Adaptive Reuse for Community Value

Supported the preservation and restoration of the Smith Opera House through advocacy and community mobilization efforts in the late 1970s.

Provides music and dance educational experiences through school-based assemblies, master classes, and lecture-demonstrations with professional artists for students in Geneva-area schools and colleges, including programs with Ithaca College Faculty Brass Quintet, RUBBERBAND Contemporary Dance Company, and Mounafanyi Percussion and Dance Ensemble.

Operates as a fully volunteer-run organization with a working board that manages all administrative functions including artist and venue contracting, fundraising, publicity, ticket sales, financial management, and educational outreach.

Produces and hosts a concert season featuring orchestral, dance, and percussion performances by professional artists and ensembles, including Garth Fagan Dance, The Syracuse Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and Mounafanyi Percussion and Dance Ensemble, primarily at the Smith Opera House in Geneva, NY, from 2026 to 2027.

Offers free admission to all concerts and performances for children and youth through Grade 12 via the Sponsor-A-Student program.

Implements and oversees the redevelopment of the Lincoln Center campus, including infrastructure planning and operational improvements.

Offers paid training programs focused on workforce readiness and career skills in live arts, media, and cultural sectors for underserved youth. Participants receive a stipend equal to minimum wage upon completion. Graduates are placed in paid internships with local businesses.

Organizes and hosts free community events including youth workshops, performances, art exhibitions, book readings, film screenings, and large-scale festivals such as Winter Walk, Kwanzaa, and Midsummer Swing! These events serve youth, families, and the broader community.

Curates and hosts rotating art exhibitions featuring artists such as Sita Gómez and Richard Saja, along with documentary screenings and conversations with artists. Exhibitions are held in dedicated gallery spaces and open to the public.

Operates and rents multiple adaptable event spaces—including a 4,000 sq ft theater, gallery, and meeting rooms—for weddings, corporate events, film shoots, and gatherings. Spaces are equipped with professional audio, video, lighting, and high-speed internet, and are available to nonprofits at discounted or no cost based on mission alignment.

Provides ongoing multi-session workshops in theater, music, dance, crafts, and visual arts for children and youth, many in partnership with local school districts. Approximately 70% of programs are free or greatly subsidized.

Produces and presents professional theater, opera, dance, and music performances, including the Handel on the Hudson opera series and events such as 'Happy End' and 'Midsummer Swing!'. Productions include fully staged operas recognized as New York Times Critics’ Picks.

Offers tuition-free music mentorship to young people in the Hudson City School District through an in-school program, supporting youth engagement in the arts.

Convened a 25-member Community Advisory Council and conducted multiple public engagement meetings to inform the Master Plan and redevelopment vision, ensuring community input from Broadway-Fillmore residents, local businesses, and preservation stakeholders.

Developed and is implementing a community-informed, phased redevelopment plan for the Buffalo Central Terminal, including publishing the Master Plan in 2021 and advancing its vision through capital improvements, public activations, and economic development initiatives.

Plans and implements activations of the Great Lawn and other outdoor areas, including launching the "Seat at the Table" community space with custom-built seating and tables, and using state funding to enhance safety and usability of public spaces.

Operates the Civic Commons as a year-round event venue and hosts public events including the CIRCLE THURSDAYS summer concert series, block parties, and 16 events on the historic lawn in 2024 that attracted over 8,000 attendees.

Offers a self-guided outdoor audio tour of the Buffalo Central Terminal that highlights the site’s history, architecture, and future redevelopment plans.