Schenectady County

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE FIRST 2022 ACE CREATIVE NETWORKING EVENT!

April 5, 2022 By upstatecreative

POST EVENT EDITORS NOTE: Thanks to all who attended. We had a great showing and a vibrant evening of networking, play and best practice sharing. So fun in fact we ran over until around 8:30! Make sure you on the newsletter for announcements of upcoming ACE! Creative Networking Events.

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We are excited to announce the first ACE Creative Networking Event of 2022 will be held at miSci in conjunction with the NEMA 2022 Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit.

DATE: Thursday, April 21 | 4:30-7:00

Regional food, drink, entertainment and some excellent networking are all in the works. Get your creativity on while exploring the DESIGN ZONE. Learn the secrets behind how video game developers, music producers, roller coaster designers, and other creative problem solvers do what they do.

Additionally, there will be a group discussion to discuss removing barriers to better foster a collaborative approach for engaging area artists and creatives in exhibition projects both conceptually, as well as in the design and fabrication process.

SPECIAL BONUS: miSci President, Gina C. Gould is planning on making a special announcement regarding a new national program that miSci will be instituting that will create commission opportunities for regional designers, makers and artists so make sure to be there for that!

Food by: TAKE 2 CAFE | Environmentally Conscious, Mission Driven and Plant Based Delights. Check out our recent review by food writer / critique Susie Davidson Powell.

Beverages by: RARE FORM BREWING and NINE PIN CIDERY

Entertainment: DJ Nate the Great! Bringing on that chill vibe we have come to respect and love.

Advance RSVP though not required is recommended and appreciated. As always, the event is FREE and open to the public.

NOTE: To RSVP select the NUMBER OF TICKETS (they are free) and then follow the simple registration prompts.

yES! pLEASE RSVP ME NOW!

Innovative Placemaking Puts miSci on the Cutting Edge

April 3, 2022 By Corey Aldrich

COREY: Please state your name, title and what you do at miSci. How long have you been here?

GINA: My name is Gina C. Gould and I have been the President of miSci for the past four years. Like most museum professionals, we all wear a lot of hats. In my role as president, I mainly focus on big picture things like the care and preservation of miSci’s invaluable archives and collections, ensuring we are creating cutting-edge, place-based educational programs for our audiences. Making new friends in and around the Capital Region.

Historic Archieve Images involving radio and the electric light. — Images from the miSci Archival Collection.

From Innovation to Inspiration

COREY: You oversee a collection that represents so much technological development for our country and the world in general. All this while being located in a city with an important provenance in the tapestry of innovation. How and what do you focus on in a typical day to push that forward? To create meaning from it…

GINA: miSci’s team spends all of its time developing exhibitions and programs that focus innovations. These areas include science, technology, engineering, art and math. We dabble in past, present and future. We want everyone, regardless of their age or interests, to understand and appreciate that these innovations are what change society and the world. For the good, bad and sometimes ugly. Their lives are surrounded, every second of every day by these innovations that dictate how we live our lives. By understanding these concepts, we hope to provide our youth inspiration. It is that inspiration that will help them to change our world. And for adults, we hope to provide them with enough information to be informed citizens of the world.

Archival images of an engine, florescent light bulb and an early x ray machine. — Images from the miSci Archival Collection

Opening Young Minds

COREY: The past establishes a foundation for the future. As such, where do you see yourself taking the organization to make it as impactful as the history it represents?

GINA: For a long time, miSci neglected what is in its basement. This is where there are some of the worlds “first” inventions of the 20^th Century that changed the world. Unlike other science museums that focus on natural history or early human innovation, miSci’s collections focus on a wide breadth of innovation from lighting the world to renewable energy that will save the world. The general concepts that each object miSci houses, from toasters to jet engines, can be brought down to the basics of such things as heat transfer or combustion. All of these phenomena are what children learn in school. Showing them “firsts,” such as the first toaster, or first dynamo, connects the past to the present and makes it real, tangible. It’s something they can touch if not something they have in their homes, albeit is a more modern form.

Images of an old clock, a young girl and a portable record player. — Images from the miSci Archival Collection

A STEAM Collective

COREY: How do you see miSci growing its value proposition to the City of Schenectady and why is this important?

GINA: With our growing partnership with Clarkson University, the City of Schenectady School District, the Schenectady Historical Society, and Union College, together we will become a STEAM learning and research center for people of all ages.

Image of Jay Street in Schenectady. — Jay Street, a revitalized part of downtown Schenectady.

Placemaking In Action

COREY: I am super excited that you will be hosting an onsite event in conjunction with the NEMA 2022 Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit this month that will be held in downtown Schenectady. Maybe we can bring in your partner Lorraine Cox (Co-Producer at NEMA 2022) on that to talk about how that production team came to partner up with miSci.

Lorraine: The summit is both a sharing of the rich creative placemaking activities happening in this region of the country, as well as a space to inspire and empower placemakers to build new and better partnerships, projects, programs and policies. That would include right here in Schenectady and the broader Capital Region. Creative Placemaking is a strategy that can support the goals of miSci making this a great opportunity to further discuss and flesh out what that might look like. Gina has taken her institution to a new level using these collaborative principles. We felt that miSci would be the perfect real world example of the power of this approach.

Photo of a group event crowd. — Photo: **Richard Lovrich**

See For Yourself

COREY: ACE is excited to play a part of what you have coming up later this month! Gina, I have to say, I have been wanting to do an event here for some time. Can you tell us a little more about what to expect from the Creative Networking Happy Hour event on the 21st?

GINA: Attendees will see how miSci is evolving to become not only a Regional Science Museum but also a community-based museum that specializes in place-based, immersive hands-on STEAM learning. Additionally, we are planning on making a special announcement regarding a new national program that miSci will be instituting that will create commission opportunities for regional designers, makers and artists so make sure to be there for that!

EDITORS NOTE:
We are excited to announce the first ACE Creative Networking Event of 2022 will be held at miSci in conjunction with the NEMA 2022 Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit. These events always well supported, advance RSVP is recommended and appreciated.

for more info or to RSVP NOW!

Rock Star Style with Hair Maven Molly Tremante

March 1, 2022 By Corey Aldrich

I met Molly several years ago after hearing continuously about her reputation as a hairstylist. At the time I was pretty involved in the upstate fashion scene through my sustainable fashion initiative Electric City Couture. Since then, I have had a number of projects that I was able to work with her on. One was a cool show called REIMAGINED at the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls New York where we did a promotional fashion shoot to support an Alphonse Mucha exhibition and a tableaux vivant fashion event in 2018.

Photo: Corey Aldrich

Molly Tremante is a hairstylist & business owner. Her shop, Fur Hairdressing is located in Schenectady, NY on Upper Union Street. Fur is a boutique collective of independent stylists who focus on advanced hair cutting and coloring techniques. They thrive on a passion for hairdressing and cultivating clients authentic true style. The inclusive philosophy: ‘Beauty is for everyone, and all humans are welcome at FUR.‘

As part of her overall passion and retro aesthetic, Molly sells vintage and pre-loved clothing in the shop as well.

Molly Cutting Hair. — Photo: Corey Aldrich

A CAREER IN HAIR

Molly has been working behind the chair professionally as a stylist for 18 years. She has been working in salons for 22 years. Growing up (when she was only 14!) she worked on Saturdays sweeping hair and taking out rollers for weekly wash and set clients. The salon owner at the time was a friend of the family. The opportunity to get a feel for the industry at such a young age got her excited. She knew immediately that this industry was the right career fit for her. Molly ended up going to beauty school at Capital Region BOCES while she was in high school. She started doing hair professionally the day after she graduated.

Molly Tremante Platform LIVE work. — Photo: Glow Optical Photography

When Molly started to find her groove in the industry, she realized that she wanted to focus on hair cutting, editorial styling and sharing her love for the craft. She became an educator for international brand Goldwell / KMS and was able to teach out of their academy’s in LA and NYC. This allowed her to teach classes and do hair shows all over the country. Working for Goldwell also opened doors of opportunity. Working fashion week, creating looks for editorial shoots, being published in and working with various platforms such as American Salon, Modern Salon & Hairbrained. At her peak, she was able to design a hairspray with the brands product development team in Germany. Molly eventually resigned. She was ready to focus on her own vision. To this day though, she continues educating and doing editorial shoots to get her ‘creative fix.’

Sample Cuts by Molly Tremante. — Some recent cuts by Molly.

THE VINTAGE BUSINESS

Molly also branched out into another passion, vintage clothing. A self described newbie to that biz, she is not a new to hoarding tangible pieces of history. She has been collecting vintage furniture, decor and clothing for years. Her mom and sister have always been pickers and trips to the local thrift store was a regular activity for them growing up. As such, she has had a passion for fashion & design as long as she can remember. She has always admired vintage sellers as well. Molly says she currently has way too much stuff, but has a hard time letting it go. So, when her friends put The Vintage Roundup together last summer (Albany’s Vintage & Antique Market) she had to give it a shot.

“I love participating in markets and helping someone find that one piece of clothing or trinket they’ve been yearning for. It is almost as satisfying as someone’s reaction after they get their dream haircut.”

Fur Vintage Clothing. — Part of the mini shop in her salon.

Molly looks to continue in her new entrepreneurial direction.

“I feel like I’ve found my place in the industry and really want to spill that into my shop. Bringing the local hair community together to celebrate inspiration and education is something I’d really like to focus on at my hair home.”

Molly is currently accepting new clients. Make sure to drop in to check out the cool collection of vintage clothes and shoes!

FUR Hairdressing and Vintage | 1702 Union Street | Schenectady, New York

CAP Region 5: Vegan / Vegetarian Spotlight

March 1, 2022 By Susie Powell

Susie Davidson Powell | Food Writer and Times Union Dining Critic
Special to the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

The plant-based food industry has boomed in recent years with myco-protein chik’n and beet burgers that bleed, branded with names like Beyond and Impossible suggesting we’re scaling new heights. The pandemic only sharpened growth with renewed interest in health conscious eating, efforts to reduce animal consumption (hello, meatless Mondays), and awareness of strained farm-to-table supply chains coupled with new direct-to-consumer options. Suddenly, plant-based options surged on mainstream restaurants’ simplified, post-pandemic menus and customers continue to feed the demand for meatless options when dining out.

Downstate, we’ve seen a Michelin star and James Beard award nominations for a vegan restaurant, chef and veg-driven hospitality group. Upstate, the Capital District is enjoying its own share of the action with more growth in the vegan/vegetarian dining scene in two years than the last ten. And they aren’t they aren’t doing it lightly. From the growing vegan list, we’ve picked five eateries putting flavor, fermentation and local farms at the forefront of their plant-based creations.

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

BAR VEGAN | Center Square | Albany

From Lark St. Poke to the Loft 205, sibling owners Will and Mary Phan have opened downtown spots that earn a loyal crowd. But after closing their popular college bar, LAX, during the pandemic, Will was inspired by vegan restaurant Avant Garden in Manhattan and reinvented the LAX space as a vegan restaurant, including an entirely vegan bar. Partnering with a local florist, the place has been beautifully transformed with shiny white subway tiles, leafy planters and trailing vines, and the menu offers shareable plates that won’t break the bank. From a kitchen carefully separated to avoid cross contamination with the Loft restaurant upstairs, try the sweet potato tempura sushi roll, edamame potstickers filled with a luxurious edamame puree (choose steamed or fried), stuffed avocado and bang bang cauliflower florets. All wines and spirits are vegan or organic.

Bar Vegan | 205 Lark Street | Albany NY | Phone: 518.818.0833

TAKE TWO CAFE | Schenectady

Take Two picks up where much missed Shades of Green on Lark Street left off years ago. Owner Chelsea Heilman has created a gorgeous garden-inspired oasis on Schenectady’s State Street where foot traffic is high and it’s hard to miss her hand-painted sidewalk tables. An avid traveler, Heilman serves a chickpea curry, inspired by one from Iceland, along with a replica avocado-pesto-feta-walnut toast and a tofu scramble breakfast burrito with chorizo, chile, and homefries both inspired by cafes in Melbourne, Australia, and Colorado.

Among the most labor intensive ingredients is Heilman’s faux lox salmon. Carrots are given a 32-hour bath in a seaweed, soy and caper brine for umami bite – perfect to pile on a bagel with vegan cream cheese. Stop by and join an all-day crowd pouring in for sandwiches and vegan pastries. Fix your coffee as you like: A counter refrigerator is jammed with all the plant milks from oat to almond.

Take Two Cafe | 433 State Street | Schenectady | Phone: 518.280.9670

Meadowlark @ Troy Beer Garden | Troy

As if this stylish, leafy, downtown cocktail bar could get any greener, Meadowlark Catering – from the team behind Wizard Burger (Albany), Burrito Burrito and Takk House (Troy) – has taken over the kitchen reins at Troy Beer Garden. Upping the spice stakes with Nashville Hot Cauliflower, their much loved sticky, battered General Tso’s cauli rivals the namesake original in chili-garlic sauce and white sesame seeds.

But this short menu is designed for sharing so order up Cajun-spiced loaded pub fries smothered in chickpea cheeze sauce, smokey sweet BBQ, and pickled jalapenos and try their seasonally evolving taco trio, mac-n-cheeze or chickpea “all flat” wings. Who cares if the wings look more like fat fingers than boneless chicken when it’s packed with 15 herbs and spices and drizzled in green goddess sauce. While you munch, sip a Fakin’ Bacon Manhattan made from Bulleit bourbon, maple, Antica amaro and capped with a fake bacon spear.

Troy Beer Garden | 2 King Street | Troy NY | Phone: 518.244.5215

WIZARD BURGER | Downtown Albany

It’s hard to overstate the craftiness behind the Wizard’s vegan creations. If you visit the Wiz on social media, you’ll find burger abominations flying off on intergalactic, space odysseys. Go in person and this purple-hued counter service spot has added a line up of boozy and non-alcoholic cocktails and an additional room in which to enjoy them surrounded with curios from plant terrariums to crystal balls.

Whether you go for lunch or happy hour, the team behind Wizard Burger has all their nighttime cravings on the menu. Get the Mumbo Jumbo – an Impossible burger topped with house chili, battered onion rings, tater tots and jalapeno-garlic crema – or a crispy chik’n Raptor, but don’t forget battered pickles on the side. Those with a sweet tooth might choose the Impossible Strawberry Snail with an Impossible patty and raspberry jelly on a glazed donut by tiny Strawberry Snail vegan bakery. Go ahead and sip zero-proof cocktails like the hibiscus-based Unbound, but keep in mind purple margaritas are 2-for-1 every Thursday.

Wizard Burger | 74 N. Pearl Street | Albany NY | Phone: 518.250.9440

THE JUICE BRANCH | Catskill & Hudson | Black-Owned Business

Painted all the colors of a tropical island, it’s no surprise George Salter’s juice bar is an uplifting place to hang out whether you visit his Warren Street, Hudson location for an antioxidant packed smoothie or hop the Hudson river to Catskill. In Catskill, you’ll find Salter whipping up his lunch du jour, teased a day ahead on social media. It might be crisply fried oyster mushroom sandwich or plant-based Smack-n’Cheez. Sink into a barrel chair in the window, dip into a book on juicing or the benefits of tea, and Salter will hand deliver plates. Pick from more than twenty-four smoothie combos, add boosts from ginger, elderberry or MCT shots. Munch on nutella and banana or avocado toast topped with hard-boiled egg, hemp and chia or fuel up with an acai or peanut butter banana bowl. (Note: Cash or Venmo only in Catskill)

Susie Davidson Powell | Food Writer and Times Union Dining Critic
Special to the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

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

Dishing Out the Deets with Susie Davidson Powell

January 27, 2022 By Corey Aldrich

Pretty sure I met Susie Davidson Powell while enjoying a glass of wine at The Confectionary in Troy a few years ago. Since then, I have had opportunity to hit the road with her and get a front row seat on what its like to enjoy the food life from the drivers seat…and also the passenger seat – in her Porche 911 Targa 4S. Yup, she rolls in style!

Many would think that you have a dream job! What is it exactly that you do and for how long have you been doing it?

I’ve been writing about food and drink in the Hudson Valley for close to a decade, first when I moved to Columbia County after living in the city, and then in the Capital Region. I’ve been the Times Union dining critic since 2014, so I write weekly restaurant reviews, critic’s notebook features, The Food Life (a trend-focused digital subscriber newsletter) and a monthly cocktail column. I also co-founded thefoodlife.co for Hearst and wrote and filmed Kitchen Raid, a 6-week armchair travel, cooking and recipe subscription focused on pro tips and kitchen ingredients to make fast plates and amazing cocktails. But it’s not as glamorous as people think…

How did you end up getting into this business? Was this part of your original career path or did you develop this over time?

Not at all! I grew up outside London, England, and was always traveling through Europe, later working in Poland and on a Greek Island. Throughout uni and grad school, I worked as a bartender and cocktail waitress, server and occasional kitchen help. This was a great eye opener in terms of the industry and chef and customer behavior.

I came to Albany, New York to attend grad school. I worked as a research program director and stayed in publishing/curricula development for several years. I’m so grateful for that experience. I’d be out on the road for weeks, eating my way from L.A. to El Paso or D.C. to Roswell, NM. A real culinary education. After moving with my family to Columbia County, NY, I wrote a weekly newspaper column about country life and started covering the growing farm-to-table scene around 2003 just as Swoon opened on Warren Street, Hudson, and not long after the 9/11 exodus Upstate. The rest is history.

What does your job look like on a daily basis? I mean, from a practical perspective beyond all the glamour parts! Ok, maybe some glamour stuff also…

I’m constantly tracking new openings, following chef moves between restaurants, and driving – anywhere from Hudson or Woodstock to the Adirondacks – in search of food. I visit new restaurants once or twice each week and circle back for breakfast, lunch or take out a few times a week. I spend a lot of time on background research too, reviewing current and past menus, and setting up interviews. All this before I get to write. One review with travel, eating, and writing time can take 10 to 15 hours. But I do get invited to talk about food-and-drink on radio and TV and I’m often sent wines and spirits to try. That’s the only glamour part!

I pivoted my coverage, writing about take out, drinks to-go, Black-owned eateries following the BLM protests, staff funds, and a series of behind-the-scenes Shutdown Dairies with restaurateurs and chefs. It felt important to show the struggle faced by industry people. Also, I rapidly compiled the first 50 restaurants that switched to take out in the initial lock down, which became the basis of a Times Union take out database. I’m proud of that.

I also ditched my anonymity and hosted online Food Life Lives, chatting with restaurateurs, sommeliers, farmers, even a DJ. We wanted to touch on what we were missing, what we could plate or pour at home, and how to recreate that feeling of being looked after that you have when you dine out. Before the pandemic, I used to host a lot of dinner parties and private wine or whiskey tasting events, so during the lock down I was asked to do a few via Zoom for the Times Union.

What are your goals for 2022? Anything additional that you would like to mention?

All the Covid delays have made me a little gun shy of setting timed goals but I have a drinks, dining and travel hospitality guide in the works called thedishing.com. You can sign up online for details about its launch!

EDITORS NOTE: Corey here, with a shameless plug. Susie with be bringing a non-alcoholic cocktail series to Arts Bar at the Arts Center of the Capital Region for the first quarter of 2022. The events, are held on Troy Night Out in downtown Troy on the 4^th Friday of each month. The first will be on 01.28 from 6:00 to 8:00 at 265 River Street Troy. Come join us for art and a variety of non- and-alcohol based cocktails!

IG: @artsbartroy