Albany's 1st Friday :
A Reminiscence and New Beginnings
I found myself on the streets of Albany, literally. After going through some intense personal life changing events, I was struggling to craft a new identity. One that was less corporate, less structured. More creative, rebellious. I was attracted to Arts and Culture and around this time had begun volunteering my time consulting for the Albany Center Gallery and soon joined the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company board. I discovered 1st Friday circa 2010. My life would never be the same. The scene...it was decadent, divine. So creative, smart and unexpected. The who's who of the regional arts and culture scene where there, on the streets. Hundreds even thousands converging on Albany - for Arts Sake. You could find excellent family friendly events early at places like the Albany Institute of History and Art, Grand Street Arts or ACG. Then as the night got later, renegade pop up events got hotter in vacant buildings like St. Joseph's Church, 259 Lark Street, 4 Central Ave or at the Upstate Artist Guild. Finally, the grand finale for me was always at Samson Contompasis' Marketplace Gallery in the East Greenbush Tape and Label Factory (40B!) where you could dance till dawn with the DJ's, street artists, fashion junkies, art freaks and hangers on that I aspired to become more like.

A few years in, the scene cooled down. It felt diluted. My friends and I slowly stopped considering it a must go on the calendar, scattering to the wind. Now, post COVID a group wants to bring that energy back to Albany, to reclaim the regional crown...the question is, can it be done?

Corey Aldrich : Senior ACE Contributor

Image: James Shultis Artist | Photo Credit: Robin Alexandria Kettner Zebrowski
Building New Collaborations on a
Rich Foundation of Past Heritage
I met Joyce Brower at this months 2023 NY Museum Association Conference in Syracuse. (Thanks for the invite Erika Sanger! Also, side note...I was really impressed with Syracuse.) I quickly enthralled by the interesting tapestry of organizational collaborations she was weaving into the fabric of an upcoming event she introduced me to. The 'Hoosick History and Heritage Fair' is a regional narrative. Joyce has a way of convincing you of the importance the past plays in the creation of provenance, the identity of a place. As we went deeper, she shared tried and true methods that are creating community cohesion while documenting new things for feature generations to benefit from. There are some real gems in this one folks.

Corey Aldrich : Senior ACE! Contributor

Image: Joyce Brewer - Director of the Hoosick Township Historical Society and the Louis Miller Museum
ACE! / NYSATA Career Day at Russell Sage College
Sparks Creative Minds
Each year, the NYS Art Teachers Association tirelessly puts together a creative economy careers fair for graduating high school students and their parents to evaluate the viability of creative career jobs. ACE! was excited to join in to help add a little sizzle and recommend working professionals who could give a real perspective on what a day in the life of a specific profession would look like. And boy oh boy, did we have some good ones! From architects, interior designers, cinematographers, photographers, film makers, motion graphic designers and public arts - to art therapy, gallery curation, illustration, industrial product design and fashion design.

Over 200 Students and parents alike expressed gratitude for the practical approach to understanding the demands and viability of specific professions. Each student (and parents!) got to attend a total of three breakout sessions of their choosing over the course of the evening. All this, staged and executed flawlessly by the very capable team at the Russell Sage College Albany Campus.
CORE EXPO TEAM

NYSATA : Capital Area Art Supervisors - Anne Manzella and Andrea Neiman
Russell Sage College : Chair Audio Visual Dept - Sean Hovendick | Carolyn Losee - Dept Admin
ACE! : Executive Director - Corey Aldrich

Entertainment:
DJ RVMBA : Community Development / Vibe Merchant - Sonia Sandoval
PARTICIPATING COMPANIES, INDIVIDUALS & INSTITUTIONS


Albany City School District | Schenectady City School District | Russell Sage College
INSIDE ACE! | CREATING A NEW PATH
Happy Second Quarter! This month kind of found its own theme...foundations. First off, the initiative by Michelle Toch Dinsmore (Overit Media) and Jim Gilbert (Nippertown) to bring back First Friday (Art Night) in Albany. I was a big fan of the early scene circa 2010 and wanted to help folks understand the genesis story a bit in hopes of centering creatives in the narrative. Second, a trip to meet up with Joyce Brower, Director of the Hoosick Falls Historical Society. We talked about a very cool multi-institutional collaborative event that she is working on for early May. She also shared some best practices for small town historical / cultural institutions regarding how they can play an important part in building community through an understanding of place. Finally, a review of the NYS Art Teachers Assoc. event at Russell Sage College that I mentioned last month and an update on the success of introducing kids AND parents to different creative career paths by sitting them in the same room as working professionals in a given industry. In a way, you could say they are just at the beginning of creating their own foundations, hopefully in the successful pursuit of their passion in a creative sector.

In closing, let's all remember that Creative comes before Economy in our favorite phrase. Continue to find ways to center the members of our creative class with resources and opportunities so we call all reap the quality of life benefits in our communities, our economies and as recent studies are showing...even in our well being and mental health.

Corey Aldrich
ACE! : Executive Director

E: hello@upstateace.org | W: upstatecreative.org | SOCIALS: @upstatecreative
Albany First Friday Re-Launch Event
The initial re-launch event will be held with a kickoff show at Overit Media at 435 New Scotland Avenue, Albany including 5 artists called The Power of Paper. (Mimi Castiglione-Santiago, Ruby Silvious, Abe Ferraro, Ashton Guy and Lindsay McKeough and collaborative partners The Circus Family and Mohawk Paper) on May 5th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This will also serve as the official kick off to the City’s Tulip week long celebration leading up to the 75th Anniversary of the Tulip Festival.
REGIONAL & BEYOND : NEWS / OPPORTUNITY
Capital Region Job Opportunities