Arts event is catching on with public

by Tim O'Brien
Staff Writer, Times Union

While the arts galleries of Troy have not had the finest weather for their arts happenings, their efforts to place art at the heart of downtown are not being stilled by the chill.

Icy winds did not keep a growing number of people from taking part in the gallery-hopping event last Friday. In fact, it was the best night of the four happenings held so far. “We had 255 people here at the historical society for our opening, which is an absolute record,” said Susan Dominica Fisk of the Rensselaer County Historical Society, 59 Second St. “Our previous record was somewhere around 135.”

What may have helped was a performance by the Albany Symphony Orchestra that night, which drew people to Troy. The gallery events gave concert-goers something to do after the music faded.

Rebecca Shepard, gallery director for the Rensselaer County Council for the Arts, said they too had a record-breaking night.

“We had 180 people, which is significantly more than we get for an opening,” she said. “Usually we get around 100. It looked like a lot of first-time visitors.”

Maria DeMarco, owner of the new Third Floor Gallery at 701 River St., also saw the largest crowd ever to enter her art showroom. Her gallery is not downtown, but inside the former Marshall Ray factory now called the Boardwalk Center farther down River Street.

“For us, since we were new and we are so far out of the core, we did very well,” DeMarco said. Though there were some glitches with the trolley service meant to bring people to and from her gallery and others, but DeMarco said she still saw some 50 visitors. The next arts happening will likely not occur until September, but Fisk said Arts Alliance — as the gallery operators collectively call themselves — is looking to take advantage of the popular RCCA Riverfront Arts Fest June 19–20. The two-day event — best known for its sidewalk painting contest — draws 30,000 to 40,000 downtown each year.

Still, you don’t have to wait for the next arts happening.

The exhibits that opened that night are still on view.

RCCA’s exhibit, The Models of Desire, continues at 189 Second St. until May 1. The historical society's exhibition, When Work Stops and Fun Begins: Recreation in Rensselaer County, 1791-1999, will be open until Oct. 2.

At the Fulton Street Gallery, 408 Fulton Street, Manifested Surfaces will be on view through May 15.

The Third Floor Gallery will continue to display its works through the end of the month. Viewings are by appointment only, so call 272-7232.

Article from the Times Union (Thursday, April 15, 1999)

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