The Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation (DSIC), in partnership with Metroplex, Proctors and a coalition of local arts organizations and artists, today announced plans to bring more public art to downtown Schenectady.
The Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority approved a $99,000 grant to support expanding public art downtown at its August meeting. The new program called “Schenectady Power and Light” has the goal of empowering, energizing, and lighting up spaces downtown.
Phase one will focus on four highly visible projects:
• Transforming the State Street rail underpass into a vibrant public gallery through a curated exhibition of large-scale artwork that will be displayed and lit up on the walls of the most prominent rail underpass downtown.
• Activating storefronts with creative window installations that celebrate Schenectady’s history, innovation, and artistic community.
• Supporting Art Night with more funding so that the monthly event features more working artists and musicians.
• Providing Live Music at New Venues – Bringing life to public spaces like Jay Square, the top of the Proctors marquee and various alleyways downtown with live music and working artists.
“Schenectady has always been a city powered by innovation,” said Maureen Neufeld, Executive Director of the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation. “With Schenectady Power & Light, we’re channeling that same energy through the arts. By transforming these now underutilized spaces into places of creativity, discovery, and community pride, we’re investing in the everyday experience of downtown Schenectady while creating new reasons for residents and visitors to explore, linger, and connect.”
“Metroplex is pleased to support this latest investment in public art building on the success of new murals, downtown lighting, and new public spaces like Jay Square,” said Ray Gillen, Metroplex Chair. “We want downtown to always look great and feature working artists and live music not just on days and nights when major events are happening but all year round.”
The initiative grew from a collaborative planning effort among downtown arts organizations, cultural institutions, artists, and community partners who share a common vision of using creativity to strengthen Schenectady’s sense of place.
Philip Morris, CEO of Proctors Collaborative said, “Our community has used arts and culture as a powerful economic development engine. Schenectady Power and Light takes that effort to the streets adding more murals, more art, and more light to spaces that are sometimes overlooked creating pop up attractions and new opportunities to win even more fans for downtown.”
Artwork displayed beneath the State Street rail underpass will feature a curated collection of works by regional artists inspired by both contemporary themes and Schenectady’s rich history. The permanent display system will allow exhibitions to evolve over time, creating opportunities for new artists, fresh experiences, and recurring community celebrations surrounding future installations. Likewise, storefront installations will transform window spaces into engaging visual experiences that contribute to a more vibrant streetscape while highlighting the city’s creative spirit.
More live music and working artists on Art Night and at pop up events are also key components of the program.
The new program will be managed by DSIC with support from Proctors and as many local artists and musicians as possible all working to bring more Schenectady Power and Light to downtown as quickly as possible.
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