The Pursuit of Happiness
March 31st, 2023 -
December 22nd, 2023
Grimm Gallery
Carriage House
Exploring Entertainment in Rensselaer County
Over 200 years ago, a group of white men agreed upon the notion that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”[1] While we may never know the true intent or meaning behind The Pursuit of Happiness as stated over 200 years ago, it’s loose interpretation as a justification for living life to its fullest suggests it has been foundational with each passing generation in upholding the evolving possibilities of achieving and living out the “American Dream.”
“That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement”[2] led many to forge their own pursuits of happiness and would, in turn, become a major force in the development and rise of entertainment as we recognize it today. Due in part to the growing sensation at the turn of the 19th century known as leisure time, these pursuits aimed to quench the new and undeniable urge to have fun and be entertained.
Here in Rensselaer County, both individual and community pursuits of happiness, alongside the steady socioeconomic growth throughout the region, resulted in the creation of a dynamic, multifaceted entertainment circuit that easily grew to rival those found in New York City and other major urban centers of the time. These pursuits took on many forms throughout the county and evolved significantly over time due to advances in technology, shifts in societal norms, and most notably, the rise and cultivation of a mass consuming society – all variables that also reflect what was happening nationally. Yet, despite the revolving-door of changes that faced each passing generation, entertainment and the pursuit of happiness has remained a constant undercurrent of vibrancy that has allowed Rensselaer County to flourish even in the face of adversity.
Featuring documentation of the various ways in which entertainment has fostered and supported the growth of the communities that define the county landscape,The Pursuit of Happiness:Exploring Entertainment in Rensselaer County aims to uplift and provide agency to the lives and voices that make up Rensselaer County, both past and present, and how their own pursuits of happiness over the past 250 years have engendered a region rooted in the very ideals propelling the American Dream.