When Mostly Modern Festival (MMF) co-founders Victoria and Robert Patterson first proposed a new Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, they didn’t expect to be met with backlash from locals.
”We’re going through all the proper channels to get the Arts Center approved,” Victoria Patterson said. “We’re checking all the boxes, the planning board, town council, everything, so that everyone is happy.”
The Pattersons first launched MMF in 2005, which was held every June at the Arthur Zankel Music Center in Skidmore College. Launched to celebrate the diversity of modern classical music, the non-profit company has since branched into other endeavors, including a European edition of MMF based in the Netherlands and Mostly Modern Concerts, free, year-round concerts held in locations like Carnegie Hall, Broadway, and Lincoln Center.
Their latest project is the Mostly Modern Arts Center. Located near the intersection of County Route 68 and Burke Road in Saratoga Springs, the proposed Arts Center will be a multi-use space with a recording studio being MMF’s primary focus, according to Victoria Patterson.
“I’m a classical violinist, but the venue can be for a bluegrass trio or any local artist to make records and albums in the studio,” Patterson said.
Though the Arts Center will primarily hold recording sessions, Patterson stated she hopes to expand the Arts Center into hosting indoor concerts once or twice a month, with occasional outdoor programs also planned.
With MMF’s big plans with the Arts Center, the venue has received drawbacks from locals, more specifically, about the noise the Arts Center will bring. Opponents have created petitions and Facebook groups, such as the “Keep Burke Road Peaceful” (as of August 31, the private group has 100 members), to prevent the Center from being built.
“While we applaud the development of the arts and economic development, this commercial project does not belong in our quiet neighborhood!” the “Keep Burke Road Peaceful” about page states.
Despite the surrounding controversies, Patterson remains reassured that the Arts Center will remain a quiet and peaceful space for artists to record music.
“ We’re spending an enormous amount of money on an acoustician and making it a killer recording studio,” Patterson said. “The land that we’re on is very isolated. You can’t see any neighbors, and the way they’re building it, it’s going to be beautiful.”
The Pattersons are seeking to get the town board’s approval and will attend a public hearing for the Arts Center on Monday, September 8, at 12 Spring Street in Schuylerville.
Comments are closed.