Money will help pay for capital project
Last week, with Mark di Suvero’s sculptures Neruda’s Gate and E=MC2 serving as the backdrop, Storm King Art Center played host as the Empire State Development and New York State Council for the Arts (NYSCA) made an important announcement. Governor Kathy Hochul revealed $90 million is being awarded to 19 cultural organizations across the state, including the art center, which will receive $7.5 million to help offset its capital improvement project.
“We want to make sure art and culture remains indispensable as part of the New York story and that’s what this commitment is all about,” Hochul said. “This is a statement of our priorities. We want our people to have a life experience whether they’re touched by music or culture, visiting museums or nature in a place like this and have it available and accessible to all New Yorkers.”
In addition to NYSCA’s support, Empire State Develop-ment awarded more than $3 million in funding to Storm King Art Center – a $2 million capital grant and a $1.2 million Market New York grant – at the recommendation of the Mid-Hudson Regional Eco-nomic Development Council.
NYSERDA has also contributed $600,000 to the project, bringing New York State’s total support for the facility to more than $11 million.
Christine Young, co-chair of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, said the advisory council looks to identify projects that advance regional priorities and align with its economic development goals.
“To achieve that mission, the MHREDC has put in place a strategy of live, work, play,” Young said. “With the live initiative the council seeks to continue to revitalize the region’s community centers through placemaking, smart growth, transit-oriented development, downtown revitalization, and infrastructure improvements. With the work initiative, the council seeks to attract and retain investment in the mature and emerging industry clusters and with the play initiative, the council seeks to position the region as a premier tourist destination and enhance quality of life for those who live and work in the region. We can say without equivocation the Storm King Art Center has served as a model to advance the play initiative which brings tens of thousands of visitors to the region every year to spend time in our beautiful backyard.”
Following the announcement, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the start of the art center’s first capital project in its history. The project started several years ago with the goal of enhancing visitors’ experience of seeing art and nature.
Storm King Art Center President John Stern said the location behind the guests, the south parking area, will be reclaimed as a landscape for artistic programming and extended so visitors can view sculptures and attend public programs. He said a new entryway will be created by next year and guests will be able to see new open air pavilions, as well as walk down the entrance path which will be lined with native trees and plants which will share the art and landscape that make “Storm King such a vital and wonderful place.”
Another goal of the project will be to enhance the center for staff and artists, as well as the art and landscape itself. In addition to a new welcome sequence with consolidated parking and accessible amenities, the project will also include the construction of a conservation, fabrication, and maintenance building.
