2ND ANNUAL EMPIRE ARTS SUMMIT CONVERGES AT THE EGG IN ALBANY | | |
The Second Annual Empire Arts Summit, produced by ArtsNYS, is the premier gathering of New York’s arts and cultural leaders, policymakers and creative workers. This year it will be taking place from October 14 to 15, 2026 at The EGG in Albany, NY. This year’s theme, “Arts at the Heart of Healthy Communities,” will focus on the role of the arts in building healthy communities. All-star guest speakers for this 2026 Summit will include Erika Mallin, Executive Director of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Michael J. Bobbitt, President & CEO, OPERA America, and Co-Founder of Kickstarter and Metalabel, Entrepreneur and Author, Yancy Strickler.
"The theme this year, 'Arts at the Heart of Healthy Communities' is reflecting upon a growing body of research and data proving what we in the arts have always known to be true, culture and creativity are essential to our well-being. They make us feel joy and connection and remind us of our shared humanity. At this time when so many of us are carrying stress, facing isolation and of course, the uncertainty of what’s ahead, the arts bring us back to each other, our community, while literally making us healthier!" Liz Lane Executive Director at ArtsNYS - State of New York
Full Story at the Link Below.
Corey Aldrich : Senior ACE Contributor
Photo : Keynote Speakers Left to Right - Erika Mallin, Executive Director at New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Michael J. Bobbitt, President & CEO, OPERA America | Co-Founder of Kickstarter and Metalabel, Entrepreneur and Author, Yancy Strickler
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| | SARAH PEDINOTTI | MANTIS SHRIMP MATRIX EXPLORES RADICAL REALITIES | | |
So many years ago now, I met Sarah Pedinotti playing a live music gig downtown for the opening of Sculpture in the Streets in Albany. This was back when Tom Birdsy was Principle at Einhorn Yafee Prescott (EYP), an anchor / international architectural firm in downtown. Fast forward many years and Sarah (LIP TALK) is now flexing as a seasoned international artist with her project ‘Youngworld: The Mantis Shrimp Matrix’. This multi-media installation recently debuted in the United States after a successful run in Bangkok, where it was originally conceived, and Tokyo. The work combines site-responsive sound design, electronic visual elements and a sculptural environment built from discarded and ocean-bound materials, exploring human relationship with the natural environment through the lens of an anthropomorphized Mantis Shrimp.
"One of the things that affected me deeply in Southeast Asia was realizing that waste is global even though we experience it as local. We throw something “away,” and that word creates this strange illusion that it has left our world. But there is no away. Our waste moves through neighborhoods, countries, economies, bodies, rivers and oceans. The consequences may disappear from our view, but they don't disappear." Sarah Pedinotti (LIPTALK) : Multi-Media Artist / Musician and Community Activist
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Full Story at the Link Below.
Corey Aldrich : Senior ACE Contributor
Photo : Provided
| | ACE! FREE EVENT ALERT | FALL EDITION INCLUDING : FOCM and The EGG! | | |
ACE! again pairs up with the Friends of Chamber Music for the 26/27 Season to make available a limited number of tickets to the award winning Poiesis Quartet, featuring works by Beethoven, Prokofiev, Michi Wiancko, and more!
WHEN: Saturday, October 17th at 3:00 PM
WHERE: University at Albany Performing Arts Center
For Complimentary Tickets Enter: ACEPOIESIS in the promo code section*
*Limit 2 per person please! Cost will come up to $1 for handling fee.
ABOUT POIESIS QUARTET
The Poiesis Quartet makes their Friends of Chamber Music and Capital Region debut fresh from their 2025 triumph as First Prize Laureates of the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Competition.
Called a “vibrant young ensemble mid-liftoff” by The New York Times, the Poiesis Quartet has emerged as one of the most distinctive young string quartets of its generation.
Praised by The New York Times for their “multifaceted artistry” and “brilliantly idiomatic” programming, they approach the string quartet as a living, evolving art form. They bring the kind of momentum and clarity that only a major international win can bring.
The Quartet’s name comes from the ancient Greek concept of poiesis: the act of making or bringing something new into being.
Care to support quality classical music in our region? Tickets can also be purchased for $40 each.
Children and Students kindergarten-college attend free.
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ACE! is partnering up again with The EGG! Burnout Paradise, created by the award-winning Australian collective Pony Cam, took Off Broadway by storm. Now here in Albany, we invite you to come witness (and participate) in a wild performance that is part interactive comedy, part theatrical explosion, part endurance - and all a commentary on what society demands of us in the 21st century. “Four performers mount four treadmills. What begins as a simple wager between performer and audience becomes a desperate attempt to complete a series of escalating tasks that confront the limitations of the performer’s bodies, spirits and minds.”
WHEN: Sunday October 18th at 3:00 PM
WHERE: The EGG | Empire State Plaza, Albany
For Complimentary Tickets Enter: ACEBURNOUT in the promo code section*
*Limit 2 per person please!
ABOUT PONY CAM
Pony Cam are an award winning experimental collective of five theatre makers from around Australia.
Our work is driven by a desire to bring people together to create experiences that could not otherwise be had. By subverting well-known forms, activating unexpected spaces, and inviting audiences into our work in unexpected ways, we create moments where audiences are challenged to question their assumptions, laugh at themselves, and reject habitual recourse.
As an ensemble we have trained together for over five years, and our practice is instinctive, physical, and highly playful. No two of our works are formally the same, but each is driven by a desire to reimagine our impact in the world, find joy in community, remain utterly silly and laugh in the face of tragedy.
Care to support quality programming in our region? Tickets can also be purchased for $31 each.
| | INSIDE ACE! | Creating a New Path | | |
A busy time for arts and cultural events this October is! Really excited about this weeks 2026 Empire Arts Summit (in case you didn't notice!) The theme is right on track pairing up public and individual health with the arts. Personally, I am especially excited to hear more about Colorado's A CORP structure via keynote speaker, Yancy Strickler...I have high hopes for this coming to NYS. Next up, one of my all time favorite regional musicians has been spreading her artistic talents and will be showing us a bit of her creative universe...the Mantis Shrimp Matrix! Sarah Pedinott (LIP TALK) is expanding her practice into community organizing and messaging that brings hope for a better planet. You can see one of her installations at the Empire Arts Summit, convention floor. If you want to attend, simply drop the CAP26 code at tickets purchase and get a Summit pass for only $50!
Finally, I am asking folks again to to take a moment and complete the Arts Service Organization survey at the link below. Gathering information about our industry is critical in helping us to understand ways we can collectively support one another and assist our legislatures to see the true impact of what we do...you can do it!
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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SAVE THE DATE : 2026 EMPIRE ARTS SUMMIT
You may remember the ArtsNYS's 2025 Empire Arts Summit last year that was held in Schenectady at Proctors Theater. That first year initiative brought institutional arts and culture folks from around the state to learn from one another and share best practices. All the while making connections and building solidarity. Well, it's back! This years event will be held in Albany on October 14th - 15th at The EGG in Albany. More to come next month.
WHAT: 2026 Empire Arts Summit
THEME: Our Future is Creative : Arts at the Heart of Healthy Communities
WHERE: The EGG | Empire State Plaza | Albany, NY
WHEN: Tuesday, October 13 to Thursday, October 15
FOR DISCOUNTED TICKETS USE: CAP26 at Checkout ($50 | Value at $200)
"This is a moment when the creative community in New York State need to be organized, connected, and ready. We're heading into a new legislative session with real challenges in front of us. The Summit is where we get ready together. People leave with practical tools, new partners, and a shared agenda and voice. Every year, I'm struck by the talent and range of the people in that room, and when we come together, we're powerful!" Liz Lane Executive Director at ArtsNYS - State of New York
Hope to see you all there!
| | Regional & Beyond : News / Opportunity | | 2026 National
Arts Service Organization Survey | | |
UNDERSTANDING ARTS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS IN A CHANGING ARTS ECOSYSTEM
ACE! and Voices for Creative New York (VCNY) are partnering with ADC Consulting on the 2026 National Arts Service Organization Survey. The Survey is part of Phase 2 National Scan of Understanding Arts Service Organizations in a Changing Arts Ecosystem, a multi-year research initiative that aims to understand the role, impact, and ongoing evolution of arts service organizations.
Help us represent Arts and Cultural organizations in Upstate New York. Please fill out the Survey and share it with your colleagues. More details at the survey link below.
Not sure what to do? Join a Survey Taking Party! These 60-minute virtual Zoom sessions are designed as informal, drop-in office hours. Organizations can complete their surveys in real time with live help from the ADC Consulting team. We have 6 more scheduled for the year. For a list of date CLICK HERE.
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Survey Raffle : Any ASO that completes the survey is entered to win free consulting services! Those who submit a survey during a survey taking party are entered twice. There is a lovely and long list of consultants providing free services you can read about on the survey website.
WHAT IS AN ARTS SERVICE ORGANIZATION
Questions? Contact: Gonzalo Casals | gonzalo@culturepolicy.org
| | Capital Region Job Opportunities | | ACE! is made possible with the generous support of the Kiwi Foundation, the Saratoga Institute and the Nordlys Foundation. | |
ACE : Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy
For inquiries, hot tips or requests: hello@upstateace.org
web: upstatecreative.org
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