In its second meeting, held at Albany International Airport on January 3, the Arts planning group again discussed events already planned that can be folded into Albany Heritage.  There was agreement that these events will include those already mentioned in the first meeting on December 13 as well as those that will surface in the future, as Albany  Heritage receives publicity and attracts interest from arts groups that might want to offer events under its sponsorship.

Sharon Bates, who hosted the meeting, suggested that the exhibition and meeting spaces at Albany International Airport could be available to Albany Heritage; she also said that events have to accommodate her necessarily fixed programming schedule.  There will be an open space in March 2002, and two longer spaces, the first beginning in August 2002.  Marcia Moss explained that AIHA is trying to attract outside visitors to its forthcoming exhibits, and to see its permanent collections.  With the Matters of Taste exhibit opening in September 2002 the AIHA might showcase this event with displays at Albany International Airport.  Perhaps Albany Heritage could publicize itself at the same time.  Clearly, Albany International Airport is a superb venue for events offered by Albany Heritage.  It would be an ideal site for events that focus on Albany and transportation.

The planning group discussed again the parameters of arts programming for Albany Heritage.  Clearly this includes the Fine Arts and Performing Arts.  A significant number of events within this framework have already been planned and will be offered through Albany Heritage.  Music and theater events not yet programmed will be added, some given at the University at Albany and some off campus.  They will be integrated into Albany Heritage as circumstances allow.  David Janower and Langdon Brown will post their events on the calendar as their plans become firm and Nan Mullenneaux will keep us posted on possible participation by Capital Rep.

The planning group discussed also the possibility of extending the parameters of arts programming to include the decorative arts.  By extending arts programming in this way it would be possible to focus attention on Albany Museums, all of which are repositories of decorative arts.  There was agreement that this could be done.  One event might begin at AIHA and then move by trolley to the three downtown mansion museums.  Talks on material culture and architectural style could also be given at the AIHA and other museums as well.

The planning group agreed that churches and synagogues are important to arts programming, but didn't reach agreement on how this is to be done.  Other planning groups such as Built Environments and Neighborhoods are also wrestling with the problem of what to do with churches and synagogues.  The Arts group agreed that churches and synagogues are repositories of art and can be thought of as such.  Moreover, many churches and synagogues in Albany are rich architecturally and can be seen and discussed in aesthetic terms.  Knowing how churches and synagogues will occupy a place in arts programming should become more clear when the other working groups have compiled their lists of events.

What follows below is a tentative list of events for the arts component of Albany Heritage.  The events are not listed in order of appearance; the only organizing principle is events initiated outside Albany Heritage but given under its auspices and those initiated by Albany Heritage.  Members of the Arts planning group are encouraged to respond to the events listed below; so too are members of other planning groups.  This list is fluid and will change in response to forthcoming comments and suggestions, and it will change as other events are added to the Arts program as Albany Heritage gets under way.

Events initiated outside Albany Heritage:

March 2002 ASO concert

AIHA Matters of Taste exhibit

Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz's Siena College concerts

Empire State Plaza events on public art

Capital Rep event (it is hoped)

Lecture on history of theater in Albany tentative)

Schuyler Mansion reenactment of General John Burgoyne's stay in Albany

Talk and organ recital at First Presbyterian Chuch recognizing Adelaide Strong, who donated the church organ and the Tiffany Sea of Galilee stained glass window

Events initiated by Albany Heritage:

A talk or talks on material culture and architectural style

A talk on the four eighteenth-century Albany mansions along the Hudson River.  (One of them, Van Rensselaer Mansion, no longer stands.)

A talk or talks on the art holdings of AIHA

A talk on Albany collectors of art and art objects

A talk on churches and synagogues as repositories of art, and as works of art

A talk on Dorothy Lathrop, Albany illustrator

David Janower concerts

Langdon Brown / U of A play

Len Tantillo talk