14TH ANNUAL CANSTRUCTION HELPS FEED THE HUNGRY; TALENTED TEAMS TRANSFORM CANNED FOOD INTO ART WITH COLOSSAL SCULPTURES ON DISPLAY AT CROSSGATES WITH SUPPORT FROM MARKET 32 AND PRICE CHOPPER
Celebrating Capital Region CANstruction: “Lights CANmera Action” Themed Display
May 6 – May 19, 2025
All cans, including those collected from visitors, are donated to
The Food Pantries for the Capital District
Exhibition: May 6 – May 19, 2025
Location: Crossgates, Ground Floor, Two Locations Near APEX Entertainment and Dick’s Sporting Goods
Fee: No Fee; Donation of Canned Goods Encouraged
Guilderland, NY – At the 14th annual Capital Region CANstruction design/build competition, talented teams of architects, designers, builders, and engineers will join forces to create innovative and gravity-defying structures embodying the theme, “Lights CANmera Action!” The structures will be made entirely of canned food, instead of bricks, stone, glass, and other traditional building materials. Structures are comprised of an average of 4,000 cans. Benefitting The Food Pantries for the Capital District, these structures will be on display at Crossgates from May 6 – May 19, 2025. This will be the third year the event is being hosted at Crossgates.
The 12 participating teams include AOW Associates with Envision Architects, CSArch, Exyte, kW Mission Critical Engineering, Labella, MJ Engineering & Surveying, Mosaic Associates, Ryan Biggs Clark Davis Engineering, Stantec, C.T. Male Associates, and newcomers Colliers Engineering & Design and New Leaf Energy. An additional structure will be part of the exhibit and will be constructed by Girl Scouts from the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York in support of Girls CAN Do, an annual program the girl scouts participate in that encourages not only STEM, but service to their community. All “building materials” used in the displays were purchased with generous support and coordination from Market 32 and Price Chopper, the presenting sponsor, and will be donated to The Food Pantries for the Capital District, a coalition of more than 70 food pantries in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady Counties, at the end of CANstruction.
Visitors are encouraged to bring canned goods (tuna, beans, canned vegetables, soups/chilis, and fruit) to Crossgates and participate in the CANstruction competition and food drive. Visitors can use their canned goods as ballots to vote for the winner of the People’s Choice award. Donation receptacles will be stationed at each structure. A jury of designers, local business owners, and local dignitaries will also judge the structures. Awards include Best Original Design, Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, Honorable Mention, and Jurors Favorite. Additional awards include Largest Cash Donation and Best Signage. Along with juried prizes, a People’s Choice Award will be bestowed on the structure that gains the most votes (most food donations) from visitors. Last year, nearly 4,000 cans were collected at Crossgates from the public.
“Canstruction combines art, architecture, and community spirit for a cause that matters– nutrition security,” said Pam Cerrone, Director of Community Relations for Market 32 and Price Chopper. “Market 32 and Price Chopper are proud to support Canstruction and the incredible creativity it brings to fighting hunger. Our support helps raise awareness and collects much-needed food for local pantries, one can at a time.”
Leslie Mugrace, Marketing Director at Crossgates remarked, “We’re excited to welcome the Capital Region CANstruction event back to Crossgates! Our visitors love seeing the unique structures come to life here in the center – and even better, it all supports a great cause. We’re so thankful for our amazing shoppers who always show up to give back. It’s an event we’re proud to be part of, and we can’t wait to see this year’s creations!”
“Lights CANmera Action Canstruction will showcase a few familiar faces from the big screen, entertainment landmarks, and movie theater must-haves. Canstruction provides invaluable support to the food insecure in the Capital Region, while also showcasing the deep expertise and unlimited creativity of local design firms and contractors from the region,” said Jill Shorter, Capital Region CANstruction President and Director of Marketing at Ryan Biggs Clark Davis. “Crossgates has been an amazing partner and aligned in our vision, and we are excited for thousands of patrons of the mall to see the exhibit over the next two weeks. The support that Market 32 and Price Chopper provides to Canstruction is unmatched; we are incredibly grateful for their partnership and philanthropic spirit. Over the last six months, 12 creative and passionate teams have designed an inspiring edible art exhibition by utilizing the same engineering principles they design our most essential facilities and infrastructure with. At the conclusion of the event, these colossal structures will be deCANstructed and thousands of canned food items will be donated back to the local community. We invite all visitors to Crossgates to bring canned goods to vote for People’s Choice to further increase the donation we provide to The Food Pantries because together we CAN make a difference.”
Natasha Pernicka, Executive Director of The Food Pantries for the Capital District said, “CANstruction is a powerful example of how much we can do when we come together in the fight against hunger. We are incredibly grateful to the region’s design community for helping heighten awareness of the need for our programs and services.”
This year’s CANstruction is presented by Market 32 and Price Chopper, Crossgates, with Ryan Biggs Clark Davis Engineering, Envision Architects, and C2 Design Group. Others lending support with generous sponsorships include Arnoff Moving, Storage & Rigging, Camelot Print and Copy Centers, American Council of Engineering Companies of New York, Page/ Design, Eastern Contractors Association, Gabriela Gordon, Girls Scouts of Northeastern New York, CSArch, JMT, Curtis Lumber, Turner Construction, DeCrescente Distributors, and Kone Elevator.
Since its inception in 2011, the Capital Region event has donated over 900,000 pounds of food and raised more than $400,000 to help fight hunger. The local organization has big goals this year and is trying to break an all-year donation total of 1,000,000 pounds of food and $500,000 to The Food Pantries. The chapter has consistently attained national recognition, most recently placing third in the world for Most Food Donated and first in the world for Most Cash Donated in 2023.
Capital Region CANstruction is part of the international program organized by the Society for Design Administration. CANstruction events are held annually in over 250 cities around the world including North America, Australia, South America, Europe, and Asia. You can learn more about Capital Region CANstruction at:
Website: https://www.capregcans.com/
Blog: https://www.capregcans.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapitalRegionCanstruction?ref=br_tf
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capitalregioncanstruction/
Hashtag for Event: #thecansareback #lightsCANmeraaction #capregcans2025
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About Crossgates:
Crossgates is the Capital Region’s premier shopping, dining and entertainment destination offering an impressive selection of national brands and the newest retail concepts. The center is anchored by Macy’s, JCPenney, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Primark and Best Buy, while offering more than 180 retail shops, including Apple. Crossgates offers 10 entertainment venues and over 20 on-site eateries, such as Dave & Buster’s, Get Air, Billy Beez, Apex Entertainment, Maggie McFly’s and Regal Cinemas with IMAX. Or simply relax at our award-winning day spa, Spa Mirbeau. Located adjacent to a dual-branded 192-room Homewood Suites and Tru by Hilton hotel, Crossgates is your destination to EAT. SHOP. PLAY. STAY. Additional information regarding Crossgates can be found at shopcrossgates.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About Pyramid Management Group, LLC:
Pyramid Management Group, owner of Crossgates, is one of the largest, most innovative, privately-held real estate developers in the northeast. Headquartered in Syracuse, New York, Pyramid’s portfolio of dynamic shopping, dining and entertainment destinations dominate the northeast with 9 properties located throughout New York and Massachusetts. For nearly 50 years, Pyramid has built its reputation on being first, fast, ahead of the curve and always what’s next, leading the industry in combining the best elements of traditional retail with world-class dining and entertainment, all under one roof. For more information, visit www.pyramidmg.com