CAZENOVIA — On Dec. 13, Governor Kathy Hochul named Stone Quarry Hill Art Park (SQHAP) a recipient of grants administered by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the recovery of the nonprofit arts and culture sector.

NYSCA’s round three grants — which include Support for Organizations, Support for Artists, Special Opportunities, and Recovery Grants — will invest in more than 1,000 organizations and over 300 artists across all ten regions of the state.

“The arts have long been a critical sector in our economy, and as we continue to rebuild a stronger New York, it’s essential we do all we can [to] help this industry thrive once again,” Hochul said in a Dec. 13 press release. “These awardees represent the best of what New York’s vibrant communities have to offer and with this funding in hand, they will be able to not only continue their creative and inspiring work, but help spur revitalization in their own backyard as well.”

NYSCA awarded SQHAP a total of $79,500 in funding.

The organization received two $10,000 grants to fund the work of SQHAP Visiting Artists Diane Schenandoah and Dr. Juhanna Rogers.

According to SQHAP CEO Emily Zaengle, the visiting artist initiative is the organization’s longest-running program.

“Dorothy and Robert Riester began the program in 1991 shortly after they incorporated Stone Quarry Art Park as a not-for-profit organization,” Zaengle said. “The visiting artist program partners with artists interested in shaping the landscape of Stone Quarry Hill. The program is interdisciplinary, emphasizes experimentation, and the artistic process. Visiting artists are offered funding, on-site lodging, and studio space. Projects from visiting artists are shared with the public on Stone Quarry’s grounds.”

Schenandoah, who is a member of the Oneida Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and a Wolf Clan Faithkeeper, is an invited 2022 SQHAP Visiting Artist.

The NYSCA will support Schenandoah’s upcoming project “The Great Tree of Peace.”

“Stone Quarry extended an invitation to Diane in 2021, at which time she proposed the planting of a White Pine tree and carved sculptures,” noted Zaengle.

Rogers is an invited 2021-2022 Visiting Artist. The NYSCA funding will support her ongoing work on “Queendom,” an interactive outdoor performative experience that explores the dream and possibility of reparations.

Zaengle explained that SQHAP is the sponsoring organization for the Support for Artists grants for Schenandoah and Rogers.

“The NYSCA funding will come to the Art Park and then we pay it out to them fully,” she explained. “The Art Park is only allowed to keep $500 of each of those two $10,000 individual artist grants to cover [administrative expenses]. We will use that administrative support to develop some type of public program or event around Diane and Juhanna’s work.”

SQHAP received a $10,000 NYSCA Recovery Fund grant to help the organization recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including lost revenue from site rentals and events.

NYSCA also awarded SQHAP a $49,500 Support for Organizations grant.

According to Zaengle, funds from both grants will support general operating needs, such as cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, and staff salaries. Thirty percent of both grants will support stipends for New York State artists.

In addition to working with Shenandoah and Rogers, SQHAP has invited NIC Kay to be a 2022 Visiting Artist. Born in the Bronx in 1989, NIC Kay is an interdisciplinary artist, performer, and conceptual choreographer whose works have been performed nationally and internationally.

All remaining funds from the Support for Organizations grant will support artistic engagement with the Dorothy Riester House and Studio (Hilltop House), artist commissioned projects, artist-led educational programs, and an artist-curated outdoor exhibition.

“We are so pleased to have the support of NYSCA and so grateful for New York State’s investment in the arts,” said Zaengle. “We all benefit when artists can create new work.”

SQHAP is located at 3883 Stone Quarry Road in Cazenovia. The park offers a unique environment for artists to create and exhibit their work in natural and gallery settings. Open from dawn to dusk 365 days a year, it also provides a space for the community to explore and appreciate the natural world and interact with art and artists.

To learn more about SQHAP and sign up for the monthly newsletter, visit sqhap.org.