The
Arts Atrium has seen its share of colorful exhibits but probably none quite
like the Local Business History Exhibition on display from July 15 – August 15,
2001. The virtuosos featured in this show were not the ones who fashion works
from clay or paint but the ones who create and run successful locally owned
businesses.
The
exhibition grew out of a $5,000 challenge grant given by the Independent
College Fund of New York/UPS State Venture Fund to Union's Annual Business
Campaign (ABC). The exhibitors were all contributors to ABC scholarships for
Union students from the seven-county Capital Region. Participating companies
were Clough, Harbour & Associates; Clover Capital Management; Feuz
Manufacturing; Howe Caverns; Marty's True Value Hardware; Stewart's Shops;
Synthesis Architects; Trevi Travel; Villa Italia/Mallozzi's Restaurant; Wells
Communication; and Woodward Connor Gillies & Seleman Architects.
Each
company submitted pictures, products, equipment, or documents providing insight
into its history and development. Visitors were treated to walls and tables
filled with artifacts as diverse as early ice cream ads and financial pie
charts; pictures of caves, modern buildings and landscape architecture; travel
brochures and storefront designs; surveyors' tools, old two-way radios and a
precision part for a Space Shuttle experiment (see photo).
And in
case you're wondering, for those interested in local flavor and shrewd enough
to time their visit for the ABC Donor Recognition Ceremony on July 17, there
were fresh Italian pastries in abundance.