Omi International Arts Center
Encyclopedia
Omi International Arts Center is a nonprofit
international arts organization located in Columbia County
in upstate New York
. Omi International Arts Center was founded in 1992 by Francis Greenburger, a New York
real estate developer
, who serves as chairman of Art Omi, Inc., the residency’s parent foundation. The organization takes its name from Omi, a nearby hamlet in the Hudson River Valley two and a half hours from New York City
.
Omi International Arts Center offers four distinct residency programs: the Art Omi International Artists Residency for visual artists for three weeks in July; the Ledig House International Writers Residency for writers of fiction
and non-fiction
, critics and translators for up to two months in spring and fall; Music Omi International Musicians Residency, which brings together musician
s, composer
s and improvisers in early August; and Dance Omi for dancers and choreographers in late summer. The programs encourage residents to collaborate and explore new avenues of expression and experiment with media and techniques not always available to them at home. Residents are provided with free room and board as well as a congenial place in which to work. Each year a limited number of fellowships are available to help artists with the costs of travel and art supplies. The residency welcomes talented applicants whether they are starting out, in mid-career or are already established. To date Omi has hosted over a thousand residents from 80 different countries and the United States
.
Omi invites gallerists, critics, agents, publishers, curator
s and collectors to give talks and presentations. Their visits also benefit residents by providing them with exposure and access to the New York cultural scene. Omi regularly holds exhibitions, readings, concert
s and dance performances to which the public is invited. In addition to the four residency programs, Omi International Arts Center is also home to The Fields Sculpture Park, Architecture Omi and Education Omi.
The main compound is made up of three separate buildings with 18 guest rooms, three conference rooms, a library
and communal spaces. Ledig House (named for the late German publisher H.M. Ledig-Rowohlt), a converted 1830 farmhouse
, serves as Omi’s home and central meeting place. The principal work space consists of a two-story converted barn
and several satellite sheds. The latest addition to the Omi campus is the Charles B. Benenson Visitors Center & Gallery, which opened to the public in the summer of 2008. The 4200 square feet (390.2 m²) Center presents exhibitions of art and sculpture and includes a gift shop
and café
. The structure has been built using state-of-the-art ‘green’ technology. Omi’s facilities are available for rental for corporate retreats from December through March, when residency programs are not in session.
The Fields Sculpture Park, which is open to the public throughout the year, features over 100 permanent and temporary exhibitions. The Fields occupies approximately 150 acres of the Omi’s campus that has recently expanded to cover nearly 500 acres of farmland
, woods and ponds. In the future architects will be invited to design structures ranging from pavilions to free-standing buildings, some of which may function as autonomous galleries or mini-museum
s.
Omi International Arts Center raises money primarily from philanthropic and corporate foundations and individual donors. Its major fundraising event is a theater benefit held each spring.
Applicants for all programs can find information about criteria for admission and deadlines at the Omi International Arts Center website: www.artomi.org
External Links:
www.artomi.org
www.sculptureandnature.org/thefields.html
www.retreatartomi.com/
New York Times:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A00E7DA173FF936A2575BC0A9629C8B63
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950CE4DB1431F933A05754C0A96F958260
Sculpture Magazine:
http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag07/oct_07/omi/omi.shtml
Financial Times:
http://search.ft.com/ftArticle?queryText=Art++Omi&y=7&aje=true&x=19&id=060731000789&ct=0&nclick_check=1
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
international arts organization located in Columbia County
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. Omi International Arts Center was founded in 1992 by Francis Greenburger, a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
real estate developer
Real estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
, who serves as chairman of Art Omi, Inc., the residency’s parent foundation. The organization takes its name from Omi, a nearby hamlet in the Hudson River Valley two and a half hours from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Omi International Arts Center offers four distinct residency programs: the Art Omi International Artists Residency for visual artists for three weeks in July; the Ledig House International Writers Residency for writers of fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
and non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
, critics and translators for up to two months in spring and fall; Music Omi International Musicians Residency, which brings together musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s and improvisers in early August; and Dance Omi for dancers and choreographers in late summer. The programs encourage residents to collaborate and explore new avenues of expression and experiment with media and techniques not always available to them at home. Residents are provided with free room and board as well as a congenial place in which to work. Each year a limited number of fellowships are available to help artists with the costs of travel and art supplies. The residency welcomes talented applicants whether they are starting out, in mid-career or are already established. To date Omi has hosted over a thousand residents from 80 different countries and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Omi invites gallerists, critics, agents, publishers, curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
s and collectors to give talks and presentations. Their visits also benefit residents by providing them with exposure and access to the New York cultural scene. Omi regularly holds exhibitions, readings, concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s and dance performances to which the public is invited. In addition to the four residency programs, Omi International Arts Center is also home to The Fields Sculpture Park, Architecture Omi and Education Omi.
The main compound is made up of three separate buildings with 18 guest rooms, three conference rooms, a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and communal spaces. Ledig House (named for the late German publisher H.M. Ledig-Rowohlt), a converted 1830 farmhouse
Farmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
, serves as Omi’s home and central meeting place. The principal work space consists of a two-story converted barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
and several satellite sheds. The latest addition to the Omi campus is the Charles B. Benenson Visitors Center & Gallery, which opened to the public in the summer of 2008. The 4200 square feet (390.2 m²) Center presents exhibitions of art and sculpture and includes a gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
and café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
. The structure has been built using state-of-the-art ‘green’ technology. Omi’s facilities are available for rental for corporate retreats from December through March, when residency programs are not in session.
The Fields Sculpture Park, which is open to the public throughout the year, features over 100 permanent and temporary exhibitions. The Fields occupies approximately 150 acres of the Omi’s campus that has recently expanded to cover nearly 500 acres of farmland
Farmland
Farmland generally refers to agricultural land, or land currently used for the purposes of farming. It may also refer to:*Arable land, land capable of cultivating crops*Farmland, Indiana, a town in the United States...
, woods and ponds. In the future architects will be invited to design structures ranging from pavilions to free-standing buildings, some of which may function as autonomous galleries or mini-museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s.
Omi International Arts Center raises money primarily from philanthropic and corporate foundations and individual donors. Its major fundraising event is a theater benefit held each spring.
Applicants for all programs can find information about criteria for admission and deadlines at the Omi International Arts Center website: www.artomi.org
External Links:
www.artomi.org
www.sculptureandnature.org/thefields.html
www.retreatartomi.com/
New York Times:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A00E7DA173FF936A2575BC0A9629C8B63
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950CE4DB1431F933A05754C0A96F958260
Sculpture Magazine:
http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag07/oct_07/omi/omi.shtml
Financial Times:
http://search.ft.com/ftArticle?queryText=Art++Omi&y=7&aje=true&x=19&id=060731000789&ct=0&nclick_check=1