Response #1:5
A visit to Stone Quarry Hill Art Park
Site Visit date: 02.22.19
Response due date: 03.04.19
Prior to our trip, please link to Stone Quarry Hill Art Park's website + for information listed on the web.
Form two questions of interest you want to learn about the institution itself and insert them into your response writing.
Links:
Your response should direct information to the reader about:
- How old is the site / how it began / indidivudals involved?
- Is it a public or private institution? Does it receive Federal/State funding and what kind?
- Different titles of current individuals who work directly with the museum and gallery paid employees / unpaid
- The institution's Mission Statement and the exciting advancements they have made in the last 5 years
- What does the Historical Site Register mean? And how did the Reister home get onto the Historical Site Register?
- What are a few feasible advances they are planning for and hope to materialize in the next five years?
- Do you foresee any issues that may become problematic in the future? Example: Size, security, stewards of the collections, physical structure / glass, collections, archive, etc.?
- Speak about the Reister House & Studio, The Artist in Residency program, The Winners' Gallery
- Other information you wish to include
Our Guide:
Sarah Tietje-Mietz
MSHP, BFA
Assistant Director
w. 315-655-3196
sarah@stonequarryhillartpark.org
Student Responses:
Stone Quarry Art Park is a unique art destination located in the town of Cazenovia. Both the outdoor and indoor gallery spaces exhibit many wonderful sculptures created by both local and international artists. What started out as a summer home for couple Bob and Dorothy Riester, has now become a local hidden gem showcasing the beauty of art and nature. The art park as we know it today started back in 1991 when Dorothy Riester wanted to ensure that her 105 acre property would be available to members of the public with shared interests in art and nature. She registered the Art Park as a non-for-profit business and insured a conservation easement so that no further development could be done on the property. Along with the gallery space in 2014 the Hilltop House was officially placed on the National Register of Historical Places, and was listed as, “ The Dorothy Riester House and Studio.”
The Dorothy Reister House and Studio was placed in the Register of Historical Places for it’s Post Modernism design and unique non-traditional construction methods of the day. To be qualified for this registration a house must either have contributed to an historical event, belonged to someone with historical value, or contributed to major patterns of American history. The Stone Quarry Art Park is a public non-for-profit institution, and is qualified to receive state and federal funding through awarded grants. Along with state funding they also rely on donations from the public. The organization is directed by a board of directors, and employs three permeant staff positions. Those staff members are Bill Marris who serves as Site Supervisor, Sarah Tietje-Mietz who serves as Assistant Director, and Jeni Rose-Alpern who serves as Park Assistant. Along with serving staff members, the art park is run primarily though a volunteer based community who carry the same goals and values as Dorothy herself.
In the past five years the art park has been very busy with major changes in management, expanding their artist in residency program, and making new improvements to The Winner’s Galley building. Along with new tours going on with the Hill House, Stone Quarry art park is looking to expanded it’s volunteer base as well as introduce more internship possibilities. When it comes to future artworks being installed on the grounds, they are looking more towards temporary pieces, that can be un-installed and transported by the artist themselves with some exceptions regarding international artists works. It will be interesting to see what other works will be coming to the art park, and the possibility of more winter events being held in The Winners Gallery after all the insulation and ceiling is added to the structure.
The Stone Quarry Art Park’s mission statement reads, "Inspired by the relationship between art and nature, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park seeks to educate and engage the public through its exhibitions, collections, interpretation, and community outreach program in the arts. Set among 104 acres of conserved land and groomed trails, the Art Park is dedicated to providing a unique environment for showcasing art by emerging and established artists, in natural and gallery settings." With all the current and future developments happening within the art park, it is safe to say that they are staying true to their mission statement. Though the Stone Quarry Art Park showcases many amazing works of art, the land which inspires artists and visitors to take a second look around their surroundings is something truly magical. Dorothy had a vision to share her world and her love of art with others. That legacy of sharing and collaborating with others to create something greater than ourselves is something I take away each visit I make to the park. Stone Quarry Art Park is indeed a one of a kind organization that will hopefully continue to inspire many more generations of visitors and participants.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Our second site visit as a class was to the Stone Quarry Hill Art Park with a concentration on the collections contained within the library and Hilltop House, but with an awareness of the sculptures around us. The spirit of our visit was in the same vein as our visit to the Public Library and Hubbard Collection, with the same reverence for the act of collecting and preserving. However, Stone Quarry was a much more dynamic experience -- due in no small part to our guide Assistant Director Sarah Tietje-Mietz’s opening with Dorothy Riester’s quote about sculpture “dancing”.
The Park’s spark was lit in the mid-1950s when Dorothy and Bob Riester happened upon the area while they were on a drive and purchased the original 23 acres after feeling deeply inspired (“About”). According to Tietje-Mietz, the Riesters built their Hilltop House, studio, and library from 1958-1968 and lived there both during the summer and full-time as the house neared its completion. The Park (much like the Hubbard Collection) is owned privately but open to the public. Eventually, the Park was officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 1991 (“About”). As such, it receives the majority of its funding from private donations and Riester herself endowed the Park with a sizable inheritance of around $1.6 million for the physical maintenance of the Park. The Park receives grants but there is no state or national funding, according to Tietje-Mietz.
Sarah Tietje-Mietz is the Park’s only full-time employee as Assistant Director, but there are also two paid part-time employees: Jeni Rose-Alpern who works as Park Assistant and Bill Marris who is the Site Supervisor (“About”). There have been a series of unpaid Artist in Residence positions, which Tietje-Mietz has worked tirelessly to reinvigorate and as it stands the program is for 5 weeks long and has 4 available slots of studio space. One of my questions for Tietje-Mietz was regarding the maintenance of the sculptures and the reality of breakages, and
while discussing the Residency program Tietje-Mietz explained that artists enter into the Park with the expectation that their works might be fleeting and exposed to the elements. Beyond the outdoors, there is also the John and Virginia Winner Gallery space named after Dorothy Riester’s parents.
The mission statement of the Park is: “Inspired by the relationship between art and nature, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park seeks to educate and engage the public through its exhibitions, collections, interpretation, and community outreach program in the arts.” (“About”). Guided by this principle, some of the Park’s latest advancements over the past 5 years includes the introduction of new sculptures dotting the landscape of the park, the increased involvement of the community in workshops offered, and the preservation of the House through the addition of insulation and other materials designed to make the Park more accessible to all. For the next 5 years, Tietje-Mietz wishes to pursue financial and physical stability: raising more funds in order to successfully maintain the structures that the Riesters loved so much. In addition to this, Tietje-Mietz said she wanted to expand internship possibilities and eventually add a gift shop area to the main house.
The uniqueness of the Park was recognized in 2014 when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, which is the “official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation” and as such bestows a level of authority (“Dorothy…”). This was a slightly unusual recognition due to the relative youth of the Park -- however, as a shining example of extraordinary and intact mid-century design, the House and Studio qualified under Criterion C (“Dorothy…”).
Despite the “youth” of the Hilltop House, connected studio and library as compared to Civil or Revolutionary War sites, the property is still aging and must be maintained carefully.
The various and beloved eccentricities of the Riesters, however, have the potential to become problematic in the future: especially the indoor garden in the library, which has already been negatively impacting the foundations with water damage. In addition, my second question for Tietje-Mietz would have been about the process for accessing the Riester’s book collection but she answered it within the first few moments. However, due to the issues in the library with the potential damp and damage, it is possible that books and artworks alike could be damaged. The sprawling size of the park and the lack of security or even reliable human presence could lead to vandalism and theft in the future as the Park continues to gain fame, which it almost certainly will.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Stone Quarry Hill Art Park
Dorothy and Bob Riester were on a drive one day through the town of Cazenovia. It was Dorothy’s eye that saw the future site of their beautiful home. Although the two purchased the initial 23 acres in 1950, they didn’t actually start building the house until later. The Riesters packed some things and had a nice pop up camper on that land until Dorothy found just the right spot to start building their home, right on top of the hill.
Dorothy Riester was a renowned sculpture and her husband Bob was the architect. Together these two went on a grand journey together while building their home and the future Stone Quarry Hill Art Park. Dorothy’s work is seen throughout the entire property and the interior design is all hand made by the couple.
The most interesting and capturing room to me and to Dorothy was the library. Finished finally in 1968, the library centers you in the house and puts you at complete zen. The room literally makes you feel like Dr. Indiana Jones and you just came back from a long trip and need to relax somewhere so peaceful. With all the natural light coming in at a 360 degree view, you feel the presence of Dorothy and Bob with you.
This now 104 acre art gallery provides an Arists in Residence program which allows an artist to come and stay on the property, not in the home, and use the facilities to create a master piece. It is a non-profit, privately owned park that in 2014 was placed on the National Register of Historical Places by the United States Department of the Interior.
Since it is privately owned, the only money that is available to support upkeep and preservation is through donors, endowments and also the board. Dorothy left behind a generous amount to provide for her property. Our guide, Sarah Tietje-Mietz is the only full time employee at the park. She wears many hats and is currently in the process of grant development for house keeping.
The only other actual employees, as I stated before, are the groundskeepers. These people have to go out on the trails and keep up with any work out there that needs to be taken care of. Most artists that have work here know that our upstate NY weather is full of surprises so they prep accordingly when it comes to choosing medium for their work. Sarah is also trying to start an internship where students from Cazenovia College can come and work as well during the summer.
Inside the house is Dorothy’s actual studio and you can see some of her scale sized pieces. Her memory definitely lives on and she viewed sculpture as “dancing”. At the Stone Quarry Hill Art Park you are put in nature to view the art and nature is also a part of the artwork itself.
In its bright future, I see the park becoming more busy and with that, bringing in more revenue to support it. Sarah has done an excellent job with media releases and the park even made an appearance on National Geographic. A place so beautiful, although it would be a best kept secret, Dorothy wanted it to be accessible to all. The park’s natural beauty and the spirit of Bob and Dorothy make you feel at real peace. You have time to think and listen to only the natural sounds around you and that I believe this is what Dorothy wanted everyone to experience.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stone Quarry Hill Art Park
Recently our class visited the Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, a wonderful indoor and outdoor artistic collection. The Stone Quarry Hill Art Park started in the 1950’s by a couple, Dorothy and Bob Riester. The couple found a beautiful piece of land available in Cazenovia, NY and decided to purchase it for a summer home. Over the years, they continued purchase the surrounding lands until they owned 104 acres. They eventually made the location their permanent residence; However, they allowed their property to be opened to the public for people to visit and be inspired. Dorothy and Bob have now both passed, yet the Stone Quarry Hill Art Park is now an institution that will remain.
The Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in a private not-for-profit organization. They do not receive State or Federal funding, but relies on grants, donations, and money Dorothy and Bob left for the Park. While it is a private institution, it is available for the public. The private organization has three paid-employees and volunteers that run under a board of directors. The Stone Quarry Art Park has assistant director, Sarah Tietje-Mietz. She gave us our tour of the Riester home, the artist studio, and the Winners’ Gallery. They also have a site supervisor, Bill Marris, and park assistant, Jeni Rose-Alpern.
The Stone Quarry Hill Art Park has a very strong mission to uphold the wishes of the Riester’s. They really want to engage with members of the community through art and nature.
“Inspired by the relationship between art and nature, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park seeks to educate and engage the public through its exhibitions, collections, interpretation, and community outreach program in the arts. Set among 104 acres of conserved land and groomed trails, the Art Park is dedicated to providing a unique environment for showcasing art by emerging and established artists, in natural and gallery settings” -Stone Quarry Hill Art Park
Advancements are need for the Stone Quarry Hill Art Park and are slowly getting done. An advance they are currently making is adding an insulated ceiling in the Winners’ Gallery. The Winners’ Gallery was built without a ceiling and doesn’t have proper heating or cooling systems, so this advancement helps a ton. The park hopes to get a good heating and cooling system so they can have exhibitions year-round. Their main struggles are having enough money to properly preserve the house. The Riester’s house is growing old and does need some care to maintain it and the items within.
The Stone Quarry Hill Art Park consists of the Riester’s home, the artist studio, Winners’ Gallery, and an artist residency lodge. Among the park there are sculptures that the public can view by walking along the trails. There are sculptures there done by Dorothy herself, as well as sculptures by many other artists. The Stone Quarry Hill Art Park was placed on the Historical Site Registry in 2014, which is uncommon for mid-century sites. Being on the Historical Site Registry lets the park receive preservation benefits and incentives.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stone Quarry Art Park Reflection
FA351 Museums As Medium
2-28-19
Stone Quarry Art Park is a unique art destination located in the town of Cazenovia. Both the outdoor and indoor gallery spaces exhibit many wonderful sculptures created by both local and international artists. What started out as a summer home for couple Bob and Dorothy Riester, has now become a local hidden gem showcasing the beauty of art and nature. The art park as we know it today started back in 1991 when Dorothy Riester wanted to ensure that her 105 acre property would be available to members of the public with shared interests in art and nature. She registered the Art Park as a non-for-profit business and insured a conservation easement so that no further development could be done on the property. Along with the gallery space in 2014 the Hilltop House was officially placed on the National Register of Historical Places, and was listed as, “ The Dorothy Riester House and Studio,”
The Dorothy Reister House and Studio was placed in the Register of Historical Places for it’s Post Modernism design and unique non-traditional construction methods of the day. To be qualified for this registration a house must either have contributed to an historical event, belonged to someone with historical value, or contributed to major patterns of American history. The Stone Quarry Art Park is a public non-for-profit institution, and is qualified to receive state and federal funding through awarded grants. Along with state funding they also rely on donations from the public. The organization is directed by a board of directors, and employs three permeant staff positions. Those staff members are Bill Marris who serves as Site Supervisor, Sarah Tietje-Mietz who serves as Assistant Director, and Jeni Rose-Alpern who serves as Park Assistant. Along with serving staff members, the art park is run primarily though a volunteer based community who carry the same goals and values as Dorothy herself.
In the past five years the art park has been very busy with major changes in management, expanding their artist in residency program, and making new improvements to The Winner’s Galley building. Along with new tours going on with the Hill House, Stone Quarry art park is looking to expanded it’s volunteer base as well as introduce more internship possibilities. When it comes to future artworks being installed on the grounds, they are looking more towards temporary pieces, that can be un-installed and transported by the artist themselves with some exceptions regarding international artists works. It will be interesting to see what other works will be coming to the art park, and the possibility of more winter events being held in The Winners Gallery after all the insulation and ceiling is added to the structure.
The Stone Quarry Art Park’s mission statement reads, "Inspired by the relationship between art and nature, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park seeks to educate and engage the public through its exhibitions, collections, interpretation, and community outreach program in the arts. Set among 104 acres of conserved land and groomed trails, the Art Park is dedicated to providing a unique environment for showcasing art by emerging and established artists, in natural and gallery settings." With all the current and future developments happening within the art park, it is safe to say that they are staying true to their mission statement. Though the Stone Quarry Art Park showcases many amazing works of art, the land which inspires artists and visitors to take a second look around their surroundings is something truly magical. Dorothy had a vision to share her world and her love of art with others. That legacy of sharing and collaborating with others to create something greater than ourselves is something I take away each visit I make to the park. Stone Quarry Art Park is indeed a one of a kind organization that will hopefully continue to inspire many more generations of visitors and participants.