People of Troy
- Rosetta Annino
- Jul 15
- 2 min read
Meet Elizabeth Reiss, CEO of the Arts Center of the Capital Region
What first brought you to Troy, and what's kept you here?
I was working in Albany and I was always looking at the Arts Center — thinking, “Oh man, I really want to lead that organization.” When the job opened up, I just went for it. And then Troy was so welcoming, and collaborative, and open to ideas, that it’s just been a dream to activate projects here.
What keeps me is seeing, everyday, the impact of what we’ve done and the potential for more.
If you had to explain Troy to someone who’s never been here, what would you say?
Troy is a lot of different things. Downtown Troy can seem like the inside of a snow globe, but there’s an entire city of complex communities all around it.
Where I am daily? At Monument Square? It’s a beautiful historic district filled with creative people. There’s always something going on here.
What’s a moment in your work that made you think, “This is why I’m doing this”?
That’s easy. Being part of the group that transformed Franklin Alley. The City had plans to restore it, but there was no real timeline or secured funding. Sometimes public art is the tail that wags the dog, and when we got funding for the murals, everything fell into action.
It’s impossible to relay the hoops that the City jumped through to change garbage collection, pace, get new sidewalks, install lighting — and then finally allowing the artist to work. It’s my favorite project for demonstrating how partnership and perseverance makes things happen.
Is there a place downtown that holds a personal memory for you?
My stepmother was in the first graduating class of the new Troy HS, and then went to Sage, and sometimes I think of her walking around the same streets that are under my feet. That always makes me smile.
Other times my favorite spot is wherever I’m meeting my friends for drinks and dinner.
The Arts Center of the Capital Region
265 River Street, Troy, NY 12180
Hours:
Tues - Thurs: 12 PM – 7 PM
Friday: 12 PM – 5 PM
Saturday: 10 AM – 2 PM
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