CAP REGION NY FEATURED

FROM DUN AND BRADSTREET TO INDEPENDENT THEATER W/ TANYA GORLOW

March 2, 2026 By Corey Aldrich

Participating on a new committee that is endeavoring to pull together arts and cultural organizations across Rensselaer County (more on this in an upcoming issue), I had the privilege of getting to know Tanya Gorlow. I mean, I had met her before at Sand Lake Center for the Arts where she is the current Executive Director but seeing her up close and in action in this work group, her professionalism and attention to detail…well, I knew I had to know more. Having not done a piece on the organization before it just seemed that now was the time.

Please state your name, organization, title. Can you give us a bit of backstory?

My name is Tanya Gorlow, I am the Executive Director at Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Sand Lake New York. My history with the center started in late winter/early spring of 2024 in a show called Little Wars. I was cast as Lillian Hellman in the fictional historical play by Steven Carl McCasland. I loved the kind, creative community that was part of SLCA. During my interview, I shared that supporting and fostering that community was a large part of my interest in the role.

I come from a background that includes leadership, marketing, production, and business development. I hold a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. I’ve held leadership roles at Dun & Bradstreet and Butcher Bird Studios. My professional endeavors supported a semi-professional career producing and performing in theatre. I found that I was learning and developing as a professional no matter what I was working on: leading a team of marketing professionals working on a product launch, breaking down a character or fundraising for an independent play. The ED role of SLCA feels like the culmination of the skills I developed in my day jobs and in the pursuit of my art.

Brighton Beach Memoirs 2025 at Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Sand Lake, NY | Image: Provided

Can you tell us a bit about SLCA? What does your programming look like? Your annual budget? How do you fit in the tapestry of such a small community?

SLCA is a not-for-profit community arts center offering theatre, music, visual arts, educational programs and more. We have a theater space, with flexible seating; a lobby that also serves as our gallery; and a small cafe that provides refreshments for our events or a place for catering to land during a rental. My understanding is that we are one of the few theaters in the Capital region that is accessible with a ramp up to the stage.

We have a 5 show theatrical season. For 2026, we opened with A Raisin In The Sun on January 30th; 1776 on April 10th; The Wolves on June 5th; Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee on August 7th; and Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound on October 16th. We also have a free concert series sponsored by Troy Sand & Gravel and Bonded Concrete, youth concerts, and musicians throughout the year. Our gallery is host to local artists – currently we have photographs on exhibit by Phil Caruso from when he was a set photographer. Vincent Caruso NYC street photography has been in the gallery during the month of February. We have workshops for all ages throughout the year, as well.

As a not-for-profit, we have fundraising events, including a Broadway revue at a local venue, and our gala, Taste of Sand Lake, where local restaurants offer a sampling of the area’s delicious cuisine.

Our annual budget is about $230,000.

A Fine Family Performed 2025 at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Sand Lake NY | Image: Provided

We’ve been in our current location since 2002. Originally, when Circle Theatre Players signed the lease for the building it wasn’t ready for performances, visitors, or even staff. It was through the efforts of the community that the performance space was created, the backstage area set up, storage and offices established, etc. I have been fortunate enough to meet the community members who raised the barn, put the siding on the building, wired the building, put the ceiling in the performance spaces, and did just about everything else you can imagine. I was at an event where one of our community members walked up to me and said, “I have your organ in my garage.” The history of this building and this organization is in the community around it, both the immediate Sand Lake/West Sand Lake/Averill Park area and the wider Capital Region.

Currently, I am the only full-time employee. We have a few highly-appreciated part-time folks. Everything else is done by our community, from our volunteers to our sponsors to our artists to our audience. Without any one of those groups, we wouldn’t function. My hope is that through our programming that we are able to give back to the community that gives so much to us by providing opportunities to create and learn more about art, as well as experience it. I also hope that we’re a place to reconnect with old friends or meet new ones in the gallery over a coffee from Gipfel’s (ED NOTE: For our story on Sand Lake Merchant) or at a show on a Friday night after enjoying happy hour or dinner at any of the wonderful local bars and restaurants. Whenever we can collaborate with a local organization, we’re always very happy to do it and have ongoing relationships with several.

Hiiiii!! Again Performed at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Sand Lake NY | Image: Provided

You have a strong arts and business background which gives you a rounded perspective. What would you say are the biggest challenges you have running SLCA and your methods for overcoming them?

Right now, I would say the biggest challenge is that there’s a ton of things to do that involve our programming, facilities management, fundraising, and community building and not enough time in the day. My joke last year was that I was keeping track of my surprise priority of the day: I’d go in to the center with a list of things to do, only to be surprised by something completely out of left field! Bees in the mailbox is still my favorite. My primarily method for figuring out how to tackle the growing to-do list is asking myself the following questions:

Does it impact the health and safety of anyone who comes into the building? I have shoveled the snow off the stairs more times than you can imagine because of this one. Also, the bees in the mailbox falls into this category!

Is there a deadline that affects our ability to operate? Our insurance and utility bills fall into this category, as do many other things.

Is someone waiting on me to move forward with something with will improve/impact the center? Grants, our committees, our employees and contractors, etc. are all part of this.

Is someone waiting on an answer that impacts their relationship with the center?
What will move us forward? That upper left hand corner of Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix for the biz nerds out there.

I’ll never get everything done, but I hope each day to be as effective as possible.

Exhibition Set Up in Barn Squares Gallery at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Sand Lake NY
Image: Provided

Barn Squares Gallery at Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Sand Lake NY | Image: Provided

You mentioned Arts Letter and Numbers in addition to Sand Lake Mechant above. How have you been able to synergize with local businesses and other mission oriented organizations in a way that creates a ‘there there’ for community?

Sand Lake Merchant has co-hosted the Merchant Market in the spring and the Holiday Market in the fall with us for a few years now. They’ve been fantastic partners, and also helped us in an incredible way during our Style on the Stage event in 2025. Brian Sheldon, who was SLCA’s previous ED for 7 years before me, worked with Arts Letter and Numbers and Nopiates for the Transformation project. There was also a performance experience that ALN held at SLCA in August of 2024.

In 2026, we’re working towards a collaboration in the gallery with ALN during the month of May. ALN does some really incredible work and there are a few things that I’d love to work with them on in the future, if we’re able. In my mind, collaboration between SLCA and ALN (and this applies to our other groups and businesses in the community) needs to take into consideration the needs of both organizations and ensure that both organizations, the artists, and the audience benefit. Since we both have physical spaces, I could imagine events in the future that has the audiences travel between the spaces to create a full experience.

Triskele Performs in 2025 at Sand Lake Center for the Arts in Sand Lake, NY | Image: Provided

SHAMELESS PLUG: Anything coming up we need to know about?

Yes! Coming up, we have our collaboration with AP Live, the Youth Music Showcase on 3/7, which highlights our areas local student musicians. We have an awesome ZenTangle craft workshop on 3/14, which is only $10 to register. We’re lucky enough to have Triskele here for St. Patrick’s Day on 3/17. And our next play is 1776, opening on 4/10.

WEB: slca-ctp.org | IG: @slca-ctp

ArtsNYS UPDATE | State of the State: Budget Edition

March 2, 2026 By Corey Aldrich

Elizabeth Lane – Executive Director at ArtsNYS | Image: Provided

New York State is in the heart of budget season. The Governor has proposed a largely steady overall spending plan, with a major watch item: the Financial Plan assumes roughly a 10% drop in federal receipts.

At the same time, the Executive Budget is proposing a ~35.2% cut to the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) budget compared to the FY26 Enacted budget. Of noter, this is on par with the Executive Recommendation from last year as well.

That makes this next phase especially important, because it’s where each branch of the Legislature responds to the Executive Budget by releasing its own budget recommendations to get to a One-House Budget. This all is supposed to happen before April 1, the start of the 2027 State Fiscal Year.

Our main focus right now is securing increased statewide investment in NYSCA at $210 Million, a 26.8% increase from FY26 Enacted budget. This includes:

$100M Aid to Localities (NYSCA’s Primary Grantmaking : Support for Organizations, Support for Individuals, Statewide Community Regrants, and more)

$100M Arts & Cultural Facilities Improvement Program (ACFIP) – NYSCA’s Capital Grants Program

$10M Stabilization – NYSCA/NYFA Reserve Grant Program

The $210M ask does not include an additional ~$8M for NYSCA operations.

The nitty gritty numbers:

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW!

SAVE THE DATE: Arts Rally in Albany : Tuesday, March 24
New Yorkers for Culture & Arts, Senator José M. Serrano, and statewide partners including ArtsNYS and a myriad of others are planning an arts and culture rally to support arts funding and arts education at the Capital on Tuesday, March 24 (details and exact timing coming soon). (EDITORS NOTE: Keep an eye out for a special ACE! Newsletter update with more details)
Talk to or Meet with Your Legislators and the Governor’s Office about the NYSCA $210M ask. Plus, later this week, ArtsNYS will share a customizable form letter that you can personalize and send directly to your State Senator, Assemblymember, and the Governor.
Arts Education Codification Bill Support:
We are supporting legislation to require instruction in arts and music education to be incorporated into curriculums for all public school students. S.6318A / A.6490B. Please CHECK whether your Senator and Assemblymember are sponsors. If not, ask them to sign on!
Other Legislation We’re Tracking
We’re monitoring bills related to workforce development, cultural districts, nonprofit sustainability, and the broader creative economy. Check Out our BILL TRACKER.

STAY CONNECTED
If there are emerging challenges or opportunities in the Capital Region’s Creative Economy that we should be lifting up, please tell us. ArtsNYS’s advocacy priorities are shaped by local input.

To reach us: CONTACT ArtsNYS

Thanks for showing up for the Capital Region and for New York’s Creative Economy!

WEB: artsnys.org

Experimental Creativity as a Form of Inquiry w/ Exec Director Dena Beard

January 26, 2026 By Corey Aldrich

Long known as an organizational asset for resident artists and campus related endeavors, there is a new focus on finding ways to incorporate EMPAC (At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy) into the fabric of the downtown Troy community and beyond. Find out what is in process and in store from a recent conversation with newish Executive Director, Dena Beard.

Dena Beard : Executive Director at EMPAC in Troy NY | Photo : Emma Marie Chiang

Please state your name, organization and position. Can you share a bit about your experiential / academic background?

I’m Dena Beard, Executive Director of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where I support artistic projects that challenge habituated forms of perception and invite new modes of engagement—across performance, sound, time-based media, and research-driven art.

Before coming to EMPAC, I served as Director of the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College and spent nearly a decade as Executive Director of The Lab in San Francisco, working on projects rooted in experimental music, performance, and cross-disciplinary practice. Earlier in my career, I worked as Assistant Curator at the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.

Across these roles, my focus has been on creating conditions for artists to work rigorously and experimentally, while also building organizations that are legible, humane, and porous—places where process is visible and audiences feel invited into how work is made, not just asked to consume finished products. I’ve been shaped by how powerfully art can activate space, community, and imagination. That’s why I do this.

EMPAC : Studio 1 at Rensselaer Polytech Institute in Troy NY | Photo : Provided

You have an interesting diversity in institutional leadership between your time on the west coast with THE LAB in San Francisco and in NYC at Brooklyn College’s Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts. What made you decide to take on EMPAC and how is that background informing you in your approach?

EMPAC is unlike any other arts institution in the country. RPI made a once-in-a-generation investment in experimental art, research, and technology—and that ambition is real, not rhetorical. Over the years, EMPAC has supported more than 700 artists whose works now circulate internationally and enter major museum collections. What drew me here was the opportunity to steward a program that operates simultaneously as a performance venue, a research laboratory, and a civic space in Troy.

My prior work taught me that institutional frameworks can either obscure creativity or make space for it. At The Lab, we foregrounded artists’ ways of seeing and making, creating conditions for experimentation rather than containing work within predictable program structures. That included commissioning artists meaningfully, offering $25K to $150K and forms of support still rare in the field: healthcare, legal representation, full access to space. What emerged was an adaptive ecosystem: when artists were trusted, they shared resources and reshaped the organization itself.

At the Tow Center, I worked within a large public academic institution, supporting Brooklyn College’s Conservatory of Music and Department of Theater while bringing local and international artists into deep conversation with students and New York publics. That work taught me how to bridge academic environments and professional artistic practice without flattening either.

Coming to EMPAC was about merging these two approaches, one rooted in generosity and adaptability, the other accountable to a complex academic institution and a broader public. My goal isn’t to change EMPAC’s identity, but to make its extraordinary work more legible, more durable, and more connected to the people who live and work in Troy and across the Capital Region.

EMPAC : TOPOS Remote Peformance at the Gasholder Bldg in Troy NY | Photo : Patrick Dodson

EMPAC has been largely misunderstood by the public historically. I see you have been working on raising awareness not only about what it is but also finding ways to bridge the gap, creating a more inclusive interaction with the regional arts community and general public. Why do you feel that is important for the institution? What challenges are your facing in the implementation of that approach?

EMPAC was founded on the idea that art and research aren’t separate activities—that experimental creativity is a form of inquiry, and that technological innovation often requires imaginative leaps we don’t always recognize as artistic. Nearly two decades in, that premise still holds. The question now is how EMPAC carries this work forward in ways that offer models of imagination and resilience to people living in this region.

EMPAC has sometimes been perceived as opaque or inaccessible—not because the work isn’t compelling, but because the processes behind it haven’t always been visible. I think experimental work benefits from context, from gracious welcome, and from trust.

Hanae Utamura Performs at EMPAC in Troy, NY | Photo: Tara Holmes

For me, accessibility doesn’t mean simplifying the work. It means offering tangible points of entry: clear language, open doors, a public space for informal gathering—for food and drink, for conversation, for being together. Anyone who comes here should feel it’s their public park, a place to meet friends, go on a date, step away from screens for an hour, or even just take a nap between commitment

The challenge is doing this without flattening complexity. The initial capital funding for EMPAC expired more than a decade ago, and today over 80% of staff time and resources currently support campus projects. We’re figuring out how to offer more to the broader public without overextending staff or compromising EMPAC’s standing in the arts. That requires careful pacing, discipline, and a willingness to listen—to students, to artists, and to our neighbors in Troy. It’s slow work, but it’s essential if EMPAC is going to function not just as a laboratory and campus auditorium, but as a cultural anchor for the Capital Region.

Victoria Shen and Mariam Rezaei Performance at EMPAC in Troy NY | Photo : Michael Valiquette

What’s a typical day in the life look like for you?

There’s no such thing as a typical day, which probably explains why I love this work!

A day might include a technical walk-through with engineers and artists, a budget or infrastructure meeting with RPI leadership, a rehearsal, a conversation with faculty, and a late-night performance. In between, I’m thinking about long-term strategy: how EMPAC’s research mission aligns with RPI’s, how we care for a very complex building, and how we support a brilliant staff who are doing deeply specialized and deeply weird work.

A lot of my time is spent translating: between artistic and technical languages, between academic culture and public-facing programming, between ambition and sustainability. It’s demanding, but incredibly generative.

Leslie Cuyjet in Ephemeral Organ Festival at EMPAC in Troy NY | Photo : Michael Valiquette.jpg

SHAMELESS PLUG: Anything on the horizon that you have planned that you would like to share?

Absolutely. EMPAC is entering a really exciting phase.

This year we’re hosting three festivals that invite audiences from Troy and across the region into different ways of experiencing contemporary work: staging grounds (February 20–28), focused on time-based visual art; Corpus (April 23–25), dedicated to dance and movement-based practices; and Topos (September 3–5), centered on music. Each festival premieres new work we’ve produced alongside projects we’re eager for audiences to encounter—sometimes at early, evolving stages.

We’re also developing Interface, a more informal series designed to bring people into EMPAC through conversation, experimentation, and social exchange, hopefully with a drink in hand.

EMPAC is very much a living instrument, and I’m excited to invite more people to play it with us.

The Revolution WILL BE…In Person!

January 26, 2026 By Corey Aldrich

2026 is really kicking off with a bang. ACE! was on location for the grand re-opening of three major regional institutional arts organizations including The Egg (Albany), Saratoga Arts (Saratoga) and a new and expanded space for Albany Center Gallery (Albany). This represents some major investment in our region in community arts, culture and entertainment, and helps drive the Capital Region as a creative economy hub for work and play with an investment to the tune of well over $20M collectively. Find out what each organization was able to add and refresh with their reset and how that will impact future forward programming for our region.

THE EGG | YOUR EGG IS SERVED (ALBANY NY)

The Egg Staff Celebrates at the Grand Re-Opening Event | Photo: Megan Mumford

After a six month closure, state and local leaders cut the ribbon this month for a $19.5M renovation at The Egg. Though the project predates Governor Kathy Hochul’s $400m Championing of Albany’s Potential initiative, it complements the overall mission and direction being mapped out for Albany by her office.

The Egg : Crowd Shot at the Grand Re-Opening Event | Photo: Elissa Ebersold

The Egg : Dancing to DJ Hollywood at the Grand Re-Opening Event | Photo: Elissa Ebersold

The Egg is a performing arts center located in Albany, N.Y.’s Empire State Plaza. An unmistakable feature of the capital city’s skyline, the venue houses two theatres encased in a domed, egg-like concrete structure that took 12 years to construct and was completed in 1978. The Egg presents music, art, theatre, comedy, dance, and family entertainment year-round.

“The Egg is a meeting place for New Yorkers and visitors looking to immerse themselves in the thriving creative industries that are integral to our state’s bold identity,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “As part of Downtown Albany’s revitalization, this long-awaited renovation modernizes one of the Capital Region’s most distinct cultural landmarks. This new chapter of The Egg showcases the value of spaces where the arts and culture converge...”

OGS (New York State Office of General Services) oversaw a project that modernized the interior of the building while honoring its original design and mission. Work included replacing seating and carpeting throughout both the Kitty Carlisle Hart and Lewis A. Swyer theatres and all public areas; installing a state-of-the-art, fully automated LED theatrical lighting system; and adding new dimmable LED house lighting that better showcases the building’s unique architecture.

The Egg : Hart Lobby Before Renovation | Photo: Megan Mumford

The Egg : Hart Lobby After Renovation | Photo: Megan Mumford

“The Egg is a place where art happens with no straight lines, and these renovations make it possible for us to serve Albany and all of New York in a bigger way. We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul for believing in this building and making this investment in the arts possible ” said Diane Eber :Executive Director The Egg

The renovation also expands accessible seating in both theatres, upgrades restrooms, and adds an induction loop assistive listening system to improve the experience for guests who use hearing aids or cochlear implants. Public spaces have been refreshed with restored mid-century finishes and new custom furniture designed to complement The Egg’s ellipsoidal structure, aligning the interior with the boldness of the exterior for the first time since the venue opened in 1978.

“Updating The Egg reaffirms the importance of the arts scene in the Capital Region and supports our efforts to reconnect Downtown with its residents and visitors. ” Senator Patricia A. Fahy

The Egg : New Seating and Carpet | Photo: Megan Mumford

The renovation supports a renewed vision for The Egg as a statewide performing arts center and destination, where the building itself is an integral part of the artistic experience. The upgrades will enable more complex productions, improve comfort and accessibility for audiences, and ensure the venue can continue to serve as a gathering place for decades to come.

“When people come to visit our great City of Albany, The Egg is the first building they see on our skyline. This exciting renovation helps to solidify this structure as an icon of our downtown, and I am thrilled to celebrate its completion. ” Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs

WEB: theegg.org | IG: @theegg | ADDRESS: EMPIRE STATE PLAZA

ALBANY CENTER GALLERY | MORE ART EVERYWHERE (ALBANY NY)

Albany Center Gallery : Ribbon Cutting Event for the New Digs | Photo: Provided

Located in the old Pizza 54 space on North Pearl Street (Known by many back in the day as Pizza Timmy’s!). Albany Center Gallery has significantly expanded their space from 1700 sqft at their previous location to 6600 sqft. The new space features offices, storage, a kitchen, a larger education space that can also be used as a secondary gallery, and a large street front main gallery that currently is showcasing over 200 works in it’s annual member show.

Jankow Companies oversaw the fit up in conjunction with Platt Construction. This was partially funded with a grant from Capitalize Albany for build out costs. Additional funds to underwrite the move where funded via specific donations and / or were covered via a specified funding campaign.

Albany Center Gallery : New Location Opening Night Crowd | Photo: Michael Joyce

“With more space, we are able to support more artists, present more ambitious exhibitions, and bring even more of the community together under one roof. Our new home at 48 North Pearl Street allows us to expand our programs, activate the gallery with evening events, and create dynamic, welcoming experiences where art becomes part of everyday life in downtown Albany.” stated Tony Iadicicco, Executive Director at Albany Center Gallery “It’s a big step forward for ACG and for the artists and community we serve. As we move forward, we remain committed to our mission, uplifting, showcasing, and advocating for the creative community while ‘Bringing Art Everywhere.’”

Albany Mayor Dr. Dorcey Applyrs marked January 16, 2026 as “Albany Center Gallery Day” inaugurating the day in City of Albany history.

Albany Center Gallery : Tony Iadicicco Executive Director | Photo: Corey Aldrich

WEB: albanycentergallery.org | IG: @albanycentergallery
ADDRESS: 48 N. PEARL ST.

SARATOGA ARTS | YOUR COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER (SARATOGA SPRINGS NY)

Saratoga Arts : Re-Opens After Upgrades | Photo: Spencer Sherry

I recently caught up with Amy Bloom, Executive Director at Saratoga Arts in Saratoga Springs, NY for an update on their renovation efforts. They just finished up a $2M+ space renovation / upgrade and recently re-opened to the public after a 6 month build out period. Funding sources included $1M from the City of Saratoga Springs, $766K through a capital grant from NYSCA (New York State Council of the Arts) with the remainder fundraised by Saratoga Arts’ board members, donors and a few other local foundations.

The renovation has resulted in several key improvements – a new gallery with programmable, energy efficient lighting, 2 renovated bathrooms, an upgraded theater (including a sound booth and new projector/sound equipment), and replacement windows throughout much of the building — in particular the curtain wall (The windows that face the carousel in the back of the building).

Saratoga Arts : *Shown* Allan Weatherwax (Board President), Amy Bloom (Executive Director) and Spencer Sherry (Grants and Community Outreach Coordinator) | Photo: Corey Aldrich

On the lower level you will find new lighting and ceilings throughout most of the classrooms, including a door from the main classroom providing direct access to Congress Park. To follow, a patio will be installed in collaboration with the City of Saratoga, slated later in spring 2026. The printmaking studio has new plumbing and a new sink was added in the smaller classroom. Additional improvements include upgraded wifi (especially on the lower level where there was none prior), a new boiler, new gutters, and electrical panels throughout much of the building.

“As a supporter of Saratoga Arts for over 30 years, NYSCA is proud to be a part of this extensive renovation project, which has created a multi-use facility to serve thousands of visitors. This new sustainable space will serve as a catalyst for creativity and collaboration for the entire region. Congratulations to the entire Saratoga Arts team, we look forward to decades more of your innovative and accessible programming.” Erika Mallin : Executive Director of NYSCA (New York State Council of the Arts)

Per Amy, the renovations will significantly improve Saratoga Arts ability to fulfill their programmatic mission to the community and provide an enhanced experience for community engagement.

WEB: saratogaarts.org | IG: @saratogaarts | ADDRESS: 320 BROADWAY

Tapping Into Creative Community Design with TAP’s Barb Nelson

October 8, 2025 By Corey Aldrich

If you have spend time in Troy in the arts scene you know her work. Breathing Lights, Uniting Line, Creative Crosswalks, Troy Alley Action…the list goes on. Barb Nelson is more than just a public arts instigator and supporter. Her firm TAP Inc has been at the forefront of the arts and affordable housing for decades. I caught up with her to hear about what she has percolating currently and it’s impressive. A public recreation space in Troys Little Italy neighborhood, an affordable for purchase condominium project, and a month long riff of NYC’s ARCHTOBER…a Troy Edition! with over 25 events in October ranging from lunch and learns, hard hat tours, TAPpy hours and a killer art exhibition. And this is just a small sampling of the projects currently in process, all done enthusiastically and with an on eye on community building.

Barb Nelson : Executive Director at TAP Inc in Troy, New York | Image: Corey Aldrich

Please state your name, company, title. Can you give us a bit of your back story as well? Education, the path to how you got here? Interesting tidbits welcome!

I’m Barb Nelson. I became the Executive Director here at TAP Inc. exactly 10 years ago. I first worked at TAP as an intern right out of school RPI from 1980 to 1986. I managed my own practice from ’86 to ‘91 then returned to RPI to work in Campus Planning. I spent 24 years with RPI as an architect, planner and adjunct professor. But I had never wandered far from TAP’s community development mission and as such, I jumped at the chance when they needed a director in 2015. Along the way I’ve married, raised 2 daughters, renovated 2 homes, painted a dozen public murals, produced some circus shows, and served on a dozen boards, task forces and commissions. I like how easy civic engagement is in Troy.

TAP Inc Office Building in Troy, New York | Image: Provided

What does a typical day look like for you?

What’s a typical day? Some days are quiet, focused on the work of running a business. Some days are anxious grant deadlines collecting and formatting data for applications. We are a storefront so someday’s are busy with unscheduled walk-ins. I spend a lot less time on project sites measuring or monitoring construction work these days. we have a strong focus on place-making through participatory public art so on any given day we could be painting bridge abutments! Whether I’m designing a stair detail or connecting a client with grant funding, every day involves creative problem solving. TAP is like that, there’s always something different to take care of.

Barb Nelson Review Plans with Stakeholders | Image: Courtesy of Breathing Lights

How many staff do you have and what disciplines do they represent?

We have an amazing team of eleven ‘Totally Awesome Professionals!‘ 3 architects, 1 construction admin specialist, 4 license track designers, 1 sustainability director, an operations wizard, and a director of finance. Among us we have dancers, musicians, runners, builders, makers, artists, cooks and performers!

The Arts Center of the Capital Region Facade Project | Image: Provided

Habitat for Humanity Housing Plan Rendering | Image: Provided

What is the mission at TAP and as a NFP architectural firm, how do you fit in compared to other architectural and design professionals, the overall ecosystem?

TAP has been restoring, rebuilding, and revitalizing historic structures and urban neighborhoods since 1969. Many architects develop specialties, like schools, hospitals, homes, or retail. TAP’s niche is bringing vacant, damp, burned, and deteriorated structures back to life. When you do that, you bring life back to a neighborhood. We are partly funded by NYS so we can reduce our fees for qualified clients. We also can help neighborhoods envision change through community design. We can assist other non-profits in accessing grant money for their facilities. We’ve helped Habitat for Humanity build about 90 homes in the region. We’re big on collaboration with other organizations. We believe that ‘Together Anything’s Possible.’ TAP is one of 8 regional non-profit partners that make up the Capital Region Clean Energy HUB, managing energy saving upgrades for low income homeowners, and promoting clean energy job training.

Left to Right: Mayor McCarthy (Schenectady), Mayor Sheehan (Albany), Barb Nelson, Mayor Madden (Troy) and Adam Freland | Image: Courtesy Breathing Lights

Breathing Lights Installation in Schenectady, New York | Image: Courtesy Breathing Lights

Uniting Line Project | Hoosick Street Bridge in Troy, New York | Image: Provided

Any projects you are especially excited about right now?

We have so many! We are working with Affordable Housing Partnership in Albany to disseminate hundreds of home improvement grants for Low to Moderate Income Homeowners. In Schenectady, we have vacant homes being renovated by Better Community Neighborhoods Inc.

Closer to home, construction will start soon at Troy’s Little Italy Market Park, where TAP helped obtain grant money to transform the asphalt lot into a pocket park. We always have accessibility projects, making homes more livable for people with disabilities. We also just completed the restoration of 140 historic window sash at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy.

Adler Place Site Plan : Future Affordable Condominium Project | Image: Provided

Finally, our biggest effort these days is the development of Adler Place, 32 affordable courtyard condominium units in Troy. Our plate is full for sure but there’s always room for more. Our project list proves out our mantra, ‘Trusted Affordable Proactive.’

Shamless Plug: Anything we should know about that you have percolating?

Yes, we just kicked off a new initiative called ARCHTOBER: Troy Edition! A month-long festival celebrating architecture, architects and all the creatives responsible for our built environment. Did you know we have over a dozen architecture firms in Troy? Most are within a few blocks of each other downtown.

To find out more about this exciting series go to the TAP website and see the robust calendar line up of TAPpy Hours, films, trivia, hard hat tours, webinars, book talks, lectures, and a great closing party that will see us form a collaborative event with fellow arts organization Collar Works and their annual Mad Collar Party. Collaboration is a big part of this series and we have partnered up with several for profit architectural firms, and arts and cultural organizations including the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, the Arts Center of the Capital Region, Tech Valley COG, the Hart Cluett Museum, 518 Film Network, Picture Lock One, WMHT, Architecture +, Mosaic Associates, ME Studio, Lightexture, the North Eastern New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and more!

If you know a young person who’s curious about the profession please bring them to ARCHTOBER one of our events.