Choose Cohoes for Art started out as a little sub-committee of Choose Cohoes with a loose structure and ambitious goals. There came a time when, to move forward, we needed to become our own entity. We formed a 501(c)(3) not for profit to be able to, among other things, seek grants to further our goals and to allow our contributors to legitimately claim their donations on their tax returns. Doing this required a more formal structure with offices, a board, and members. For better or for worse I became the president of that organization. We had positive accomplishments along the way – but not all that we aimed for. After our modest silent auction fund raiser in October 2023, I came to the conclusion that I did not have the necessary abilities to move us farther toward our desire to be a positive influence in the Cohoes art scene or a social benefit to the residents of Cohoes. I still had a year in my term but in December I asked the board to seek out a replacement.
At our March Board Meeting I believe we found that person. Alicia Lea is the owner and operator of Paint Cohoes. She has extensive experience in both the art world and the business world. She has the drive and talents to help us along our path. To get to know a little bit about our new president I direct you attention to a recent interview broadcast on WMHT’s “A House for Arts” (AHA). Her interview is the second segment of the show. You can find it on the WMHT web site at https://www.pbs.org/video/drea-larose-alicia-phillips-the-insolent-willies-kwbmt9/
Please join me in welcoming Alicia to our organization.
Dave Koschnick – former president
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