Gary Gold & Nancy Pierson

Gary Gold and Nancy Pierson have been supporters of Albany Center Gallery since its inception (1977!). Their unwavering dedication has spanned decades, along the numerous locations that ACG has called its home. With ACG’s move to N Pearl Street quickly approaching, Gold and Nancy look forward to this exciting next chapter.

Gold spent his early youth on Long Island, before his family moved upstate to Guilderland in his high school years. He pursued a degree at the University at Albany where he majored in Chemistry. It was at this point that photography became a main focus for him. During his time in college, Gold was a member of Photo Service, worked for the school newspaper and the yearbook. In 1970, he became a graduate assistant for Les Urbach working at the University at Albany Educational Communications Center. Gold aided Les in hauling artists’ work to a number of settings prior to the installations at Albany Psychiatric Center (ACG’s first location). Les served as an important mentor for Gold, helping shape his own understanding of art and the artists around him.

Gold worked as a freelance photojournalist before he became a commercial photographer. Over his career, he worked for multiple clients in healthcare, architecture, and academic institutions. Through his early work of documenting art exhibitions at ACG, this led to working for many academic museums and nonprofit galleries including University at Albany, Albany Institute of History and Art, Opalka Gallery, Massey (CSR), The Tang, The Hyde, and David Smith Collection. Throughout his career, Gold also mentored many young photographers, who are now working in a variety of fields and still keep in touch. Gold proudly supports several organizations with his photography including ASO, APM, and Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company.

Nancy grew up in the Hudson Valley near Poughkeepsie, and also went to the University at Albany, where she had a focus on geography. She worked for the New York State Parks in natural resource planning, open space protection, and environmental review. Upon her retirement, Nancy joined the Board of Directors at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission. She also spends her time through volunteer work at a local food pantry and free breakfast program in Downtown Albany. 

They have two daughters living in NYC. Hannah is an art teacher, Sara works in advertising as a broadcast producer. Both grew up going to art exhibits, especially those at ACG. Hannah even did a stint as an intern at ACG. They enjoy and support all forms of art that the Capital District has to offer - music, dance, theater and all the visual arts. And ACG has always been one of the most special.

Words from Gary Gold and Nancy Pierson: “We are honored and humbled to receive this award. We both believe that the arts are critical to the well being of our society and supporting the arts in any form is something we all must do. From the start, ACG’s goal was to support local artists and bring art into the community. Today, it continues to follow that mission as well as so much more. Under the leadership of Executive Director Tony Iadicicco, along with ACG’s amazing staff, we see the ‘more’ in so many ways; from public murals and youth art programs to exhibits and festivals. Thank you to the Board and staff for all the more.”

Georgette Steffens

Georgette Steffens is a dynamic nonprofit leader who is shaping the landscape of the Capital City of the Empire State. With over 20 years of expertise in economic and community development, Georgette continually finds new ways to attract thousands of residents and visitors annually to downtown Albany. During her tenure, downtown Albany has experienced over 1.1 million square feet of office being converted to 1,000 residential units creating Albany’s newest neighborhood. Whether it is through new infrastructure projects, like the creation of a dog park, or through the activation of Albany’s parks and streets through 40+ events, Georgette’s positive impact can be seen throughout downtown.

As the Executive Director of the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District since 2009, Georgette has prioritized free access to art for all. Together with Albany Center Gallery, they have been doing placemaking for 15 years as multiple public art initiatives, including the Downtown is Pawsome Nipper statues, Amplified Voices youth program in the South End, multiple large scale murals, Open Door Gallery, Play Me I'm Yours Pianos, and created the Artful Albany self-guided walking tour to encourage folks to appreciate the beauty of public art with Discover Albany. 

Georgette’s efforts are not just limited to the Downtown area. She also serves as the Chairperson of the Albany Port District Commission, leading maritime and land-based economic activity on the Hudson River, and as a board member of the Bethlehem Industrial Development Agency and the Bethlehem Girls Basketball Club. Georgette is the proud mom of two teenage daughters with her husband Nate.

Due to the support of the Downtown Albany BID and Georgette’s leadership, Albany Center Gallery has developed its impactful public art throughout the region. Thank you for their on-going partnership and excitement with cultivating Downtown to be artfully splendid!

Words from Georgette: “I am deeply humbled to receive the Dr. Joel Spiro Community Impact Award. It has been a privilege to collaborate with Tony Iadicicco, the Albany Center Gallery Board & Staff, the BID Staff, and the many talented artists who call the Capital Region home. I feel fortunate to have a role where our work truly makes a difference. I remain committed to creating free access to public art for all as it enhances community connection, builds social connections, strengthens civic pride and belonging, and shapes how our neighborhoods are perceived, all while celebrating the unique culture of our local region.”

Susan Myers

Susan Myers discovered her love for photography while watching her first print develop in the darkrooms at SUNY Albany. There, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Fine Art in the early 1980s, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology in the late 1980s. After graduating, she taught locally at Saint Rose College and Russell Sage College, and La Salle School for Boys in Albany, where she successfully renovated their darkrooms with grant funding. Susan became involved with Fulton Street Gallery in Troy, where she joined the board and curated exhibitions that gained local, national, and international attention.

Since 2012, Susan’s work has focused on cyanotype photography—a process that produces cyan-colored prints by use of UV light. Although cyanotype printing was first introduced by Sir John F. W. Herschel in 1842, Susan’s approach is distinct and incorporates unconventional materials and subject matter. 

Her photography has been featured in numerous juried exhibitions, including the Photo-Regionals, Mohawk-Hudson Regionals, and Mohawk-Hudson Invitationals. She has been represented by Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson and has exhibited work both regionally and internationally. This past year, her work was featured in a curated three-artist exhibition at Albany Center Gallery titled Memories in Motion that showcased her astounding skill in creating large scale cyanotype prints. Susan has also served as a juror for various statewide and regional shows, and has curated or coordinated notable exhibitions, such as Interpreting Landscape (juried by the editor of Art in America), the 911 Show (featuring work from across the U.S. and Europe), and Exposed (juried by Antony Montoya of the Aperture Foundation).

Susan played a key role in revitalizing the local Photo-Regional exhibition, helping to establish its current format, which has thrived for over a dozen years. Her first experience with the Photo-Regional was during college at Albany Center Gallery, then located in the Albany Psychiatric Center. Although her submission was rejected, the experience inspired her deeply. She volunteered under Les Urbach, who championed photography as a legitimate art form—at a time when it was excluded from the Mohawk-Hudson Regional. Urbach founded the Photo-Regional to give photographers in the Capital Region a platform to showcase their work.

When the Photo-Regional was at risk of ending due to financial and logistical challenges, Susan proposed a rotating gallery format to distribute the workload. With support from the Fulton Street Gallery board, she helped revive the show. She enlisted Jim Richard Wilson of Opalka Gallery and partnered with Albany Center Gallery to establish a sustainable rotation. Susan also called in favors from her former professor, Phyllis Galembo, to jury and lecture. Operating on a shoestring budget, she secured donations from local restaurants, Home Depot, McGreevy Pro Lab, and others. The reception featured harp music by Lydia Zotto, a local student at Juilliard Pre-College, in her first paid performance. Even the Troy Best Western provided space for the lecture after a last-minute venue cancellation—thanks to her husband’s quick thinking. The event was a joyful celebration of photography as an art form and continues to thrive today, thanks to the support of volunteers and community partners.

Words from Susan: “This award carries the name of Mona Ruth Brickman, who was a steadfast supporter of the arts and Albany Center Gallery. I am deeply grateful to be chosen as this year’s recipient. I believe Mona Ruth Brickman would have been a kindred spirit to my mother, Elizabeth Myers, who also adored art and artists, holding them in the highest esteem. She took her 12- to 16-year-old daughter to every art museum in Europe while we lived there.

Art makes the world a better place, and I’m impressed by the continued success and growth of Albany Center Gallery over the past 46 years since I first encountered it in college. I hope the Capital Region continues to celebrate and support this vital institution.”