For Immediate Release

Contact Info: Jill Schwartz, 413-644-9994

CHELSEA MARKET GOES JINGLE AGAIN W/HOLIDAY POP-UP STORE, DEC. 10-23
Shopping extravaganza decks the halls of Chelsea Market with art & industry

MANHATTAN — (Nov. 23, 2009) — Chelsea Market will be serving more than fabulous food this holiday season. Beginning Dec. 10, and continuing until Dec. 23, the market will host “JINGLE” a Holiday pop-up store now in its third year.

JINGLE is a shopping extravaganza featuring a collective of independent designers, selling their wares directly, and various performance art and video designed to tickle the imagination.

Items at the JINGLE will include nostalgic, vintage groove jewelry and home accessories, green products recycled from cashmere and felted wool (both edgy and high style), candles, fine handmade contemporary porcelain, natural skincare, wall art constructed from recycled spice tins, fine stationery and curiosities, quirky and fun knitted wire sculpture, playful letters and words in metal, retro kitchen fashion, handcrafted leather goods, kitsch stocking stuffers, and a bounty of other beautifully designed products for body and home and for just about everyone and everything.

The shopping festival is a natural extension of the playful architecture that characterizes the retail level of Chelsea Market, and its visiting designers will pick up where the hall leaves off.

“Our edgy, yet arty take on gift giving promises to put excitement into your holiday shopping,” said festival creator Jill Schwartz. “This is the perfect setting for us as ‘Art Meets Industry’ in our store, and Chelsea Market’s unique spirit reinforces our vision.”

JINGLE’s grand opening is Dec. 10 at 4 p.m.  The event continues through Dec. 23. Hours are Monday through Friday 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

About the vendors:

ELEMENTS/JILL SCHWARTZ: Tickle your fancy side with the preciousness of Jill Schwartz’s elements… Incredible vintage groove assemblage work expressed in artware jewelry, heirloom albums, picture frames, and more.

‘E KO LOGIC: Where “Green” meets Couture. Clothing and accessories hand constructed in New York by recycling post-consumer cashmere sweaters.

THE MACBETH COLLECTION: A home & accessories line that marries functional home storage and organization with high-design.

MOTEL DELUXE: Purveyors of fine stationery, journals, photo albums, and a wide variety of great gift items.

GAUGE: Cool and clean metal letters and words, precious one-of-a-kind metal snowflakes, and other unique metal products, all handmade in Brooklyn.

JILLERY BY JILL FAGIN: A line of jewelry, Judaica, and home accessories, handcrafted in New York City from recycled aluminum.

PRIMITIVE TWIG: Wall art figures from recycled material and vintage parts.

YEEHAW INDUSTRIES: Original products from fine woodblock prints to hand-printed letterpress stationery.

REBEL DESIGNS: Hip and chic jewelry and leather goods, offering style and sophistication to fashionistas all over the world.

MARY JAEGER: Designs sculpted and dyed, women’s and interior accessories focusing on hand-made details and a sensitive use of color, pattern and texture.

ELIZABETH GILLETT: Unique scarves, cozy sweaters and special evening cover-ups that are feminine and fun!

KITSCH*N GLAM: With a wink and a nod to ’50s design, Kitsch*n Glam’s colorful line of lifestyle products are fashionable, flirtatious accents to express personal style.

AUSTRALIAN SCENT: 100 percent natural, hypoallergenic skin care. Nothing compares.

AYALA JEWELRY: Ayala Naphtali’s jewelry incorporates sterling silver with recycled coconut shell and semiprecious stones. Her modern and elegant adornments are earthy and beautifully textured.

REINA MIA BRILL: Adorable Quirky Knitted wire sculptures.

KLEIN REID: Fine handmade porcelain.

BLUE Q: Kitsch objects and other awesome & artful curiosities.

PUTAMAYO WORLD MUSIC: CDS offering Afro pop, folk, Celtic, world beat artists, and holiday music for both children and adults.

AND MORE…

For links to the websites of JINGLE vendors, visit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jingle/207568156718

For information and images, contact Jill Schwartz at 646-872-0626.

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For Immediate Release

Contact: Catherine Hedgeman 518-708-6350

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR RICHARD FLORIDA COMES TO ALBANY, SEPT. 24

“Who’s Your City?” Co-Hosted by Center for Economic Growth & The Stakeholders
Presented by General Electric

ALBANY, N.Y. (9/14/09) — New York’s Capital Region is more talented, creative and hip than you may think.

But the area still has a lot of work to do if it wants to attract and retain more creative professionals.

That’s the message event organizers hope people will take away from a Sept. 24 presentation at the Palace Theatre by best-selling author Richard Florida, Ph.D.

“In the global battle for creative talent, we are going to see a strong emphasis, greater than ever before, on the importance of quality of place,” Florida said. “For Albany to compete effectively, the region will have to provide creative workers with a complete authentic community.”

THE CREATIVE CLASS

Florida’s upcoming talk in Albany will focus on the concepts in his latest book “Who’s Your City? — How the Creative Economy is Making the Place Where You Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life.”

This book is the most recent in a series examining what Florida calls the “Creative Class,” an emergent class of highly mobile intellectuals, artists and entrepreneurs.

This group of idea-creating professionals is highly courted by community leaders because, although it amounts to just 30 percent of the total workforce, the creative class controls more than 70 percent of the discretionary income in the nation.

But members of the creative class have the ability to choose where they want to live, according to Florida, and they choose to live in tolerant communities with a good job market, appealing aesthetics, cultural amenities, and a large pool of potential mates.

HOW DOES ALBANY RANK ON THE CREATIVITY INDEX?

According to Florida, the percentage of creative class professionals in the Albany workforce is higher than the national average for regions of its size.

About 32 percent of the Capital Region workforce (137,710 workers) can be described as creative class, while 15 percent of the Capital Region workforce (67,310 workers) can be described as the “Super-Creative Core,” which includes scientists, engineers, techies, innovators, and researchers, as well as artists, designers, writers and musicians.

This summer, Florida ranked Albany #20 in a national list of the “Best 25 Cities for Gen Y” (for singles ages 20-29).

In 2005, he identified Albany as a top mid-sized metro area in the country for “talent clusters” in the legal and media fields.

In his 2002 “Creativity Rankings,” Florida placed Albany at No. 2 (behind Albuquerque) among medium-sized cities in the U.S. The score is based on the number of creative workers, the presence of high tech industries and the level of diversity in the region.

More Albany Metro Area Place Rankings
(Among 266 U.S. Regions):

Singles (20-29) overall – 20th
Singles (20-29) best buy – 14th (when cost is figured in)

Professionals (29-44) overall – 27th
Professionals (29-44) best buy – 32nd

Families with children overall – 25th
Families with children best buy – 44th

Empty-nesters overall – 22nd
Empty-nesters best buy – 29th

Retirees overall – 25th
Retirees best buy – 31st

Source: Richard Florida, director of the Martin Prosperity Institute,
Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

FUTURE FORWARD

The Stakeholders, Inc., and the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) are co-hosting Richard Florida’s presentation at the Palace as part of the “Future Forward” speaker series. General Electric is the major sponsor.

“We invited Richard Florida to our Capital City to start the discussion about how and why we should invest in a creative economy,” said Catherine Hedgeman, president and CEO of The Stakeholders. “The future of our region hinges on revitalization of our cities and on investment in a creative economy to ensure artists, entrepreneurs and social innovators can thrive.”

“Our region’s culture of innovation is predicated on the development and exchange of ideas,” said F. Michael Tucker, CEG’s president and CEO. “When you couple that with a spirited quality of life you get a location that is well suited for a dynamic, high tech economy.”

“GE is pleased to bring Richard Florida back to the region,” said Christine Horne, manager of Communications and Public Affairs, GE Energy. “We consider this a great opportunity to hear Florida’s ideas on the ‘creative class,’ commercial innovation, and regional development. His unique perspective on global trends and economics will help us understand, as a region, how to compete in the global marketplace.”

FOR INFORMATION:

For information about the Sept. 24 presentation by Richard Florida at the Palace Theatre, visit: http://www.yourcitycapregion.com.

For information about Richard Florida and a press kit, visit:
http://www.creativeclass.com/richard_florida/media.php

For information about the Center for Economic Growth, visit: http://www.ceg.org.

For information about The Stakeholders Foundation, Inc., visit: http://thestakeholders.org.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Catherine Hedgeman 518-708-6350
CEO@TheStakeholdersFoundation.org

GROUP TAPS ALBANY’S “CREATIVE CLASS” TO BRING RICHARD FLORIDA TO TOWN

The Stakeholders Hires Duncan Crary to Promote Best-Selling Author’s Talk at Palace, Sept. 24

ALBANY, NY (7-15-09)—A local nonprofit has engaged Albany’s “creative class” to promote an upcoming talk by global best-selling author Richard Florida.

On Sept. 24, at the Palace Theatre, Florida will speak about the concepts in his latest book, “Who’s Your City? – How the Creative Economy is Making the Place Where You Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life.” Florida’s earlier books explored the importance of the creative class, an emergent class of independent intellectuals, artists and entrepreneurs.

The presentation is co-hosted by The Stakeholders, Inc., and The Center for Economic Growth. General Electric is the presenting sponsor.

To promote the event, The Stakeholders, Inc., has hired independent creative consultant Duncan Crary, of Duncan Crary Communications.

“The Stakeholders is bringing Richard Florida to our Capital City to start the discussion about how and why the people of our region should invest in a creative economy,” said Catherine Hedgeman, president & CEO of The Stakeholders, Inc. “We’re proud to have hired Duncan to promote this event, because he is a member of our region’s growing creative class who has chosen to make this area his home.”

This February, Crary, 30, founded his own new media and creative consulting business in Troy. In May, he partnered with Dutch Apple Cruises to host a successful riverboat commute to work between Albany and Troy. A former newspaper reporter and magazine editor, Crary now hosts and produces “The KunstlerCast,” a weekly audio podcast featuring urban planning author James Howard Kunstler.

“Many young creative professionals like me are happily choosing to make the Capital Region our home,” Crary said. “Richard Florida’s talk will help the community-at-large to better understand the vital role that the creative class will play in our region’s new economy. I hope that it will also inspire young professionals to stake a claim in the places we have chosen to live, because these are our cities.”

The mission of The Stakeholders is to cultivate an informed and active creative class dedicated to building diverse and sustainable communities throughout New York’s Capital Region.

Though Crary is the first paid consultant on the team, more than a dozen creative class professionals are serving as volunteers for the Stakeholders to orchestrate the Richard Florida event. More than a dozen local businesses and organizations have signed on to sponsor the talk.

Richard Florida is director of the Martin Prosperity Institute and professor of Business and Creativity at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. His other books include “The Rise of the Creative Class,” “Cities and the Creative Class” and “The Flight of the Creative Class.”

For information about the Sept. 24 presentation by Richard Florida, visit: http://www.yourcitycapregion.com.

For information about The Center for Economic Growth, visit: http://www.ceg.org.

For information about The Stakeholders, visit: http://www.thestakeholdersfoundation.org and
http://www.thestakeholders.org.

For information about Duncan Crary Communications, visit: http://DuncanCrary.com.

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For Immediate Release

April 23, 2009

Contact: Duncan Crary 518-274-2723

RIVERBOAT COMMUTE TO WORK, ALBANY – TROY, MAY 13

Dutch Apple Commuter Cruise Re-creates Steamboat Travel in Capital Region

ALBANY, N.Y. – On May 13, riverboat commuter service between Albany and Troy will return to the Capital Region for one special day.

Duncan Crary Communications of Troy has partnered with Dutch Apple Cruises of Albany to host one day of Hudson River commuter service to and from work in Albany and Troy. Commuters may ride the Dutch Apple to Albany or Troy in either direction before and after work.

“Commuting by water is one of the best ways to get to work,” said Duncan Crary, who made local and national headlines in 2007 for canoeing to work in Albany. “This event will demonstrate that the journey from point A to point B can and should be a rewarding experience — and an adventure, too!”

The morning cruise will leave Albany at 6:45 a.m. and arrive in Troy at 7:25 a.m. The boat will leave Troy at 7:40 a.m. and arrive back in Albany at 8:30 a.m. Morning passengers will receive complimentary Times Union newspapers, coffee and bagels. Trolley shuttle service to select downtown locations will be provided to passengers by the City of Troy and the Albany Aqua Ducks.

The after-work cruise will depart Albany at 5:25 p.m. and arrive in Troy at 6:05 p.m. The boat will leave Troy at 6:30 p.m. and arrive back in Albany at 7:10 p.m. The after-work cruise will feature complimentary finger foods, a cash bar and live music by the Clarinet Marmalade (a trio of members from the Skip Parsons Riverboat Jazz Band).

Tickets cost $25 round-trip and $15 one-way. Pleasure passengers are welcome on the morning and after-work cruises, but must board in Albany for a round-trip.

Cruising time between cities will take about 40 minutes, with time for passengers to get off and board in Troy.

“This is going to be a nice, slow, beautiful ride to work,” said Capt. Lou Renna, owner of the Dutch Apple. “People are going to get to work in a different way, without the hustle and bustle of speeding down 787. I think it will be very relaxing.”

Additional support for this event includes a $500 mini grant from The Hudson River Valley Greenway.

“Communities throughout the valley are once again looking to use the river to solve modern problems — to get people out of their cars and into more sustainable modes of transportation,” said Mark Castiglione, acting executive director of the Hudson River Valley Greenway.

“If we have enough passengers, we could take 100 cars off the road,” Renna said. “That would make this a ‘green’ commute.

Though the Dutch Apple is not powered by steam, this event will recreate the 19th and early 20th century experience of Hudson River steamboat travel. Steamboats provided regular passenger service to and from Albany starting with Robert Fulton’s first steamboat voyage in 1807 and lasting until 1948. Some area residents, like Skip Parsons, remember riding the Albany steamboats in their youth.

“My mother’s family lived in Hudson and we went there by steamboat. But only a couple of times,” said Parsons. “I had not realized at the time how exciting it must have been. I guess we thought it would always be a part of life.”

If this May 13 event proves successful and profitable, Renna said the Dutch Apple might offer more commuter days in the future.

Duncan Crary Communications has created a website with information about the cruise and a discussion forum where visitors can hookup with carpoolers and share their river commuting stories. http://DuncanCrary.com/DutchApple

To purchase tickets, call the Dutch Apple at 518-463-0220.

For information, call Duncan Crary at 518-274-2723 or email info@DuncanCrary.com.

Note: Complimentary media passes are available to those covering this event.

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