What a joy it was to kick off the new year together in January at the Beloved Community Pie Social with NAACP Schenectady Chapter 2175, Inner Bliss Yoga & Wellness, and the Sycamore Collaborative! Together, we celebrated many pathways we have to build Beloved Community as we nourish our bodies, each other, our communities, and the ecosystems that feed us.  With spring coming, our Member Relations Team sensed it was time to come together to celebrate possibilities for mutual flourishing, gather our seeds and get ready for the growing season, metaphorically and literally.

In this spirit, we're thrilled to invite you to join us on March 21st 5pm-8pm at the SEAT Center at 120 State Street as part of Art Night Schenectady. Together, we will welcome spring and celebrate mutual flourishing, meaningful work, and creativity!

We are so excited to be future neighbors of the SEAT Center which connects young people to meaningful work through their array of programs and services - including a culinary arts program and a media and film program! They exist to work alongside underrepresented young people to create a SEAT at the table in their community, ensuring they are invited, welcomed, and engaged. 

Like companion plants in a garden, we help each other flourish! Schenectady benefits from the many organizations and businesses that work together to bring events like Art Night to our downtown. A diversity of people and businesses creates a thriving ecosystem that lifts us all. And as a community-owned, democratically governed grocery store, Electric City Community Grocery will be more than a place to buy groceries, it’ll be a place of community.

To “seed” our growing relationship we welcome Member-Owners to enjoy Art Night Schenectady and make a stop at the SEAT Center to see the art of Julia Durgee (MO #501) and to join in planting actual seeds to grow plants for a future co-op event.

Are you an artist who'd like to share your work? We also extend a warm invitation to all co-op Member-Owners to contribute artwork or music to the exhibit. Space is limited, so please let us know how much space and other set-up support you would need, and if you can bring your own easel, etc. Please email eatlocal@electriccityfood.coop asap if you're interested! 

Already showcasing your art in Art Night? Where?! We’d like to share a map in our next newsletter, as a treasure hunt.  And look for details for a fun prize drawing in next week’s Beet!  As you can see in the map below, our future home on Lower State Street puts us in great company with an array of mutually supportive neighbors! We're so excited to help draw visitors to enjoy this vibrant part of downtown Schenectady!