide. Thomas has lectured and published widely on contemporary art. She is the director of the Artist Training Initiative and a critic for the Critical Forum program at the Arts Center for the Capital Region, NY and she is a faculty member at School of Visual Arts, NY. Thomas studied studio art, aesthetics, theory, and philosophy at Bennington College, Columbia University, and The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts.

Glens Falls Arts / Business District Street Fest and Creative Economy Panel Discussion

July 31, 2022 By upstatecreative

When: August 18 from 5:00 to 8:00 (Panel Discussion Beginning at 6:45)
Where: The Park Theater | 14 Park Street | Glens Falls, NY

Event is open and FREE to the public.

TO RSVP CLICK HERE

Join us for an ACE! sponsored Glens Falls Arts District Street Festival. This will be in Glens Falls (GF) at the Park Theater and will include an outdoor festival featuring members of the GF Arts District and the GF Collaborative. A panel discussion featuring a selection of professionals from around the region will explore organizational synergies that allow for place making innovation that builds community and sustainability including FOR PROFIT and NOT FOR PROFIT businesses and institutions. This will be kicked off by a short update by Mayor Bill Collins on the ‘Market Center,‘ a downtown community redevelopment project.

Out on the street we will have a celebration of Glens Falls Arts and Culture including and interactive thought piece by The Hyde Collection, live plien air painting by North Country Arts, a ‘FolkLife‘ Exhibition preview by the Crandall Library, tastings with Raul’s Mexican Grill, Mean Max Brew Works and Springbrook Distilling and a full blown beer garden highlighting regional beverages by Doc’s Restaurant. Additionally, there will be a sneak peak of the new Park & Elm restaurant being developed by Park Street Hospitality and a walking tour of the new downtown mural program.

Glens Falls Creative Economy Panel Participants

Our distinguished panel includes: Jeff Mead – President, Business Operations and General Manager Adirondack Thunder & Cool Insuring Arena | Monica Kurzejeski – VP Property Management at Redburn Development | Ben Miller – Owner at Park Street Hospitality | Sam Parker – Capital Region Representative for Governor Hochul.

Panel Moderation will be handled by Judie Gilmore – Director of the Opalka Gallery at Russell Sage College

Event is open and FREE to the public. RSVP requested but not required.

TO RSVP CLICK HERE!

Special thanks to the Glens Falls Collaborative for helping to underwrite this event.

Finding the Formula : A Conversation with Chet Opalka

July 12, 2022 By Corey Aldrich

My first memory of engaging directly with Chet was at an Ellen Sinopoli Gala Event. That particular year it was located on the Russell Sage Campus in Troy at the Bush Memorial Hall. Making a bold play to be dapper I had chosen a bow tie, the kind you have to actually tie yourself. Having never done this and distracted by the event that I was in fact running that evening for Ellen, I had neglected to figure out just how to do that. Guests were arriving and my stress level was rising.

But then, flanked by his charming wife, I spotted a dapper man in a seer sucker blazer and perfectly appointed bow tie entering the room. Swallowing my pride I approached sheepishly asking for advice. With a flashed smile and a chuckle the kind gentleman put his arms around me and adeptly tied the perfect knot.

And this was how I came to meet regional benefactor Chet Opalka.

It was a warm and sunny afternoon when I joined Chet and Karen in the Japanese style garden at their home in Rensselear county. I was initially greeted by two playful pups that were demanding of a couple of pets on the head for the cost of admission. As conversations with Chet usually are, it meandered, jumping between past, present and future. A winding narrative that continued to hone in on a couple of overarching themes that helped to define in my mind the focus and direction that has been and continues to be a life philosophy, a guiding narrative for his philanthropic endeavors – open minded collaborative thinking, generosity, risk taking and a belief that people and their ideas and passions can create value in our regional community and far beyond.

Chet the man is curious, vivacious and at times renegade. A creatively improvisational soul that looks to find cohesive connectivity in all things around him. For the last 20 years he has found ways to do that by working through the passion and visions of others in the community. Whether it be in private business enterprise (Chet was an early investor in Starfire Systems and Plug Power) or mission oriented arts and cultural organizations. A true angel investor, his philosophy is to invest in many and see how they develop over time. Some will fail, its inevitable. Chet is ok with that. Not every business, organization or idea will be fully actionable or sustainable. His interest is in the giving someone a chance to realize their dreams, to pursue their passion.

“We try to support as much as possible. Small (such as the Sand Lake Center for the Arts) and large (SPAC) because they all add quality of life to the community. We support as many as we can, the best we can. I subscribe to the idea that…what good is leaving a part of your estate to an organization after your gone? Do you get any enjoyment out of that, do you get to see the value you created? You don’t even know if they are going to survive. I prefer to do it while I am living, to see what value has been created. You can leave money to your kids, we did set up trusts for them. They don’t need anymore money. I prefer to give money to organizations or companies, to give them a chance to grow. Give them the horsepower to be successful. Angel investment is a version of philanthropy, betting on companies not to make money but to help them to be successful. If I make money it gives me more money to give away. That’s the only reason for me. That’s why I want the market to do well, so I can make more money to give away. That doesn’t suck, right? Enough is enough, how much do you need to be happy? What else do I need? I can go anywhere I want to go, I can do anything I want to do. I have enough money. What more do I need? I actually prefer to cook at home. I could eat out every night, I could have a personal chef but what fun would that be?“

After two decades, the desire is still stronger than ever to have an impact. His desire for direct involvement though, is evolving.

“When being in the limelight was new, it was exciting. As time goes on though, now that Karen and I are 74 years old, it is not as exciting. I understand why folks I knew doing this 20 years ago dropped out of the limelight when they were hitting our age, it gets tiring.“

As such, Chet prefers to provide financial leverage and opportunity to those individuals and organizations he feels are worthy but has little interest in the day to day involvement that directs those funds. Preferring to give his beneficiaries free reign to leverage his financial support. We did talk a lot about financial sustainability and how we need to move forward in the creative / cultural sector in a post covid world.

“Organizations should be looking at all aspects of what they do and understand how they can be monetized, become financially self sustaining.” When pressed about how we can reconcile that approach specifically with a mission oriented organization he said, “With no financial sustainability, there is no accomplishment of mission.” This was particularly prescient to me as my prime motivation for leaving the Real Estate industry about 10 years ago was a motivation to address this very issue. I had seen through volunteerism that many organizations that I was working with were excellent at mission but had a very poor understanding of the financial or accounting side of the ‘business.’ As we moved along in that aspect we landed on an area that is increasingly near and dear to the mission of ACE! – education. Teaching our creative and mission based organizations how to be more financially savvy.

“They don’t think about it. So many of us are altruistic, people (artists / organizations) are like that with their art and mission. But everybody needs to understand finance. One of the weaknesses of our education system is that we don’t teach people practical things. The only thing we seem to teach kids in school is how to memorize stuff, which was always a problem for me because I am a hands on learner. I don’t have the attention span. That’s how I learned chemistry. By seeing what others did and going from there.”

This creative hands on approach turned out quite well for Chet when he was a young chemist at Sterling Drug where he gained his first patent for a drug that later became a foundation for a new series of drugs designed to address congestive heart failure. When at first he was left off the patent that was filed, his willingness to challenge a hierarchical system payed dividends. He went over his direct boss’ head to have the situation rectified. He had been assigned to work on a series of antibiotics. When he noticed an interesting structural formula that he felt may have different and beneficial characteristics, he set aside his own time to pursue it and created a tidy piece of intellectual property for his employer. To that end he said…

“What I did could be considered insubordination because I didn’t do what I was told but that’s the way my mind works.“

I was also really interested in Chet’s perspective on how we could get more successful regional individuals and institutions in the private sector to consider following a similar philanthropic path to create a new generation of support for arts and cultural in our region. Here he got a bit psychological.

“By exposing our biz leaders more to arts and culture. They tend to focus on their businesses, they are overachievers. They don’t spend as much leisure time enjoying arts and culture and the outdoors necessarily. The people that work for them do though.“

What attracts young creative talent to a region is more than just a paycheck. It has to do with the quality of life options, the placemaking advantages that a region has to offer. Again, the very areas of the creative economy that were identified in the Mt. Auburn Associates ‘CAPTIVATE‘ report commissioned by the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region and Center for Economic Growth for the stakeholders of ACE! close to its inception.

But then Chet drilled deeper…

“Our recruitment problem is that we have not made a name for ourselves as a cultural mecca of any kind. We are a secret externally and internally. To attract the kinds of young people who are in front edge creative careers we need to have a variety of things to do. What are they going to do when they are not working? Instead they go to NYC, Boston….In reality though, we are like the boroughs of Manhattan. Each community has its own character. What makes us different from Manhattan is that we look at ourselves as individual identities, we have not combined them. We are in fact neighborhoods – the Schenectady neighborhood, the Albany neighborhood, the Saratoga neighborhood.“

“We have a self esteem issue. There is no pride. We consider ourselves second hand citizens. Years ago in recruiting the big pitch was that we are 2.5 hours from NYC and 3 hours from Boston. It’s a Smallbany thing. We want to flip that script. Tell NYC folks that they are only 2.5 hours from Albany! Boston folks, 3 hours from Albany! I do love the Smallbany idea in that its easy to get to know people in our area. It’s about scale. It’s a benefit.“

Though I personally see some of that changing in the hearts and minds of young professionals in our area, this rang pretty true to me from an ACE! perspective. A few years ago, ACE! under the tenure of previous executive director Maureen Sager and in conjunction with several stakeholders including the Workforce Development Institute, held a series of round table discussions across the Capital District about how we could continue to attract bright creative individuals and companies to our region. This narrative is one that has been in the mouths and minds of many looking to create a destination space place for the Capital Region.

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, why don’t we understand that? Why are we so self centered and insecure that we can’t share with others for fear of them taking something from us? If it happens, so what? Personally, I don’t care if people use my ideas. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Who needs credit? I don’t care if I get credit for it or not. My ego is not so large as it needs credit for everything…unless its a patent!“

Chet and Karen Opalka | Image: Corey Aldrich

CAP NY ACTIVATE : 5 Family Owned & Operated Drive In Movie Theaters

July 12, 2022 By Nellie Ackerman-Vellano

Before there was cable TV and the internet (my own kids can’t imagine such a primitive time) families went out together to enjoy a movie in a car, packed full of kids. Sometimes the neighbor’s kids were mixed in the bunch too. I remember being about 8 years old, and walking to the drive-in movie concession stand with my dad, and the feeling I had when we all got to have our own brown paper lunch bags filled with buttered popcorn. We lived on a small income, and this was one of the few times when we didn’t have to share the one treat that might have been quickly bought on another type of outing. The small bag of popcorn was all mine! It was like we were on a vacation, and then my parents would even let us have candy after 8pm at night too. I remember seeing people of all ages enjoying the movies that we’d watch together as a family, under the stars.

This article is presented through a content collaboration with ACE and CapNY.
Visit us on Instagram at @upstatecreative and @gocapny

Hi Way Drive In Fence | Photo: Corey Aldrich

Kids today don’t like the things we liked back when we were kids right? I’m a parent that has these worried thoughts that many other parents have, and while I have really good kids… kids get bored easily. Would they be excited about sitting on a blanket or lawn chair outside watching the movie? Will my autistic middle child be able to sit through this movie with so many distractions and stimulation going on around him?

We packed the back of our suv with pillows & blankets, some lawn chairs, lots of hopefulness, and loaded ourselves inside and headed to the drive-in-movies for the first time with my children. We found the perfect spot, center of the field, not too close to the screen and not too far of a walk to the snack bar. We opened the back door, put some lawn chairs by our tail end, and set up the blankets and pillows too. It was now time to “officially” prepare for the movie. That means lots of snacks! We walked to the concession building before the movie started. There we rented a little portable radio that some drive-ins offer as an option to run your car radio on the vehicle’s battery, and it also can allow for the movie to be heard better outside of our vehicle while sitting in our lawn chairs.

Concession stand at Jericho Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

Next, we needed food and drinks. The menu options now offered in many snack bars at drive-in movie theaters, compare more to pub fare and the food is good. This is a huge life saver as a parent. I didn’t have to rush making dinner and feeding it to the kids before we left the house. We each ordered a main menu item, drinks, and of course you can’t not order freshly popped popcorn and candy to have during the movie. After our picnic style meal, we cleaned up a bit, and then sat back, ready to watch the movie. I will never forget how I immediately felt sharing this cherished childhood memory with my own kids, and watching them experience seeing the largest outdoor movie screen they’d ever seen for the very first time… together as a family, under the stars.

Drive-in movie theaters are almost always owned by a local family living in the very community their theater is in. They don’t make much money off of your movie ticket. The families sell snacks and other foods, and that’s what helps keep these classic old school drive-in movie theaters open and alive for all of us to enjoy still. Some have been here for over 70 years. The concession stands create jobs, and employee people all throughout the duration they are open. Jericho Drive-in for example currently employs over 45 people. Please be sure to visit and support the snack bars when you go to the drive-in movie theater. I know these local family owned businesses will greatly appreciate you for this.

Below are a list of 5 drive-in movie theaters including my two top picks. All mentioned are worth taking a little drive to while visiting each of the counties they are in.

Hollywood Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

HOLLYWOOD DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATER
Averill Park, New York

Open since 1952. Owned and operated by the Fisher family.

“In 1968 Frank took over the business from his father and still enjoys running it to this day .He has learned everything from the projectors to the concessions when he was just a teenager working with his father and through trial and error and have improved the theater tremendously from those early days.” their website stated. “The Hollywood Drive-In (TM) has been in business for 70 years and over the years has seen many changes. We have always maintained that having fun is what a drive-in is all about. We offer a neat and clean facility with a freshly mowed parking area. At the Hollywood Drive-In (TM) you will find a well trained staff ready to serve you with a relaxed atmosphere for you and your family to enjoy.“

They have also recently remodeled their concession building and have an expanded their menu to suit everyone’s palette. They offer fresh homemade pizza, which you can order by the slice or the whole pie. You can get cooked to order hamburgers, hot dogs and fries… and of course the old time favorite popcorn.

Their website mentions that the popcorn boxes are randomly stuffed with free passes into the drive-in.

Food Permit: We understand that people have food allergies or people prefer to bring food from home or elsewhere. However, outside food seriously hurts our ability to sustain our business. Admissions mostly belong to the studios. We have instituted a $5 food permit for those bringing in food. Deliveries to the theatre are strictly prohibited.

WEB: hollywooddrivein.com
ADMISSIONS: Adults $11 | Children 3-10 yrs old $6

Jericho Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

JERICHO DRIVE-IN & ICE CREAM SHOPPE Glenmont, New York

Open since 1957. Owned and operated by the Chenette family.

I was able to reach and speak with Lisa Chenette by phone, one of the owners of The Jericho Drive-in & Twist Ice Cream Shoppe. She shared with me their family’s story. Jericho Drive-in was purchased in 1995 by Mike Chennette, and has since had a stand alone ice cream shoppe built in 2007 that services both their drive-in movie guests and the general public. This well thought out stand has service windows on both sides of the building, that sits partly inside of the fence surrounding the drive-in, and accessible to non moviegoers who only want to enjoy a cold treat from the ice cream stand. Like their Sweetheart Sundae that tells the sweet story of how Mike’s mother always called his father, Sweetheart. This special sundae was added to their menu in memory of Mike’s father after he passed away, and is only offered around Valentine’s Day, when the ice cream shoppe officially reopens for the season.

Their concession stand was just remodeled and their menu includes Philly cheesesteaks on a toasted bun, and Chinese Egg Rolls made by the local Chinese in Restaurant in their town to support another local small business.

WEB: jerichodrive-in.com
ADMISSION: Adults $11 | Children 11 and under $6

Here are three more family owned and operated Drive-in movie theaters that I recommended visiting in these different counties here in Upstate New York.

Hi Way Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

HI-WAY DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATER
Coxsackie, New York

Located between Catskill and Coxsackie NY, Hi-Way Drive-In movie theater is referred to as the ‘Cinema Under The Stars.’ The Gate and the Snack Bar open 90 Minutes Before the 1st Movie starts.

WEB: hiwaydrivein.com
ADMISSION : $11 for ages 12 and up, and $6 for ages 3 – 11
(children under 3 years of age are admitted free)

Malta Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

MALTA DRIVE IN THEATER
Malta, New York

Open since 1949!

This is the Drive-in movie theater that created my own family’s very first drive-in movie memories. I can still remember when my 12yr old son asked for the first time if he could walk his little brother to the concession stand, by himself, and how as a child he felt like this was a move towards growing up. I watched them walk towards the snack bar, holding hands, and walk into the building. I watched and waited for my two boys to walk out of the snack bar and proudly bring back food and drinks for their other brother and their mom. I must say, I love the burgers here. Make sure you grab one from their snack bar when you visit them.

This two screen drive-in theater is family owned and operated by Ed & Tom Caro. “Many of our staff have been working here for years“, Ed shared. Ed & Tom Caro are both very active in the drive-in theater and both of their children have worked at the drive-in in the past too. Ed & Tom have worked towards not only making their drive-in theater a place where families can come to and make memories… they have also encouraged their staff to be a part of their drive-in family too. In fact, Ed shared that “We have a father & daughter, a mother & son, two sisters, and three cousins that all work for us“. This small locally owned family business, welcomes locals and visitors from outside of Saratoga County to come and feel like part of the Caro family too.

The Caro family added the second movie screen in 2008, and with the new addition they also updated & expanded their restroom area as well.

Outside Food, Beverage, and / or Cooler Permit: $5.00 per car, per night

Movie sound is broadcast in stereo over FM radio and can be heard via your car radio or a portable radio that you bring. Additionally, boom boxes can be rented for $5 in the concession stand (limited availability) and we require surrender of your driver’s licence until return of the radio. They do not have any speakers on the posts.

WEB: maltadrivein.com
ADMISSION: Adults (Age 12 & Older): $11.00 | Children (Under 12): $6.00

Glen Drive In Theater | Image: Cinema Treasures

GLEN DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATER
Queensbury, New York

Open since 1958! Glen is open 7 nights a week during the season starting at 7:00 PM. Shows start at dusk.

WEB: glendriveintheater.com
ADMISSION: Tickets Adults $11.00 / Children $6.00 | CASH ONLY

Nellie Ackerman-Vellano is a freelance brand development professional, writer and photographer who writes for a variety of periodicals including 518 Profiles Magazine. | IG: @FeedMe518 | @BonVivantPhotographe

Putting the Economy in Creativity – A Conversation with Maureen Sager

June 6, 2022 By Corey Aldrich

I met Maureen while I was in Saratoga producing a sustainable fashion event in 2015. She took an interest in me and invited me out for drinks to talk about potential projects we could work on together. I will never forget how passionate she was about collaboration and the need for creatives to get proper compensation. We ended up working on a series of events together under the Saratoga Arts Fest summer program over the course of 3 years. Also at around that time she helped facilitate my connection with ACE! as the freelance creative representative in what was a group of who’s who of institutional arts in the Capital Region. This was back when it was a small gathering of folks meeting in a conference room at the Community Foundation of the Greater Capital Region. Since then, we have worked together on scores of events across the 8 counties of the Capital Region and helped create a connected community of talented creatives that I am proud to be a part of. While its bitter sweet to see Maureen move on to her next episode, I know that she will always be a quick text away and am excited to walk in her footsteps, continuing what we both believe is an important mission for all creative individuals and cultural and arts institutions in our region – the raising up of creative voices and providing opportunity for recognition, compensation and the strengthening of our most valuable regional asset, our creative class.

2016 WMHT Creative Networking Kickoff Event | Troy NY | Photo: Richard Lovrich

You came into this affiliation with a strong experiential background, can you share a little bit about your previous professional gigs?

Sure! I feel really lucky to have had a career in the entertainment industry. I went to film school at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, and worked at film companies like PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, where we released a slew of great indies like Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Usual Suspects. Then I fell in love with dotcom, and ended up at Nickelodeon during the wild, early days of the internet. It was super fun.

2018 Art OMI | Ghent, NY | Photo: Kristin Halligan

Tell us a little about the genesis of ACE! and how and when you came to be involved.

Almost ten years ago, the Community Foundation of the Greater Capital Region, along with key players like the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) and others, commissioned a report that quantified the “creative economy” of the 8-county Capital Region. The results were amazing! This sector — which had never been measured or talked about before — was suddenly seen as an economic driver, generating over a billion dollars in revenue, and employing tens of thousands of people. Such a surprise for everyone involved.

A group of people — Ellen Sax of MVP Health Care, Robert Altman of WMHT, Tom Lloyd of Adirondack Studios, Jeff Mirel of The Rosenblum Companies, Philip Morris of Proctors and MANY, MANY others — started convening, trying to figure out how to make the creative economy known and recognized in economic and workforce development circles. We gathered a bit of money together to start the project, and see whether we could get creatives businesses and organizations from all eight counties to work together in developing ourselves as a business sector. And, voila! ACE! was born.

2018 EYP Architecture and Engineering | Albany, NY

2019 PS21 | Chatham, NY | Photo: Ed Sager

You have been a passionate and dedicated leader to the organization, what particularly called you to the mission of ACE! and why do you feel that is important for our region?

There are SO MANY talented people up here — as talented as any I met in NY and LA — and yet, there just aren’t enough jobs and opportunities for our artists and creatives. People here — and small orgs and businesses — have drive, skill and passion to spare, and yet, they’re barely getting by. I think that’s what connected all of us who have worked with ACE! over the years. We wanted recognition for what’s here, and who’s here. We’re SO DAMN AWESOME. So, we just started throwing events, to celebrate all of the amazing venues, locations, and people we’ve got in this region.

2021 HBO Gilded Age Event with Special Guest Bob Shaw | Troy, NY | Photo: Konrad Odhiambo

Corey, I remember when you and I drove down to Brooklyn to go to a Freelancers Union networking event about 8 years ago. It was so cool to see a bunch of self-employed people sharing their knowledge and completely supporting each other’s efforts. You and I thought, “Damn, we could do that.” So, we did! We busted our asses for years, with dozens and dozens of events, and people were so supportive of our efforts. People were — are — really hungry to connect and learn and collaborate.

2019 Pitney Meadows Community Farm | Saratoga Springs, NY

There have been many highlights over the last several years. Can you share what you feel or some of the most important accomplishments of ACE?

I guess the biggest accomplishment is that the term “creative economy” is officially recognized and respected throughout the region. That’s really what we set out to do — to make it easier for everyone to be seen as integral to the economy of the region. Creatives aren’t just eye candy. We’re MONEY. We give life to our cities and towns. And we deserve respect.

2018 National Museum of Dance | Saratoga Springs, NY | Photo: Ed Sager

Can you tell us about your latest decision to move on and what your current professional goals are?

Two years ago, I moved down to Catskill, a town I fell in love with while planning an ACE event six years ago. My life is centered down here now, and it’s too far south to cover the whole region. Plus, after these two years of COVID, I was ready for a change. I’m so damn glad that you (Corey) are here to take it over. We hatched this thing together, and it’s time for you to invent the next chapter. I’m so excited to see where it goes.

2019 Arts Letters and Numbers | Avril Park, NY

2019 Opalka Gallery | Albany, NY | Photo: Ed Sager

Is there anything specific you would like to share that you feel is important for our audience to consider?

The creative economy is a powerful change agent, but not all of the changes are good. Gentrification and skyrocketing rents are plaguing many of our cities and towns. It worries me, when creatives can no longer afford to live in the places they helped to flourish. I hope we can figure out ways to address this together, and if you have ideas, I’m all ears.

Maureen Sager is now the Director of Marketing and Communications at SUNY Columbia-Greene Community College and has a real estate side hustle based in Catskill, NY.

Editors Note: Ellen Sax was inaccurately identified as working for CDPHP. Ellen is actually employed by MVP Health Care. We apologize for the confusion.

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