Choosing a wedding dress has become a big production for some, with the bride-to-be bringing along her mother, future mother-in-law and a group of friends to help her select in a luxurious salon while sipping champagne and mimosas.

After more than a year of canceled or postponed nuptials in 2020 and 2021, last year saw a wedding boom as many of those couples finally took their vows, spurring opportunities for growth and renewed hope for wedding venue owners across the Capital Region.

In their brightly lit, smartly appointed shop in Midtown, Topstitch owners Mallory Maupin and Samuel Rose teach workshops, fulfill custom orders, consult on product development and work on their own projects.

COVID-19 exposed the stark realities of the precarious economic state of the theater industry, but even regular theatergoers may not look past the glamour and drama of live theater to the grit, sweat and dollars that go into it. 

In revisiting her early self-portraits, Betty Nelsen has zeroed in on the strongest elements, cropping the drawings into pages that will go into a series of handmade books.

Betty Inada, a Japanese American jazz singer born in Sacramento in 1913, sought fame in Japan in a time when American screens and stages had little space for Asian women. 

When she performs, singer and songwriter Beti Masenqo leaves this earthly plane in a way that seems entirely effortless.

The temple and museum is usually a quiet respite for visitors, open by appointment only. But during one weekend, the serenity is replaced by bursts of firecrackers and thousands of visitors attending the Bok Kai Festival weekend, honoring Bok Eye.

With her recent exhibition “Heavier Than Air,” artist Summer Ventis encouraged viewers to externalize their held breaths by inflating a balloon.

Some members of the arts sector experience instability due to a lack of ownership in the creative movements they build. A year out from pandemic reopenings, city and state programs are supporting artists in unprecedented ways — but the relief is temporary.