Albany, NY – On Thursday, May 11th, the Albany Underground Artists will return with an exhibition entitled "Unification," that will feature the greatest diversity of visual artists and art coalitions yet assembled in an AUA show.
Unification also represents the formation of a collaboration between AUA and two other local arts organizations working to establish permanent creative art spaces for Albany's emerging scene: The Barn and Kuumba Arts & Cultural Center. On Wednesday, May 10, from 6pm – 8pm, there will be a preview showing; media are encouraged to attend.
Entry to the show is free, but a minimum $5 donation is suggested as there is no budget for this show; Unification is being made possible through the generosity of participating artists, businesses and residents. A portion of all donations, as well as sales of artist works and merchandise, will benefit The Barn and Kuumba.
The Barn, a not-for-profit creative arts incubator, will house affordable artist residences and work/rehearsal studios, a live music/performance space, multiple galleries, public darkroom, multimedia lab, and more. Kuumba will provide a repository for people of African descent arts and cultural forms and an environment for the creation, exhibition, performance and education to the public. These spaces will be available to aspiring regional artists of all disciplines, particularly those who cannot afford or otherwise obtain such space.
As with earlier shows, AUA has chosen a vacant commercial space in which to stage Unification: the first floor of 457 Madison (formerly Dinapoli Opticians), located next to the Lark Tavern just west of Madison and Lark Street. "Unification" brings together twenty-three contemporary regional artists as well as three guest artists from New York City. Participants include well established artists (Leigh Wen, Michael Oatman, Chris Stain), veteran AUA exhibitors and first time entrants. Many styles will be represented, including photography, digital media, sculpture, abstract and representational paintings, tagging and more.
"Through this show, the Albany Underground Artists are attempting to show both the abundance and range of talent we have right here under our noses. More than that, we want to gain momentum for permanent art spaces here in our city," explains show curator, Chip Fasciana.
The Albany Underground Artists formed two years ago in response to a lack of galleries and exhibition opportunities available to Albany's vibrant, but oft unheralded visual artists. AUA sought out vacant buildings as one-time venues in an ongoing series of exhibitions that utilized such nontraditional locales as a former bakery, bank and factory.
The most recent AUA show in September, 2005 filled 4,600 square feet of the Albany Institute of History and Art with works by some 30 local artists, tripling the Institute's all-time attendance record for a single night. Collectively, AUA shows have attracted thousands of attendees from aficionados to the curious, with the intent of bolstering a healthier and more dynamic art and social scene in Albany.
Unification will remain open through Sunday, May 14.
Unification Hours:
Wednesday May 10: 6pm –8pm – PREVIEW SHOWING (*Not Open to the Public)
Thursday, May 11: 6pm–9pm – OPENING RECEPTION
Friday, May 12: 11am – 7pm
Saturday, May 13: 10am – 6pm
Sunday, May 14: 10am – 4pm
For media inquiries, please contact Jeff Mirel at 518-935-4858 or email: info@albanybarn.org
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Fines, Appeals, Lawsuit Collide in Berkshire Concrete Dispute
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
Resident Ron Griffin speaking at Tuesday's Board of Health meeting, thinks the fight with Berkshire Concrete has resulted in some public officials leaving. He is one of the first abutters to speak against Berkshire Concrete.
DALTON, Mass. — The building inspector's ticket book is running thin as the town starts to issue daily fines to Berkshire Concrete for its failure to submit a revised remediation plan for the unauthorized dig site.
Petricca Industries, the parent company of Berkshire Concrete, was issued a $50 fine on Saturday, April 25; $100 on Sunday, and $300 daily fines continuing thereafter until a detailed restoration plan is received, Building Inspector Brian Duval said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no resubmission of the plan has happened, he said.
This vote was supported by the Zoning Board of Appeals, which ruled that Berkshire Concrete had violated zoning bylaw 350-61 Section E. Restoration.
Petricca Industries appealed this decision, however, ZBA upheld its initial vote and ordered the company to fully remediate or cover the dig site to abide by town bylaws.
During Monday's Select Board meeting, Town Manager Eric Anderson said Berkshire Concrete claimed it did not believe that the board's directive to remediate the unauthorized dig site included parcel 105-16.
Qwanell Bradley scored 33 points, and Adan Wicks added 29 as the Hoosac Valley boys basketball team won a Division 5 State Championship on Sunday. click for more
Adan Wicks scored 38 points, and the eighth-seeded Hoosac Valley basketball team Saturday rallied from a nine-point first-half deficit to earn a 76-67 win over top-seeded Drury in the Division 5 State Quarter-Finals. click for more
Caprese Conyers scored 22 points, and Kyana Summers had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds to go with eight assists as Pittsfield got back to the state semi-finals for the second year in a row. click for more