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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Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation Holds Awards Banquet
Community submission
PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation Friday honored outstanding contributors to the Berkshire County sports scene at its third annual Awards Dinner at the Polish Falcon Club.
The foundation supports youth sports throughout the county each year.
In 2025-26, those donations totaled more than $30,000 to groups ranging from youth football and cheerleading programs, Pittsfield Little League, Northern Berkshire Softball and the Pittsfield Boys and Girls Club Recreation Therapy Program, to name a few.
Funds raised by the foundation also go to support its annual Vera Barborotta Memorial Sportsman Scholarship, which this year went to Lee High School graduate Joey Abderhalden and Taconic grad Madeline Harrington.
Two other recently graduated high school standout athletes were recognized as winners of the Al Bianchi Memorial Athletes of the Year: Madison McCarthy and Cooper Calvert, both of Wahconah Regional High School.
Pittsfield High School girls basketball coach Kristy Conyers and Hoosac Valley boys basketball coach Matt Larabee received the foundation's Coach of the Year Awards.
John Castonguay received the Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation Living Legend Award. A.J. Ziter took home the Connie Bianchi Memorial Award of Merit. And Mark Moulton rounded out the honorees with the foundation's Volunteer of the Year Award.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more
Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
For the boys, Ward Bianchi helped lead the way with a win in the shot put and a second place in the javelin as the Mounties finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Pittsfield (pending the results of the pole vault, which were unavailable at 11 p.m. Friday night). click for more
