LEAP In: Entrepreneurship and the Power of Peer Support - 2/29/16

What will you do with your extra day in 2016?

On Monday, February 29 from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m., the University Club will host LEAP IN: Entrepreneurship and the Power of Peer Support at the National Register-listed University Club of Albany, 141 Washington Avenue at Dove Street.

Event sponsors include the Capital Region Women@Work; the Women’s Business Council of the Capital Region Chamber; and the Women’s Business Center of New York State. The event is presented by the University Club of Albany Foundation and one need not be a member of the University Club to attend.

The evening begins with a festive sampling of wines with names appropriate to the occasion such as Stump Jump, Frog’s Leap, and Rabbit Ridge and a savory hot and cold hors d’oeuvres buffet. Wines are provided by Capital Wine & Spirits on Lark Street in Albany.

At 6:30 p.m., the Club will host a panel discussion featuring successful business owners who have made the leap outside their comfort zones to start and grow their own businesses. Each panelist will share stories about her business journey, her successes and failures, and the support she’s received from – and given to – other business owners. The panel will be moderated by the Times Union’s Tracy Ormsbee, a Senior Editor overseeing Features, Sports and two lifestyle magazines, Women@Work and 518Life.

Panelists will include: Silvia Meder Lilly, who became the proprietor of Lark + Lily Wine Bar and Kitchen in Albany after a career as a school librarian; Dr. Tobi Saulnier, founder of 1st Playable Productions in Troy, who was inspired by the potential of video games to educate and make a positive impact; and Katie O’Malley, owner of Katie O’ Weddings & Events, whose job takes equal parts patience, compassion, mentoring and positive attitude.

February 29 usually occurs only once every four years, and is commonly known as Leap Day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days. In the Gregorian calendar, the current standard calendar in most of the world, most years that are evenly divisible by 4 are leap years. In each leap year, the month of February has 29 days instead of 28.

Tickets are $29 each, participation is limited and reservations are required by Thursday, February 25. Call the University Club at 518-463-1151 or visit www.universityclubalbany.com to reserve your seat.

The University Club of Albany Foundation was formed to recognize and maintain the unique historic and architectural significance of the University Club building and property, its neighborhood and the city of Albany, where it has been located since its inception in 1901. Support for educational programming presented by the University Club Foundation is provided by AT&T.

Mardi Gras Party with the Dylan Perrillo Orchestra - 2/19

The Krewe of Beverwyck and Lark Street BID present Mardi Gras at the U Club 

In 1996, the Krewe of Beverwyck hosted its inaugural Mardi Gras Party in Albany. In 2015, the Krewe moved its celebration to the University Club. On Friday, February 19, 2016, the Krewe of Beverwyck will partner with the Lark Street BID to present A Mardi Gras Celebration of Arts & Culture at the National Register-listed University Club of Albany, 141 Washington Avenue at Dove Street.

The Mardi Gras Celebration of Arts & Culture will feature a cocktail reception from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. with traditional New Orleans party food – red beans and rice, shrimp remoulade, muffalettas – and cash bar. Drink specials, music and decorations will transport guests to the French Quarter, and costumes and masks are strongly encouraged.

At 7:00 p.m., guests will be invited to the dining room for a special concert by the Dylan Perillo Orchestra, a colorful ensemble celebrating the beginnings of jazz with arrangements from the early 20th century. An eight piece band with lots of horns, woodwinds, bass, guitar and drums, their influences include everything from Billie Holiday to Louis Armstrong, Al Bowlly to Annette Hanshaw, Coleman Hawkins to Lester Young, and the contemporary artists that continue this tradition.

During the concert, the King Cake will be served, and the Krewe of Beverwyck’s King and Queen for 2016 will be revealed!

The cost for the concert and reception is $40 per ticket or two for $70, and reservations are required. Reservations for the Mardi Gras Celebration of Arts & Culture are required by Wednesday, February 17, and may be made by calling the Club at 518-463-1151; by sending an email to ellen@universityclubalbany.com; or online.

A portion of the proceeds from the event benefit the University Club of Albany Foundation, Inc., and the Lark Street BID, both of which are 501c3 corporations, and one need not be a member of the University Club or the Lark Street BID to attend.

The University Club of Albany Foundation was formed to recognize and maintain the unique historic and architectural significance of the National Register-listed University Club building, its neighborhood and the city of Albany, where it has been located since its inception in 1901.

The Lark Street BID works to build, sustain, and enhance a unique and prosperous living and business community for the residents, visitors, and merchants of the Lark Street Neighborhood.   This is accomplished through the core neighborhood services of Neighborhood Safety, Street Maintenance, Neighborhood Marketing, and Special Events and Promotions.

Here's some photos from last year!

https://www.facebook.com/albert.gnidica/media_set?set=a.10203932909742694.1073742084.1220482897&type=3

Opening Reception - 5th Artist in Residence - 2/5/16

David Hinchen to Exhibit Work from January – April 2016

In addition to paintings by Jonathan Bradley Morse and Walter Launt Palmer and sculpture by Terri Boor, the Living Room, Lobby and Dining Room of the University Club of Albany have long featured works from a variety of local artists.

From January 22 through early April, the University Club will present a solo exhibition of the works of David Hinchen, who will serve as the Club’s fifth Artist in Residence.

A Meet the Artist Reception will be held on 1st Friday, February 5 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the National Register-listed University Club at 141 Washington Avenue at Dove Street. The reception is free and open to the public as part of the University Club’s participation in 1st Friday, the arts walk that showcases the lively art scene in downtown Albany.

Scheduled to run through Friday, April 8, the exhibition will be on view during public and special events at the Club, and by appointment with the artist, who will receive an honorary membership in the University Club for the duration of the show. Previous Artists in Residence were Ken Ragsdale, Channing Lefebvre, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and Joleen Button. Their work spanned many artistic disciplines, including drawing, painting, sculpture, paper-craft, and photographs.

Hinchen is a full-time artist who has spent the last twenty-five years creating original commissions for clients. The majority of his drawings and paintings are of historic homes and landmark buildings in Metro New York, Greater Boston and New England. Besides drawing and painting, photography has always been an integral part of his creative process. He especially enjoys photographing historic architectural elements - signs, statues, facades, subway mosaics and stained glass windows. The University Club exhibit will include photographs along with illustrations and paintings.

“My drawings, paintings and photographs celebrate the visually absorbing shapes, colors, textures and eccentric details of the urban landscape,” said Hinchen. “For me, buildings are the significant carriers of cultural memory. Surviving the builders and residents, they are reminders of remote lives and times. Over the years, a city takes on an almost geological aspect, with successive generations leaving behind a layering of architectural styles. The enduring physical makeup of a city directly influences its culture as well as its ability to survive as a place people care about.”

Inspired by the lonely landscapes of Edward Hopper and brilliant color staging of Maxfield Parrish, David Hinchen is essentially a self-taught artist. His interests in aesthetics, urban design, architecture and history have always influenced his work. He received a B.A. in philosophy and political science from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey and an M.A. in political philosophy from Columbia University in New York City.

Hinchen’s work has been featured in regional exhibitions at: The Albany Institute of History and Art; The New York State Museum; The Provincetown Art Association; The Stockade Art Show in Schenectady, N.Y.; The Gallery On The Green in Canton, Ct. and Historic Albany Foundation’s Vacancy and Built Shows 2000-2015 (Best in Show Award, 2010).  His home and studio (a 1901 Colonial Revival) is located in Albany. For more information, visit his website at www.davidhinchen.com .

The Artist in Residence program furthers the University Club and Foundation’s commitment to promote the use of the historic Clubhouse as a venue for performing and visual arts as well as cultural events. It builds on the success of the October, 2011 Athletic Annex Exhibition curated by local artist Chip Fasciana. For 9 days, the University Club’s former fitness annex was transformed into a “pop up art gallery” with an exhibition featuring some 20 local and regional artists. The Athletic Annex Exhibition was part of MoHu – the Mohawk Hudson Art Festival featuring theatre, dance, music, visual and random acts of art throughout the region.

This event is presented by the University Club of Albany Foundation, Inc., and one need not be a member of the University Club to attend. The 501c3 Foundation which was formed in 2009 to recognize and maintain the unique historic and architectural significance of the University Club building and property, its neighborhood and the city of Albany, where it has been located since its inception in 1901. Support for educational programming presented by the University Club Foundation is provided by AT&T. For more information contact the University Club at 518-463-1151 or online at www.universityclubalbany.com. RSVP at http://conta.cc/1Pj0SGs.