Art & Business Collaborate thru Leadership Program

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Zerques by Carole Eisner

ALBANY, NY (04/05/2010)(readMedia)-- Leadership Tech Valley, a shared initiative of the Chamber of Schenectady County and the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce which strives to enhance leadership resources and shape a progressive future for the Capital Region and Tech Valley, has incorporated the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) Sculpture in the Streets public art exhibit into its experiential offerings as coursework for the class of 2009-2010.

A curriculum was developed for the Downtown Albany BID by area art teachers and adapted for the Leadership Tech Valley program to allow participants to respond to sculpture and public art with a guided and critical eye. "We were thrilled that there was interest by this joint Chamber leadership group to look at Sculpture in the Streets from an academic perspective," said Georgette Steffens, Executive Director of the Downtown Albany BID, the Sculpture in the Streets organizer and sponsor, along with Kivort Steel of Waterford. "The Downtown Albany BID has been striving to take this public art program to the next level thru an educational component and this was a great partnership."

"The experiential component of the Leadership Tech Valley program offers class participants the opportunity to more deeply explore what our region has to offer," said Robin Granger, program staff from The Chamber of Schenectady County. "The Downtown Albany BID's flexibility and willingness to adapt the curriculum for our class members allowed several individuals to take advantage of the opportunity."

The show, the Art of Discovery, which opened in June 2009 and closes April 12, 2010, includes large-scale sculptures that highlight the constant process of examination, education, and discovery in historic downtown Albany, New York.

The Leadership Tech Valley program aims to develop the knowledge and involvement of its members within the community, expand the leadership abilities of local business management, and strengthen connections between the businesses and education communities. By partnering with the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District on this program, Leadership Tech Valley members can strengthen their thinking skills as well as enhance their knowledge of public art and its role in the community.

For more information on Leadership Tech Valley, call (518) 431-1400 or visit www.leadershiptechvalley.org. For more information on the current and upcoming Sculpture in the Streets exhibits, visit www.downtownalbany.org