BARN NEWS

January 20, 2010:
SAVE THE DATE for THE PINK PARTY:
FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010
Hosted by Matt Baumgartner and Chris Pratt

September 2, 2009:
CITY OF ALBANY SECURES $5 MILLION RESTORE NY GRANT FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT

The City of Albany has been awarded a $5 Million ReStore NY grant for a much anticipated neighborhood revitalization project. The Arbor Hill Reclamation Project will revitalize 7 existing vacant and blighted buildings on Henry Johnson Boulevard and North Swan Street in Albany¹s Arbor Hill neighborhood. This Project consists of the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of key buildings in this targeted community, including the former St Joseph¹s Academy, a 41,000 square foot building that anchors North Swan Street.

³This is tremendous news for the City of Albany and our neighborhood revitalization efforts² said Mayor Gerald. D. Jennings. ³I want to thank Governor Paterson and the State of New York for supporting this important initiative. This award means that a critical project identified in our Arbor Hill Neighborhood Plan will become a reality. This $5 million ReStore NY grant will bring back to life more than 50,000 square feet of vacant and blighted space and add new vitality to our City.²

The City submitted an application in May to New York State Empire State Development as part of a statewide competitive process. The Arbor Hill project was included in the application, meeting all of the program¹s eligibility requirements, including demonstrating site control, a project plan and partners. This project fulfills the priorities of the Arbor Hill Neighborhood Plan. Even more, it will stabilize and enhance the $36 Million investments that have already taken place or been committed to the neighborhood since the Plan was completed in 2003.

The Arbor Hill Reclamation Project will be developed in partnership with the Albany Housing Authority (AHA), the City of Albany Community Development Agency (ACDA), The Barn - a private not-for-profit artist based organization, and Artspace, Inc.

³We are honored to be a key partner in Mayor Jennings¹ successful neighborhood revitalization team² said Steve Longo, Executive Director of the Albany Housing Authority. ³This award and the Arbor Hill Reclamation Project is just one more example that our efforts are showing results. We have the experience and enthusiasm to get this challenging and important job done. The revitalization of St Joseph¹s academy is history in the making.²

The Arbor Hill Reclamation Project is the redevelopment of anchor properties along the two commercial corridors in the Arbor Hill neighborhood in the City of Albany. As part of the Arbor Hill Reclamation Project, the project will rehab six vacant row-style buildings along Henry Johnson Boulevard for re-use as residential and ground floor commercial use. It will also assist with the rehabilitation of St. Joseph¹s Academy on North Swan Street, a vacant and dilapidated 41,448 square foot anchor structure on this neighborhood commercial corridor. St. Joseph¹s Academy, known as The Academy Lofts project will result in approximately 17,400 square feet of ground floor commercial space and 25 studio and one-bedroom units. This project has been the subject of a completed market assessment that confirmed project viability, as well as the need for affordable artist housing and studio space.

The project is endorsed by the Arbor Hill Implementation Team, a diverse stakeholder committee formed as a result of the Arbor Hill Neighborhood Planning effort. In different ventures throughout this neighborhood, these organizations have already achieved success in both new development and redevelopment projects. This Arbor Hill Reclamation Project represents a critical next phase in the sustainability of investment and development in Arbor Hill. Redevelopment and re-use of nearly 50,000 square feet space in this community will have an immediate and positive effect on the entire community.

July 1, 2009:
HELP RAISE THE BARN - JOIN ONE OF OUR VISIONING TEAMS

We need your skills, insight and energy in several key areas that will drive our operations, facilities and services. Please help us Raise The Barn by joining one (or more) of the following Visioning Teams:

1. FACILITIES: facilities planned include live/work loft-style apartments, work studios, band rehearsal suites, performance space, multiple galleries, a public darkroom, multimedia lab, community/common space and retail space. Additional considerations include a ceramics studio and welding shop. This team will address:

Other types of facilities that should be included
How these different spaces should be designed/laid out
How they should be equipped
Equipment/material vendors, installers/contractors and estimated fit-up costs for each type of facility

2. OPERATIONS: Albany Barn¹s facilities will be made available to local artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers and performers seeking an engaging, supportive environment in which to create and share their work, particularly those who cannot afford or otherwise obtain such space. Exhibits, performances and activities will be un-juried and open to all ages. It is imperative we have a process in place that upholds our core values while managing our resources in the most beneficial way for all those we serve. This team will address crucial organizational policy and procedures, both present and future, including:

The process for selecting the live/work apartment tenants
The responsibilities of live/work tenants; i.e. community service
The proper staffing, hours of operation, cost to use, and procedures for the different types of artist facilities
The policy for out-of-town artists who want to display or perform in The Barn

3. OUTREACH: At this new phase in the Raise The Barn campaign, it is critical to engage potential tenants and enlist the full support of stakeholders. This team will address:

Raising awareness and support for Albany Barn through traditional, nontraditional and grassroots strategies
Identifying and engaging prospective residential and commercial tenants
Graphic and Website Design
Managing our social media presence (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Coordinating with the Fundraising & Events team

4. FUNDRAISING & EVENTS: Albany Barn started as a charitable event production group exclusively featuring local creative talent called Rock2RebuildTM. Unique events and programs with local flavor are part of our DNA. This team will:

Conceive, plan and produce events featuring local and regional artists
Produce educational programs and forums
Identify opportunities to collaborate with other groups in event production and promotion
Raise critical funds through other means including grant writing, corporate outreach, etc.

If you are interested in joining one of these important teams, please call 518-935-4858, email info@albanybarn.org or Apply Online Here (make sure to indicate which Visioning Team(s) you want to join)

March 18, 2009:
CAPITAL REGION BANDS: APPLY TO PERFORM at ART ON LARK 2009 - the Capital Region's Premiere Arts Festival - on Saturday, June 6th!

Art on Lark is Albany's 2nd largest street festival; last year's Art on Lark drew almost 30,000 people!

Once again, Lark Street will be closed to traffic, admission is free and we're raising the stakes with longer sets for our bands and a music stage located right on Lark Street!

The music starts at 11am and goes all day.

5 Headliners will be chosen by the Art on Lark Committee.

Performance Details:
- 55-minute sets
- $150 honorarium
- all bands and performers will be given table space to sell merchandise
- beverages will be provided
- sound support WILL be provided

All styles of music welcome!

To apply, please CLICK HERE to download the application and mail it along with

1) musical samples
2) promotional photo
3) $15 non-refundable application fee*

MAIL TO:
Albany Barn, Inc.
c/o Art on Lark Music
PO Box 10261
Albany NY 12201

Submissions must be postmarked no later than Friday, April 24, 2009. Late submissions will not be accepted.

*Make checks payable to Albany Barn, Inc. NO CASH PLEASE

50% of all application fees will go directly to Albany Barn, Inc. Albany Barn is a private local nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to developing a permanent creative arts incubator and community art center in Albany, NY called THE BARN.

The final performance line-up will be determined by Friday, May 8, 2009. All applicants will receive notification in writing, and results will be posted on the Albany Barn (www.albanybarn.org) and Lark Street BID (www.larkstreet.org) websites.

For more information, call 518-935-4858 or email info@albanybarn.org
February 27, 2009:
Help Albany Barn get Federal Stimulus Funding

The Albany Barn / St. Joseph's Academy project has been submitted for possible Federal Stimulus funding and WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

www.stimuluswatch.org is a website which shows ALL of the stimulus projects submitted and allows YOU to vote in favor or against each project.

WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL CLICK THE LINK BELOW AND VOTE 'YES' FOR "ST. JOSEPH'S ACADEMY ARTIST'S LOFT CONVERSION":

Click Here to Vote

IT ONLY TAKES 30 SECONDS!

Please encourage others to do the same!