Press Release: Key Downtown organizations receive awards for service and commitment
ALBANY – Two esteemed downtown Albany organizations, Capital Walls and B. Lodge and Co., received awards last evening at the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District's (BID) 2024 Annual Meeting. The event, which took place at the new Clinton Market Collective, featured a report on the past year's progress and initiatives Downtown, a performance by The New York Players, and food and beverages from local eateries. Stakeholders, elected officials, residents, and community members attended the event.
Capital Walls received the 2024 James DiNapoli Award, which is awarded to an individual, organization, or business that exemplifies DiNapoli’s spirit of partnership and community-building in shaping the direction of downtown Albany. DiNapoli was the founding member and inaugural Chairman of the Downtown Albany BID.
Capital Walls was formed as a collaboration between Albany Center Gallery (ACG), Albany Barn, and the Albany Parking Authority (APA) in 2016 after the APA commissioned a mural for the north side of the Quackenbush Parking Garage. Today, the program is responsible for 20 murals Downtown by 22 locally based and nationally renowned artists, covering 26,000 square feet.
The program identified the artists — several of whom had never worked on projects of that scale — and provided the funds, materials, and guidance to help curate and execute their visions. Several Capital Walls artists have gone on to create murals throughout the region, state, and country and start their own businesses and youth mural development programs, spawning new artists and artwork in other communities.
For the downtown Albany community, the artwork has created a sense of pride and place, and new educational opportunities. Over the years, the program has hosted public guided bike tours and walking tours of the murals, and private tours for groups, schools, and businesses. Self-guided tours are accessible through Discover Albany’s Artful Albany podcast.
In 2019, Capital Walls and the Downtown Albany BID secured grants and obtained permits to bring four new murals to life in the District, which were completed in 2022, and the most recent additions to Downtown were commissioned by the APA and completed in 2023. The transformative nature of these murals, both to their physical spaces and the hearts of everyone who sees them, is why Capital Walls received the 2024 James M. DiNapoli Award.
BID Board President and President of Redburn Development Partners Elizabeth Young JoJo and BID Executive Director Georgette Steffens presented the award to the founding members of Capital Walls — Albany Barn, Albany Center Gallery, and the APA — along with several artists.
B. Lodge and Co. received the 2024 Luminary Award, which recognizes an individual or organization that acts as a “leading light” in the development of Downtown’s small business, arts, or residential communities.
The Yonally family has owned B. Lodge and Co., Albany’s oldest department store founded in 1865, for 27 years. Jack and Elaine Yonally took over the business from the previous proprietors in 1997, and their son Mark bought the business from them in 2011. A family business through and through, the store hires within the community, and the Yonallys refer to their employees as family. Located at 75 N Pearl Street, the business has also participated in charitable programs with CAP COM and SEFCU (now Broadview), MVP Health Care, CDPHP, Rensselaer County, the City of Albany, and other entities to provide free coats to school-aged children. In 2023, Lodge's supplied approximately 10,000 jackets to those in need.
In addition to keeping prices low, the store meets the needs of the community in many ways. Lodge’s is the largest supplier of school uniforms in the Capital Region and acquired an embroidery business to expand their offerings and create designs for private and charter schools. The store is also one of the largest suppliers of medical scrubs in the area.
Over the years, the Yonally family purchased nearby buildings and offered affordable rent rates to reduce the entry barrier for smaller brick-and-mortar stores, paving the way for other businesses to emerge as Downtown institutions of their own.
Father and son duo Jack and Mark Yonally served on the Downtown Albany BID Board of Directors among others in the region. Jack Yonally also founded the Downtown Merchants Group, before it was absorbed by the BID, served on the Small Business Loan Fund at the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, and currently serves on the Retail Council of New York State's Board of Directors. Time and time again, the Yonallys have demonstrated their commitment to the Downtown community, which has earned them the 2024 Luminary Award.
Angelo Maddox, BID Board member and owner of Fresh and Fly Clothing on 13 S Pearl Street, presented the award to Yonally. Maddox received the inaugural Luminary Award in 2018. Mark Yonally served on the BID Board and presented Maddox with the award at that time. Wednesday evening completed a full-circle moment for these two established downtown Albany business owners who continue to support each other’s businesses by referring customers to each other’s stores.
Downtown Albany BID Executive Director Georgette Steffens said: “We could not think of two more appropriate Downtown stakeholders to receive these awards. The entire Capital Walls team has transformed the area with murals that not only reflect the diverse ecosystem of our District, but tell a story about the artists and their visions for these spaces. We cannot overstate the importance of having accessible artwork for anyone to appreciate in the core of our City, and we thank Capital Walls for their immense contribution to Downtown.
“We are incredibly lucky to have B. Lodge and Co. in our District. The Yonallys are an integral part of the fabric of Downtown and continue to go above and beyond for their customers and tenants. Lodge’s is the epitome of small business done right, and we are grateful for all that they have done for our community and other communities across the region.”
Albany Center Gallery Executive Director Tony Iadicicco said:
"Murals, especially ones that are outdoors, hold a special power in that it can transform communities and knock down barriers by making it more accessible to people because they are in public spaces. The Capital Walls murals are unique in that it cannot be found anywhere except here and it allows us to see various artists with their own styles all in downtown Albany and the Capital Region. I want to thank our Capital Walls partners Albany Barn and ParkAlbany for helping to make these murals possible. Thank you also to Downtown Albany BID for the additional support on the Albany DRI murals. Special thanks to all the artists who have been part of the Capital Walls mural program for creating uplifting, educational, thought-provoking mural and sharing them with the community. It is incredible to see all of your works out in the public for everyone to enjoy."
Albany Barn Executive Director Casey Polomaine said: “On behalf of Albany Barn Inc, we are so thrilled to have Capital Walls recognized by the Downtown Business Improvement District. These murals bring paid opportunities to artists, color and vibrancy to our city, and joy to all those who encounter them, and to play a part in that is truly an honor."
Executive Director of the Albany Parking Authority Sean Palladino said: “The Albany Parking Authority is proud to be a founding member of the Capital Walls mural initiative. Since its inception in 2016 and creation of the very first mural, “Bluebirds” by Michael Conlin, this transformative program has helped to improve walkability and economic development within the City of Albany by providing artists with unique canvases to showcase their amazing art. Public art is key to creating a vibrant city, and for the past 8 years, the Albany Parking Authority has had the privilege of commissioning 15 Capital Walls murals at our facilities and we look forward to continuing these kinds of investments in the coming years.”
Owner of B. Lodge and Co. Mark Yonally said: “The combination of my dad, my mom, and myself, we put a lot of work in here, and I appreciate all the help that they have given and will continue to give. We like doing it. We have a successful store. And that we can help individuals and give back to the Downtown community, it is what we're based on, and it is something we really believe in. You help where you can. It is an honor to get recognized for that.”
