Go Back

Arts & Culture Plan

Share Arts & Culture Plan on Facebook Share Arts & Culture Plan on Twitter Share Arts & Culture Plan on Linkedin Email Arts & Culture Plan link

The Ulster County Arts & Culture Plan marks a groundbreaking moment. This first-ever comprehensive plan will serve as a blueprint for defining, assessing, prioritizing, and charting a course for a flourishing arts and culture landscape in Ulster County.

TAKE THE SURVEY!

This process, from 2024 into 2025, seeks to accomplish:

  • Inventory Creative Resources: Develop an inventory of the creative resources now available across the County, including facility capacities and amenities, to highlight trends in the existing arts ecosystem that may be leveraged to support growth and sustainability.

  • Quantify Economic Impact: Conduct a comprehensive Fiscal and Economic Impact Analysis to measure the arts sector's contribution to Ulster County's overall prosperity. This analysis will consider the economic benefits for our residents, businesses, and neighborhoods as well as the cultural economy’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

  • Identify Strategies to Empower a Thriving Ecosystem: Define Ulster County's leading role in cultivating and sustaining a vibrant local arts scene to enable its celebration and promotion of the voices of our residents, including enhanced communication between arts organizations and the communities they serve.

  • Guide Investment in the Future: Develop a suite of possible policies and services that align with identified community needs to direct resources toward the greatest impacts. These will address programming opportunities and access for residents and visitors and include services for the creative community and its economy, as well as funding sources for cultural initiatives such as public art, performance and education programming, and capital improvements to arts and cultural facilities.

  • Foreground Social Equity: Plan with intention to strengthen, leverage, and integrate resources to advance economic prosperity and ensure equitable access and benefits for ALL Ulster County residents, resulting in a truly inclusive cultural landscape that allows the whole community to participate in and enjoy Ulster County’s cultural offerings.

SIGN UP today to be part of this process! Outreach will include town hall meetings, creative sector workshops, surveys, and community conversations.

The County seeks input from as many community members as possible on how arts and culture can create a more equitable, thriving, and prosperous County. The final plan will reflect input from all ages and backgrounds, providing well-defined goals and strategies that align with broader community needs, including economic prosperity, social equity, environmental protection, and cultural vitality.

TAKE THE SURVEY!

"Totally Dedicated: Leonard Contino 1940-2016" exhibition installation image, The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz.


A 27-member Project Advisory Committee (PAC), featuring top arts leaders in Ulster County, will guide the plan. This committee represents a diverse range of geographies, artistic disciplines, genders, and races. Their expertise will help create a comprehensive and inclusive arts plan that is both aspirational and practical.

To spearhead this initiative, the County has engaged Lord Cultural Resources, a leading global arts and culture planning practice with a proven track record spanning over 40 years that helps arts and cultural destinations achieve their full potential. Work began in April 2024, with the goal of presenting the full plan to the Ulster County Legislature in March 2025. The project is managed by an Ulster County team including Peter Criswell, Chair of the Ulster County Legislature; Joshua Stratton-Rayner, Deputy Director of Economic Development; and Sara Pasti, Arts and Development Consultant and City of Kingston Ward 1 Alderwoman.

The Arts & Culture Master Plan will develop an inventory of creative resources across the County and gather and analyze data on the economic impact of the arts and creative industries. The plan will outline goals and strategies to address programming opportunities, access for residents and visitors, services for the creative community, cultural economic development, and facilities development and will explore funding for public art, performance and education programming, and capital improvements.


SIGN UP

"Cinderella" by the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine at the Ulster Performing Arts Center, 2023. Photo by James Rice.


PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Bryant (“Drew”) Andrews
Executive Director, Center for Creative Education
Lisa Berger
Director, Ulster County Department of Tourism
Danielle Bliss
Producer, Hudson Valley Hullabaloo and Owner, Wishbone Letterpress
Taylor Bruck
Deputy Clerk & County Historian, Ulster County
Dave Channon
Artist and Shandaken Artist Tour Promoter
Beth Davenport
Co-Founder, Stockade Works and Upriver Studios
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas
Executive Director, Arts Mid-Hudson
Marielena Ferrer-Harrington
Chair, Kingston Arts Commission and Executive Director, Unison Arts
Lara Giordano
Founder and Director, Department of Regional Art Workers (D.R.A.W)
Nicole Goldberg
Executive Director, Woodstock Artists Association and Museum
Stephan Hengst
Executive Director, Big Gay Hudson Valley
Margaret S. Inge
Board President, Kingston Midtown Arts District
Andrew Jacobs
Board President, Catskills Borscht Belt Museum
Nadine Lemmon
Board Treasurer, Center for Photography at Woodstock
Jadin Manipole
Marketing Director, Bardavon Presents / Ulster Performing Arts Center
Melanie Martin
Director of Sales & Communications, New York Foundation for the Arts
James McIntyre
Board President, Shadowland Stages
Kate Mitchell
Executive Director, Opus 40
Kitt Potter
Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs, City of Kingston
Robert Sabuda
Founder, 10 Horse Art Center and Pop-Up Book Artist
Nina Schmidbaur
Chair, Saugerties Arts Commission
Jason Silverman
Co-Executive Director, Upstate Films
Isabel Soffer
Co-Founder, The Local, Saugerties
Megan Sperry
Member, Ulster County Legislature and Media Arts Professor, SUNY New Paltz
Kathleen (kt) Tobin
Director, SUNY New Paltz Benjamin Center
Helen Toomer
Founder, Stoneleaf Retreat Residency and Upstate Arts Weekend
Carrie Wykoff
Member, Rosendale Town Board and Co-Chair, Rosendale Street Festival


The Ulster County Arts & Culture Plan marks a groundbreaking moment. This first-ever comprehensive plan will serve as a blueprint for defining, assessing, prioritizing, and charting a course for a flourishing arts and culture landscape in Ulster County.

TAKE THE SURVEY!

This process, from 2024 into 2025, seeks to accomplish:

  • Inventory Creative Resources: Develop an inventory of the creative resources now available across the County, including facility capacities and amenities, to highlight trends in the existing arts ecosystem that may be leveraged to support growth and sustainability.

  • Quantify Economic Impact: Conduct a comprehensive Fiscal and Economic Impact Analysis to measure the arts sector's contribution to Ulster County's overall prosperity. This analysis will consider the economic benefits for our residents, businesses, and neighborhoods as well as the cultural economy’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

  • Identify Strategies to Empower a Thriving Ecosystem: Define Ulster County's leading role in cultivating and sustaining a vibrant local arts scene to enable its celebration and promotion of the voices of our residents, including enhanced communication between arts organizations and the communities they serve.

  • Guide Investment in the Future: Develop a suite of possible policies and services that align with identified community needs to direct resources toward the greatest impacts. These will address programming opportunities and access for residents and visitors and include services for the creative community and its economy, as well as funding sources for cultural initiatives such as public art, performance and education programming, and capital improvements to arts and cultural facilities.

  • Foreground Social Equity: Plan with intention to strengthen, leverage, and integrate resources to advance economic prosperity and ensure equitable access and benefits for ALL Ulster County residents, resulting in a truly inclusive cultural landscape that allows the whole community to participate in and enjoy Ulster County’s cultural offerings.

SIGN UP today to be part of this process! Outreach will include town hall meetings, creative sector workshops, surveys, and community conversations.

The County seeks input from as many community members as possible on how arts and culture can create a more equitable, thriving, and prosperous County. The final plan will reflect input from all ages and backgrounds, providing well-defined goals and strategies that align with broader community needs, including economic prosperity, social equity, environmental protection, and cultural vitality.

TAKE THE SURVEY!

"Totally Dedicated: Leonard Contino 1940-2016" exhibition installation image, The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz.


A 27-member Project Advisory Committee (PAC), featuring top arts leaders in Ulster County, will guide the plan. This committee represents a diverse range of geographies, artistic disciplines, genders, and races. Their expertise will help create a comprehensive and inclusive arts plan that is both aspirational and practical.

To spearhead this initiative, the County has engaged Lord Cultural Resources, a leading global arts and culture planning practice with a proven track record spanning over 40 years that helps arts and cultural destinations achieve their full potential. Work began in April 2024, with the goal of presenting the full plan to the Ulster County Legislature in March 2025. The project is managed by an Ulster County team including Peter Criswell, Chair of the Ulster County Legislature; Joshua Stratton-Rayner, Deputy Director of Economic Development; and Sara Pasti, Arts and Development Consultant and City of Kingston Ward 1 Alderwoman.

The Arts & Culture Master Plan will develop an inventory of creative resources across the County and gather and analyze data on the economic impact of the arts and creative industries. The plan will outline goals and strategies to address programming opportunities, access for residents and visitors, services for the creative community, cultural economic development, and facilities development and will explore funding for public art, performance and education programming, and capital improvements.


SIGN UP

"Cinderella" by the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine at the Ulster Performing Arts Center, 2023. Photo by James Rice.


PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Bryant (“Drew”) Andrews
Executive Director, Center for Creative Education
Lisa Berger
Director, Ulster County Department of Tourism
Danielle Bliss
Producer, Hudson Valley Hullabaloo and Owner, Wishbone Letterpress
Taylor Bruck
Deputy Clerk & County Historian, Ulster County
Dave Channon
Artist and Shandaken Artist Tour Promoter
Beth Davenport
Co-Founder, Stockade Works and Upriver Studios
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas
Executive Director, Arts Mid-Hudson
Marielena Ferrer-Harrington
Chair, Kingston Arts Commission and Executive Director, Unison Arts
Lara Giordano
Founder and Director, Department of Regional Art Workers (D.R.A.W)
Nicole Goldberg
Executive Director, Woodstock Artists Association and Museum
Stephan Hengst
Executive Director, Big Gay Hudson Valley
Margaret S. Inge
Board President, Kingston Midtown Arts District
Andrew Jacobs
Board President, Catskills Borscht Belt Museum
Nadine Lemmon
Board Treasurer, Center for Photography at Woodstock
Jadin Manipole
Marketing Director, Bardavon Presents / Ulster Performing Arts Center
Melanie Martin
Director of Sales & Communications, New York Foundation for the Arts
James McIntyre
Board President, Shadowland Stages
Kate Mitchell
Executive Director, Opus 40
Kitt Potter
Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs, City of Kingston
Robert Sabuda
Founder, 10 Horse Art Center and Pop-Up Book Artist
Nina Schmidbaur
Chair, Saugerties Arts Commission
Jason Silverman
Co-Executive Director, Upstate Films
Isabel Soffer
Co-Founder, The Local, Saugerties
Megan Sperry
Member, Ulster County Legislature and Media Arts Professor, SUNY New Paltz
Kathleen (kt) Tobin
Director, SUNY New Paltz Benjamin Center
Helen Toomer
Founder, Stoneleaf Retreat Residency and Upstate Arts Weekend
Carrie Wykoff
Member, Rosendale Town Board and Co-Chair, Rosendale Street Festival


  • Do-It-Yourself Conversation Toolkits in both English and Spanish!

    Share Do-It-Yourself Conversation Toolkits in both English and Spanish! on Facebook Share Do-It-Yourself Conversation Toolkits in both English and Spanish! on Twitter Share Do-It-Yourself Conversation Toolkits in both English and Spanish! on Linkedin Email Do-It-Yourself Conversation Toolkits in both English and Spanish! link

    Ulster County Arts & Culture Plan

    Do-It-Yourself Community Conversation Toolkit

    Help us reach every corner of Ulster County by hosting your own community conversation about arts and culture! Our toolkits below make it easy for YOU and YOUR NETWORKS to take part in the Ulster County Arts and Culture Plan.

    Before August 31, 2024:

    1. Use this Toolkit as a resource

    2. Organize a group meeting in your community, or even just a few friends, to talk about arts and culture.

    3. Follow the activities/tips in the Toolkit and record your answers.

    4. Submit your answers and feedback to the consultant team.

    Toolkits are available in both English and Spanish:

    https://participate.ulstercountyny.gov/24101/widgets/85343/documents/57198 (English)

    https://participate.ulstercountyny.gov/24101/widgets/85343/documents/57199 (Spanish)

  • Town Hall Meetings

    Share Town Hall Meetings on Facebook Share Town Hall Meetings on Twitter Share Town Hall Meetings on Linkedin Email Town Hall Meetings link

    We want your input! Attend one of three remaining IN-PERSON Town Hall meetings to let us know how you engage with arts and culture and how Ulster County can better serve our creative individuals, businesses, and communities.

    Town Hall meeting schedule:

    • Monday, July 22 – Market Street Studio, 9 Market Street, Ellenville
    • Tuesday, July 23 – The Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street, Woodstock
    • Tuesday, August 27 – Kingston City Hall, 420 Broadway, Kingston

    All meetings take place from 5:30-7:00PM—doors open at 5:15PM.

    You can register for these meetings using the links below so we will know how many people to expect, or simply show up in person.

    July 22, Ellenville Town Hall meeting:

    July 23, Woodstock Town Hall meeting:

    August 27, Kingston Town Hall meeting:

  • Arts & Culture Sector Workshops

    Share Arts & Culture Sector Workshops on Facebook Share Arts & Culture Sector Workshops on Twitter Share Arts & Culture Sector Workshops on Linkedin Email Arts & Culture Sector Workshops link

    Lord Cultural Resources is hosting a series of virtual workshops to engage with the diverse sectors that play major roles in our cultural ecosystem.

    Registration through Eventbrite is encouraged via the links below, but all workshops will be accessible through the same Zoom link here: https://lord.zoom.us/j/84009361079

    Tuesday July 9, from 12-1:15pm EST, Individual Artists

    Wednesday July 10, from 12-1:15pm EST, Creative Businesses

    Monday July 15, from 12-1:15pm EST, Arts Education

    Friday July 19, from 12-1:15pm EST, History

    Thursday July 25, from 12-1:15pm EST, Cultural Organizations & Centers

    Monday July 29, from 12-1:15pm EST, Economic & Workforce Development

    Thursday August 8, from 12-1:15pm EST, Funders & Philanthropy

    Friday August 9, from 12-1:15pm EST, Government

    (And - don't forget to fill out the Cultural Community Participation Survey!)

  • Take the Survey!

    Share Take the Survey! on Facebook Share Take the Survey! on Twitter Share Take the Survey! on Linkedin Email Take the Survey! link

    Our Cultural Community Participation Survey is now LIVE!

    Whether you are a practicing artist or maker, an invested patron, or simply looking to make your voice heard, we want to hear from you! Click the above link to provide your feedback in a short survey before August 31st. Available in English and Spanish.

Page last updated: 25 Jul 2024, 12:20 PM