Denver Based Musicians Vibe on a 'Creative Pulse' in Upstate New York | | |
Late to the party, I just recently discovered this gem of performance space that opened up in early 2024 when I had the opportunity to see the amazing Buggy Jive open for the intellectual and well read storytellers, Nathan Meltz and the House of Tomorrow there. Transplants from Denver, Alana and Niek Velvis decided to land here in Upstate, Troy specifically, due to the creative pulse they felt on the street and the 'unique mix of history, grit, and artistry, with a growing music and arts scene.' Approachable and community minded, these creative entrepreneurs have made a space for local and regional indie artists to call home. Oh, and they have respectable baked goods, beer and coffee offerings!
"Independent music spaces are fragile, especially when you're committed to artist compensation. The reality is, ticket sales alone don’t cover costs, not in a room of our size. So for us, the key has been diversification. We treat MoJo’s as a multi-layered business with the cafe operating as a 3rd-Space during the day for food and beverage, Private Event Bookings, Art Sales, Custom Coffee Roasts, and Ticketed events." Alana and Niek Velvis : Owners / Founders at Troy based Mojo's Cafe and Gallery in t
Corey Aldrich : Senior ACE Contributor
Image: Provided
| | Meg Mosca : Fashion Forward Custom Design in Saratoga Springs, New York | | |
I recently reached out to Meg Mosca about helping out with a project ACE! is participating in this month with the NYS Art Teachers Association. I had worked with her back in 2017 where she participated in a fashion event that I did at the NYS Museum for Electric City Couture called IDENTITY. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she has grown and is now a fashion related entrepreneur working out of Saratoga Springs. Indie / custom fashion is a tough go. This is such a feel good and practical creative economy story, I just had to share. Additionally, who doesn't need a good seamstress from time to time?!
"From a young age, I realized that clothing is like a second skin—it’s something I can choose for myself. It’s amazing how clothes can shift depending on your mood, how you want to present yourself to the world, or even how many times you want to change in a day. This realization sparked my interest in fashion. I quickly became fascinated by the power that clothing holds and how it can shape not just our appearance but how we feel and are perceived." Meg Mosca : Owner at Saratoga Springs based Mosca Alterations
Corey Aldrich : Senior ACE Contributor
Photo: Alexandria Eigo
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FREE TICKETS to The EGG :
Avishai Cohen : Boundary Pushing Jazz
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This month we are partnering with the The EGG to make available a block of tickets to Avishi Cohen, part of 'The EGG Presents' series. Availability is first come first serve and limited so jump on this ASAP if your interested. There is a two tickets per person limit.
What: Avishi Cohen
When: Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 PM
Location: The EGG | Empire State Plaza | Albany, NY
Order the FREE tickets by using offer code: ACE!AVISHAI at checkout. Click on box below.
Avishai Cohen is globally recognized as a musician with an individual sound and a questing spirit, an ever-creative player-composer. In 2024, Cohen released his newest album, Ashes to Gold, a deeply introspective and richly textured exploration of life's transitions and renewal. The album showcases Cohen's ability to blend lyrical beauty with technical brilliance, further solidifying his reputation as a boundary-pushing innovator in contemporary jazz.
| | INSIDE ACE! | CREATING A NEW PATH | | |
Here this month with a couple of small biz creative entrepreneurs in the music and fashion arenas. First up, Alana and Niek Velvis founders and owners at Mojo's Cafe and Gallery. These folks moved to Troy from Denver last year and brought along a strong music culture and an understanding of what it takes to be a part of the live music ecosystem. Next up Meg Mosca of Mosca Alterations, a talented seamstress and fashion designer out of Saratoga who took over an established business and is expanding from alteration work to custom lines and bespoke garment repurposing. These boots on the ground creative businesses are the kind that make up an important part of a main street creative economy.
Next, an update. I was privileged to be selected as part of a group of organizations to present to the legislature during the recent Economic Development / Arts budget hearing representing the capital region creative economy. An exciting experience, I learned a lot about process and what we need to get better at if we want to secure a proportional piece of the pie for the outsized economic advantage we are providing to the region and state collectively as arts and cultural professionals. You can check out my 15 minutes of fame HERE (Starting at 2 Hr 56 Min 50 Seconds) followed by some compelling presentations by a number of other esteemed institutions. Big congrats to Troy based Rachael Lorimer of Studio OSYARI (Starting at 3 Hr 33 Min 27 Seconds) representing independent entrepreneurial artists. Also, a heartwarming thanks to Sarah Calderón of Creatives Rebuild NY for bringing on José Serrano-McClain and the team at HR & A Advisors to coordinate presentations, it was powerful. The ask was echoed by all for a statewide creative economy survey to better understand fully the actual impact to the state of such. This would be a tremendous tool to help guide resource allocation statewide and regionally for funding distribution, city planning and municipal development - though likely will take a few tries at bat to get traction on...
Finally, I am encouraging as many who can to drop in for the RALLY ON THE CAPITAL being organized by New Yorkers for Culture and Art, and ArtsNYS. We need all of our voices heard to help hold onto and expand valuable funding sources for our arts and cultural institutions.
As always, if you have any cool creative job listings, open calls, industry news or grant funding opportunities, drop me a line and get them included in our next issue.
Corey Aldrich
ACE! : Executive Director
E: hello@upstateace.org | W: upstatecreative.org | SOCIALS: @upstatecreative
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ACE! will be on the ground again this year to RALLY FOR THE ARTS! Please join us as we see an attack on Arts and Culture funding sources. We MUST maintain a strong representation in NYS to offset current trends nationally. One way to do that is to be present and show that this matters. NYS must stand up for the First Amendment, for art, and for joy. If your organization receives NYS funding this means YOU! Act while we can to try and influence the NYS Legislature to ramp up funding for the NYS Council on the Arts this year to $150M for increased programming distributions and an additional $50M for Capital Project grants.
RSVP HERE (Not required but it helps to keep track!)
Also, please consider signing the LETTER OF SUPPORT that is being spearheaded by New Yorkers for Culture and Arts.
Your voice matters!
“One voice can change a room, and if one voice can change a room, then it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it can change a state, it can change a nation, and if it can change a nation, it can change the world.” – Barack Obama
| | REGIONAL & BEYOND : NEWS / OPPORTUNITY | | Capital Region Job Opportunities | | |
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SUNY (Albany) : Tenure Track Digital Art and Animation / Asst Professor, Art Model (Part Time)
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RPI (Troy) : Teaching Track (School of Architecture Spring 2025), Media, Arts and Social Science Researchers, Senior Communications Specialist, Media, Arts, and Social Sciences Researchers (2024-25), Event Planner, Sr. (Alumni Engagement and Institute Events), Director, Engagement Events, Marketing Operations Manager, Media Relations Manager
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Skidmore College (Saratoga) : Art Model
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ACE : Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy
For inquiries, hot tips or requests: hello@upstateace.org
web: upstatecreative.org
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