Courtesy The Hyde
The Hyde Museum and the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce has formed a joint networking and team-building event .
Officials said at a recent ARCC NextGen Committee meeting, the group tried to think of events to engage members.
They decided to participate in the museum’s Art Battle, slated for 6 p.m. Thursday, July 19, at the 161 Warren St. museum. This year they will challenge teams to an evening of creativity, and resourcefulness, as each is tasked with creating a work of art out of recyclable products from JUST Water.
“The Art Battle is a perfect fit,” said Will Fowler, and NextGen Committee member and co-founder of Sidekick Creative and a volunteer on last year’s Art Battle planning committee. “NextGen is a great opportunity for professionals to network and build business in the community, but also to have fun.”
“The Art Battle is about so much more than art,” said Jenny Hutchinson, educator at The Hyde. “The event is about team building and creating relationships.”
“This is a great story to tell about reusing these materials, a perfect platform to talk about the JUST Water mission as a company,” said Fowler, who has been on the NextGen Committee since January. “It’s a natural, organic way of tying in all these different community members.”
Each participating team includes at least one member of NextGen, a committee that helps young professionals network and build their careers. Teams signed on so far include Mannix Marketing, SUNY Adirondack, NBT Insurance, Sidekick Creative, ARCC, NextGens, and State Farm.
“Part of being on the NextGen Committee is getting out of your comfort zone and learning while having fun. It’s a delicate balance, but I believe events like the Art Battle will accomplish these things for our committee members,” said Amanda Blanton, ARCC marketing and communications manager.
Part of the fun is a judges panel that includes Hyde Interim Director Anne Saile, SUNY Adirondack Director of Marketing Doug Gruse, and JUST Water Chief Operating Officer Jim Siplon.
“At The Hyde, we’re committed to building strong relationships within the community, so it’s a wonderful fit to join forces with NextGen — a group dedicated to networking,” Saile said. “The Art Battle is a fun way to meet new people, mingle, be entertained, and to be inspired.”
The Art Battle includes music, food, and drinks sponsored by Northway Brewing and The Grateful Den. Other sponsors include JUST Water; Bartlett, Pontiff, Stewart & Rhodes; Behan Communications; Upstate Agency; NBT Bank; Associates of Glens Falls Insurance; Better Than New Painting; and McCann’s Pharmacy.
The first Art Battle event in 2015 was inspired by Andy Warhol’s collaborations in his famed “Factory.” In 2016, live models posed for artists to create portraits; and last year teams were given “mystery boxes” of materials and tasked with creating a Hyde House favorite with a Modern art twist.
“This is not just for artists. It’s for community members to experience creativity from the perspective of an artist,” Hutchinson said.
Admission to Art Battle: NextGens is $15 for Hyde members and $20 for non-members.
For information about sponsoring Art Battle: NextGens, contact Tricia Rogers, ARCC’s membership and events coordinator, at 518-798-1761, ext. 222, or trogers@adirondackchamber.org.