ALBANY, N.Y. - September 1, 2025 - The Irish American Heritage Museum (IAHM) is pleased to announce a new, monthly artistic showcase and performance series, starting September 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM. These “Irish Talent Salons,” which will take place the rst Friday of every month at IAHM’s Flanagan Theater, are in furtherance of IAHM’s partnership with Metroland Now.
“For decades, Metroland Now’s First Friday Albany introduced new and local creative talent - in art, literature, storytelling, live music, and other elds of performance - to Albany’s artistic community, at dozens of galleries, retailers, and nonpro ts throughout the City,” said Michael C. Clarke, IAHM’s Executive Director. “The Irish American Heritage Museum is thrilled to continue that legacy by hosting Irish Talent Salons every rst Friday of the month, where folks can showcase and share their creative energy while enjoying the work of others.”
“Since Metroland Now revived the First Friday Albany free event performance series earlier this year, we have consistently seen its importance to artists, venues, the City of Albany and the upstate region’s overall economic health,” said Erin Harkes, Editor-In-Chief and Publisher of Metroland Now. “With the Irish American Heritage Museum’s powerful artistic community engagement efforts and the new Irish Talent Salons as part of the First Friday Albany series, IAHM is - simply put - enhancing beautifully our beloved city.”
IAHM’s Irish Talent Salon’s provide an opportunity for all interested to showcase their talents before a welcoming, like-minded and artistic community. Whether a college-attending creative, a seasoned artist or a front parlor performer, all are welcome to “step up” to share in front of friends and family. All forms of talent are welcome, including: writers, storytellers, visual artists, recitations, seanchaí (tellers of old lore and histories), singers, musical performers and other creators. IAHM’s Irish Talent Salons will provide opportunities to demonstrate and experience our Irish heritage in uences and the impact of the same through unique presentations of local creative and artistic performances.The inaugural IAHM First Friday Albany Irish Talent Salon takes place September 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM at IAHM’s Flanagan Theater. The event is hosted/facilitated by the brilliant, NYC based Irish seanchaí and musician, Donie Carroll.
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ABOUT THE IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MUSEUM’S FIRST FRIDAY IRISH TALENT SALONS
Upstate New York has been - and remains - the home of many talented Irish diaspora and their influences. Whether they be the Flanagan Brothers (prolific recording artists/Irish band in the early 1900s with global prominence and in uence); the Leonard and Kelly families; Kevin McKrell; and All-Ireland champion musicians and dancers who live/have lived in the region.
The Irish American Heritage Museum’s Irish Talent Salons will take place the first Friday of every month, from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM. These events are intended to showcase creative work in a warm, welcoming and intimate concert space. All genres of artistic expression are encouraged, including that created by visual artists, writers (to read original prose, poetry, etc.), seanchaí (tellers of old lore and histories), storytellers, musicians, singers, and other performers from the region’s artistic community.
Participation is encouraged from all artists, regardless of where they are in their artistic journey. Seasoned artists will certainly inspire newer artists. Newer artists will in uence all present by sharing their work, stories, and creative energy. A goal of the Irish Talent Salons will be the experiencing and sharing of the creative process. Through this participation, our sense of heritage and creativity will be enhanced.
Participating creatives are encouraged to sign up for an available time slot in advance of each of IAHM’s Irish Talent Salon. This can be done here, on IAHM’s Eventbrite page. In order to insure availability for all interested artists, there will be an eight minutes time limit per performance. If all available time slots are taken on an intended IAHM Irish Talent Salon date, the artist is encouraged to contact IAHM Executive Director Michael C. Clarke.
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ABOUT METROLAND NOW’S FIRST FRIDAY ALBANY PERFORMANCE
In 2025, Metroland Now revived the First Friday Albany artistic series, wherein multiple FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC performances and showcases are given at venues throughout the city of Albany on the rst Friday of every month throughout the year. First Friday Albany features a variety of new art, live music, and special events at dozens of galleries, retailers, and nonprofits throughout the City of Albany. Historically, First Friday Albany has provided an economic boost to artists, venues, organizers and the city of Albany, and - importantly - continues to do so, post-pandemic.
• For more information on Metroland Now’s First Friday Albany series, click here.
• For map of Metroland Now’s First Friday Albany series, click here.
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ABOUT THE IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MUSEUM
The Irish American Heritage Museum (IAHM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded by the New York State legislature in 1986 and permanently charted in 1992 by the Board of Regents of New York as an educational institution. Through exhibitions, first-person narratives, and cultural programming, IAHM tells the story of Irish immigrants and their descendants - from U.S. presidents and cultural icons to nameless soldiers and factory workers.
In addition to exhibitions, IAHM hosts a robust series of programs, including traditional Irish music sessions and performances, lectures, cooking demonstrations, once a month traditional and folk (“Trad/Folk”) Irish performances, film screenings, and assorted one-person shows, plays, and busking experiences. To learn more, visit www.irish-us.org, follow IAHM on Facebook, and see programming on IAHM Eventbrite.