Albany

FREE TICKETS to the Grammy Nominated Danish String Quartet!*

January 19, 2023 By upstatecreative

The Danish String Quartet | Photo: Provided

This month we are partnering with the Friends of Chamber Music of Troy to make available a block of tickets to a rare Capital Region performance by the Grammy nominated Danish String Quartet. Availability is first come first serve and limited so jump on this ASAP if your interested. There is a two tickets per person limit.

* Ok, its not totally FREE, the ticket processor has a mandatory fee of $ .70, so you will be set back $1.40 for two tickets. Original ticket cost is $35 per ($70 for two) so, its as close to FREE as we could get! To get the discount, click the link below and when procuring the tickets Enter Discount Code: ACE – That will recalculate the cost. Reserved tickets will be a the Will Call window.

TO SECURE YOUR TICKET NOW CLICK HERE

With arrangements of Nordic folk music and a sound described as “capable of intense blend” and “extreme dynamic variation” (Gramophone), the Danish String Quartet (Frederik Øland – violin, Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen – violin, Asbjørn Nørgaard – viola, and Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin – cello) comes to Albany with stylistic diversity and admiration for creative interpretations of classical music.

“This is one of the best quartets before the public today.”
Robert BatteyThe Washington Post

“They could be grounded in their tone or mystical. They allowed time to stand still, and they could assume the pose of excitingly aggressive rockers. They did it all.”
Mark Swed The Los Angeles Times

When: Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 3:00 PM

Location:
Page Hall | University at Albany | Campus 135 Western Avenue Albany, NY 12203

STUDENT ALERT: FREE Tickets to College Student’s with Valid ID

Community Based Design Aspirations : The Albany Riverfront Collaborative

December 20, 2022 By Corey Aldrich

I was approached about the ‘Albany Riverfront Collaborative‘ by an architect friend, Scott Townsend of SWBR. He reached out to me asking if I was aware of the project and wondering if ACE! would be interested in playing a role in the growing chorus of voices that have an interest in participatory collaboration on what is surely one of the most potentially impactful projects for the riverfront in downtown Albany in decades. As the project is entering an important community feedback phase in the following months, it felt right to amplify the exciting opportunity presented to stakeholders associated with the City of Albany riverfront. To get a little more insight I reached out to Jodi Smits Anderson (AIA, LEED-AP BD+C, Well-AP), a managing principle at Einhorn Yafee Prescott (Albany) who happens to be spending a lot of time engaging interested folks about a collaborative design process.

Jodi Smits Anderson – Member at Albany Riverfront Collaborative | Photo: Corey Aldrich

Can you tell me a bit about the project? What is it trying to accomplish and why now?

The core of the project is reimagining the City of Albany’s riverfront. Albany’s upstate sister cities, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, have all been implementing significant changes to their outdated urban highway structures. ARC (Albany Riverfront Collaborative) founders came together to 1) help people see that we can make powerful change to uplift our communities and improve access to the Hudson River, 2) build relationships to gain support for this change with regional leaders and elected officials, and 3) design aspirational goals that guide the current project and future work – doing so together, with no exceptions!

Albany Riverfront Current | Photo: Jonah Michel of @AroundAlbany

The best time to influence a project’s scope is prior to the actual design process, through discovery of what is possible. Once design is completed, the only tools available to inform the work tend to be confrontational ones: lawsuits, criticism, protest, etc. The consultants for the project are set to begin designing late winter/early spring of 2023, and collaborative feedback during the process is vital to achieving goals of equity and inclusion.

Three redesign concepts are currently on the table for I-787: 1) A highway cap consisting of parkland that connects the city to the river above the fast-moving traffic; 2) an urban canal system that brings the river into the city while restoring water-leveling locks, creating marinas, and generating local interest and tourism (similar to that of the Providence River Walk in Rhode Island); and 3) an appropriately scaled boulevard that balances pedestrian, transportation, commercial, and community needs.

It is likely that the best design incorporates elements of all three, for each idea builds on different perspectives and priorities, from water management and environmental health to recreation and economic development.

Albany Riverfront Current | Photo: Provided

I-787 Beltway on the Riverfront | Photo: Provided

From a historical perspective, what affect has the I-787 corridor had on the City of Albany, specifically the people who lived / live in the areas impacted?

It is amazing to me how projects have ripple effects over time and space. I-787 and the highway interchanges, along with the Empire State Plaza itself, initially took out 98 acres of locally owned businesses, homes, and community places. This gutted the city and created a physical gap. The intention was to provide faster circulation for cars, offices for government, and to create an impressive skyline. Over time, this gap, this slice through town, has forged disparities in the economic levels of impacted communities and created a downtown that is primarily for workers who don’t live here. In addition, all the communities of Albany are distanced from the Hudson River, with only three access points, none of which are vibrant or welcoming.

Can you share some current financial aspects of the project and also community based goals being discussed?

There was a 2018 study completed by DOT for the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) that clearly stated that creating a boulevard, located on either side of the railroad tracks, was a distinct possibility for further study and analysis. The budget this time is more than fifteen (15) times the funding for that study.

Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has $5 million dollars to reimagine the City of Albany’s riverfront to promote access to it while adapting to the Hudson’s current and future tidal rise, reconnecting neighborhoods, spurring economic activity, and creating opportunities for current and future residents.

Albany Riverfront Proposed Redesign Features | Photo: Provided

We’ve been hearing from communities including the Albany Downtown BID, South Albany, the Pastures, and North Albany among others. I, myself, live in Pine Hills and have worked downtown for 15 years, mostly biking and walking to and from the office. The visions of joy being shared through the work of the ARC center around access to Nature and removal of the great weight of concrete over people’s heads. There is a lot of concern over development and a way to do it without pricing our current residents out of the city. This is why local voices are vital. We also hear about slowing down traffic and increasing access points into the city. This last piece is particularly impactful because it can lead to economic growth – for all of the city. Studies show that this approach helps people spend more time and more money in cities, as they are more likely to be part of the community after work hours.

Can you tell us about the public and private stakeholders and cultural and community organizations who have signed on to help make this happen?

The list of stakeholders / partners is impressive. They include residents, neighborhood and community groups, for and not for profit organizations, businesses and government entities. The intent of the Albany Riverfront Collaborative has always been to be a connector. ARC’s goal is to facilitate a growing understanding for all the communities of Albany, including commuters and visitors. That we all have a right and a responsibility in the vision for the city. We want elementary school kids to write about the Hudson, and college students to do the carbon calculations on the plans. We want people to propose legislation to clean and heal the Hudson, and all the streams we have buried in Albany. We support Radix Center‘s urban gardens and the South End Butterfly Sanctuary pollinating them. Local artists and local advocates can agree about the need for a shared, co-created, inclusive, climate smart, and healthy future. CDTA and the local neighborhood associations can inform the plans, and you and I can love our city. That’s the potential we all can see and work for.

Where can folks go to get more information?

You can check out our website and follow us on social media. We are currently looking for more people with a vested interest in the long term development of the City of Albany to connect with the process so please, reach out if you have an interest!

WEB: albanyriverfrontcollaborative.com
IG / FB: @albanyriverfrontcollaborative

Opalka Gallery Pop Up Beer Garden and Neighborhood Block Party

September 13, 2022 By Corey Aldrich

Join us for the opening event of our 4th Annual 2022 Pop Up! Beer Garden and Neighborhood Block Party series at the Opalka Gallery in Albany, NY.

This series opener will feature the main reception for the 2022 SCREENPRINT BIENNIAL featuring a curator talk with Nathan Meltz & Josh MacPhee’s GRAPHIC LIBERATION installation. On the hops and barley front we welcome back our good friends at Druthers Brewing and series newbies Shmaltz Brewing.

For those who are hungry, we arguably have the best line-up to date with Meadowlark, La Capital Tacos and desserts by O’Malley’s Oven. The live stage will welcome back series favorites the Graham Tichy Trio and series newcomer Caity Gallagher.

All this and lawn games and great conversation. Bring the family and enjoy what is sure to be an amazing evening.

This is an ACE! (Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy) sponsored event and FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

SERIES CENTER : HISPANIC HERITAGE EVENT

There will be two more dates in the overall beer garden series on each of the following Fridays. The second event in the series will be a HISPANIC HERITAGE month celebration that will be on Friday the 23rd.

Back by popular demand, the second event of our 2022 Pop Up! Beer Garden and Neighborhood Block Party series will be a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The 2022 SCREENPRINT BIENNIAL & Josh MacPhee’s GRAPHIC LIBERATION will be on display in the gallery for review. Pop Up Brew vendors include the dynamic duo of Rare Form Brewing and Nine Pin Ciders.

Come hungry as we will have both Grammy’s Tamales, Oaxaquena Triqui and Mayan themed drinks and chocolate by Primo Botanica.

Finally, get you dancing shoes on for a return of DJ RVMBA and Joe Barna’s Latin Ensemble featuring Stacy Dillard.

All this and lawn games and great conversation. Bring the family and enjoy what is sure to be an amazing evening. Event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

SERIES CLOSING EVENT : A TROY NIGHT OUT

Series Closing Event | Troy Night Out at Sage Park

Our series closing event will be tied in solidarity for the first time ever to the Russell Sage College’s Troy Campus on Troy Night Out. And what a night it is! The ‘unofficial‘ event will be part of the city wide kick-off of the first year of Baccanalia, a SXSW style, distributed music festival.

Beer for the evening will be provided by Frog Alley and Fort Orange Brewing.

On the food front we will be featuring gourmet mac and cheese with the Mac Factor food truck and ice cream with Emac and Bolio’s.

Enchanted City Steampunk festival performers Frenchy and the Punk are back in town with an opening set by Jules Olson.

More to be announced…

All this and lawn games and great conversation. Bring the family and enjoy what is sure to be an amazing evening. Event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

A FREE shuttle will be available from Albany to Troy and back for the duration of the event that will leave from the OPALKA GALLERY parking lot at 140 News Scotland Avenue and return to it after the event.

Shuttle times to be announced.

A Day ‘AroundAlbany’

September 13, 2022 By Jonah Michel

Albany is the capital of New York State, and contrary to popular belief – it does NOT suck! Whether or not you’ve explored this city, you gotta keep reading on as I give you exactly what you need to know to have a solid day bopping around town. My hope is to give everyone the opportunity to experience the city and decide for yourself…whether or not it sucks.

PARKING

Parking can be a problem no matter what city you’re in, so to make this the most enjoyable trip possible, you should park along the Albany Riverfront at the Corning Preserve (plus it’s FREE!) and walk the newly opened Skyway towards downtown and Clinton Square. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes – you’ll be doing plenty of walking today.

Capital Walls Tour | Photo: Jonah Michel

DOWNTOWN

Stacks on Broadway is open 7am – 3pm every day of the week, so drop by for a coffee and enjoy the big bright windows that flood the space with natural light. While you’re waiting for your order be sure to grab a map of the Capital Walls Murals – this will come in handy later. You can grab a croissant or bagel from Stacks too, but it is also worth the walk around the block to Coulson’s News & Deli – they’ve been slinging Sammy’s for over 100 years.

Now that you’re full and fueled, you can scope out about a dozen Capital Wall’s downtown public art installations and murals curated by Tony Iadicicco of Albany Albany Center Gallery on your way up State Streets towards the NYS Capitol Building. Consider dropping over to the new Williams Street Pedestrian Walkway which reactivated a neglected alleyway that is sandwiched between two parking garages next to the MVP Arena. It’s a little out of the way, but it features a bright and colorful mural with ample seating – pro tip: walk to the top of the adjacent parking garage for a brilliant view of both the Walkway and Downtown Albany.

Williams Street Pedestrian Walkway | Photo: Jonah Michel

You can book a tour of the Capitol Building HERE – they even do tours during spooky season so be sure to bring a change of pants – kidding!! The tour is a quick 90 minutes, leaving plenty of time to flow through the Plaza Concourse where you can check out a vast corridor filled with a mid century art collection curated by Governor Nelson Rockefeller – love him or hate him, he did have excellent taste in modern art.

A View from the Corning Tower Observation Deck | Photo: iloveny.com

BIG VIEWS

The Corning Tower Observation Deck is accessible directly through the concourse – but make sure you have quarters on you for the binoculars at the top that give you views as south as the Catskills! Also accessible from the concourse is the New York State Museum which is open Tuesday through Sunday 9:30am – 5:00pm for you to explore some of New York State’s most significant natural and cultural diversity, both past and present. Admission to the museum is free, so spend as much or as little time browsing as you wish. You can pop up to the Plaza after – and if it’s Wednesday they have Farmers Market and food trucks for you to enjoy.

Farmers Market at the Plaza | Photo: Jonah Michel

LARK STREET

From there, head up Madison Ave towards Lark Street for some lunch and maybe a little shopping, too. Lark Street is its own little village and is considered the heart of the city by many featuring brilliant 19th and 20th century architecture, vibrant nightlife, and a wide variety of good eats. Grab a souvenir from Lark Street Mercantile or Elissa Halloran Designs, new shoes from Season’s Skateshop. On the food front I would recommend Rain Modern Chinese, Soho Pizza, or my personal favorite, Herbie’s Burgers. Grab a drink from the newly reopened Lark Tavern, Savoy Taproom, LoFi, OH Bar, Susie’s, or my all-time favorite Dive Bar: Palais Royale (Best enjoyed 12am and beyond). There are also a couple of great venues to grab a show in the neighborhood – Lark Hall and the Fuze Box – make sure to check out their websites for the schedule.

WASHINGTON PARK

Now that you got a little retail therapy out of your system, it’s time to take a stroll through the park. But not just any park – Washington Park. Inspired by 19th century architect Frederick Law Omstead who designed New York’s Central Park, Washington Park was named one of the nation’s 100 most important parks by the American Association of Architects. The park features 80 acres of greenspace with monuments, gardens, a pond, a skatepark, basketball and tennis courts, an outdoor concert venue, a dog park, and playgrounds scattered throughout.

By now, you’re probably wiped – and you earned it! You can snag a CDPHP Cycle so you can just cruise back down to the riverfront and call it a day.

Although we’ve only scratched the surface, if you follow these suggestions you will certainly leave Albany with a better understanding and appreciation for one of the oldest cities in New York State. A day like this may leave you wanting more, so I might just have to pop back on here and map out your next trip to Albany. We can dig deeper, trust me. Although many call it ‘Smallbany’ I can assure you there is still so much more to discover.

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

CAP NY ACTIVATE! : 3 ARTS AND CULTURAL FESTIVALS FOR FAMILY FUN

August 3, 2022 By Nellie Ackerman-Vellano

Summer time for me as a child, meant practically living outdoors until school started. We played outside for hours with friends, our parents took us on picnics and hikes… but our favorite was going to festivals. As an adult, I love festivals even more than I did as a child, and my own children love exploring craft and vendor tables for unique handmade treasures or collectables. We plan meal times around visiting the various food vendors at each unique arts or cultural event.

I love handmade crafts and eclectic art, and finding things to bring home and display. More than one or many times actually, I’ve also been known to “accidentally” forget to bring a bag or tote of my own and of course I must buy a new tote, purse or reusable bag to hold all my festival finds in. My family thinks I do it on purpose, because I have a reusable bag obsession… and maybe, they are on to me. LOL!

Here are a few wonderful Arts and Cultural Festivals located in the Capital Region that are worth putting on your calendar and planning to bring your family to and spend the day at.

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

THE ALBANY LATIN FESTIVAL
August 27th | 11:00 to 6:00

Founded in the early 90’s by Vichente Alfonso, Pedro Diaz, and Carlos Maldonado…. these three visionaries saw the need to “create an event in the Capital Region that would honor the cultural diversity of hispanic performers.” Pedro stated when he shared the groups motivation for this event when I interviewed him on the phone.

This festival has grown into a full day event. It is a “family-oriented festival with musical performances highlighting the diversity of Hispanic musical genres; a wide array of food, arts and crafts vendors; children’s amusements; and community, government, and business information booths.“

There will be great live music, delicious food for sale, and lots of local vendors to support.

“As a cultural event, LATINFEST celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Hispanic cultural heritage and acknowledges the contributions made by Hispanic Americans on local, state, national, and international levels.. It has established a hallmark, traditional cultural event for a burgeoning portion of the local community that is currently underserved and underrepresented, as well as for the larger Albany community.“

This event has been significantly supported by the City of Albany NY as an important part of the cultural landscape and recognized in the past at the Albany NY Bicentennial Celebration.

The Albany Latin Festival Association (ALFA) has offered Latin Festival every year for over 20 years now. ALFA is a non-profit organization that raises funds for this entire event, through donations and sponsorships. The organization’s mission is to promote and develop Hispanic cultural events in the Capital Region of the State of New York, for the purpose of acknowledging the contributions of Hispanic performing artists and promoting an appreciation for multi-cultural diversity.

This event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more info check out the EVENT PAGE

The festival is staged in Albany’s Washington Park at the end of August each year from 11am to 6pm.

EDITORS NOTE: They do have room for more local Craft Vendors. The application is on their website.

Saratoga Arts : Art in the Park | Photo: Provided

ART IN THE PARK
Saturday, September 17th | 10:00 to 4:00

“The Saratoga Arts Festival is an extension of the Saratoga Arts Center mission, to make the arts accessible to all. The festival is held outside in a communal location and is accessible to someone who may not wander into the gallery. It’s held outside and it’s beautiful. It features so many local artists and brings fine art outside into the community” Olivia Walton, Membership and Development Coordinator, shared with me in a phone interview.

This festival is going to offer a day full of outdoor art exhibits, artist vendors, wonderful local craft vendor tables, kids zone, a community booth in Saratoga Springs’ beautiful and historic Congress Park in Downtown Saratoga. Curated and presented by Saratoga Arts in partnership with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Art in the Park will feature a variety of art and crafted work from local and national artists. The event will also feature live music, artist demos, and MORE!

This event is FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
For more info visit the EVENT PAGE

Olivia also shared that the Arts Center also offers week-long summer camps, theater arts classes & various workshops for youth that make it worth traveling to Saratoga County with your children.

Did you know that the Saratoga Arts Center also offers grants or artists? They reported that 39 grants totaling $123,010 have been awarded to support community-based arts events taking place in 2020. Saratoga Arts has awarded over $1,536,000 in grants since these programs began!

Their Grants Coordinator, Mae Hailu, commented: “Since the 1990s, Saratoga Arts has been pursuing the mission of making the arts accessible to all through our regrants program funded by the New York State Council of the Arts, which has provided millions of dollars worth of funding for community arts projects and arts educational programs, as well as directly funding the work of individual artists. The effects of these works have been felt by people from ages 5-99 throughout Saratoga, Fulton, and Montgomery counties.“

Mabee Farm Arts and Crafts Festival | Photo: Provided

MABEE FARM ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL
Saturday, August 27th | 10:00 to 3:00

The Mabee Farms Arts & Crafts Festival is a wonderful event coordinated and run by the Schenectady Historic Society.

“We’re bringing together the very best of the Capital Region’s handcrafted goods! Join us as 85+ artists and crafters spread out over the Mabee Farm grounds with their eclectic, beautifully handcrafted items. All items are handmade here in our region, and include jewelry, home decor, fine art, ceramics, artisan foods and wines, soaps, candles, woodworking, and more! Featuring live music!”

I spoke on the phone with Mike Diana, of the Schenectady Historical Society, and shared with me that the event also will Blacksmith and Carpentry demonstrations during the day. “This is a very juried festival” Mike said when we chatted about the different local vendors that would be at this specific event. Mike also wanted everyone to know that there will still be tours available of the House during the festival as well.

This is truly going to be a wonderful event to bring your entire family to, and worth traveling to Schenectady County.

A VIRTUAL MAP of Mabee Farm is available online.

ADMISSION: is $10 / parked car
For more information check out the FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE
This event is a fundraiser for the Mabee Farm, a not-for-profit organization.

Mabee Farm Historic Site
The oldest farm in the Mohawk Valley (1705), Mabee Farm Historic Site offers visitors today vibrant educational and recreational opportunities. With its deep history and riverside beauty, it’s the perfect place to explore the Mohawk Valley.
Walk across weathered pine floors in the home of 18th century settlers. Say hello to our resident farm animals. Ogle the hand-pegged Dutch Barn (1760s) or just meander through our orchards, gardens, and forest trails. Tied to the dock or parked behind the Dutch Barn sit our reproduction 18th century bateaux, giving visitors an idea of how goods were shipped up and down the river when Schenectady was America’s frontier.

Mabee Farm is also home year-round to interactive exhibitions, lecture series, workshops, and school programs plus extensive historical collections.