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Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

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#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!

Creative Economy Mixer: Arts Letters & Numbers Studios

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Thank you for joining us at Arts Letters & Numbers Studios, where we toured their facility, met resident artists, enjoyed food tastings by Laughing Earth Farm, beverage tastings by Albany Distilling Co, a performance by Rachelle Smith-Stallman and more!

We’ll also had an engaging discussion with Arts Letters & Numbers Founding Director David Gersten, and Andrew Frishman of Big Picture Learning.

Without the generous support of our sponsors, this event would not be possible. Thanks to Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, MVP Health Care, and promotional partner Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Branch VFX Executive Producer Sam Margolius

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Sam Margolius is a forward thinking producer and business executive balancing the hybrid spaces of art, entertainment, technology, production, and marketing. He is a Twenty year veteran of the content world with deep experience working with world-class studios, brands, artists, producers and visionary storytellers in both their core production needs as well as the strategy and implementation of new channels of communication.

 

Sam runs Albany-based Branch VFX which is a STARTUP NY designated company focused on high-level TV and Film projects for Netflix, Paramount, Disney/Marvel, Nickelodeon, etc. and is a sister company to Emmy-Award winning Shade VFX. He recently post produced Terrence Malick’s 360/VR experience, “Together” which debuted at SXSW 2018 and then at The TriBeCa Film Festival and is Executive Producer for the Haagen-Dazs, HTC Vive, Google Daydream 360/VR collaboration, “The Extraordinary Honey Bee“, which was voiced by Constance Zimmer and debuted at the World Economic Forum 2018 in Davos, Switzerland. Additionally, he produced the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition VR and one of the first ever VR music videos, “Crown” for hip hop supergroup, Run The Jewels, which released on the New York Times NYTVR app and launched at SXSW 2016.

 

Raised in the Catskill Mountains for all of his formative years, he holds a deep respect for the vitality of nature, the importance of sarcasm, and the flavor of whiskey.

Below are two examples of how imagination comes alive in the digital effects that add the finishing touches to a film.

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