OK, so this is not really a post about my photography. It is a post about finding joy in art of all kinds in our communities. But, I will say that it belongs here as a topic since I taught two phone-tography classes… Let me catch you up.

I loved the A-Team as a kid. It was fast paced, chaos, funny, Mr. T. was so cool, and I had a HUGE crush on Dirk Benedict aka Faceman. I also loved it when when George Peppard’s character Hannibal would put his cigar in his mouth and say “I love it when a plan comes together!”.

Plans can start in a very detailed and purposeful ways or, like this plan for the East Greenbush Arts in the Parks, it started with a spark and grew. The initial point of igniting this plan was an idea generated from me creating a presentation about art in the Capital District as part of a virtual residency I and several colleagues offered to our student at SUNY Empire State University. That then helped ignite a smoldering desire to give back to my community.

I was drawn into the visuals and in awe of the vibrant arts community in the Capital District and the public art murals in downtown Albany and other areas in the region. I kept thinking about what might be possible to do across the river from Albany in my own town of East Greenbush. I heard about a grant opportunity through the Capital Region Arts Center and the NYS Council on the Arts, and I decided to go to the workshop. The ideas could not stop flowing. I organized my ideas into a presentation and reached out to the Town Supervisor, Jack Conway, to ask for the support of the town to bring the arts to the local community. I met with him and his amazing Community and Recreation Department team (Lisa O’Brien and Donna Millett), and they all said yes – go for it! I wrote the grant, crossed my fingers, and submitted the three part arts education/community arts program for consideration.

In late April 2023, I got notice of the award, and the plan came together. So, starting in mid-July, this has been my passion project during what my university calls Faculty Reading Period – a time when we work on our scholarship, grants, creative expressions, and special projects.

In partnership with the Town of East Greenbush and the Community and Recreation Department, I have been coordinating and offering a series of free community arts classes held in Hampton Manor Park. These have been the most rewarding manifestations of joy that you could imagine. Each class is a dopamine hit of creativity and community. I am still humbled as I look back at the five weeks of offering seven free arts classes (2 plein air painting, 2 family arts and crafts, 2 phone-tography, and one vision boarding/collage class). Using social media and a comprehensive website I created for the grant activities, some fliers around town, and flooding surrounding community and neighborhood Facebook groups with images of creativity and positive community engagement, 118 members of the community participated in these classes down at the beach house in my neighborhood of Hampton Manor.

With Phase 1 completed, I am just about done with Phase 2 – coordinating a Fall Arts Show to be held in conjunction with the Community Day event at the East Greenbush Town Park on 16 September; and I am now ramping up to Phase 3 – working with families, faculty, and students in the local school district on a community mural to be painted on the road side of the Hampton Manor Beach House.

I love it when a plan exceeds expectations!