ACE

The Museum Association of New York : The Tie That Binds – A Conversation with Erika Sanger

March 23, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

Please state your name, title and what it is you do for the organization.

My name is Erika Sanger and I am the Executive Director of the Museum Association of New York. In this role, I am the leading ambassador and advocate for museums and cultural institutions in New York State. I work with the board and staff to deepen connections with members and constituents; seek new opportunities for programs and funding; maintain, support, and develop relationships with members and stakeholders including museum professionals, industry partners, state and federal funding agencies, private foundations, local, regional, and federal government officials, and leaders of peer institutions and arts organizations. I was honored last year by the American Alliance of Museums with the 2022 Advocacy Leadership Award for my work on behalf of museums in New York and across the nation.

**The Museum Institute** at **Great Camp Sagamore** | Leadership Learning Retreat 2021 | Photo: Provided

Can you share a bit about your background?

I joined the Museum Association of New York in August of 2016 after serving twelve years as the Director of Education at the Albany Institute of History and Art. There, I provided vision for the development of programs for adults, children, schools, and families, focusing on object-based learning and digital initiatives. I led the institute’s “digital renaissance,” most notably with the launch of a new website and creation of interpretative strategies around hand-held digital devices and interactive media.

I gained my work experience and leadership skills through positions held at renowned arts and cultural institutions including the International Center of Photography, the Jewish Museum, the New-York Historical Society, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, NC. I also served as Director of Development at Penland School of Crafts in NC, where I was actively engaged in the region’s artist community and participated in the design and implementation of heritage tourism initiatives and campaigns for capital and endowment funds.

I’ve developed program assessments with Harvard University’s Project Zero, the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, and with the education department at the University at Albany. Programs produced under my direction have received funding from state and federal agencies, including the Humanities and Arts Councils of the states of New York and North Carolina, the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities.

I received a BFA from Clark University and an MA from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

MANY Annual Conference | Photo: Provided

Can you tell us what a typical ‘day in the life‘ for you is?

I frequently say that this job is like riding a roller coaster! We host an April annual conference, professional development programs are produced across the state all year, the legislative calendar of the state and federal governments dictates our advocacy work, and our virtual programs reached over 1,600 people in 48 US States and 8 other nations in 2022. On any given day I may work on a grant application, have a board committee meeting, advise a member on a project or program, and work with our accountant on the organization’s finances. In 2022, we adopted a new strategic plan, revised our by-laws and personnel policy, and changed the board of directors’ terms to align with the organization’s fiscal year.

**Jamie Jacobs** : **The Rock Foundation** | **Georgette Grier-Key** – *Executive Director and Curator* : **Eastville Community Historical Society** | **Didi Barrett** – *NYS Assembly Member* (D-106) | **Erika Sanger** – *Executive Director* : **Museum Association of NY** | **Chloe Hayward** – *Director of Education* : **Studio Museum in Harlem** Photo: Provided

Museum Association of New York Membership Map

Can you tell us a bit about the mission and focus of MANY? How many members do you have and what types of institutions / organizations are in the group?

The mission of the Museum Association of New York is to help shape a better future for museums and museum professionals by uplifting best practices and building organizational capacity through advocacy, training, and networking opportunities. We closed 2022 with 730 members, a 6% increase over 2021 and in the first quarter of 2023, have gained 25 more. The largest number of our members are in the Capital Region and New York City, but we have members located in every region of the state, from every discipline and every budget size from all volunteer organizations to museums with budgets that exceed $10 million. Our website has a great map with each organizational member identified and most people would recognize many of our members.

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom | August 28, 1963 by **Rowland Scherman**
Courtesy of **National Archives and Records Administration**

What is something you are currently working on that your excited about or that you feel we should know about?

As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we know that museums are searching for ways to engage their communities with connections to the history of our nation. They are seeking ways to tell multi-vocal stories of our past, to embrace all the people who live in their communities regardless of race, religion, or nation of origin.

The Museum Association of New York is New York’s representative to the Museums on Main Street program of the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service. In that capacity we are traveling their exhibition Voices and Votes: Democracy in America to twelve New York museums to help them prepare for the semi-quincentennial, aka America 250. This traveling exhibition includes historical and contemporary photographs; educational and archival video; engaging multimedia interactives, and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material.

Each museum will display the Smithsonian exhibition and produce a small exhibition drawn from their own collection that relates to their community’s role in the development and advancement of Democracy in America, explores a Voices and Votes theme, or tells the story of how people in their community created positive change for our nation. The local exhibitions may be installed in the museum, or in a community partner space like a library or school, or the Voices and Votes exhibition could be installed in a community partner space and the local exhibition in the museum. The application deadline is approaching and we know selecting the exhibition host sites will be a real challenge!

Additionally, The Museum Study Act passed the New York State legislature unanimously (minus one!) in 2022 with overwhelming support from several state agencies. The Governor’s veto noted that the legislature would need to appropriate funds for it to be signed. Actions to that end are already in motion.

EDITORS NOTE: Erika’s comments on The Museum Study Act

A.I. : What It Is and Why You Should Care | PART I OF III

March 21, 2023 By Taliesin Thomas

Powerful Artificial Intelligence engines like Chat GPT4 and Midjourney v5 are quickly moving into the mainstream. This 3-part series on the expanding prevalence of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) will consider the topic with respect to art and the creative economies in our region and beyond. In this opening segment, Taliesin Thomas PhD explores the basic definitions of A.I. and where the current conversation is moving.

Installation View of a **Daniel Arsham** Exhibition at the **Long Museum** in Shanghai, China | 2019
Photo Credit: **Taliesin Thomas**

The noticeable buzz surrounding Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) appears to be infiltrating nearly every category of contemporary culture, especially creative fields. What exactly is A.I. and how does it work? What are the implications of A.I. for art? Although art made with semi-autonomous machines has been around since the 1960s, we are in an entirely new era of technological realities. First let us consider the pairing of these two words: ‘artificial’ and ‘intelligence.’ These concepts inspire distinct questions surrounding A.I. and its rising significance in our increasingly interconnected society. The term ‘artificial’ presents a wary definition to start—synonyms include ‘bogus’, ‘counterfeit,’ ‘factitious,’ and ‘faked.’ This provokes a circumspect context from the outset of the conversation: can we trust this fabricated form of perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information? Second, the notion of ‘intelligence’ is arguably the basis of our entire civilization. We endure and increase our collective agency as a species thanks to our combined intelligence. Intelligence can be defined in various ways, including the capacity for understanding, self-awareness, reasoning, planning, critical thinking, and creativity. The power of our singular human experience is precisely our ability to cultivate intellect throughout our life journey.

Installation View of **Yayoi Kusama** “*Infinity Mirrors*” Installation at the **Hirshhorn Museum**, DC | 2022
Image credit: Taliesin Thomas

Thus, we proceed with a sense of discernment regarding A.I. as a ‘phony mind’ yet we must marvel at its swift development and implementation in various realms of society, notably commercial applications. A.I. systems function through a foundation of specific hardware and software tools that consume large quantities of organized data that—through processing techniques—produce specific algorithms or patterns. Those algorithms in turn provide computing devices with step-by-step instructions for how to complete a specific task and can be manipulated to ‘create’ or output in distinct ways. A.I. is now employed for a variety of purposes including expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition, and machine vision. The ride service Uber, for example, utilizes sophisticated A.I. machine learning algorithms to predict when people are likely to need rides in certain areas, which helps proactively get drivers on the road and to where they are needed most.

Screengrab of **The Andy Warhol Diaries** on **Netflix**

As a novel technology, A.I. is being progressively employed within the creative sector as well, often in fascinating ways. I anticipated the A.I. generated voice for Andy Warhol as encountered in the Andy Warhol Dairies would sound gimmicky and bizarre, however, I was delighted by the opposite effect. Not only does the Warhol’s voice sound incredibly accurate, but it also brings to life his articulate mind (and heart) in a beautiful and believable manner. We already know Warhol as an icon extraordinaire and enduring face of Pop Art, but this intimate series reveals Warhol the lover, and his words are pulled straight from his personal dairies and personified through A.I. technology. The result is a dreamy and eloquent Warhol voice, and it reduced me to bouts of sobbing throughout the series (the emotional quality is undeniable). The company Resemble AI crafted Warhol’s A.I. voice with just 3 minutes and 12 seconds of usable data in the form of existing audio recordings. The Andy Warhol Dairies is a marvelous example that demonstrates the success of A.I. as a tool that brings ever greater insight to the art of our times—and in the case of Warhol, a deceased artist who remains timeless.

The Author with a Painting of **Andy Warhol** at the **Warhol Museum** | 2016
Image credit: **Taliesin Thomas**

The pressing question in all of this seems to be: how does A.I. impact our concept of intelligence and creativity and our ‘ownership’ of that very intelligence and creativity? In other words, to restate a familiar concern about the expanding role of technology and the human mind in all its formats since the first publication of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein (1818) and the dawn of the computing age: can machines ‘think’ for us? In the meantime, critics such as New York based arts, culture and technology writer Mike Pepi propose: “These so-called ‘creative’ machines are limited in that they can only ever remix existing media and data, they cannot truly create anything new. This is the province of human ingenuity alone.” Artists, fear not! These fictitious A.I. minds are mere derivative producing hacks! In any case, the fundamental thing to understand about A.I. is that it is as a unique form of simulated intelligence by way of computer systems that aim to assist humans achieve in increased capacities. Here one must acknowledge that notions of ‘human’ increasingly point toward the ‘posthuman’ in our hyper-stimulated digital era. A recent article at The Verge highlights the issues around copyright laws and exposes the ruffle between Getty Images and A.I. generated visions of humans that are downright freakish. Indeed, these are dense conceptual paradigms transforming our planet in real-time.

Screengrab of a Recent article concerning A.I. and **Getty Images** Published on The Verge | 2022

Nevertheless, A.I. is here to stay, so we must embrace it as part of the evolving global reality of today. We also recognize, however, an underlying apprehension for creatives, since corporate driven A.I image generators pose a threat to their livelihood. According to a recent article published by Artnews, the latest advancements in machine-learning programs have transformed A.I. into an impressive creative tool that seems capable of outpacing—and underpricing—human artists, sparking a real concern in diverse creative circles. Anxieties surrounding A.I. and art are highest among graphic artists and commercial illustrators, whose very livelihood is based on their ability to design artistic content specific to a clients’ vision. Another Artnews piece also warns that A.I. systems ‘learn’ by sifting through numerous man-made images that are often scraped from online sources by tech companies and often without the consent of their authors. As stated by writer Taylor Dafoe: “A.I. advocates argue that this practice is protected by fair use laws; artists have said it violates their copyrights.” How will A.I.’s artistic capabilities intimidate even more areas within the wider creative field?

Street Art in the **Chelsea** Neighborhood in New York City | 2022
Image Credit: **Taliesin Thomas**

I agree with sceptics who suggest that the vast realm of art practices and material embodiments of aesthetic culture will not be undermined by the new A.I. landscape. And I agree with critical thinkers such as Mathew Dryhurst who states: “I do not believe that artists are in too much danger of being replaced by A.I. Artistic practices are so much more complex than a style that can be mimicked. What we value of art is more social than we often acknowledge.” Other cultural commentators such as Martin Herbert get to the heart of the matter from a meta perspective. In his recent article “I’m an Art Critic. Will AI Steal My Job?” he states the obvious regarding the entire A.I. project: “At the base of this inhuman ‘creativity’, of course, is human labour.” He also makes an important point about the ‘real’ value of art as a matter of ‘real’ lives lived: “The contemporary art scene seems, almost nostalgically, tied to people: artists, as fronting personalities and aspiration models, seem as important as the art.” Undoubtedly it is the corporeal, messy, compelling narratives of artists and their art—the true blood and guts of a creative life—that give art its enduring allure. Thus, we can welcome A.I. onto the scene as fellow ‘counterfeit’ creative as we remain rooted in a pulsating world of manifestation that comes into being precisely through authentic being.

In the next installment (II of III), we will hear from regional professionals who amplify our perspective on A.I. and its significance in arts fields especially.

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 and the collection manager of Art Issue Editions—two private art collections based in New York 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 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.

518 Film Network : Connecting the Dots for Regional Film Producers

February 20, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

I originally met some of the members who later would form 518 Film through ACE! events and socially in downtown Troy New York. They registered strongly on my radar as an organizational force to be reckoned with last year when ACE! partnered up to amplify ‘The Monkey Short Film Fundraising Gala‘ in Albany New York. A collection of dedicated career film folks at a variety of levels in the film making ecosystem, 518 Film continues to be a part of a vibrant production feed that is increasingly making waves in the region and far beyond (in addition to throwing some great parties!). I caught up with Co-Founder and Community Engagement Director Michelle Polacinski to hear more about their vision and the big structural and programmatic expansion plans they have for the near future.

Michelle Polacinski, Community Manager and Cofounder at 518 Film Network | Photo: Richard Lovrich

Please state your name, title, company name and what you do.

My name is Michelle Polacinski (she/her). I am the Community Manager and Co-Founder at 518 Film Network. I’m also a freelance director, producer, and production manager. I’m currently co-producing the visual effects for an upcoming Superbowl commercial. I have worked on titles including John Wick 4, A Man Called Otto, Resurrection, The Witcher, Modern Marvels, Shark Tank, and Food Network Star. I graduated from both Binghamton University and FAMU International (Prague, Czechia) with degrees in Cinematography and Producing.

Micah Khan and Michelle Polacinski, Founders at 518 Film Network | Photo: Patrick J. Harris

How long has 518 FILM been in existence? Can you explain the structure of your business and what the organization’s aims and goals are?

518 Film Network was co-founded by local writer/film director Micah Khan and myself in 2019 after a handful of frustrating conversations about not being able to find local crew for our own productions. We wanted to meet more people in the area and we knew that they existed, so we started a database of 10 people we both knew, asking each of them to share anyone they knew and, like filmmaking itself, we grew by word of mouth and referrals. Since, we have hosted numerous creative networking events and as a collective were the catalyst for multiple local filmmakers to come together and make films. We have an active private online community with a job board and various subgroups such as ‘mastermind’ and ‘actors anonymous.’ We grew from 10 people to nearly 200 in the past 2-3 years. Our most active members, including but not limited to, Patrick Regan, Lakota Ruby-Eck, Spencer Sherry, and Victoria Diana have helped take 518 Film Network to the next level by spreading the word, co-hosting events, and bringing folks together.

Micah Khan, Co-Founder at 518 Film Network | Photo: Provided

Currently, we operate as a corporation under my film production company, Strangest Sea Films, but we plan to become a non-profit corporation within the year. We are in the process of asking for help in learning how to form a 501(c)3 that matches our goals.

As a group, we aim to connect local filmmakers to help them grow and create projects together, while bringing jobs from incoming film productions into the hands of local people. When productions hire locally, it benefits the local economy and also helps productions save money by not needing to pay for hotel rooms. We are currently in the process of expanding to provide education in the form of online courses and in-person workshops as well as partnering with local colleges to teach filmmaking courses. We plan to someday both receive and give grants to our local filmmakers so we can make more local films!

On Set for Filming The Rickety Man (Directed by Cameron Gallagher) | Photo: Ann Kielbasa

How are you different from other film organizations regionally?

We focus on building intimate connection between our members through collaboration and wildly creative networking events. It’s difficult to invite someone on something so intimate as a set, where anything can and will go wrong at any given moment, after talking with another filmmaker for 15 minutes and handed a business card. Our industry just doesn’t work that way. This is why we do things a bit differently.

We not only want local filmmakers to know each other, but also to help each other grow in a genuine way. We celebrate our local filmmakers by amplifying their projects, hosting regular screenings, and never shying away from sharing fundraising efforts. This is full-blown support with no strings attached. We benefit as a community by lifting each other up, period.

On Set of the Monkey Short Film (Directed by Spencer Sherry) | Photo: Provided

Can you talk about some specific projects that you are especially proud of being involved with?

It’s really hard to come up with an answer to this question. Every film our members make feels like a community film. My personal favorites are collaborations between members that wouldn’t have happened without them meeting through us or films that give others opportunity to grow and learn in a new role. It’s always exciting to see friendships blossom and turn into working relationships.

In regards to how I am directly involved, I’m vfx producing two corporate (non-local) commercials right now, one of which is a Superbowl commercial which is definitely a milestone for me. I am also producing Writer/Director/Comedian Victoria Diana‘s upcoming short film, ‘Second Coming.’ Second Coming is a raunchy twist on a Christmas film that is also one of the best scripts I have ever read. I cried laughing reading it and I can’t wait to bring it to life. We are hoping for a release close to the 2023 holiday season.

Michelle Directing a Scene | Photo: Provided

Anything coming up that we should know about or that your group is excited about?

There are truly too many amazing upcoming films right now. I hate not mentioning every incredible local film we have coming up, but there is no way I’d be able to fit all of them! Here are a few:

Writer/Director Joe Gietl recently worked with Producer Cameron S Mitchell to create the pilot for ‘The Fledgling Series‘, which is especially cool because not only was it shot in our region, but it stars ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s‘ Juliet Landau as well as an incredible local actress, Anastasia Veronica Lee. Lee was such a joy to have on set and it’s really exciting that she is so close that we can bring her on other independent projects in the future.

Micah Khan recently directed his first big budget feature film, ‘Zombie Wedding‘, with Weekly World News and a handful of big names.

I’m also excited about Ember Autumn Skye‘s recent short, ‘You’re So Shy,’ a human rights-centered film, which stars her own sister, Sage, and was an incredible collaboration with local Director of Photography Lakota Ruby-Eck.

‘Insurance’, by Writer / Director Steve Rock, is currently in production, a collaboration between his production company Abomination Films and Lakota Ruby-Eck’s production company, Tomb Pictures.

‘The Monkey‘ a Stephen King short written / directed by Spencer Sherry and shot by local Emmy award winning Director of Photography Jim Powers, should be out soon. That is still in post-production. Spencer is also producing ‘Anomaly‘, a magic film written/directed by Ryan Jenkins.

Also Dirty Sweater Productions (owned by amazing married filmmaker couple Charity Buckbee and Kyle Kleege) is working on editing their first feature film, ‘Earworm.’

AND Casting : Lining Up Extras for Commercial and Film Based Projects

February 20, 2023 By Corey Aldrich

A hard working and industrious professional who seemingly makes extras appear out of thin air, Annie’s company AND Casting is the go to for background casting for feature films and commercials in the Upstate New York region. I first met her when I was producing regional fashion shows in Saratoga with one of my side projects Electric City Couture. Her ability to materialize the correct number of models on site was borderline magical…all while keeping a smile on her face and a laser focus on maintaining order. (120 runway slots for our last large show) Recently, Annie got me up to speed on her latest projects and the continued growth and opportunity she is seeing for a broad variety of folks in the regional television and film industry.

Annie Delano Behind the Scenes at Electric City Couture | Photo: Richard Lovrich

Please state your name, title, company name and what you do. What’s a typical day look like for you.

My name is Annie Delano, Owner of AND Casting. I am a Casting Director for background extras and smaller (single line) parts for feature films and lots of commercials! There is no typical day, but most days consist of answering hundreds of emails, talking to and connecting with people from all walks of life, and managing many moving parts, often times on multiple projects. There are some days on sets, but usually I’m at my desk answering emails.

On Set with AND Casting | Photo: Provided

How long have you been doing this and how did you get into this profession?

AND Casting has been existence since 2018, but I have been a freelancer in the production world for over 10 years, casting and producing commercials. I have always been a freelancer and did not set out to work on films. My motto, “Never say no to an opportunity (with-in reason!)”, combine with the all important need for work, lead to background casting for a film. As it turns out, I was pretty good at the tremendously tedious job of background casting. The first film lead to 20 more films and the creation of AND Casting.

Annie Delano Suited Up on a Commercial Shoot | Photo: Provided

Can you talk a little bit about the business? What types of projects are you casting? Is there a lot of work? What type of companies or productions do you work with?

There are really two worlds when you work as a Casting Director. The feature film world and commercial world, while both types of production, are entirely different animals. I learned this very quickly on my first film. I don’t know many people working in both areas and it’s challenging at times. You really have to be a super connector who stays engaged with people both on the production side and talent side. I’m constantly thinking about who I know for specific roles as they come up. This job requires extreme organization and attention to every small detail.

As a freelancer, the workload ebbs and flows. Sometimes a week or two goes by and the phone doesn’t ring, but then in one week you get 4 major jobs. I am grateful to cast talent for both the commercial and the film world, because together they create plenty of work to keep the company going. Projects come from production companies, ad agencies and film producers/film production companies. They are very diverse, which is great – I could be casting high school students for classroom scenes one day, and casino commercials the next. Anything that needs casting, I’ve got it covered. I’d get bored if I always cast the same type of jobs!

On Set for a Shoot with AND Casting | Photo: Provided

Tell us about the folks your casting. I have seen some of your ‘CALL’ posts…they can be all over the board and very specific.

This is my favorite part of the job, the people! I think a lot of people have “be in a movie” on their bucket list or vision board and with background casting, I’m able to make a lot of dreams come true. When I get an email from someone about their positive experience being on set as an extra, it makes the long hours and hard work worth it. Every single person qualifies to be a background extra. The whole point is to make things as realistic as possible and that takes all kinds of real, regular people. No special training is required, you just need to be able to follow directions and have a solid 12 hours free to be on set. You may not get a role right away, there are different looks/parameters for specific scenes, but in general, no one should be discouraged from wanting to be an extra. On the flip side, commercials are more competitive and depending on the role, require acting ability, which comes through practice, training and experience. Reading directions is key. When you see a post, read the description carefully and follow all the directions if you want to submit for a role!

Behind the Scenes : On Set with AND Casting | Photo: Provided

Anything coming up we should know about or that your especially excited about?

Life in general is exciting, there’s never a dull moment. I’m working on some very fun projects that can’t be discussed. This is hard for me because I like to talk, so I have to stop talking (or writing) while I’m ahead 🙂

Annie Delano – Owner and Founder at AND Casting | Photo: Provided

SAVE THE DATE: Film Industry Networking Event! 03/11/23

February 11, 2023 By upstatecreative

Join us as ACE! partners up with Saratoga Arts for a film industry networking event! Meet other folks in the industry, make connections, and preview trailers for recent productions created in our very own Upstate New York’s Capital District. We will have folks in house speaking to film funding and promotion. A not to be missed event if you are in the industry or are looking to connect.

Additionally, hear more about SA’s plans to help support a vibrant creative space with upcoming plans for audio and video production assets and education as they retool the space to address creative community and job market needs.

Saturday, March 11, 2023 from 2:30 to 5:00 PM
Saratoga Arts | 320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

We will be offering a couple of breakout mini sessions that will be available to all attendees at the event.

3:30 : Festival Distribution Strategies for Film : With Writer / Director and DP Cameron Mitchell

4:00 : Lights, Camera, Extra! : AND Casting founder Annie Delano : Tips on how to get cast in films and commercials.

More to come with a list of project partners and previews in the February newsletter, until then mark your calendar and RSVP for this FREE event! Currently we have tabling commitments from 518 Film Network, WMHT Studios and TvFILM, NY Writers Institute, Film Albany and the Adirondack Film Commission.

Special thanks to the 518 FILM NETWORK for assisting with the logistics and outreach. Honorable mention to Paul Grondahl, Debbie Goedeke and Catherine Rafferty for jumping in the fray! Beverages by Druthers Brewing Company.