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Saratoga Arts Gets State Funding To Help Support Renovation Project At Its Building

Saratoga Arts has received a $766,000 grant from the state Council on the Arts to help support a revitalization project.

The grant is part of a record total of capital project funds being disbursed by NYSCA, which totals over $42 million to 144 projects across New York state.

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The Arts Center is planning a $2 million renovation whose scope is to stabilize and upgrade the entire building with an eye toward energy conservation and efficiency. It will replace old ineffective systems, install energy-efficient windows, address numerous drainage and roofing issues, upgrade power and reconfigure classroom spaces of the art center to provide indoor/outdoor access.

Officials said the project will upgrade the theater enabling a flexible space for film, music, exhibitions, artist talks and lectures and more, all geared to expand accessibility and collaborative work.

The new cabinet allows customers to zero in a special products.

“Before, it was scattered throughout the store, so anyone who came in here in August and was looking for things didn’t know where to go,” Greczkowski said. “I wanted one general location for all of it. It’s worked out perfectly. When you walk into the store, this is what you see.”

In another upgrade, Purdy’s recently transitioned to an all new technology system that incorporates everything from the back end to up-front checkout registers.

“Everything is cloud-based, which is awesome,” Greczkowski said.

Store manager Jimmy Scotti said the thing he enjoys most is meeting people from so many different places and backgrounds.

“This is a real tourist town,” he said. “Some people come back year after year and are really enjoying the improvements we’ve made, making it much more shop-able and bringing in new items. We’re getting a lot of positive comments about that. They also like how much variety we have.”

Congress Plaza is a good location because of its large parking lot that makes it easy for customers to visit. And the adjacent Embassy Suites Hotel generates considerable foot traffic.

“A lot of people from out of state venture over and have no idea how big this store is from the outside,” Greczkowski said. “When they walk in their eyes just open.”

“With track season, I almost feel like we have an extra Christmas in the middle of summer,” Greczkowski said. “There’s concerts, the track, people going out to dinner having fun. It’s a place where everyone wants to be. It’s awesome.”

Purdy's also expanded its visibility by sponsoring the Summer Concert Stage in the backyard at Saratoga Race Course.

“Our hope is that people remember us when they go home and want to shop us virtually,” Shyptycki said. “I’m finding there are a lot of people even locally who don’t know where we are or how big we are. That’s a demographic we haven’t reached. My goal is to get everybody to know about us and take the trip to come see us or have us make a delivery.”

The business website is purdyswine.com.

“Strengthening our creative sector increases tourism, boosts our economy, and enhances the rich heritage and cultural life of New York state,” Gov. Hochul said of the state grants. “These record grants will support a wide range of diverse and innovative projects at our arts and cultural organizations across the state, helping ensure all who visit will continue to have wonderful experiences for years to come.”

NYSCA Chair Katherine Nicholls said the capital project grants are an investment “from the people of New York to the people of New York and will have positive impact on our communities for many years to come. On behalf of the council and staff, I congratulate Saratoga Arts and look forward to seeing all that will flourish from this project.”

Saratoga Arts operates the Community Arts Center, a multi-disciplinary building which serves all genres of arts and culture tracing its roots back to the Saratoga County Arts Council, a 1980 program of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.

In 1996, Saratoga Arts signed the first lease with the City of Saratoga Springs for 320 Broadway, the former home of the Saratoga Springs Public Library. Over the next four years, they raised $550,000 through a capital campaign and invested in the building. The funding allowed the specialization of spaces conducive to creating and presenting art across all genres.

The mission of Saratoga Arts is to enrich the region by cultivating a vibrant arts community and by ensuring that the arts are accessible to all. Every year, Saratoga Arts welcomes over 30,000 visitors and art appreciators.

The facilities include a 100-plus seat theater, gallery spaces, and multiple classrooms and makers spaces. Local artists and teachers are hired, who engage over 500 students in all levels of arts education. It hosts over 70 exhibitions and special events, allowing over 700 artists to showcase and sell work and maintain a network of hundreds of member artists and multiple collaborative exhibition and event partners in the Capital Region and beyond.

Saratoga Arts has brought the arts to over one million people through its programs and provided performing and visual artists opportunities to earn over $3 million in art sales and performance fees, officials said.

For more information about Saratoga Arts visit www.saratoga-arts.org.

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