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Albany's Newest Secret Sauce :
Diane Eber on 'Hatching the EGG'
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I first met Peter Lesser (Previous Executive Director of the EGG) many years ago through an introduction from Ellen Sinopoli. I was on the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company board of directors at the time and had stopped by Ellen's office in The EGG. I was really blown away by the architecture and the excellent programming that Peter was bringing there...to the tune of over 200 events and upwards of 70K attendees per year! After 22 years, the time came and Peter moved on to spend more time with his family on the West Coast. Since then, after an exhaustive search, a new Executive Director has joined on to take up the mantle. Diane Eber is fun, energized, no nonsense and ready to honor that legacy while moving it forward for a new paradigm, in a new time. I caught up briefly with her to get a sense of who she is and what that will look like.
"Peter built SUCH an amazing legacy and what an incredible history of artists who have graced these 2 stages. I am humbled to try to fill his foot steps. It will be a gradual path to breathe new life into The Egg and I will be making small incremental changes as I go. Right now I am mostly listening and learning about the community and the history and starting to have big dreams about how we can 'Hatch the Egg.'" Diane Eber : Executive Director at The EGG
Corey Aldrich : Senior ACE! Contributor
Image: Provided
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All the Good, All the Time : Sustainability is More Than Just Fashionable | |
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I met Trixie of Trixie's List fame outside of Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY. It was part of a quick promotional shoot for 'Wish You Were Hear,' a covid pandemic live broadcast music series that I was co-producing with Ryder Cooley of the Dust Bowl Faeries. Since then, I have been on Trixie's mailing list and recently came across this great article by Ben Rendich that I wanted to share with ACE! subscribers...very cool things are afoot in the sustainable fashion scene in Catskill...as you shall see.
“We have a fabulous team, no one is coming in with much factory experience, because many factories have been shuttering over the last few decades. So everybody’s being trained up – usually from some basic, home-sewing experience. That’s why we opened up our retail shops, to subsidize our training and factory work so that we don’t have to create an environment that’s top-down… [It] enables us to have a more enjoyable work environment.” Sergio Guadarrama : Co-Founder at Made X Hudson
Ben Rendich : ACE! Guest Contributor | Reprinted Courtesy of Trixie's List
Image: Provided
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FREE TICKETS : Acclaimed Artist Makaya McCraven at the Zankel Music Center | |
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This month ACE! is offering a rare experience as we partner up with the Arthur Zankel Music Center to giveaway FREE TICKETS to Makaya McCraven's full orchestral ensemble performing 'In These Times' on Saturday, February 17. Big thanks to Zhenelle LaBelle and team for making these available. Per usual, the limit for your reservation is (2) per person.
What: Makaya McCraven's - 'In These Times'
When: Saturday, February 17th at 8:00 PM
Where: Arthur Zankel Music Center | 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs NY 12866
Order the FREE tickets by using offer code: SKIDACE at checkout. Click on box below.
Makaya McCraven is a visionary shaping the future of jazz. “In These Times” is a large-scale (11 piece ensemble including string quartet) sociopolitical-themed performance commissioned by the Walker Art Center that draws from jazz, poly rhythms, mixed meters, orchestral music, hip hop, and soul. Skidmore College is one of only a handful of US venues to present “In These Times” with the full ensemble, part of its Mosaic Music Series – a collaboration between the Arthur Zankel Music Center and Troy-based creative agency Collectiveffort.
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Recognizing the vital role that Black creatives play in shaping cultural landscapes, the Mosaic Music Series is explicitly aimed at fostering community among this influential demographic. By curating events and related networking opportunities that cater to the unique perspectives and needs of Black artists, musicians, and creators, the Mosaic Music Series seeks to offer a supportive space for artistic exploration, collaboration, and conversation between Skidmore students and creatives in the Capital Region’s vibrant arts and culture scene.
Image: Sulyiman Stokes
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PLEASE NOTE:
If the code does not work, it means the tickets are already spoken for! Also, if you recently have secured free tickets please allow other folks to get a chance this go round, we like to share the love!
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INSIDE ACE! | CREATING A NEW PATH | |
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Happy New Year! Jumping right into it here with an update from one of our newer Executive Directors at The EGG, Diane Eber. Producing music shows in 2024 is challenging. Here we get a sneak peek into Diane's forward thinking plans on how to not only do that but expand the mission. We also explore some interesting things happening in Catskill in the fashion scene with Made X Hudson. Back when Electric City Couture was more active, this type of facility was something that my team dreamed about. So excited to see fabrication and hard production skills happening in upstate. Big thanks to Rich Volo and freelance writer Ben Rendich at Trixie's List for working with us on this one.
I am super excited about this months ticket giveaway with the Arthur Zankell Music Center. This is part of there collaborative effort with collectiveeffort as part of their Mosaic Music Series! Makaya McCraven comes with an 11 piece orchestra and is sure to be an exceptional performance in a brilliant space. Shoutout to Zhenelle LeBel for setting this up for us.
Honorable mention to the team at the Arts Center of the Capital Region for the big accolade recently given. For those of you who don't know, Troy Art Block (the Church Street Mural project in Troy, NY) was voted #1 BEST NEW FESTIVAL by USA TODAY's 10 Best Readers Choice Awards. Big congrats to Judie Gilmore for pulling that one over the line!
Our 2024 Mission is focused on the following key areas: Building Strength and Resiliency in Our Regional Arts and Cultural Asset Leadership, STEAM Advocation and Institutional Best Practice Sharing. These areas have all been resonating in my meetings with organizations around the region. The focus will likely manifest itself heavily in targeted events and inter-institutional collaborative connections. Feel free to drop me a line if any of these areas is of specific interest to you. Always looking for additional feedback and ideas.
Finally, have job listings or interesting tid bits to share about the state of our creative economy or the next best thing I don't know about yet? Hit me up!
Corey Aldrich
ACE! : Executive Director
E: hello@upstateace.org | W: upstatecreative.org | SOCIALS: @upstatecreative
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REGIONAL & BEYOND :
NEWS / OPPORTUNITY
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Capital Region Job Opportunities | |
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Phinney Design Group : Project Architect III
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WMHT : Various Including: Managing Editor, Multimedia Account Executive, WEXT Musical Host and Producer
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Fisher Center at Bard : Various Including Assistant Orchestra Stage Manager, Executive Assistant, Finance and Administration Associate | Production Crew Members for the Summer Season including: Assistant Stage Manager (Bard Music Fest), Assistant Video Engineer, Audio Engineer, Company Manager (Hospitality), Company Manager (Opera), Electrician, First Hand, Head Electrician (LUMA and Sosnoff), Dance Production Assistant, Opera Production Assistant, Production Management Assistant, Lead Carpenter, Stagehand Carpenter, Stagehand (Bard Music Fest), First Hand, Stitcher, Video Engineer, Video Technician, Wardrobe Supervisor (LUMA and Sosnoff),
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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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