The Olana Partnership

Results: Olana donors support the ongoing curatorial, preservation and restoration efforts at the site.

Target demographics: Olana appeals to a wide audience of art, landscape, architecture, preservation,antiquities and nature appreciators. Enjoy fabulous house tours, nature walks, scholarly lectures, art classes, picnics and more!

Direct beneficiaries per year: More than 150,000 people visit Olana each year, including thousands of school children from the surrounding community.

Programs: A number of important milestones were achieved in 2014. The olana partnership completed its strategic plan. Three primary goals emerged - improve the vistors' experience, make olana famous, and improve internal operations. Several high level initiatives are under way - the first steps towards a master plan to address important needs on the property, including a visitor center, and launching of a major marketing campaign for the 2015 exhibition, river crossings. The organization spearheaded several restoration efforts in 2014, including opening up new views to the north and east, through restoring the north meadow, as well as beginning the first step towards opening the views to the south, and otherwise improving the visitor's experience around the main house at olana. "all the raj", our 2014 exhibit celebrating the work of church protege lockwood de forest, was a great success, as was our exhibit in the coachman's house "preserving creative spaces: photgraphs from the historic artists' homes and studios program". Also this year, significant planning has gone into the 2015 exhibition entitled "river crossings" - curated by painter stephen hannock and art historian jason rosenfeld and ably managed by the partnership's curators evelyn trebilcock and mark prezorski. This exhibition is being planned together with the thomas cole house. Both institutions will be incorporating contemporary art into the artists' homes, and while marketing has yet to begin, it is already attracting buzz. Amy hufnagel comes to the partnership as our educator with over 25 years of experience. She has already introduced a number of well-attended new programs and improved outreach to area institutions. Along with the strong programming and capital projects, the partnership continued its now strong tradition of our new york city gala. This year, we were thrilled to honor peter pennoyoer, katie ridder and alice (nonnie) frelinghuysen. In addition, sara griffen was very pleased to be saluted for her 25 years of service to the olana partnership. In the end, over $1 million was raised at the gala, giving us a tremendous boost towards both our operating and endowment goals. Groundswell - the olana partnership and wave farm's wgxc jointly hosted groundswell on saturday, 9/13. This one-day exhibition event was a revival of last year's effort, and it showcased the site-specific work of more than a dozen artists. The event, which also highlighted aspects olana's historic landscape and integral viewshed, drew nearly 300 people. The partnership achieved $1 million endowment goals for two positions - the president (the susan and washburn oberwager president) and educator. It was particularly gratifying that 100% of the board participated in this initiative, thanks to a challenge by board member steve clearman. At the end of the year, we will also celebrate the completion of rick sharp's four-year term as chair of the board of the olana partnership. Under his inspired leadership, great new heights were achieved, including the ever-increasing professionalism of our gala, significant restroation achievements and ever-inventive and meaningful exhibitions in the sharp family gallery. Our strategic plan and the first step towards our master plan puts the olana partnership in a better postion than it has ever been, both in its relationship with new york state and in its own development. There is great excitement about the future, as we head into the fiftieth anniversary of the saving of olana. At that time we hope to look back and feel the pride in the major accomplishments we have achieved since olana was saved from the wrecking ball.