Kismet, located at 71 Fourth St. in Troy, NY (telephone 518-272-1918) was established June 2006, operates as an artist-owned gallery and studio space. Showcased in Kismet’s 3,000-square-foot gallery is the work of over 125 regional artists and artisans, including fine art, photography, prints, jewelry, ceramics, glass art, sculpture, fiber arts, and other unique handmade curiosities. On the last Friday of the month, we have an opening and reception in conjunction with the Troy Night Out Art Walk. Kismet Gallery is a new breed of bottom-up retail enterprises where we pride ourselves on doing things differently. Unlike other retailers, we never sell anything made in a sweatshop—just one-of-a-kind handcrafted items which are sustainable and manufactured by our family, friends, and neighbors in our community. At Kismet, we stand for principles over profit; idealism over hype; values over image; and mutual aid over competition. Unlike retailers at the mall, for every dollar spent here at least 70 cents goes back into our community to pay our artists; the rest goes to keep the gallery open. As owners, we see ourselves primarily as activists fighting back against the corporate takeover running roughshod over our communities. We view the corporate flagpoles dominating our streets and the city outskirts as being representative of conquest, not community. Our once-bustling downtowns have been left derelict, once-plentiful resources have been pillaged, and once promised jobs have been axed in favor of sweatshop labor. The time is now to kick the corporations to the curb and to reclaim our communities. if theres any questions/comments send us some mail @ kismet_gallery@yahoo.com or shoot us an instant message @ Troys Kismet.