In an era where much of the arts world is shaped by national promoters, social media algorithms and increasingly corporate ownership of media and music, small arts organizations often struggle to survive, let alone thrive. But at the Palace Theater, located at 19 Utica St., Arts at the Palace challenges that narrative by embracing a model rooted in regional artistry and community-building.
Rather than simply purchasing and promoting talent based on national trends, Arts at the Palace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community arts organization committed to cultivating it locally. According to the organization’s executive director, Henry Howard, there’s been a shift, both practically and philosophically, in how community arts institutions define their roles.
“Instead of functioning as booking agents chasing headlines, we’ve become curators and cultivators of local and regional creative ecosystems,” Howard said.
Howard, who is a musician himself — his band Henry and the Tides has a self-described soft-rock acoustic sound — sees the unique potential of this emerging approach, which is especially relevant in rural areas, such as central New York, where access to creative infrastructure is limited but artistic potential is abundant.
“There’s a real opportunity for us to be on the forefront of this transition — to uplift and platform regional artists and provide the physical spaces and social conditions necessary for them to grow audiences and develop their craft,” Howard said.
Post-pandemic, the importance of physical gathering spaces for creative expression has become more urgent. Howard highlighted the tricky paradox of social media: while it has connected artists more broadly than ever before, it has also contributed to a sense of isolation. This isolationism, according to the Palace, can be cured through a project called “creative place-making.”
“Artists might have thriving creative practices online, but they’re often lacking opportunities for cross-pollination, mutual learning, or spontaneous collaboration,” Howard said. “That kind of community doesn’t really happen online — it happens in shared physical space, a kind of creative place-making.”
Board of Directors President Bill Butler, who has seen the genesis and blossoming of the Palace over many years — as a ‘nightclub’ for students to go dancing, a multipurpose music venue and now a nonprofit arts organization — shared his perspective on its current mission. According to Butler, in an industry as oversaturated as music production, narrowing the scope has been crucial.
“We’ve taken it back a step to the artist’s level, helping them create their art on their own terms,” Butler said. “The process at large is using our resources to expand the artist’s resources — sometimes that simply means moving their studio space from their bedroom to the one here at the Palace.”
And that’s precisely the role the organization has stepped into these past years. Through public events, performance programs, workshops and initiatives like the summer Art Walk, which featured the works of hundreds of local artists, the organization is inviting artists to rediscover creative expression as a process — not just a product.
Local working artist Ryan Lee, who specializes in photography, videography and filmmaking, moved to Hamilton from New York City two years ago. With a photography niche that depended entirely on a bustling urban setting, Lee, now in rural suburbia, had to pivot to directing and shooting short films.
He found immediate support at the Palace, which helped him obtain a federal artist grant and premiered his debut short-film comedy, “Hamilton, the Town,” which drew a full house at their theater downtown.
Lee’s success as a working artist puts him on one extreme of the spectrum of artists in Hamilton. While most have their crafts as side jobs or hobbies, his journey exemplifies the organization’s mission to uplift all individuals in their creative processes. Lee now serves as the Palace’s 2025 Arts Coordinator and Digital Storytelling Fellow.
Howard underscored the importance of re-centering art as a form of expression, rather than a mere commodity.
“So much of today’s art is created to gain attention or followers,” Howard said. “We’re trying to shift the focus back to process, to self-expression, to identity-building and to making art as a means of personal and communal wellness.”
One of the most tangible reflections of this philosophy is Creative Endeavors, a six-week co-curricular program offering artists the space, time and validation to engage in creative practice across disciplines. For Colgate University students, this 12-hour course counts for a physical education credit and is a valuable opportunity, according to attendees like sophomore Gabby Moreira.
An avid creative writer, Moreira attended Creative Endeavors this summer and shared how it invigorated her collaborative spirit as an artist.
“This program connected me to other artists in Hamilton and [on campus] and provided me with a community where I could both share my own art and learn from others about theirs,” Moreira shared. “I felt supported and encouraged by the program, and my goals for sharing my art became much more feasible.”
Howard emphasized the program as something that will serve you regardless of how big a role it plays in your life and career.
“The point isn’t to become a professional artist,” Howard said. “It’s about giving young people permission to create without the pressure of performance or perfection. That kind of personal practice stays with you for life.”
The program also serves a deeper social purpose. The director noted that when people lack meaningful opportunities for self-expression, symptoms of that suppression can surface culturally in unhealthy ways.
“Art isn’t just decorative — it’s therapeutic. Creating spaces where expression is safe and valued has the power to solve real social problems and teach us how to unravel our bottled-up emotions,” Howard said.
Programs like Creative Endeavors are just one part of a broader invitation strategy at Arts at the Palace. From the summer Art Walk to open mic nights where emerging artists share stages with touring musicians, to theater and monologue workshops, to the Thursdays on the Village Green, the goal is the same: foster participation, not just spectatorship.
The creative resurgence unfolding in Hamilton and across upstate New York isn’t happening in a vacuum. As the cost of living in major cultural centers like New York City and Boston continues to rise, artists are increasingly drawn to more affordable, slower-paced locales where time and space allow for deeper creative engagement.
Students may have noticed the explosion of student bands on campus or a renewed interest in cinema and radio among the student body. While this surge may be something that has always been there and is simply now better documented via social media, there is something to be said about the enthusiasm and camaraderie around amateur artistry in rural places.
Lee expanded on the uniqueness of Hamilton’s art ecosystem.
“Hamilton is a very unique space,” Lee said. “The transplants here appreciate the lower cost of living, and there is a spattering of major universities and unique employment opportunities that mesh with a wide array of artists. This intersection of new and established artists is what provides a fertile ground for inspiration.”
As Lee mentioned, the proximity to Colgate’s campus has created some wonderful opportunities to bridge the gap between the University and the town through artistry. Last spring, for example, the Palace hosted the debut of drummer and Chaplain Mark Shiner’s Thelonious-Monk-inspired jazz band, the Mark Shiner Quartet. They’ve also hosted student groups such as the band Chalant and the comedy group Charred Goosebeak.
There’s also something about the region’s climate — literally. It’s rainy, rural, cold — there’s not always a ton to do. But that environment can lend itself to introspection, curiosity and a hunger to make something.
Lee also attributed this resurgence to the loyalty and generosity of the Village residents.
“In Hamilton, when things happen, people show up. This is a community that comes together whenever there are things to do. In [New York City], you’re more flooded by a cacophony of choices,” Lee said. “Here, you’re kind of pigeonholed into appreciating or not. The rural nature helps to create these microcosms of artists interested and involved in shared ideas.”
Unfettered by this paradox of choice, Lee and fellow artists in rural areas have more time and space — literally and metaphorically — to pursue their artistry with the enthusiastic support of the community.
When asked what artists need most, Butler didn’t hesitate:
“Time, space, money — and more than anything, an invitation. A sense that what they’re doing matters here,” Butler said. “That simple but powerful message is one that Arts at the Palace has built into its foundation.”
Even world-class artists need local grounding, Howard emphasized.
“Until the era of the ‘masters’ and ‘Michelangelos,’ artistry was always community-based,” Howard said. “It wasn’t about fame or genius — it was people with skill and perspective contributing to the cultural fabric of their town. That’s what we’re trying to return to.”
In Hamilton, that return is well underway.
The Creative Endeavors: Poetry Writing Workshop begins Oct. 1. Interested parties can find more information at artsatthepalace.org.
