Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art receives $102,000 gift to director’s fund

NEW PALTZ — The State University of New York at New Paltz has received a $102,000 gift from Ms. Karen Dorsky to benefit the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art (SDMA). Ms. Dorsky, a member of the museum’s 15-member executive board, contributed the endowment to the museum’s director’s fund.

The purpose of the director’s fund is to assist the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, located on the campus of SUNY New Paltz, achieve its mission to support and enrich the academic programs at New Paltz, to present and exhibit a broad range of world art for study and enjoyment, and to serve as a center of Hudson Valley arts and culture.

Neil Trager, the museum’s director, said that distributions from this fund will be spent for museum-related activities including but not limited to professional development, professional conferences, travel, and donor cultivation and stewardship.

“The director’s fund is critical and important for us to have,” said Trager. “A discretionary fund is important to every museum as it provides the director with resources and the flexibility to use them to advance the museum beyond what base operating budgets permit. Being able to support staff development, travel, and research, and to confidently embark upon new advancement initiatives are essential ingredients that facilitate the advancement of the museum’s mission.”

Ms. Dorsky, who is both a resident of New York City and Accord, said the director’s fund is critical at this stage in the development of the SDMA.

“Until October 2001, the focus was on amassing the resources for construction of the physical museum: its walls and floors, lights and galleries,” said Ms. Dorsky. “The task ahead for all of us, particularly members of the museum’s executive board, is to refocus our efforts on funding the operational aspects of the SDMA.”

“By establishing this initial endowment of the museum director’s fund, I hope to inspire others to contribute in any way they can to support the ongoing mission of the SDMA. Endowment funds will provide the resources necessary for the SDMA’s professional staff to continue to provide us with quality programming for years to come.”

Interim President of SUNY New Paltz Steven Poskanzer said, “Karen Dorsky is a wonderful person and a wonderful friend to the SDMA. I am absolutely delighted that her deep knowledge of and love for art — and her respect for the quality of the exhibits and programs at the museum that so proudly bears her family’s name — have led her to make this exceptional gift.”

Ms. Dorsky was an officer of the Dorsky Gallery in New York City until 2001, and is currently co-director of the non-profit Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs in Long Island City. She is also an officer of the Dorsky Foundation, Inc.

The gift is the second endowment the museum has received from the Dorsky family in as many months. In September Ms. Sara Bedrick, the second of Samuel Dorsky’s four children gifted $300,000 to the museum.