ACE

Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

Greene County

#CapRegionRoadTrip to Catskill: Photo Highlights

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We had a great time visiting Catskill for our #CapRegionRoadTrip. We started the day with a guided tour of Main Street, visiting Hi Lo, Factory & Main, Solo Vino, The Rodney Shop,  The Village Common,  and more.

Next, we headed to The Avalon Lounge for food, drinks, and music by DJ Tall Ass Matt and an art installation by Nervous System.

There were amazing vendors on-site as well including FishEye Brooklyn, Karen LeBlanc of Miss Karret,  and Subversive Malting & Brewing.

A very special thanks to the sponsors and partners who helped to make this happen-MVP Health Care, The Community Loan Fund, The Rodney Shop, Sam Margoulius, Josh Krushenick and promotional partners Overit Media, CREATE and The Collaborative. Produced by: 2440 Design Studio. Photography by Ska City Photography.

10+ things to do in Catskill with Lumberyard’s Niva Dorell

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Niva Dorell, Catskill resident and Box Office and Marketing Manager for Lumberyard Center for Film and Performing Arts recommends her favorite things to do around the village.

If you have a day to spend in the wonderful Village of Catskill, here are some recommendations for how to spend your time:

1. Start off by grabbing a coffee and pastry at HiLo on Main Street. Be sure to check out the art in the gallery and the faces of the people around you. Chances are you’ll see one or two of them later in the day.

2. Take your coffee to go and check out the beautiful pocket parks on Main Street, or walk down to the Creek and take in the views. There’s a nice walking path along Water Street that loops across the red bridge, to West Main Street, to the Uncle Sam bridge and back up to Main Street.
3. Now that your blood is moving and you’re caffeinated, it’s time to do some shopping. Catskill has lots of fun quirky stores! A few musts: Magpie Bookshop, wonderful used books at low cost and Kristi, the owner, knows Catskill very well; Solo Vino for a bottle of delicious organic wine; Sister Salvage for some irreverent vintage; Spike’s Record Rack for some classic vinyl to add to your collection; and a homemade scented candle at Village Common. And that’s just one side of Main Street. Definitely browse the other side too.
4. Have kids? Stop by The Rodney Shop, Shoofly and Kirwan’s Game Store, an epic game store and guaranteed hit with your X-box loving teens.
5. For a mid-day snack, grab some Jane’s Ice Cream at Bittersweet, a fresh smoothie at The Juice Branch on West Bridge Street, or a yummy sandwich at Winkles on West Bridge Street or Circle W on Main Street.
6. If you have time for entertainment and more art, take a tour of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site on Spring Street, see the current exhibition at CREATE (our regional Arts Council), catch a matinee movie at The Community Theater, or an evening performance at Bridge Street Theater or LUMBERYARD on Water Street.
7. When you’re ready to sit down and relax, walk up to Subversive Malting & Brewing for a beer and sit in the comfy couches that face Main Street. If the kids get antsy, you can grab a slice of pizza next door at Village Pizza II and bring it back into Subversive. Another great beer spot is Crossroads Brewery Tap Room on Water Street.
8. At dinner time, some good choices are La Conca D’oro (a few doors up from Subversive) for Italian, Avalon Lounge for Korean (the wings are to die for), Mediterranean Bistro for falafels and hummus, Wasana for Thai, New York Restaurant for Polish/American. There’s also Radici on Water Street for Italian but hit the ATM first because they’re cash only.
9. If you want some live music, head back to Avalon Lounge to check out a great band, and dance the night away with the DJ that follows.
10.  End your night with a nightcap where you started, at HiLo. Their cocktail selections will make you smile and send you home feeling warm. Plus, by now you’ve met half the Village, so you’ll see some familiar faces.

Creative Economy Mixer Photo Highlights: PS21

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Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy our Creative Economy Mixer at PS21. We had a great time learning more about the facility, having a tour, and enjoying beverages from Hudson Chatham Winery, and Chatham Brewing. Special thanks to our event sponsors Columbia Economic Development Corporation, MVP Health Care, and Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region and promotional partner CREATE (Council for Resources to Enrich the Arts, Technology and Education).

 

We’ll see you at the next event!

“Lessons from Austin” Moderators’ Notes

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Thank you to everyone that took time out of their busy schedules to join us for ACE’s First Cultural Tourism Summit: Lessons From Austin with Meredith Powell of  Public City. We hope it was as enlightening and engaging for you as it was for us. We are grateful to have had Meredith Powell share her knowledge with us and impart some important lessons that we can use as we continue our mission of shining a bright light on the powerful and thriving Creative Economy of the Capital Region. We also want to thank you for sharing your thoughts with us in our breakout groups. Here’s what we heard:

Your opinions are important to us and we take what you tell us seriously. You can review the photo highlights of the event here.

Culinary Arts Program Prepares Youth For Success

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The Culinary Arts program at Questar III follows the ProStart curriculum developed by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, which gives students the opportunity to learn about the art of cooking and managing restaurants by training with professional chefs and getting classroom instruction, while also earning college credit and making money while they’re in high school.

TV culture of celebrity chefs and cooking-related programming has awakened a surge of interest in culinary arts, but one of the more recent popular concepts around food has been sustainability and farm-to-table restaurants. Questar has a Farm-to-Table unit in the Culinary arts program that teams up with Sylvia Center at Katchkie Farm, where students visit the farm, learn about food deserts, and source local produce to create dishes on-site. This experience further solidifies a hands- on learning experience while teaching strong lessons in sourcing and sustainability that will shape how these student think about the food industry and quality ingredients.

Culinary Instructor Peter Desmond says, “Some of our students would not normally get the opportunity to do this without the program. K farm has been very generous in collaborating with us on this program and it really helps students to learn about healthy foods, how they are grown, and more.”

Although most Questar III students continue their studies at organizations like SCCC (please give full names here) or CIA, some students have received scholarships to Johnson & Whales University, or end up going directly into the workforce to use their skills in job throughout the region.

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