Stone Quarry Hill Art Park (SQHAP) has announced a series of events in recognition of National Preservation Month.
“The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) celebrates Preservation Month each May and we are excited to be part of this year’s campaign titled This Place Matters,” said Kelli Johnson, interim executive director at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park.
As detailed on the NTHP website, “Everyone has places that are important to them. Places they care about. Places that matter. This Place Matters is a national campaign that encourages people to celebrate the places that are meaningful to them and to their communities.”
To help visitors gain a full appreciation for the Hilltop House at SQHAP, Visitor Services and Site Promotion Coordinator Sarah Tietje-Mietz will present “Making Sense of Mid-Century Modern” at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 7, at the Cazenovia Public Library.
“An issue many mid-century modern structures encounters is that they were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, a time which many community members and stakeholders lived through, so framing these structures as ‘historic’ can present a barrier,” said Tietje-Mietz. “How to address this mindset, the materials used, as well the unique upkeep required by a structure where the art and artist are equally imbued, is an ongoing challenge.”
To experience this architectural style first-hand, tours of the SQHAP Hilltop House will be offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday in May. Park admission is $5 per person (free for members) and docent-led tours will be $5 per person.
Preservation of the landscape will the subject of SUNY-ESF professor Martin Hogue’s presentation, “150 of Camping: From the Wilds of the ADKs to the Art Park in Cazenovia” at 7 p.m. on May 14 at the Cazenovia Public Library. Hogue’s talk will be a prelude to his installation, “Camping at the Art Park,” an annual opportunity whereby a limited number of campsites are available to reserve at the Art Park on weekends in June.
Capping Preservation Month at SQHAP will be the Annual Members Meeting (2 p.m. on Sunday, May 20) which will include Syracuse University professor Sam Van Aken’s “Tree of 40 Fruit” project, a sculpture designed to highlight and preserve heirloom stone fruits once grown in New York State.
The documentary “Art on The Hill” by local filmmaker Susie Cody will also be shown. The Riester Award will be given to Cody for her documentation of the significant artistic and preservation contributions made by SQHAP founder Dorothy Riester. All are welcome to attend.
For more information about SQHAP preservation month events, visit sqhap.org or contact Kelli Johnson at [email protected].
