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News ArchiveSeptember 2007 - Sue's Window - A Benefit Concert
Help us celebrate Sue! An acoustic performance by her son, Seth Ramsdill; her nieces and nephew, Katy Dwyer Farone, Molly Dwyer, Sharon & Rick Bolton; grandniece, Maggie Doherty; and her dear friends; Jeff & Becky Walton, Sherian Nolan, and Tim Wechgelaer. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. June 2007 - SaratogaArtsFest coming to UPHUniversal Preservation Hall will be a major venue for this year's first
Additionally, the Arts Fest will hold its gala event "WineFest and ArtsTasting" at the Hall. This event, sponsored by Putnam Wine, will feature over 100 wines, food from Putnam Market, and a preview of many of the performances that will happen over the weekend. More information as well as ticket sales can be found at www.saratogaartsfest.org. April 2007 - Day in the Life Auction Nets nearly $20KUniversal Preservation Hall’s third annual spring fundraiser filled
The auction’s tradition of featuring one-of-a-kind experiences with well known local figures continued this year with Dr. Jean Buhac offering a personal dermatology consultation and services; Hattie’s Jasper Alexander throwing in his secret fried chicken recipe for the high bidder on his cooking lessons and dinner for eight; and NYRA’s Charlie Wheeler tempting bidders with a day at Saratoga Race Course featuring a private box and limo ride by All Occasion Limo. Other high bidders took home the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Tri-City Valley Cats game; a fire engine ride offered by Fire Inspector Pricilla Barry and Chief Robert Cogan,; a day at the Fancy Food Show in New York with Putnam Market’s Cathy Hamilton; and a personal style consultation featuring fashion designer Staci Snider, Aggies, Amy Snider and Spa Cascada, and hair stylist Philippe Bevan, who demonstrated his talents on a volunteer pulled from the crowd.
The “Day in the Life of…” Auction was first organized in March 2005 by the Saratoga Steeplechasers, a volunteer group of young professionals dedicated to assisting the UPH Board of Directors in fund-raising and community awareness for the project. Over the past three years, the auction has raised approximately $70,000 for the project. January 2007 - $25,000 grant to encourage young and new donors
The Nordlys Foundation has given Universal Preservation Hall a matching challenge grant up to $25,000 intended to encourage new and young donors to get involved with the Hall. The challenge grant entitled "Getting the Doors Open at UPH," will match dollar-for-dollar all donations by new donors of any age, and new or existing donors under 40, made between January 9 and April 9, 2007.
According to Susan Bokan, the UPH board member who secured the grant, the Foundation wants to encourage philanthropy among new groups, particularly young people. The Nordlys Foundation challenge grant was announced the same week as an anonymous $100,000 donation, also secured by Bokan.
“The coming months will be an enormously exciting and critical period for UPH during which the community will see major visible changes to the Hall and have the opportunity to attend many outstanding events,” said UPH Managing Director Matt Kopans. “This is truly the community’s space, and in 2007 the people of greater Saratoga Springs and the Capital District will really begin to reap the benefits this Hall promises for our region.”
The challenge expires on April 9th, 2007. Click here to make a donation on our secure website.
December 2007 - UPH receives $50,000 from Solomon TrustThe Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust has made a grant for $50,000.00 to the Universal Preservation Hall. The Trust, which supports local cultural organizations, informed UPH about the Grant award this week. “Not only did they award us the grant” Managing Director Matt Kopans said “but they sent a check immediately!” The grant will go towards restoring the Hall and converting it into a performing arts and events center. The Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust was established to benefit nonprofit scientific, educational and charitable organizations by funding projects and programs in memory of the Trust’s founder, Alfred Z. Solomon, a leader in the fashion industry, horse racing enthusiast and philanthropist of Gansevoort NY and New York City. Mr. Solomon died Sept. 4, 2004 at the age of 104, and had established and funded the Trust in his Last Will and Testament. In recognition of the grant, the west tower of the Hall will be named after Mr. Solomon.
October 2007 - First Realtor's Ball at UPH
The Ball to benefit the Universal Preservation Hall was the first such event held by the Realtor's Association. They hope to hold events in the future to benefit other local charities
The Universal Preservation Hall unveiled a new sign today in front of the building at 25 Washington Street. The sign, which was donated by Sign Perfect in Saratoga and which was designed by Lis Designs, shows the rendering of what the plaza will look like when the Hall is complete. The rendering and the plaza design was done by the Phinney Design Group.
Universal Preservation Hall Open House Event
In the multi-purpose room on the first floor of the Hall, artists and galleries from Saratoga Springs arts district on Beekman Street and Broadway displayed their wares throughout the afternoon. Artists and galleries included: Mimosa Gallery, HBT Photography, Thomas Alexander, Flores Gallery, WestSide, the Artists Coop, Frenchy Loeb, and Tommy Hyndman The Open House was intended to highlight Universal Preservation Hall's future role as a hub for performance and fine arts. It was also to highlight many of Saratoga Springs' local talented artists and to show the city's significance as an arts destination. The event was organized by the Steeplechasers, a volunteer group dedicated to supporting the arts, culture, and not-for-profits in Saratoga and currently committed to opening Universal Preservation Hall. The event exceeded the Hall's expectations. Managing Director Matt Kopans explains "We had designed the event to get the community to see the work we had done on the Hall thus far, as well as to hint at the future possibilities of the Hall once it opens. We thought we were being optimistic by hoping to have 300 visitors throughout the day. We ended up having over 500!" The louvers in the bell tower are being replaced. Workers are taking out the corroded and filthy louvers that protected the Meneely Bell. The new louvers were carefully rebuilt reusing the parts that could be saved. Other parts were made (by our cabinetmaker, Joe Murphy), using the originals as patterns, of Spanish cedar, a very weather and bug resistant wood. The installation and painting should be completed by the end of September.
The louvers to the left are new, the ones on the right are old. The louvers from the parking lot across the street.
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On Sunday September 9th from 5pm to 8pm the family and friends of Sue Dwyer Richardson are dedicating a beautiful stained glass window in her memory which will benefit the restoration of Universal Preservation Hall. Tickets can be purchased at Gaffney’s Restaurant on Caroline St. and Saratoga Guitar on Broadway & Caroline St. More information or questions ~ email 
annual SaratogaArtsFest. The Hall will host Jeremy Pelt, an up-and-coming Jazz performer, and his quintet on Friday June 15th. On Saturday June 16th, the Hall will host a local folk festival during the day, which will be headlined by legenary folk artist Guy Clark in the evening. On Sunday the 17th, Trilaterus - Ron Wasserman's Trio - will take the stage. The Hall will also host a poetry reading and a Klezmer performance.
the Hall’s Community Room to its capacity Thursday night as nearly 200 revelers enjoyed food by Sargo’s, a diverse silent auction, and a live auction led by James Carter of Acorn Auctions. Emcee Garland Nelson and the UPH Revelators, a group of local musicians led by Torey Adler, rounded out the evening’s entertainment. 
On Saturday October 21, the Realtor’s Association hosted a charity ball at Universal Preservation Hall to benefit the reconstruction of the Hall. Led by Meg Minihan of Roohan Realty and Paul Semanek, a committed group of realtors turned UPH (a fixer-upper if there ever was one) into a beautiful, magical, fall-themed ballroom decked out with pumpkin vases and huge flower arrangements. 100+ realtors and their partners attended the event. Catering was organized by Chef David Britton of Springwater and guests were able to sample food provided by Hattie’s Restaurant, Mino’s Restaurant, Springwater Bistro, Chez Sophie,
and The Lodge. The event raised nearly $16,000.00 which will go towards the reconstruction of the Hall. Hall Managing Director Matt Kopans was thrilled by the event. “Realtors are really the people who sell Saratoga. It’s great to be able to show off the Hall to them. When we open, we’ll have a huge impact on the quality of life here. The Realtors recognized that and will, hopefully, talk up the Hall to new homebuyers in the area.”
On Tuesday August 22nd, the doors of the Universal Preservation Hall were thrown open to the public. Presenting a full day of performances and art exhibits, the Hall invited anyone and everyone to see the inside of the Hall, which had been largely unseen since water damage had made it unsafe in 1999. Crowds were able to watch a wide range of performances in the main space on the second floor of the building. Audiences were treated to performances in the afternoon by Epiphany Theatre, Deborah Rocco of Lake George Opera, Jill Levy of the Saratoga Chamber Players, Home Made Theatre, and The Ramblin' Jug Stompers. At 5pm a wine-tasting, provided by Putnam Wine, drew large crowds as did the closing act by internationally renowned guitarist Joel Brown. The event was a family affair as well. Joel Brown's son Andrew performed on Broadway to help draw audiences into the Hall at the beginning of the day and also performed as part of the Beethoven Trio in the afternoon. 
