The breathtaking Tuscan Garden at Snug Harbor.
The magnificent Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden has been presented the 2013 Cultural Award by Deputy Mayor Robert K. Steel and Small Business Services Commissioner Robert W. Walsh on the colorful grounds of Snug Harbor July 16th.
The distinguished award was presented to President & CEO Lynn Kelly at the Twelfth Annual Neighborhood Achievement Awards on Monday at Gracie Mansion. Since its establishment in 2002, the Neighborhood Achievement Awards has honored individuals, businesses and groups who share our commitment to building neighborhoods, creating jobs, and who are dedicated to enhancing the neighborhoods of New York City. The renowned Cultural Award is presented to cultural institutions that have made major and significant contributions to a neighborhood and continue to augment the artistic and educational fabric of New York City.
The 2013 Cultural Award was presented to Snug Harbor Cultural Center in recognition of the organization’s successful resurrection of a previously seven-year latent visual arts program – the SHARP/ Snug Harbor Artist Residency Program. Additionally, the 2013 Cultural Award recognized Snug Harbor’s efforts to abolish food deserts and educate the public about the importance of locally grown food with its most recent effort, the Heritage Farm. These two initiatives have thoroughly committed the local community and had a demonstrable impact on the revitalization of the borough’s art scene and providing fresh, pesticide-free produce to all of those who live in, work in, or visit Staten Island.
A look at the fresh produce grown at Heritage Farm at Snug Harbor.
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is the result of more than three decades of restoration and development to convert the first home for retired sailors in the United States to a regional arts center. Snug Harbor, a combination of colorful buildings and vibrant outdoors, is a place where history, architecture, visual art, theater, dance, music and environmental science come together and provide compelling experiences for all ages. It is the largest ongoing adaptive reuse project in America, consisting of 28 buildings, and is one of New York City’s unique architectural complexes and historic landscapes. Majestic Greek-revival buildings, the City’s first designated landmarks, present exhibitions on historical subjects and contemporary art.
The Music Hall at Snug Harbor is one of the oldest concert halls in the City, second only to the prestigious Carnegie Hall and serves as the focal point for performing arts. The Botanical Gardens are spread across the site and include the revered New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden and Richmond County Savings Foundation Tuscan Garden, based on the 18th century garden at the Villa Gamberaia in Florence, Italy. Snug Harbor is also home to the Art Lab, the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, the Noble Maritime Collection, SHARP/Snug Harbor Artist Residency Program, Staten Island Children’s Museum and the Staten Island Museum & Archives. Snug Harbor is proud to be a distinguished Smithsonian Affiliate.
The incredible, extensive Snug Harbor has programs and attractions to benefit the more than 470,000 residents of Staten Island with humanities-based educational programming, exhibits and performances that boost annual attendance rate of over 280,000.
For more information about events and projects at Snug Harbor visit, http://www.snug-harbor.org/
- Brad Popkin