ALBANY, N.Y. (October 1, 2020) – Discover Albany and the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District have collaborated to launch “Artful Albany,” a podcast series of self-guided walking tours highlighting mural artwork throughout downtown Albany. Each episode in the series will include a guided narration, context on historic locations along the way, and commentary from two featured artists speaking on their Capital Walls Murals.
 

The series will consist of four 30-minute episodes narrated by Discover Albany Education & Heritage Coordinator, Maeve McEneny. The Capital Walls is a mural project throughout Albany spearheaded by the Albany Center Gallery, Albany Barn and the Albany Parking Authority. “Artful Albany” was created through the joint efforts of Discover Albany, the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District and the Albany Center Gallery.
 

The artists featured in the first episode are Michael Conlin discussing his mural “Bluebirds” and Liz Zunon commenting on her mural “Geraldine’s Reverie.” The episode walks listeners through downtown Albany to their murals found on the Quackenbush Garage and along the Clinton Avenue off-ramp from I-787.
 

“This year Discover Albany has adopted the theme “Artful Albany” to show off all the incredible places around Albany County where you can view art,” said Jill Delaney, president and CEO of Discover Albany. “The murals of the Capital Walls program are such a unique part of downtown Albany and we wanted to give visitors and locals alike the chance to see them in a self-guided walking tour that includes a mix of insights from the artists and history of the city in an easy-to-consume podcast. We were so excited to work on this project with the Albany Center Gallery and the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District.”
 

“The Downtown Albany BID is thrilled to collaborate with our colleagues at Discover Albany and Albany Center Gallery to present this new way to experience the history, art, and culture of Downtown. From our centuries old stories to the ever-evolving collection of Capital Walls murals, there is always something new to learn and seek out in our neighborhood. We feel that these self-guided walking tours are a great socially distance activity for those new to our city and longtime residents,” said Georgette Steffens, executive director of the of the Albany Business Improvement District.
 

“We are excited to share the stories, inspiration and vision behind the murals while highlighting the artists' creations,” said Tony Iadicicco, curator of the Capital Walls Murals. “As we tour the Capital Walls murals, we hope you learn more about the process and the importance of having public art accessible 24/7. We look forward to working more with our partners and creatives as we collaborate to share more art with the community."
 

The podcasts can be found on the Discover Albany website at albany.org/things-to-do/arts-and-entertainment/artful-albany or on the Downtown Albany BID’s website at downtownalbany.org/artfulalbany
 

For more on Discover albany, please visit albany.org. For more on the Downtown Albany BID, please visit downtownalbany.org.