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Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

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1UpState GAME EXPO IS BACK FOR YEAR 2 with Expanded Programming and Participation

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Super excited to be helping to get the word out on this exciting and growing video gaming conference. Expo Founder Anthony Rossi reached out to ACE! and Discover Albany when 1UpState was just a long shot idea about a year in advance of the 2023 inaugural event. His passion was contagious and he was building excitement in small to mid-sized regional studios and regional educational institutions for his idea. Last year was a great success and the vibe was on point. This year is building on that progress with great vendors, presenters and a headline sponsorship from Warner Bros. Games. I spoke with Anthony and this years keynote speaker Jason Dela Rocca to get a better idea of what we can expect and how our region can better position itself in the gaming industry.

Jason Dela Rocca : Investor, Game Funding Advisor and Ecosystem Strategist / Event Keynote
Anthony Rossi : Co-Producer and Organizer at 1UpState | Photo(s): Provided

Can you both share / sketch out a bit about your background and how you came to be involved in the gaming industry?

ANTHONY: My current favorite joke is that “I have been playing Final Fantasy since before it had a number in the title!” So really, I grew up with gaming as a hobby and just simply never gave it up. After I graduated college, I started to dip into what would be known now as being a “Content Creator“, with my most endeavor being a podcaster under the title, “Videogame Crosstalk” where I would interview people who work in the tech or science industry or involved in the gaming community. As for the gaming industry in my current capacity, it really started when I posed the question to the community of the Tech Valley Game Space as to whether or not people would want to put together a larger local showcase event. Turns out one had been started, but never gained enough traction to be brought into being. They graciously invited me into the group to try to revive it, off we went! I currently work in Project Management as my day job, so for the entire process of organizing 1UpState my role is purely to be the organizer. This is what allowed me to view the endeavor as a whole, break down the aspects into manageable parts, and direct those who do have a deeper understanding in game development to guide decisions to better serve our audience.

JASON: I’ve been in the game industry for nearly 30 years! In the mid-90s there were no game schools or degrees, barely a book or two on making games, and the Internet barely existed. It always seemed like games were made by robots in Tokyo.

My education is a mix of business and tech, but I never really had the pure game making skills to actually make games. So, I have mostly worked in a supporting role, helping build community and support structures that enable game developers to succeed. I was the Executive Director of the IGDA (International Game Developers Association) for 9 years. I co-founded the first venture-backed game incubator in the world, called Execution Labs. We invested in 25 indie game studios and nurtured them to make awesome games. I also do a bunch of advisory/consulting work with governments around the world on how best to invest, grow and support their local game ecosystem.

All that said, I do have a few credits to my name. One of my first credits was a “Special Thanks” in the original Baldur’s Gate back in 1998!

Anthony, you have a pretty demanding day job, what made you decide to invest the time and effort to create 1UpState? I know it’s pretty time-consuming planning an event of this scale!

ANTHONY: I wanted it to be done RIGHT. When you go to enough of them, you begin to see the commonalities of their setup and design, and what does or does not work. As gaming has become more popular, I noticed organizers were still treated gaming as an activity for children while completely ignoring the fact that people are holding on to gaming as their personal downtime hobby later in life, and that games have matured into a full art form of their own.

As for the time aspect, the main thing to understand is that I am not organizing this by myself. I am working with a full team to help organize all of this! Internally, I have been working with Jamey Stevenson, Chris Spahn, and Lilly McAvoy. Additionally, I am working with Richard Lin of Agora Media, Dane Jennings for sponsorship solicitation, Andrew Bugenis for videography, and of course the amazing staff of the Albany Capital Center to manage all the other many, MANY details! And of course, the many volunteers to help work the event itself to make sure the exhibitors have what they need and that everything runs smoothly.

What would you say are some of the challenges to creating critical mass in a region that is trying to build a sustainable gaming economy?

JASON: One of the big challenges is properly supporting/nurturing entrepreneurship. Many regions are full of talented and passionate game makers, but they often remain on the sidelines, tinkering away as hobbyists or weekend warriors. That’s wonderful and great to see. But, how do you enable those folks (at least the ones that want to) make the leap to becoming professional game makers and earning a living?

This is compounded by the fact that most schools teaching games do not offer any business/marketing related courses, and generally try to funnel graduates to entry level jobs at big studios…. often out of state. So, when a region doesn’t have a large employer base, the schools are reinforcing brain drain rather than enabling entrepreneurship and pushing graduates to create new studios… effectively making their own jobs!

Last year seemed pretty successful for a 1st year initiative. I found the programming to be diverse and inclusive. How is this year shaping up? What can folks expect experientially if they attend the conference?

ANTHONY: 1UpState is a “bridge” between the consumer focused convention style event, such as the various Comic-Cons or Geek Fests, and the professional Conferences. This will be the key point to keep in mind as you plan your attendance to the event. After you pass by the registration tables, the main hall will be several rows of exhibitors. These exhibitors will be mainly small, local game developers, whether they are showcasing the game that they have built by themselves, with a small team, or they may be a student team from a local university. There will also be other supporting organizations that helped bring 1UpState into its current state, such as Tech Valley Game Space, Empire State Development, Retro Game Con, and others. And finally, since everyone enjoys them, there will be a few crafters putting up their gaming centric wares for sale.

As for panel discussions, there will be a variety of topics covered, and they will mostly be 30min micro-talks. Topics covered will be more developmental focused, intended for those between the beginner/student to intermediate level game developer. This way the topics are accessible to those who are interested in game development while still being interesting enough for those who have some experience on their resume. We also pay special attention to diversity and representation when accepting panel and speaker applications. We want to be sure that our selection of speakers and topics matches the representation of the gaming community, even if it means declining some pretty great sounding applications.

At the current time, we plan to have about 38 exhibitor tables and 9 panel sessions, including a Keynote speaker. There will also be concessions during the duration of the event and a “Quiet Room” where attendees can take a break from the lights and noises without having to leave the venue.

Anything you particularly excited about this year?

ANTHONY: Absolutely! Aside from some of the amazing speakers, we are also adding two very special items to the program! First, we will be having a small business workshop conducted by Destiny Watkins from the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region. The workshop will focus on understanding business finances and setting yourself up as a business entity. This will help those who are interested in starting their own game development studio or company to set themselves up for success from the beginning. The other item we have will be a separate play-testing area for board game developers. In the back of Meeting Room 2C, there will be a set of tables set up and managed by a local board gaming group, Spielbany. Here, attendees will be able to play board games that are currently being created and provide feedback to the designers themselves, in real time, as they play!

Jason, what recommendations would you make to folks like Anthony and the 1UpState team who are trying to build that synergy?

JASON: Keep pushing! Consistency is critical. Look for opportunities to always mix in business/marketing in the content. Game makers love to talk about their craft — and that’s important — but we need chances to feed them their business broccoli as well 😉 Further, case studies are always inspiring. Bringing in folks that have made that leap, to share their stories, to advise and inspire others. It becomes more relatable than just a grizzled veteran like me sharing wisdom.

Ultimately, it requires the 1UpState team to think deeply about what the local community needs to succeed, and then try to fill those gaps as much as possible.

Is there still time for folks to get involved? What is the best way for individuals to find out more about the schedule and programming?

ANTHONY: At this point, we are simply finalizing the last remaining bits and pieces of the event and sending info out to have our program designed and printed. All information is being added to our main webpage, 1upstate.com, which also includes links to all of our socials. We’ll be making announcements as things get finalized, so be on the lookout for those and more!

Eli Dvorkin ‘Sparks’ Justification for Investment in Upstate Arts and Culture

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I first heard about the Creative Spark report last year when I was asked to provide some feedback on the state of the creative economy as part of an outreach effort to collect feedback from arts and cultural folks across the region to include in the report. Once it was released I was excited to meet Eli Dvorkin from the Center for Urban Futures at a panel discussion sponsored by Creatives Rebuild NY at the Albany Institute of History and Art and subsequently at an industry presentation on specific stats from the Capital Region. I linked up with him for some feedback on those Capital Region numbers and got a hold of that days presentation to share.

Eli Dvorkin : Editorial and Policy Director at Center for an Urban Future | Photo Credit: Provided

Could you please state your name, title, organization and some background about your previous experience. Also, what drives you to do what you do?

My name is Eli Dvorkin and I’m the Editorial and Policy Director at the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), an independent, nonprofit policy research think tank focused on creating a stronger and more equitable economy across New York. I joined the organization as CUF’s first managing editor in 2016 and I’ve been leading CUF’s research and policy work since 2018. I’ve worked in between the arts and policy worlds for many years. I started out as an arts and culture journalist, organized two traveling art exhibitions across North America, worked as an early employee at Kickstarter, and co-founded Silent Barn, one of New York City’s longest-running and most prolific DIY venues. Prior to joining CUF, I was a staff editor at the Council on Foreign Relations, where I was almost certainly the only employee who came home from work, exchanged a suit for a ripped band t-shirt, and then headed out at 10pm to fix the broken toilet at a sold-out punk show. I’d say I’m driven by the goal of expanding access to opportunity for New Yorkers from under-resourced communities and helping to spark policy changes that make our cities more livable, vibrant, and equitable.

The Silent Barn | Event Circa 2014 | Photo Credit: Dylan Johnson (Facebook)
The Silent Barn | Event Circa 2014 | Photo Credit: Unknown (Facebook)

Earlier this year, I saw you at a presentation at the Albany Institute for History and Art where you were partnered up with Creative Rebuild New York for a panel discussion about the work they have been doing. Can you explain a bit about your synergistic connection in that project and about the UPSTATE’S CREATIVE SPARK report? Why do you think this report is so timely?

The Center for an Urban Future has a long track record of publishing deeply researched and highly readable reports that shine a light on the increasingly critical role that the arts and the broader creative sector in New York’s economy, create greater awareness of the steep challenges facing New York’s working artists, arts organizations, and creative entrepreneurs, and put forward concrete and achievable recommendations for policymakers to more effectively support and sustain a thriving arts and creative sector. Last year, with support from Rochester Area Community Foundation, we were able to publish a new report, ‘Upstate’s Creative Spark’, that provided a first-of-its-kind look at the growing role of the arts as a catalyst for more vibrant local economies across all of upstate New York. We then partnered with Creatives Rebuild New York for a policy forum in Albany that built on the key recommendation of the report: that New York State has a major, untapped opportunity to more fully integrate the arts into a statewide economic development strategy, one that invests in culture from the ground up and creates the conditions for local economies to thrive.

I’m really pleased and humbled that this work is having a significant impact: for instance, three new proposals drawn directly from our report were enacted as part of the FY 2025 state budget (creating the state’s first artist residency program in state agencies; expanding state support for public art projects, and directing the state’s tourism marketing agency to ramp up regional marketing support for artists and arts organizations.)

Source: Upstate’s Creative Spark – Arts Allies of the Capital Region | Courtesy Center for an Urban Future

The time is right for these ideas for several reasons. First, even as artists and arts organizations have been the decisive factor in turning around decades of population declines, revitalizing downtowns, and sparking new business formation in cities across the state, it’s striking that less than 5 percent of the state’s major economic development grants typically flow to arts- and culture-related projects. That needs to change. Second, while the state’s arts and culture sector has in many ways led New York’s broader recovery from the pandemic — rekindling tourism, bringing locals back into their downtowns, and fostering communal healing during a very traumatic period — the arts sector itself is still hurting. Presenting organizations are grappling with smaller audiences and higher costs. Traditional funding sources are stretched painfully thin. And as the work of Creatives Rebuild has shown, far too many artists — especially Black artists and other artists of color — are living in a state of financial precarity. The status quo is not sustainable.

The metrics for the Capital Region are so supportive of the value propositions and ROI for public arts investment, individual artist support and investment in the creative economy in general. Why do you think we struggle so much in Upstate to convince public figures and corporations of not only the need but also the outsized benefits that are realized with a more robust support of arts and cultural programming and infrastructure?

Increasingly, I do think more elected officials, economic developers, and business leaders are starting to get it, but a lot more work is needed. It starts with building a convincing case that the arts isn’t some sort of niche amenity, it’s the lifeblood of thriving local economies and the secret ingredient that enables cities of all sizes to flourish. As our report shows, employment in the arts and culture sector across upstate New York surged 35 percent from 2009 to 2019, nearly 10 times the overall rate of employment growth. Likewise, the number of working artists in upstate New York increased by 26.5 percent between 2011 and 2021 — at a time when the overall under-65 population declined. This creative spark is breathing new life into downtowns, leading to the creation of new restaurants, coffee shops, and other small businesses, and giving young people a reason to stay in their communities and put down roots. What local officials need to realize is that a thriving cultural sector creates the conditions necessary for all other economic activity to succeed. And that requires fresh thinking that prioritizes investments in equitable cultural infrastructure as part of an overall economic development strategy in upstate regions — just as officials would invest in any other essential infrastructure in order to spur job growth.

I know that in addition to population and job growth in the creative sectors, friction points were revealed in your research. What would you say are the biggest challenges that we face in continuing to build on the current momentum in the creative economy in the Capital Region? Any suggestions on where we should be focusing to help alleviate or improve those areas?

The most powerful economic advantage is attracting and retaining talented, creative, and entrepreneurial people — and people want to live in culturally vibrant communities. More than any economic development incentive or tax break, the key to strengthening the Capital Region’s economy lies in ensuring that people want to live, work, and play here. And nothing is more effective at achieving that then bolstering the arts and culture sector. The creative economy thrives in places with strong arts infrastructure — that’s where so many creatives get their inspiration. But there are some major challenges, too, especially as revenues and wages rise far more slowly than costs. The city of Albany and the eight counties in the Capital Region need to work together to direct economic development investments toward arts and culture projects. The region’s arts organizations can’t scrape by on state grant dollars and philanthropic support, and far too few small and mid-sized organizations have the capital or resources needed to level up. The Capital Region needs a regional economic development strategy that integrates the arts, culture, and creative entrepreneurship into every decision, tool, and funding opportunity.

To See the Full Upstate’s Creative Spark: How the Arts Is Catalyzing Economic Vitality Across Upstate New York

To See Upstate’s Creative Spark: Art’s Allies of the Capital Region (Capital Region Specific Presentation)

Joseph is Doling Out $510K in Statewide Community Regrant Funds : Find Out How to Get Yours

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ACE! connected with Joseph Mastroianni (Vice President of Programming / Statewide Community Regrants Coordinator) of the Arts Center of the Capital Region to find out more about the large pot of money that is being made available to artists and non profits in a two phase round of funding awards. Read on below to find out more about how to submit and qualify.

Joseph Mastroianni – VP of Programs / SCR Grants Coordinator | Photo: Provided

What is the Statewide Community Regrants program?

The Statewide Community Regrants program is an initiative of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and administered by local arts organizations in New York’s 62 counties.

“The SCR program, fosters the continuing development of arts and cultural resources in response to the needs of local communities in each of New York’s counties. The SCR program invests NYSCA funds to serve all communities and people who comprise New York’s citizens and visitors. SCR sites are a network of non-profit organizations that serve local and regional cultural organizations and artists through three categories of support: Community Arts, Arts Education, and Individual Artists.”

The Arts Center represents Albany, Schenectady, and Rensselaer Counties in the SCR program. In 2023, thanks to a generous one time increase in funding, we will award $510,000 in two rounds.

How much money is available this round?

In Round One, we will distribute $200,000. In Round Two, we will distribute $300,000. Additionally, $10,000 will be available for rolling mini-grants.

Who is eligible?

The SCR program has four categories: Community Arts, Arts Education, Individual Artists, and Pop Up Mini Grants.

In Community Arts, eligible applicants must be or be in partnership with a 501 ©3 nonprofit organization in Albany, Schenectady, or Rensselaer Counties. This category is for public art and fostering creative communities.

In Arts Education, eligible applicants must be either artists over age 18 and in partnership with a community organization, or community organizations. 501©3 status is not required in this category, but all proposed projects must have an educational component, whether in-school or after school.

In Individual Artists, eligible applicants must be artists 18 years of age or over and reside in Albany, Rensselaer, or Schenectady Counties. Projects should all be original work.

In Pop Up Mini Grants, eligible applicants are artists over age 18 or 501©3 organizations based in Albany, Schenectady, or Rensselaer Counties. Mini Grants are for small-scale projects and do not have to include an educational component.

Artists who work in any or all media are encouraged to apply; there is no priority.

Downtown Schenectady Improvement | Photo: Provided

What types of projects are prioritized in the funding?

All projects must have some type of community impact component and there are funding caps for each grant type.

In Community Arts, the maximum award is $5000. In Arts Education and Individual Artist, the cap is $2500. Artists may apply to all three categories if they are eligible; the maximum award any single artist or arts organization will receive is $5000.

Downtown Schenectady Improvement Mural | Photo: Provided

How do I learn more about applying?

We have grant seminars and office hours! At our virtual grant seminars, I’ll go over each type of grant available, so bring your creative ideas and ask questions! At the office hours, I’ll be able to answer very individualized questions about your projects and the application process. Remaining grant seminars are December 20, and January 5, all from 4-5 pm. They are free, but you do have to register to get the zoom link.

REGISTER HERE

Office Hours are Thursdays from 3-4 pm, starting January 12. Office hours may be over the phone, google meet, or email. No registration is required.

Electric City Arts – Jazz on Jay | Photo: Provided

Anything else we have missed we should know about?

Important dates!

ROUND ONE APPLICATION : Opens January 6 and closes March 1. Panel Review will be April 1, and awards will be announced on May 15. Projects must happen between June 1 and December 31 2023.

ROUND TWO APPLICATION : Opens on April 6 and closes on June 1. Panel Review will be July 6, and awards will be announced August 15. Projects must occur between September 1 and December 31 2023.



Building on Strength : A Conversation with Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins

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Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins | Photo: Hartman Photography

From your perspective, why are Creative Economy components (artisan restaurants, arts and cultural institutions, performance space, etc) so important to a vibrant city scape?

Over the last decade, even during the height of the pandemic, we experienced people moving to the region. As the pandemic has shown us, the Creative Economy is a powerful, sustaining force — especially in a city like Glens Falls. For instance, it’s a long proud fact that Glens Falls is the smallest city in the country with its own paid symphony orchestra. New resident to our city are here working in arts, business, restaurants, music, medicine, banking, and other fields that supported and increased the diversity and talent of Glens Falls.

The Creative Economy shows up throughout — our new Glens Falls Arts District, the popularity of the library, the new murals being planned for three city properties, the new restaurants and the longtime venues. That attention — and that energy — feeds the economy in a way that is measured more by feeling than by economic development — our economy is thriving.

Glens Falls Arts District Signage | Photo: Provided

What is your philosophy and approach to building on those market segments?

The City is building a $4 million events space as part of the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) — a critical piece of our continued growth. It will help to support already successful creative economy events like the LARAC Festival and other large entertainment opportunities. In fact, our vision is to be able to use the space to extend these activities throughout downtown locations — tying in many newly renovated gems to host festivals and large scale community wide events.

Our economic development and community development teams have grants and loans to support great ideas that become popular businesses, galleries or restaurants, like the Park Theater. And let’s not forget the innovative Shirt Factory on Lawrence Street — a haven for artists of all stripes. I believe that if we can continue to build the capacity for creative folks to live, work and play in the city (Including increased broadband access) our creative economy will continue to grow. And our city will continue to be a magnet for these magnificent people.

The Restored Park Theater | Photo: Sydney K. Andrew Photography

How much money from the DRI funding is being dedicated to creative / community building components?

The entire DRI project will inject $10 million into the South Street / Elm Street area — but that is just the state money. The new commercial use and housing projects, as well as the renovation of the three existing historic buildings, will invest more than $26 million cumulatively.

How does that benefit the creative economy? The overall project includes the Market Center, as noted above, which will host our weekly Farmer’s Market, music festivals and other outdoor events. The Center is tied to a planned community Commercial Kitchen for food demonstrations and exhibitions. The two other historic buildings will have restaurant / commercial space on the ground floors, and for the first time in decades will have living quarters above.

Add in more than 80 new apartments, all the commercial / studio space and the concentration of arts, music, food and people … and we definitely expect that it will support the growth of our creative economy. In fact, the creative economy interests will be an important beneficiary of the entire project. Glens Falls will become a hub and attraction point for the lower Adirondacks because of it.

For more check out: Glens Falls: A Winning Team Sharing Secrets to Success

Community Loan Fund Business Spotlight: The Makeup Curio

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The Community Loan Fund has been helping businesses and individuals be successful since 1985 and offers a variety of programs and resources. Although there are other loans small business can get onboard with, such as those from smallbusinessloans.co, the Community Loan Fund provide access to capital for microenterprises and freelancers for business development. This article is a part of a series that highlights local businesses who has benefitted from a Community Loan Fund Loan, like The Makeup Curio, and have used it to build their business.

Jenn Dugan at The Makeup Curio started her business officially in August 2016 in her home, but when she wanted to expand her business to include facials, she knew she wanted to do it right- and that required her to not only have her aesthetics license but an actual space to run her business in.

She opened the store in October 2017 with the help of a Community Loan Fund Loan.

“It was a gradual progression and took about 4 months from start to finish,” Jenn says.

When asked what advice she has for other creatives and aspiring aestheticians, Jenn says, “Be patient, it’s hard, but it will come when it’s meant to.”

Jenn began as a costume designer with an emphasis in theatre. Many in this job position also have to do makeup as well, so her first job involved both. She started out as a self-taught hair and makeup stylist, and she does not do “real hair” she styles wigs to be worn for costumes.

Jenn’s love for makeup began to develop and she transitioned to full-time makeup artistry about six years ago. Two years later, she began doing professional makeup regularly for special events, weddings, galas, and of course Halloween makeup. She has also been able to enjoy doing work in theater by teaming up with local high school theater programs to do makeup and hair. This way she is able to bridge the gap between makeup artistry and theatre, and still do what she loves.

She has morphed her business in to two parts – “the “Beautiful” and “the Unusual” – allowing her to do classic event or gala makeup but also to get creative with theatrical and Halloween makeup as well. Jenn says this allows her to be creative and she loves doing both.

There is a strong seasonality to her business. In summer, she helps with theater camps and does makeup appointments on the weekends for special events. In the fall, special events continue with the wedding season, and Halloween is another busy time of year.

October has been her busiest month recently. “People forget that wedding season goes through October,’ Jenn says. “There are days when I have a wedding in the morning, then head over to an event makeup appointment, and then have someone who wants Halloween costume makeup later that evening.” Whilst this is great for her business, it can make filing her taxes a little bit more difficult! With the extra business and income, there will be more to report when she files her taxes. Taxes can be difficult to file anyway, which is why some businesses get in contact with Dave Burton to help them out. In those busier months, it might be a good idea to get some extra help when filing taxes, just to check they’ve been done correctly.

Jenn’s ability to secure a loan from The Community Loan Fund has allowed her to run her business in a space that meets her needs and gives her room to hone her craft even further. When asked why she loves to run her business in the Capital Region, she says “There are so many creatives and collaboration is easy. People actually want others to succeed, and they are supportive of each other.” Others looking to launch a business of their own may want to look towards the services of atlantic union bank to secure a business loan that will set them on the path towards success.

The Community Loan Fund offers a variety of lending options for non-profits, small businesses, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and more. Let’s say you are a freelance photographer and you need $1,000 to cover the cost of upgrading your equipment. The Community Loan fund is more likely to approve a loan for this expense over a traditional bank. Many traditional banks would call this a high risk, and it would be highly unlikely that the loan would be approved. The Community Loan Fund offers reviews on a case-by-case basis for its financial viability and positive social impact. If you are looking to expand your business, you can get more information and set up a time to talk with someone at The Community Loan Fund by clicking here. If like Jenn you’re starting your own business or you already run you’re own, then I suggest taking a look at Salesforce who help shape businesses across all industries by providing information on digital technology and how its transformation will help with promoting your business.

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