All Over Albany

Opus Igor

The new consignment shop on Lark Street sells secondhand clothes and local art, but it's also serving as a classroom of sorts.

Here's the deal: Igor Broos left his IT job at RPI last year in hopes of pursuing other ventures but he kept plenty of connections with the school. When he opened Opus Igor in late November, a large group of RPI students and faculty members were there to help him set up and paint the shop bright pink and chartreuse.

But it wasn't just camaraderie. Students in product design and innovation courses are actually helping get the store up and running as part of RPI's entrepreneurship curriculum. They'll help design a Web site, a logo, and work on creating a business model. They'll also help with community outreach and get the store involved with local arts groups.

Right now the shop is selling and showcasing a collection of 3-D art by Shawn Lawson -- best viewed with a pair of 3-D glasses, of course. There's also a piece by Wafaa Bilal, the artist who made headlines last year when his "Virtual Jihadi" installation was ousted from the RPI campus.

In addition to the art, Opus Igor is also selling clothes and a selection of locally made jewelry and woven goods. And it's currently looking for new new items to sell. The consignment rate sounds pretty promising, too -- the consignor gets 50 percent.