The Charles B. Benenson Visitors Center & Gallery at Omi International Arts Center
Photo credit: Peter Blandori
1405 County Route 22 Ghent, NY 12075
518-392-4747
The Fields Sculpture Park is open to the public
7 days a week from dawn to dusk
For Visitors Center hours, please contact Bill Maynes at (518) 392-4747, or by Email.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GREEN SYSTEMS
The Charles B. Benenson Visitors Center & Gallery is an important public venue for concerts, lectures, readings, dance recitals, and other events generated by Omi residency programs. It will provide space for art and sculpture exhibitions and be home to adult and children's art education programs. There also will be a gift shop and café with spacious outdoor terraces. The building and its parking areas will be located in harmony with the gently rolling fields of the larger campus.
"I am absolutely delighted to see this important Center become part of Art Omi's cultural outreach to the Hudson area and beyond," says area resident and New York real estate developer Francis Greenburger, founder and chairman of Art Omi, Inc. "I deeply appreciate the generosity of early donors who support the Center's Capital Campaign as well as the interest from individuals and families, businesses, corporations and foundations who we hope will join us."
The Charles B. Benenson Visitors Center & Gallery is an environmentally progressive, 4200 square foot LEED certified structure showcasing state of the art "green" systems. Included in this endeavor are a planted roof for reduction of heat load and management of roof water runoff, and solar power and daylight sensors to monitor interior lighting levels. The design also includes operable windows for natural fresh air ventilation and makes use of a significant amount of recycled materials and other progressive building practices. The sophisticated design of the building is a study in natural textures and innovative contemporary form with glass set against natural stone walls.
CHARLES B. BENENSON
The new Center is named in honor of longtime Art Omi supporter Charles B. Benenson (1913-2004), who was known and admired for his business successes in real estate, involvement in the worlds of art and culture, and genuine interest in people from all walks of life. He was a prominent philanthropist active on behalf of numerous New York City charitable organizations, including the Inner Cities Scholarship Fund, Chess in the Schools, United Cerebral Palsy, and the New York Junior Tennis League. With Eugene Lang, Mr. Benenson founded the I Have A Dream Foundation devoted to the education of children from low-income communities. He also was a long-time member of the American Jewish Committee and helped found Lincoln Center's Real Estate and Construction Council. During New York's fiscal crisis in the early 1970's, Mr. Benenson and Lewis Rudin established The Association for a Better New York (ABNY).
Mr. Benenson's charity toward the people of New York was only matched by his passion for art. His deepest interests were in African and contemporary art, and he was a formidable collector of both. The Metropolitan Museum of Art named a gallery after him in 1996 that houses its African Collection. Art Omi feels especially connected to Charles B. Benenson because of his faithful support and active interest in our organization since its founding, a commitment that continues today with his son Lawrence Benenson's active involvement on Art Omi's Board of Trustees.
THE ARCHITECTS
The firm chosen for this project, F:T Architecture + Interiors, is a longtime associate of Omi International Arts Center and is dedicated to exploring relationships between disciplines including painting, sculpture, graphic design, installation art and architecture. Principles Peter Franck's and Kathleen Triem's multi-disciplinary approach includes the full-time curating of The Fields Sculpture Park in the Hudson Valley, which was designed by F:T in 1996. In addition, F:T has created several architectural and art installations throughout the country. The firm's projects receive worldwide attention. Media coverage of their work includes prominent features in The New York Times, Interior Design Magazine, New York Magazine, The London Financial Times, The Fine Living Channel, and a wide range of publications from Germany, Great Britain, Slovenia, and The United States.
A CENTER FOR THE COMMUNITY AND VISITORS
The new 4200 square foot Charles B. Benenson Visitors Center & Gallery will welcome local residents and increasing numbers of visitors to Omi, and will be a central location for information about the outdoor installations at The Fields Sculpture Park, which is free and open to the public year round. We expect that the Visitors Center will be the main gathering place for more than 10,000 annual visitors to the Fields. Scheduled docent lead tours will make the Visitors Center a central place for art education and recreation.
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
The Capital Campaign to construct and install the $1.2 million Charles B. Benenson Visitors Center and Gallery was publicly announced at a groundbreaking ceremony in late fall 2006. Frances Schools and Harry Newton, both area residents and business leaders, are co-chairs of the Hudson Valley portion of the fund drive.
"I have watched Art Omi grow since its infancy and take great delight in it. I think it is wonderful to see it taking these important next steps to accommodate the public."
– Frances Schools , lifelong Hudson Valley resident and Capital Campaign co-chair
"Art Omi has enriched my cultural life with great sculpture and paintings. I most love the tranquility that its wondrous public Sculpture Park brings me every time I visit."
– Harry Newton, area resident, writer, publisher, businessman, and Capital Campaign co-chair
The Capital Campaign is attracting support from supporters regionally as well as in New York City and beyond, since this special Center is destined to be an exciting destination for art and culture. Large gifts are needed, and donations of all amounts are welcome.
Omi International Arts Center is a 501(c)3 organization. All of its programs are supported by the generous contributions of private foundations and individuals. For more information about the Capital Campaign, please contact Administrative Director Ruth Adams.
All Visitor Center renderings courtesy: F:T Architecture + Interiors.
