ART’s mission is to support and improve the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail by creating public works of art along the Rail Trail. These unique art installations encourage local and regional visitors of varying ages and physical abilities to enjoy this amenity, both increasing the diversity of trail users and benefiting the local economy. In addition to bringing public works of art to the Rail Trail, ART also hosts community events including the annual Chalk the Walk every September. Follow ART on social media to stay up to date on happenings!
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a new miniMoCA518 installation
by Melissa Dadourian
Exhibition Dates: April 27 - June 21, 2023
Public Reception: Friday, June 2, 5:30-7:30 pm
Location: miniMoCA518, Corner of Hudson Avenue and Adams Street
ART on the Rail Trail presents Melissa Dadourian’s installation, The Space In Between, in its 2023 series of exhibitions at miniMoCA518, the unique, miniature art gallery sited along the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail. Dadourian’s exhibition encapsulates on a miniature scale the sort of immersive environment that she has often created for much larger spaces.
In describing her process and materials, artist Melissa Dadourian states: “I make knitted paintings and large immersive installations using thread, yarn, found fabrics, and sculptural objects. These elements carry diverse associations and connections, and expand upon my understanding of painting, and what a painting can be.” Her vibrantly colored assemblages are meticulously hand-made but allude to familiar manufacturing processes involved in the production of clothing and ceramics. With The Space In Between, Dadourian hopes passersby will linger at this strange new world whose scale is both delightful and disorienting.
The Arts Center of the Capital Region made this program possible through the Statewide Community Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
ART expresses sincere gratitude to gallery sponsor McSharry & Associates.
On Saturday, April 22, ART on the Rail Trail hosted a reception and poetry reading to celebrate D. Colin's installation, Sacred Space, in the miniMoCA gallery. The event was attended by about 24 friends and neighbors for a reading of poems from Colin's book Dreaming in Kreyol, as well as some more recent work. Colin talked about her approach to her installation, her use of the nearby Little Free Library to contribute some of her best loved authors to the community, and answered questions from the audience.
ART expresses sincere gratitude to exhibition sponsor I Love Books, gallery sponsor McSharry &Associates, and Grassroot Givers, which donates books to little free libraries.
Event photos from D. Colin's public reception and poetry reading by Robert Copper. (April 2023)
On Saturday, April 22, ART on the Rail Trail hosted a reception and poetry reading to celebrate D. Colin's installation, Sacred Space, in the miniMoCA gallery. The event was attended by about 24 friends and neighbors for a reading of poems from Colin's book Dreaming in Kreyol, as well as some more recent work. Colin talked about her approach to her installation, her use of the nearby Little Free Library to contribute some of her best loved authors to the community, and answered questions from the audience.
ART expresses sincere gratitude to exhibition sponsor I Love Books, gallery sponsor McSharry &Associates, and Grassroot Givers, which donates books to little free libraries.
Event photos from D. Colin's public reception and poetry reading by Robert Copper. (April 2023)
ART Year-end Summary 2022
It was a busy year for Art on the Rail Trail! This year-end report summarizes the accomplishments of 2022.
NEW in 2022: Mural by Fernando Orellana
Fernando Orellana's mural, titled Cathedral, is ART's latest addition to the Rail Trail. The mural is located on the piers under the Cherry Ave bridge in the Town of Bethlehem and was unveiled in October of 2022.
Mini MoCA 518 NOW OPEN!
At the Rail Trail entrance near the intersection of Hudson Ave and Adams St.
MiniMoCA518 will feature free, rotating exhibitions of small-scale artworks commissioned specifically for the gallery. Expanding upon the trend of small, free lending libraries and miniature public art galleries throughout the United States and abroad, MiniMoCA518 aims to present quality family-friendly art programming through ongoing exhibitions at the gallery.
You are invited to join Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy as a valued sponsor of our Art on the Rail Trail (ART) project. If you'd like to sponsor ART, please contact art@mohawkhudson.org.
Sponsorship opportunities for 2023 will be posted here soon.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 SPONSORS!
I Love Books, Little Art Gallery Exhibit Sponsor (D. Colin installation and poetry reading)
McSharry & Associates Realty, Little Art Gallery Exclusive Sponsor
Do you own a property or business along the Rail Trail? Would you like to see more ART along the trail? If so, let’s talk!
Email art@mohawkhudson.org to start the conversation.
Check out the art installations at these locations:
Fernado Orellana art on the columns under Cherry Ave bridge in Slingerlands (2022).
Mini MoCA 518, rotating miniature gallery at the Adams St. Rail Trail entrance in Delmar.
Inaugural exhibition Preschool by Roger Bisbing, 2022.
Oh my! Murals Share the Trail, a public safety campaign sponsored by Albany County at multiple site on the trail (2021).
Susan Togut art installations between Main St. and Grove St. in Voorheesville (2020).
Young People’s Mural at the Kenwood Ave. trailhead in Slingerlands (2019). A community mural designed by student Emily Meier, project work led by artist Andrea Hersh.
Angela Cuozzo mural for Bliss Juice Bar on Delaware Ave. in Delmar (2019).
John DeMarco art on the columns under the Cherry Ave. bridge in Slingerlands (2018-2022).
Ramiro Davaro-Comas mural on the Rail Trail bridge crossing Delaware Ave. in Delmar (2018).
Andrea Hersh mural at the Adams St. Rail Trail entrance in Delmar (2017).
Art on the Rail Trail believes that public art is a transformative vehicle for uniting diverse individuals and outlooks from throughout the Albany-Helderberg region. ART strongly welcomes participation from creative voices representing diverse backgrounds and embraces projects that celebrate community building through inclusive approaches. ART does not discriminate based on factors of race, age, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, migratory status, disabilities/abilities, political affiliation, veteran status, and/or socioeconomic background.