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CAPNY Creatives

Creating Upstate : 5 Questions for 5 Capital Region Creatives

November 15, 2022 By Jonah Michel

I asked the same five questions to five different creatives in an attempt to understand exactly why they’ve decided to plant a flag in the Capital Region’s Creative Economy. We tapped in with Screen Printers, Pizza Makers, Brand Developers and Social Media Entrepreneurs. Each person brings in their own unique ingredient helping us to write the recipe that will continue to feed the souls of folks around the Capital Region and beyond.

Lets meet the team…


Joe Bonilla – Managing Partner, Senior Media Director, and Co-Founder at Relentless Awareness
Photo: Facebook

Drew : 5ifth Place – Screen Printer

Drew is the Founder of the local clothing brand ‘Fifth Place’ an Albany based lifestyle brand. Drew is also host of his own podcast and is a regular personality on Two Buttons Deep.

Cristian Virgiglio : Sovrana Pizza – Creative Director

Cristian Virgiglio was born into Albany’s pizza culture and 20-something years later has taken the scene by storm. As Creative Director, Cristian collaborates with local artists and artisans whether it be on merch, new menu items, or pop-up pizza events.

Salah Harris : Career InTouch – Founder, Executive Director

Salah was born and raised in Albany’s South End neighborhood and is currently in his Senior year at the University of Albany. He founded “Career InTouch” and currently serves as a Youth Program Facilitator at The RED Bookshelf. Salah has previously Interned at the Albany Mayor’s Office of Equity & Community Engagement as well as at the Office of Senator Schumer.

Joe Bonilla : Relentless Awareness – Managing Partner, Senior Media Director, and Co-Founder

Joe is the managing partner, senior media director, and co-founder of Relentless. Bonilla was also a regular panelist of WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s nationally-syndicated and award-winning news and discussion program The Roundtable, co-host of CivMix’s The Mix podcast with former journalist Liz Benjamin, and presently is a recurring guest on the Two Button’s Deep Podcast : ‘Behind The Buttons’

Isabella Marchese : Marchese – Entrepreneur and Content Creator

Isabella is currently enrolled in Harvard Business School Online, pursuing a certification in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. While in college, Isabella worked in the U.S. House of Representatives and The Senate. After that, she decided to try her hand in media and worked at a campaign firm and SiriusXM. Now, you can find her co-working at different coffee shops around the Capital Region.


PRO-TIP: Keep your eyes peeled for relevant hyperlinks scattered throughout.


Salah Harris – Founder, Executive Director at Career InTouch | Photo: Eddie Quinn

What is something you’ve discovered within the Capital Region’s Creative Economy that you may not find anywhere else?

Drew: Affordable Rent with places next to me within walking distance.

Cristian: People tend to call Albany, Smallbany, and that’s exactly what I think makes the Capital Region so special. Being in Albany gives a sense of one giant family, the community itself is so supportive. My family’s pizzeria, Sovranas, has been open since 1985, and without the community I don’t know where we’d be. (Sovranas was featured on TMZ in 2015)

Salah: One of the most unique aspects of our creative economy here in the Capital Region is our ability to cultivate with local resources and uplift as well as collaborate with local organizations. I can recall working with a local school on a fall harvest event and Nine Pin provided (youth appropriate!) ciders. As an Albany native, and fan of the brand you have to admire the sense of community and effort from local businesses.

Joe: The sense of true and authentic collaboration between those in the creative economy.

Isabella: There is so much opportunity here! This creator space in Albany is itching for more people to join!

Isabella Marchese – Entrepreneur and Content Creator at Marchese | Photo: Provided

What is a piece of advice you would give a fellow creator who is considering planting their flag in the Capital Region?

Drew: It’s on you to make what’s best out of any area. Ask yourself ‘Why am I moving?‘ and ‘Does this place suit me?’ Then hit me up when you get here – @5ifthplace. I’ll show you around 🏆

AUTHORS NOTE: Listen to Drew’s latest podcast episode where he chops it up with $300 Million Dollar ex-marijuana kingpin turned Author, Eric Canori – the man who buried millions of dollars in the Adirondacks, and snag a copy of his recent memoir: Pressure.

Cristian: Believe in your idea and believe in Albany, I can’t tell you how many times I hear people say they don’t believe there’s value here, or that we’re in the shadows of bigger cities. It drives me crazy because if you just look AroundAlbany, it’s full of variety in creators whether it’s food, music, art, or clothing. The Capital Region has such a personality and it continues to grow.

Salah: Endurance beats enthusiasm. Albany is a place that takes patience, you have to be willing to put in the long-term goals and planning. We have a diverse community of leaders and people, learning to resonate with their needs and how you fit with local partners will make you better off in understanding what you can create for the benefit of the Capital Region.

Joe: Get out there and meet people. We are all so interconnected and there is always an opportunity to collaborate and work on projects together. Don’t think of them as competition; think of them as project partners.

AUTHORS NOTE: Here’s a great example of what would be two competing parties, collaborating and involving others in the quest to address the Central Warehouse situation in Downtown Albany.

Isabella: This is the time because there’s still space! The small businesses here need you to help support and highlight them. Plus, we’re only two hours from Boston and NYC so if you ever need big city vibes, we’re pretty close.

AUTHORS NOTE: There are whispers that additional service between Albany and Boston may be coming our way. This would be huge – almost as good as high-speed rail!

Drew (right) – Screen Printer at 5ifth Place shakes it up with Stewart Shops’ President Gary Dake
Photo: Provided

Which Capital Region city do you think has the best opportunities for creators, and why?

Drew: Troy – They let graffiti live. Which allows people to see creativity outside. Instead of the daily mundane scenery.

Cristian: Albany for sure! The city is constantly evolving, it’s very welcoming to all demographics. Albany also has creators’ work showcased all over the city with murals, and the thriving Lark Street is mostly run with local creators’ businesses.

Salah: Again, as an Albany native and SUNY Albany student, I’ll have to go with Albany. We’re home to a rich history, diverse communities, amazing architecture, a strong City Hall and presence in government, and most importantly an abundance of opportunities for creators interested in expanding their network and growing within our city. (Not to mention we are the Capital!)

Joe: Albany for sure and overall. But I would say Cohoes and Rensselaer are great places due to the untapped potential in both of those cities. Nothing against the bigger cities in the region, but a small cities like those that have grit, determination, and history can make for a great canvas.

AUTHORS NOTE: Cohoes is making wise investments in their downtown – when was the last time you’ve checked out Remsen Street? That place is begging for street art – a canvas in more ways than one.

Isabella: Troy – I love Troy. It grows every single day and new small businesses are popping up all the time. There are so many creative people and spaces there.

Cristian Virgiglio – Creative Director at Sovrana Pizza | Photo: Provided

The Capital Region would be a better place for creators if…

Drew: Downtown Albany serviced people past 4pm.

Cristian: If we had a physical space to create. In many larger cities such a Philadelphia they have REC centers, which allows creators to have a space to do what they love. The REC centers are great for creators because it provides all the equipment you would need. Such as podcast space, lectures on the creator economy, and concert halls.

Salah: It continues what we have been doing as of late, creating spaces and being a hub for a talented and diverse generation of creators, leaders, and innovators moving the Capital Region in the right direction.

EDITORS NOTE: If you’re ever AroundTroy and want to work in a collaborative environment, or need a podcast studio, or just some wifi and several hours – hit up the Troy Innovation Garage. Thank me later!

Joe: We invested more in public art and things for young people to go into.

Isabella: If we had more access to get together and build a community with each other.

Sovrana’s Pizza and Deli in Albany, NY | Photo: Facebook

Where can people find your favorite slice of pizza in the Capital Region? 😀

AUTHORS NOTE: Troy Business Owner and Entrepreneur Vic Cristopher says something along the lines of: There’s no such thing as the best pizza, just your favorite pizza.

Drew: Sovranas 💎 Thank me later.

Crisitan: I’m a bit biased, but I’d have to say my family’s pizzeria, Sovranas! Other than the pizza being delicious, by just walking into the place you can really feel the charm of the business itself.

Salah: I’d have to say it’s between Pizza Bella in Westgate Plaza or Belt Line 3 near Center Square.

Joe: Donna’s Italian. The Broccoli Bob is too good.

Isabella: Bacchus Wood-Fired, always.


Jonah Michel can be found creatively connecting in the City of Albany. Additionally, he focuses on ‘stuff worth talking about’ around the Capital Region and beyond as a core member and producer for the media outlet Two Buttons Deep.

IG: @aroundalbany | @twobuttonsdeep

ACE Creative: Karina Wojnar

August 6, 2020 By Gabby Fisher

Some of you may recognize Karina Wojnar, as she is the Development & Membership Manager at Albany Center Gallery. In this position, she fills her time writing grants, planning programming, increasing community outreach efforts, and working with ACG members.

Karina at work, Albany Center Gallery

She wants our readers to know her as a daughter, a sister, and friend – someone who prioritizes amplifying the voices of the unheard in the CapNY community. ACE’s Gabby Fisher has been following her on Instagram for quite a while and reached out to feature her for this week’s ACE Creative feature because of her evolving style as an artist. She’s a creative millennial powerhouse.

Karina, where are you from?

Artwork by Karina

I am originally from Northern NJ, a small lake town called Ringwood. Currently I live in Albany! I went to Siena College and loved the area, so I decided to stay after graduation. Why? The people. The energy of the people. The architecture. The quirks. The random cobblestone streets and historical buildings. Running into people you know in cafes and farmer’s markets. The fact that there are people dedicated to community and positive change. How active people are in politics, human rights, and deeper conversations.

How did you get into the creative field?

Karina’s a yogi too!

I’m lucky. My parents value art as essential, so it was always my path to be in the creative field. I grew up dancing, participating in theater, writing, reading, and prioritizing art classes. I applied to colleges with the intention of getting a business degree with a focus in the arts. Throughout my time at Siena College, I fell in love with social justice and the overlap between humanity and art.

Human beings use art to emote, to share facts, to evoke, to connect with one another. I believe art to be how humans use their VOICE. Everyone has a voice and a different way of expressing it, whether through music, visual art, performance, writing, fashion, etc. We all deserve to be heard.

Painting

In a prior conversation between the two of us, you mentioned you feel like you haven’t necessarily found your creative “voice” yet. Can you talk a little bit about that? I feel that many people can relate.

I’m still experimenting. For the past couple years, I’ve been combining complementary colors and mixing embroidery into paintings. I’m still learning and figuring out technique. People say that once you can become decent at replicating a piece or style of yours over and over– you’ve found your voice.

I’ve been reading “Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic” by Lisa Congdon. It’s been encouraging and affirming to know that my voice matters and it’s all a part of the process. This journey; experimenting, actively listening to my fellow creatives, research…it will all shape my voice, my art, and my life.

ACG hosted a public art bike tour in downtown Albany

What is it like being part of an arts community in CapNY? What has it been like working with local creatives?

In one word…inspiring. Communication and dialogue with fellow creatives is so important. We inspire each other, help each other out, lift each other up. It’s been rewarding. Working with the local arts community is the reason I want to stay in the area.

If you could leave our readers with a word of advice or positivity, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to put yourself and your art out there. Your voice matters. Black Lives Matter. Black Art Matters.

Connect with Karina!
Facebook
Instagram
Email


Related Posts

  • Creating Upstate : 5 Questions for 5 Capital Region Creatives
  • ACE Creative: Karina Wojnar
  • CapNY Video: Four Questions with Artist Takeyce Walter

CapNY Video: Four Questions with Artist Takeyce Walter

July 28, 2020 By Maureen Sager

Fall Marsh, by Takeyce Walter

Landscape painter Takeyce Walter lives in Round Lake in Saratoga County, where she has an art studio in sight of the marsh and lake. But don’t let the timeless serenity of her landscapes fool you, because Takeyce knows how to hustle. First off, she is one of the region’s most successful painters and instructors. Second, she’s a mom to three children, with two young ones at home. Third, she works a full-time job as a video producer. Yes, you read that right.

ACE asked Takeyce about how she balances her work and art, whether she had black female artist role models, and more. Plus, watch her in action, as she creates a wonderful pastel landscape in the video, below.

Image courtesy North Country Public Radio.

Connect with Takeyce Walter:

Website: TakeyceArt.com

Instagram: @takeycewalter


Related Posts

  • Creating Upstate : 5 Questions for 5 Capital Region Creatives
  • ACE Creative: Karina Wojnar
  • CapNY Video: Four Questions with Artist Takeyce Walter

CapNY Creative Highlight: Steve Derrick

July 16, 2020 By wordpress

Healing: Portraits of the Pandemic

Weary, tired, brave, bruised, and raw, Steve Derrick’s paintings depict the spirit of healthcare heroes on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. Derrick has painted more than 70 portraits of doctors, nurses and other workers from the Cap Region to Italy, Spain, the UK, and cities across the globe.

A resident of Clifton Park and Director of Organizational Development at digital game giant Vicarious Visions, Derrick is an artist in many senses of the word. To escape the overwhelm of the pandemic, he engaged in painting. He says, “there was so much negativity on the news. This gave me something positive to think about while sitting in quarantine.”

We sat down with Derrick at Albany Center Gallery (ACG), where he exhibited his work in a show called “Healing: Portraits of the Pandemic…” Watch the video below!

Derrick began posting his paintings on social media and they received immediate attention. This was new territory for him; he usually doesn’t show his work. He credits ACE with being the first outlet to cover his paintings. His work inspired us to begin the ACE Creatives in Quarantine Gallery, which received coverage from the Times Union. This was just the beginning of the national attention Derrick has received.

Interview with CBS News, “On the Road with Steve Hartman”

KUTV 2 in Utah aired Derrick’s story a few weeks ago. On July 17th, he was featured on CBS News “On the Road with Steve Hartman.” Watch the video below!

After including their professionals in some paintings, Albany Medical Center acknowledged and thanked him in their weekly update, after he painted several of their staff.

On July 21st, Derrick was also featured in a CNN article, which can be read here!

You can view more of his work by visiting the gallery or by following him on Facebook or Instagram.


Related Posts

  • Creating Upstate : 5 Questions for 5 Capital Region Creatives
  • ACE Creative: Karina Wojnar
  • CapNY Video: Four Questions with Artist Takeyce Walter

CapNY Creative Highlight: Kulton The Maker

July 8, 2020 By wordpress

Kulton The Maker is a music star and entrepreneur on the rise in Hudson. His music pulls in elements from R&B, hip hop, pop, and other genres. His melodic vibes, rhythmic smoothness and thoughtful lyrics made us want to learn more about where he has been and where he is going…read on!

How did you become enthralled in the music scene?

Before I started making music, I founded 518 Films. I wanted to shoot music videos. Originally, I was an actor, a director, and was part of a lot of plays in musical theater and Shakespeare. I wanted roles where I could direct a narrative for People of Color but kept getting violent, villainous, and misogynistic roles.

After dropping out of Full Sail University, I bought a camera, started teaching myself film and began freelancing. After shooting some music videos, I got booked to film a music tour documentary for Lady Moon and the Eclipse (also from the Hudson area).

Did your work and experience with Lady Moon and the Eclipse inspire you to take the leap into making music?

I was riding in a van with some band members on tour and at the time, there was some music I had been working on. I hadn’t released it yet, but I played one of my songs for them, without telling them it was me, and they were like “wow, who is this?” They didn’t believe me when I told them it was me. After that, they offered me a job opening up for them, in addition to filming the documentary. We stopped in Jersey, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and New Orleans. I toured with them three times and also had the opportunity to shoot a music video with Young Paris, an artist who signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label.

Inspired by what I saw on tour, I thought to myself, “I can do this.” I started recording A Beautiful Something, which was in production over three years – that was the birth of Kulton The Maker. I’m currently working on a new project. I just released a single last week, “In The Mood,” you can listen to it here.

What challenges have you faced along your journey?

Systemic racism. I’ve been told that I’m not “good enough” because of the color of my skin. They told me I couldn’t do or be certain things. People called me white because I spoke properly. I haven’t let that narrative defeat me. I’ve made it my life’s work to combat that narrative and change the way people see themselves. If you listen for it, you’ll hear some of these thoughts in my music.

What piece of advice would you like to leave for aspiring musicians and entrepreneurs?

Never give up. Go beyond your limits. Take in as much valid and factual information as you can. Do the research. Self-study. I want people to wake up and realize they have value. We have to come together to make this planet sustainable and livable for ALL OF US, or it won’t work for any of us. I want to see the world change.

Hear more of his music:
“A Beautiful Something” Album: Spotify, Apple, YouTube
New Single, “In The Mood”: Spotify, Apple, Youtube

Connect with Kulton The Maker

Facebook or Instagram


Related Posts

  • Creating Upstate : 5 Questions for 5 Capital Region Creatives
  • ACE Creative: Karina Wojnar
  • CapNY Video: Four Questions with Artist Takeyce Walter
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