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August 17, 2022Albany Center Gallery Unveils Their New Vibrant Artist Space: Art.Work.Space
Albany Center Gallery (“ACG”), a leading nonprofit art organization, unveiled their new workshop and artist space: Art.Work.Space. The new workspace will be used to display youth and community artwork, host programming events, as well as operate as a creative workspace. The art space will be a vibrant, colorful environment for artmaking, art-sharing, and dialogue about art.
The celebration occurred in conjunction with the opening of two new exhibits: Passports and Connections. Both exhibitions coincided with the 45th Anniversary archive display, showing unearthed articles and photographs from ACG’s long history.
ACG’s work has grown beyond its walls over time to include 30+ art programs annually (including free youth art programs and pop-up exhibitions), the public art project #CapitalWalls, and many other arts-related initiatives and collaborations. The new Art.Work.Space will serve as a catalyst to spark even more youth art programs, community events, and art collaborations.
“As Albany Center Gallery continues to fulfill its mission through programming and exhibits, we hope that spaces like this can serve as a creative hub for communities to access art and activities freely” said Tony Iadicicco, executive director of Albany Center Gallery. “We look forward to seeing Art.Work.Space. filled with emerging and established artists alike coming together to make and share their art.”
ACG partnered with the RED Bookshelf, a literacy non-profit, to host monthly youth art workshops every second Saturday. “I’m super-excited that Albany now has a dedicated space for young people to be creative,” said Paul Collins-Hackett, executive director of the RED Bookshelf. “Community efforts like this demonstrate just how possible it is to bring our dreams to live when we work together.”
Local elected officials and community figures gathered in part of the celebration to show their support.
“Art serves to welcome and engage in a way that few things can, and for decades Albany Center Gallery has been at the forefront of artistic opportunities for creators and visitors in Downtown and beyond. Today’s celebration of Art.Work.Space. is representative of their mission to both bring artists to Albany and to inspire the next generation of artists as well, and we are grateful for the spaces they have created in our District. Congratulations to the team behind the Gallery’s success, and we look forward to continuing to partner with you to make Albany’s Central Social District even more art-centric,” said executive director of Downtown Albany, Georgette Steffens.
Albany Center Gallery with help from Assemblymember Patricia Fahy received a $25,000 contract with the NYS Office of Children & Family Services to continue the expansion of their beloved youth art programs, known as LOOK!. As well as, $25,000 from the Carl E. Touhey Foundation for the rent of (a 3-year pledge!)
“The Capital Region has long been enriched by local artists and their work who reflect our community. I am proud to have been able to secure a grant funding to help them launch the new Art.Work.Space.” said Assemblymember Patricia Fahy. “Albany Center Gallery has been an integral part of the Capital Region’s art scene, and I look forward to seeing the direct impact their new workspace provides to young creatives and the community.”
The exhibition Passports, curated by Willie Marlowe, highlights 14 artists who have created works inspired by their travels to Antarctica, Mexico, Malaysia and various countries throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa. The paintings and photographs included in the exhibit demonstrate artists responding to ideas, surroundings, landscapes, and cultures unfamiliar to them. The other new exhibition, Connections, features a diverse array of media, bringing together over 50 works by ACG members and their artist friends. Artists have the unique ability to inspire other members of the local artistic community Connections serves to facilitate that process of inspiration.
Albany Center Gallery’s 45th year and beyond plans to offer more free community arts programming than ever before. ACG believes in the power of artists and art’s impact on community. The demand for free, quality arts programming is higher than ever and ACG is ready to deliver.
