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#CapNYRedAlert Profile: Norman Dascher Jr., CEO of The Hyde Collection

October 12, 2020 By Maureen Sager

Norm Dascher Jr., CEO of The Hyde Collection

Closed doors, a $500,000 budget deficit, reduced hours for staff…these are just a few of the harsh realities that The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls is facing due to the pandemic. In this #CapNYRedAlert profile, Norman Dascher Jr., CEO of The Hyde Collection sat down to speak with ACE about its hardships, but also the remarkable CapNY community that has rallied around them.

Norm, when the pandemic first started, what were the immediate implications on your organization?

We closed on March 20th. Between March and our reopening on August 1st, our team converted to virtual programming. For example, our education staff has been busy putting together updated website, YouTube, and social media programming.

We haven’t had any lay offs. Initially, everyone’s hours were reduced by 50%. Then, we were able to get the PPP loan and brought everybody back to full time hours through the middle of August. The PPP loan just ran out, so we’ve reduced hours by 20% again.

It’s been a challenging situation and I really admire the creativity of our staff.

The Hyde Foundation is a nonprofit. What kind of impact has the pandemic had on its finances?

Two major fundraising events were canceled this year, which has impacted us enormously. We have a $500K budget deficient we’re striving to close. So, we reduced non-salary expenses by $250K by delaying exhibitions until 2021. And, we’re reducing staff hours by 20%, but have to raise $200K between now and the end of the year.

I’d love to say we’re 100% confident we’ll get there, but donors are being approached by numerous nonprofits. There is donor fatigue in the CapNY community, but we’re staying positive.

The Hyde Collection is open to visitors by appointment

Norm’s Silver Linings

It’s inspiring to see how well our staff has adjusted. When we reopened, half of our staff would work from home to avoid crowding and they’ve been able to adjust well. I’m inspired by the love people have for The Hyde and how they’ve supported us thus far.

The arts community in the Capital Region is remarkable. Creative organizations have been reaching out to one another and sharing ideas on how to get through it. There is a great sense of collaboration within the region that has made this so much easier.

Connect with The Hyde Collection
Website
Address: 161 Warren St, Glens Falls, NY 12801
Phone: 518-792-1761
FB / IG / YouTube / Twitter

Support The Hyde Collection and our other local creative businesses and organizations by participating in #CapNYRedAlertNov1. Click here to register today.

#CapNYRedAlert: Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of SPAC

October 5, 2020 By Maureen Sager

This Fall, ACE is spotlighting the significant financial hardships facing Creative Economy businesses in the Capital Region though our #CapNYRedAlert campaign. Locally, we are asking creative economy leaders about Covid’s impact and how they plan to move forward. Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), offered her perpective.

Elizabeth, when did SPAC start to feel the effects of the lockdown?

As an overview –SPAC has a $10 million dollar annual budget. Half of that revenue is earned income, like the Live Nation concert season, other rentals, our own ticket sales. The other half is contributed income, which comes from memberships, and individual and corporate giving.

Pre-pandemic crowds inside the SPAC amphitheater

So, back in March, the most immediate impact we felt was that our May and June graduation rentals went away.

Then, Mazzone Hospitality — a subtenant at the Hall of Springs – saw their events and weddings dry up quickly.

We began to understand that most of our own programs like the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York City Ballet would not be happening, and then came the question of Live Nation concerts. And, like everyone else, they canceled their season.

Basically, $5 million dollars of earned income evaporated.

And then 80 percent of our million of corporate donations also went away.

So all in all, we’ve lost $6 million of our $10 million budget in 2020.

How is SPAC weathering that jolt?

SPAC’s Chef’s Table events will take place outdoors, with proceeds going to the chefs. Photo courtesy The Saratogian.

The good news is that the community has really supported us in 2020.

The majority of people left their memberships with us this summer, even though they weren’t getting the usual perks of tickets and parking and things. We are deeply grateful for that.

Many of our corporate sponsors also gave what they could. Many said that they couldn’t spend the same amount, but gave what they could to keep some money in the coffers. Quite a number of long term corporate sponsors stuck with us. Quite a few could not.

Basically, we will be okay through 2020 because of the philanthropic spirit of our members, donors, board members.

The big question, now, is 2021.

So how do you plan for 2021?

Saratoga Spa State Park. Photo by Allison Schweitzer.

Right now we still don’t know what the spring and summer will hold, and that makes it very hard to figure out how to budget.

If we have to implement social distancing, our amphitheater capacity goes from 5200 seats to 1250. How would Live Nation concerts make that work? And in our field, the demographic tends to be older, and they are the most vulnerable age group to Covid. Even if we have social distancing in the amphitheater, how many of our patrons will actually come back and buy tickets?

Many performing arts groups have already canceled their spring seasons, and we’re trying to dream up ways to bring our resident companies up here in some other crazy fashion, if the amphitheater isn’t available.

Will orchestras be able to put 80 musicians on the stage? Can they have a chorus?

There are just more questions than answers at this point.

Can you tell us about some of the programming SPAC did in 2020, and what might happen in 2021?

SPAC helped practioners convene wellness classes during the crisis. Photo courtesy Albany Times-Union.

This summer, we really turned our focus to ways we can thank our members, and finding ways to allow people to have experiences and gather together safely.

For example, we opened the grounds up to wellness practioners. They registered people for their classes, met on the SPAC grounds, and all of the proceeds remained with the teachers.

We are doing the same for our Chef’s Tables events. Our new pavilion is equipped with temporary walls and heat sources, which keeps things safe and warm, and all the money that comes in will go to the chefs. We’re hoping this can continue to go through the fall and even into winter.

Elizabeth’s silver linings

The pandemic forced us to think deeply about our mission and the spirit of what we do. We created a ton of great new digital and live content and programming, which is something that arts organizations all knew we needed to do, but never quite got around to before.

The pandemic has taught us to be imaginative and flexible, and that will put us in good stead going forward, no matter what happens.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center is located 108 Avenue of the Pines in Saratoga Springs, NY, in the beautiful Saratoga Spa State Park.

Insider Tip: Bear’s Cup Bagel Delivery

September 20, 2020 By Rachel Dunn

The super-cute husband-and-wife Bear’s Cup team

I love bagels. A lot. Like a lot a lot. The crispy… the chewy… the toppings…the variety of flavors… I’m all in! So what I missed most during the shutdown was a fresh bagel with cream cheese, but sadly all my favorite places were closed. Commence the complaining. I complained loudly and frequently enough that my husband actually taught himself how to make bagels. They were delicious, but a lot of work and not something he could do every Sunday. Still the gesture was so amazing that I had to share the sweetness on the socials. And that’s when my public bagel bellyaching paid off in spades…

Bagels At My Doorstep!

Into my inbox came the answer. Jacob Hopper from Evander + Louise, a curated guide to Saratoga Springs with exclusive deals and access for members, sent me the goods: Bear’s Cup Bagel Delivery. Yes! Fresh bagels delivered right to your door. Naturally, I was all over it, much to the relief of my husband whose quest for more yeast could finally come to an end. (Who knew quarantine would create a new army of bakers and bread makers!)

Bear’s Cup is a café located in Bolton Landing, owned by a husband & wife team. They are serving up bagels with artisanal coffees and pastries made in-house daily from scratch. They are currently open for walk-up service Thurs-Mon 7am-1pm. Pre-orders required 24-hours ahead of time. BUT, like Jacob told me, they also offer Sunday bagel deliver from Bolton to Saratoga. Naturally, it was my duty to check it out.

Their weekly menu is posted Instagram (@bearscuptoga). The menu includes bagels, pastries (some of which are gluten-free), several cream cheese flavors and cold brew. Follow the online ordering instructions and – voila! – deliciousness shows up at your door Sunday morning. That alone is worth a round of applause but it really does come down to how everything tastes.

My Expert Review and Taste Test…

It’s all AH-mazing! No really. The bagels have that perfect mix of crunchy outside and doughy inside. The honey sriracha cream cheese blends spicy and sweet effortlessly. But let me tell you the biggest surprise: the gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. They weren’t scrumptious for a gluten-free cookie. They were scrumptious for a cookie, period.

Do yourself a favor and make your Sunday brunch an at-home hit with Bear’s Cup. You won’t be sorry.

Connect with Bear’s Cup!
Website
Address
Email
Phone: (518) 240-6086
Instagram / Facebook

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#CapNYRedAlert Profile: Jon Elbaum, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

September 17, 2020 By Maureen Sager

Like many venues in the Capital Region, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall cancelled or postponed their Spring and Fall 2020 concerts series. Further, Executive Director Jon Elbaum is feeling “pretty questionable” about Spring 2021. The impact of that loss is shared by many. “We won’t be hiring stagehands, caterers, and doing our usual marketing and media buys,” Elbaum said. “That’s 50,000 fewer patrons coming to Troy, where they’d be shopping and dining.” Their annual budget used to be $2 million, and it’s now shrunk to a small percentage of that.

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Executive Director Jon Elbaum

Despite these challenges, TSBMH was able to put on drive-in concerts this summer. Additionally, 20 outdoor shows brought entertainment to nearby al fresco restaurant patrons. “The artists were so thankful for the chance to perform,” Elbaum said. This winter, they’ll be streaming performances from the hall. “This won’t make up for lost income, but it will help our patrons and supporters to see these performances and stay connected with us”

Jon Elbaum’s Recommendations

ACE asked Elbaum what would help TSBMH, and he mentioned the following:

Federal relief legislation, including Senator Chuck Schumer’s Save Our Stages bill
Grants, rather than loans. (“The loans were helpful, but we need more.”)
Clear communications and guidelines regarding reopening. (“Rules, timeline, health criteria, and more,” Elbaum stressed.)

The biggest unknown is whether audiences will be comfortable coming back inside the nation’s venues, Elbaum said. “There is so much riding on that.”

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is located at 30 2nd St, Troy, NY 12180-3292.

Support TSBMH and our other local creative businesses and organizations by participating in #CapNYRedAlertNov1. Click here to register today.

ACE Creative: Karina Wojnar

August 6, 2020 By Maureen Sager

Some of you may recognize Karina Wojnar, as she is the Development & Membership Manager at Albany Center Gallery. In this position, she fills her time writing grants, planning programming, increasing community outreach efforts, and working with ACG members.

She wants our readers to know her as a daughter, a sister, and friend – someone who prioritizes amplifying the voices of the unheard in the CapNY community. ACE’s Gabby Fisher has been following her on Instagram for quite a while and reached out to feature her for this week’s ACE Creative feature because of her evolving style as an artist. She’s a creative millennial powerhouse.

Karina, where are you from?

I am originally from Northern NJ, a small lake town called Ringwood. Currently I live in Albany! I went to Siena College and loved the area, so I decided to stay after graduation. Why? The people. The energy of the people. The architecture. The quirks. The random cobblestone streets and historical buildings. Running into people you know in cafes and farmer’s markets. The fact that there are people dedicated to community and positive change. How active people are in politics, human rights, and deeper conversations.

How did you get into the creative field?

I’m lucky. My parents value art as essential, so it was always my path to be in the creative field. I grew up dancing, participating in theater, writing, reading, and prioritizing art classes. I applied to colleges with the intention of getting a business degree with a focus in the arts. Throughout my time at Siena College, I fell in love with social justice and the overlap between humanity and art.

Human beings use art to emote, to share facts, to evoke, to connect with one another. I believe art to be how humans use their VOICE. Everyone has a voice and a different way of expressing it, whether through music, visual art, performance, writing, fashion, etc. We all deserve to be heard.

In a prior conversation between the two of us, you mentioned you feel like you haven’t necessarily found your creative “voice” yet. Can you talk a little bit about that? I feel that many people can relate.

I’m still experimenting. For the past couple years, I’ve been combining complementary colors and mixing embroidery into paintings. I’m still learning and figuring out technique. People say that once you can become decent at replicating a piece or style of yours over and over– you’ve found your voice.

I’ve been reading “Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic” by Lisa Congdon. It’s been encouraging and affirming to know that my voice matters and it’s all a part of the process. This journey; experimenting, actively listening to my fellow creatives, research…it will all shape my voice, my art, and my life.

ACG hosted a public art bike tour in downtown Albany

What is it like being part of an arts community in CapNY? What has it been like working with local creatives?

In one word…inspiring. Communication and dialogue with fellow creatives is so important. We inspire each other, help each other out, lift each other up. It’s been rewarding. Working with the local arts community is the reason I want to stay in the area.

If you could leave our readers with a word of advice or positivity, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to put yourself and your art out there. Your voice matters. Black Lives Matter. Black Art Matters.

Connect with Karina!
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