People & Places You Should Know: Albany Institute's Kayla Carlsen

Happy Tuesday, Capital District! Today, we’re getting to know the new executive director at the Albany Institute of History & Art, and looking forward to seeing y’all at First Friday Albany!

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People & Places You Should Know: Kayla Carlsen

When you look back at Kayla Carlsen’s journey, it seems inevitable that she would end up leading the Albany Institute of History & Art.

As the child of auctioneers in Greenville, NY, she grew up in a historic home, surrounded by antiques and American art. She would see Hudson River School paintings and take note of their grandiose yet familiar landscapes. She did seminal internships at Olana State Historic Site and Historic Deerfield that deepened her understanding and appreciation of New England’s early history.

Kayla’s career took her to New York City where she worked in a number of well-known auction houses for two decades, rising to head of the American Art Department at Sotheby’s. When the chief role at the Institute unexpectedly opened up, she was ready to make a change.

After taking the helm in July, Kayla began looking to engage the community in new and maybe surprising ways. There’s now a yoga series on Mondays, held on the museum’s front lawn. On Oct. 10, the Institute will host Headshot Happy Hour when professionals can get new headshots and network with cocktails in hand. On Free Family Days and First Fridays, the museum is open to the public without charge.

“We’re looking to build out our programming in more meaningful ways,” Kayla tells The 518. “We want to bring people to the museum who aren't already accessing us for one reason or another.”

Kayla is also thinking a lot about the Institute’s role in the greater Capital Region, which boasts world-class museums like the Hyde Collection and Fenimore Art Museum. Her vision is for the Institute to be a regular—and accessible—destination for a larger slice of the community.

“I’d love people to say, ‘Oh, what are you doing Friday night? Of course, I'm going to the Institute.’”

This Friday is a perfect opportunity to take up Kayla on her suggestion. The museum will have extended hours and free admission as part of First Friday Albany. Also remember, you can always get free museum passes at your local library (supplies are limited), and Bank of America cardholders get free admission every first full weekend of the month.

On view now are new exhibitions on 17th century Dutch life and art, Mohican art and culture, the delightfully whimsical art of Salley Mavor—and, of course, those famous Hudson River School landscapes.

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🍅 With two weeks in business, it looks like the nonprofit Bargain Grocery is successfully filling a gap in Troy’s urban food desert. About half the floor space of a Trader Joes, the market sells produce sourced from local farms and wholesalers, plus packaged foods, at a 30% discount from big box stores. See Chris Churchill’s full review in the Times Union.

✏️ Neighborhood ranking site Niche has released its 2025 Best Schools and Districts rankings, which are based on ratings from students, alumni, and parents, along with data from the U.S. Department of Education. The ratings consider factors such as student-teacher ratios, test scores and extracurriculars. Spoiler: North Colonie Central School District in Latham was ranked #1 in the Capital Region. See the top-ranking districts in our area at News10.

💻️ NY CREATES, the nonprofit managing Albany NanoTech, has received a $4.7 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant will bring college students and teachers from across the U.S. to Albany NanoTech to learn about semiconductor technician jobs in the computer chip industry. [Times Union]

This week, we’re going a bit afield to one of the oldest homes in Vermont, known as the Mooar Wright House. Located about 45 minutes from downtown Troy, this salt box-style home has been meticulously preserved and restored. Wide-plank flooring, an open hearth, hand-hewn beams, brick nogging, and worn thresholds add authentic charm. Skylights flood the upper floors with light. The house is nestled into perennial gardens edged with stacked stone. The garage/barn outbuilding is painted a hip black and includes a workshop, plus a spacious loft area that could be your favorite spot in the whole place. This is a rare chance to own a 250-year-old piece of history.

The deets: 4 bd, 3 ba, 2034 sf. Asking: $349,000. Days on market: 3. See the full listing here.

🎟️ WHAT’S HAPPENING

Note: Our full weekend roundup publishes on Thursdays. Check your inboxes!

👩‍🦰 Today, don’t miss a remarkable gathering of gingers as the League of Extraordinary Redheads meets for the Walk of the Living Reds at Ryan’s Wake Public House. This should be quite the sight!

🖋️ This afternoon at 4:30p, award-winning poets Urayoán Noel and Sarah Giragosian are in conversation, hosted by the NYS Writer’s Institute on the UAlbany campus.

🖼️ First Friday Albany is the city’s monthly celebration of art and culture. Besides free admission at the Albany Institute of History and Art, there are haunted tours of the State Capitol Building, live music at Opalka Gallery, art openings at Common Roots and Lark Hall, a Harvest Festival in the Warehouse District, and much more! Check out the full lineup here.

🍎 On Saturday, the Saratoga Hard Cider & Donut Festival is part bar hop and part dessert bar. Also happening on Saturday is Hops on the Hill, a craft beverage festival benefiting the Bethlehem Area YMCA.

🍗 The Schenectady Wing Walk is this Saturday, but tix are all sold out 😭 

🪐 Every month, No Fun throws a Planetarium party. This Saturday, Libra Szn is a celestial gathering of beautiful people who love to boogie. Plan your outfit accordingly!

🥦 On Sunday, the Albany VegFest is a meatless lover’s paradise.

🍠 Also on Sunday, culinary historian Lavada Nahon takes you on an exploration of early New York’s rich foodways in a talk at the NYS Museum.

🎸 LIVE MUSIC & MORE

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