Left to Right: Victoria, Corey, Danielle and Amara yuck it up at the Mostly Modern Festival after party at the Surrey Williamson Inn in Saratoga Springs. | Image: Provided

Collar City Coterie : Recent Set Design for Live Drawing | Image: Provided

REGIONAL / UPSTATE NY | JULY 17-21 : From the well-known artistic pilgrimages frequently taken by New Yorkers, like Dia Beacon and Storm King Art Center, to the thought provoking institutions that demonstrate the depth of the art world across New York State, including KinoSaito and the Wassaic Project, Upstate Art Weekend acts as a platform of unification. For its sprawling sixth edition, more than 155 museums, galleries, universities, residencies, and temporary events will come together as one community—headquartered at “Upbringing,” an exhibition dedicated to the concept of presence in Kingston, New York. Founded by Helen Toomer, the collective annual experience isn’t only for art-hungry adventurers but also the residents of all ten counties taking part.

ALBANY NY | AUGUST 1-2 : This two-day celebration of Black arts and culture features live performances by chart-topping artists, art exhibitions, delicious food, and more! Highlights include: Gospel Night featuring Karen Clark Sheard, Grand Rising Health and Wellness Fair and the festival concert finale featuring R&B Band Dru Hill with the Men of Soul.

As most readers here are aware, I am constantly in contact with a broad array of creative practitioners on a regular basis for the variety of things that I do as a freelance creative / producer. That said, I am still amazed by the level of dedication and entrepreneurial passion that I run across in the nooks and crannies of the capital region. This months interviews are especially endearing to me for two reasons. First...scope. The Mostly Modern Festival has been in existence since it maiden season in 2018 yet somehow it had escaped me. This is a serious endeavor executed by a joyous and exceptionally talented couple in Victoria and Robert Paterson. They were kind enough to let us peer behind the scenes to learn more about this outstanding organization. Second...introspection. Devin LeBlanc, Creative Director and Founder at Collar City Coterie's life path and passion to hold space and respect for legacy career mentors may just move you to tears. It is rare to run across someone with the level of care and respect that comes through in this, our first long format interview.

Excited to finally be able to share the results of the Phase 1 NYS Artist Opportunity Survey that I had the pleasure of working on with the Arts Center of the Capital Region (Albany, Rensselaer and Schenectady Counties) and CREATE Council on the Arts (Columbia County) in advance of a statewide roll out later this year, likely in partnership with ArtsNYS among other organizations across New York. Some really interesting feedback that should prove valuable for institutions and municipalities alike as they look to integrate and support the rich offerings of our creative community more effectively in the community at large. Please take a moment to review the results and do not hesitate to provide constructive feedback. We are looking to sharpen our approach even more as we move to a larger distribution beyond the capital region.

Finally, some great FREE events to check out that look to be excellent distractions from the national level news that keeps us up at night. Invite some friends, bring your family...building a solid community is more critical than ever in these unpredictable times.

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. Speaking of jobs...the listings still feel short lately. Is this real or just me?

Corey Aldrich

ACE! : Executive Director

E: hello@upstateace.org | W: upstatecreative.org | SOCIALS: @upstatecreative

NYS Artists Opportunity Survey

After months of strategy, outreach and construction, the Phase I, NYS Artist Opportunity Survey is complete and ready to be shared! What started as a simple question – what do our artists need to thrive – turned into an incredible collaboration, pilot project and a valuable resource for the field.  

Spearheaded and conceived by the Arts Center of the Capital Region, the survey was designed to 'layer' on the important work Creatives Rebuild NY which contributed to a better understand practical needs and resource impacts for working artists. CRNY agreed to coordinate demographic information we collected which allows for integration with their data. ACE! Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy and CREATE Council on the Arts where asked to help build a survey that would investigate many concerns of capital region artists: workspace, housing, funding, and professional development. This survey is designed as a pilot for a Phase II implementation that will eventually be rolled out state-wide as a tool to create a broader understanding of what is needed to support a vibrant arts community in New York State as a whole. 

Additionally, ArtsNYS has stepped in as the potential state-wide partner. Siena College Research Institute built the survey and the searchable report.

Next Steps

We live in a data-driven world and in an era in which arts funding is perilous, working with proven facts substantiates our value proposition and provides leverage with elected representatives and other relevant stakeholders. As such, we are building a document of recommendations for future state-wide implementation.  

Please take a look and see for yourself the state of the capital region creative. Use the stats - let’s all work to strengthen our artist community. And importantly...feedback is requested and welcome!

Comments can be sent to:

Corey Aldrich (ACE!) at hello@upstatecreative.org or 

Elizabeth Reiss (Arts Center of the Capital Region) elizabeth@artscenteronline.org 

NYS Opportunity Survey was funded by the State of New York through a special Senate Initiative.

RESOURCE ALERT!

NYS Artist Opportunity Survey Regional Results in Graphs

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• Mass MOCA (North Adams MA) : Various including Director of Curatorial Affairs, Visual Art Curator, Sr Manager Branded Content and Design, Preparator / Fabricator
• The Children's Museum at Saratoga : Marketing and Development Coordinator
• Saratoga County History Center (Ballston Spa) : Executive Director
• The Sanctuary for Independent Media (Troy) : Executive Director
• Albany Institute of History and Art : Director of Development
• The Olana Partnership (Hudson) : Advancement Associate
• The Palace (Albany) : Concession Staff Guest Services - Security
• The TANG (Saratoga) : Student Art Loan Program Coordinator

• Community Loan Fund (Albany) : Executive Director
• NYS OGS (Albany) : Facility and Operations Assistant - Convention and Cultural Events Team
• Parks and Trails NY (Albany) : Development and Operations Associate
• Albany Pine Bush Preserve : Seasonal Interpretive Naturalist

• KIPP Capital Region Public Schools (Albany) : [2025-2026] AP Literature Lead Teacher - High School
• SUNY (Albany) : Art Model (Part Time)
• RPI (Troy) : Media, Arts and Social Science Researchers, Media, Arts, and Social Sciences Researchers (2024-25), Senior Carpenter
• Skidmore College (Saratoga) : Art Model

ACE! is made possible with the generous support of the Kiwi Foundation, the Saratoga Institute and the Nordlys Foundation.