The Rural We: Akemi Hiatt
Akemi Hiatt was born in one paradise — Hawaii — and now lives in another — the Hudson Valley — but in between she, like so many of us, took a detour to New York City. Since graduating from NYU, she’s worked for arts nonprofits in the region, including Basilica Hudson and Omi International Arts Center. A photographer and artist, she is now combining those disciplines along with her skills as a web designer, marketer and writer in a business she runs with her fiancé in Catskill, NY.
It was incredible to grow up in Hawaii, but I wanted to do something creative, and there’s not a lot of opportunity to do that in Hawaii. So I went to NYU and studied photography with a focus on photojournalism and media studies. In 2009 I took a job as a program associate at the Center for Photography at Woodstock, managing exhibitions and organizing artist residencies, and that got me started on the nonprofit track. It was so nice to get out of the city, and I fell in love with the Hudson Valley.
In the last few years I’ve been working in PR and photography, basically doing the solopreneur, digital nomad thing, like so many people here are. My fiancé, Paolo Vidali, who is a web developer and programmer, had started a web development and digital marketing agency, Hidden Gears. Last fall I joined him, handling the photography and video, copywriting, social media management and media relations. The agency started working with clients from all over, but now we have more local clients.
When I first moved here, I was surprised at how many creative people there were. I think it’s getting even more vibrant. Basilica Hudson keeps getting bigger and better. There’s Jack Shainman’s The School in Kinderhook, and so many great places to eat, which we love to do. I’m half Japanese and I love The Crimson Sparrow, which has a Japanese-inspired menu. In Hudson, we also like to go to Food Studio and Bruno’s, and Gaskins in Germantown, which is always busy. And for shopping, I like to go to Rhinebeck.
Photo by Paolo Vidali
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