The State University of New York at New Paltz Foundation has been awarded a $7,500 art collections care and research grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) for support of the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art (SMDA). This is the first time the SMDA has received funding by NYSCA.
Neil Trager, director of the SDMA, said the award will allow the museum to both upgrade its collection database and purchase display cabinets, which will dramatically increase access to information and objects in the collection.
“Thanks to NYSCA, this grant will enable us to increase our service to both the campus and community by making more objects from the collection readily available for study, research and enjoyment — certainly one of our highest priorities,” said Trager.
Upon completion of the project, Trager said that information and images about more than 4,000 works of art will be available at a kiosk in the museum’s seminar room. The works of art housed in the new display cabinets in the room will be accessible to visitors whether or not they are on view in a formal exhibition in the museum. Open storage installations are effective strategies for enhancing how collections are used and shared with the public, Trager added.
The New York State Council on the Arts is a funding agency that supports the activities of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in New York State and helps to bring high-quality artistic programs to the citizens of the state. The Council has been directed by the state legislature to maintain the “paramount position of this state in the nation and the world as a cultural center” through the support of nonprofit arts organizations in New York State.
Kevin Cahill, Assembly member of the 101st District of New York and a member of the SUNY New Paltz class of 1977, spoke of the significance of this grant at New Paltz. “I am proud to support initiatives such as this that will help enhance the arts in our area,” said Cahill, “and I appreciate the important role of the SUNY New Paltz Foundation in providing arts and educational services to the community.”
