Courtesy of the Hyde Collection (2021)
The Hyde Collection is prioritizing a number of projects as part of its "Reimagine" project. Renovation of its campus will start this year.
The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, a world-class art museum on Warren Street, is reimagining itself, and it just got a $137,394 boost from New York State to help publicize the process.
The state grant is “a huge win for the Hyde. We’ve applied for Regional Economic Development funding in the past and have not been successful,” said John Lefner, the museum’s chief development officer. “We were thrilled to get this funding because it really helps us tell our story about Reimagine and we hope we can use this as a launchpad for additional funding as well.”
“Reimagine” was launched in 2021, and has gained momentum with this state money and recent donations from the Charles R. Wood Foundation ($100,000) and Stewart’s Shops ($25,000).
The Hyde hopes to raise $500,000 for the project. Lefner said they are more than halfway toward their goal, thanks to the recent grants, some private gifts and part of the proceeds from the 2021 gala.
[Read our coverage of the gala here.]
“‘Reimagine’ focuses on two themes,” Lefner told FoothillsBusinessDaily.com. “One being greater accessibility and inclusivity and the other heightening the overall visitor experience.”
Possible projects include the installation of outdoor outwork, an interpretive art trail on the seven-acre grounds, outdoor classrooms, a performance bandstand, an upgraded entrance and improvements to lighting, sound and internet connectivity.
The state money can only be used for marketing and promotions, Lefner said.
“We will use those funds to make sure people are aware of what our intentions are and some of the coming attractions at the Hyde in the next couple of years,” Lefner said.
Lefner said a task force of trustees, museum staff and industry design and construction professionals is now prioritizing the improvements, which could also include more onsite parking. There are currently about 50 parking spots at the Hyde, Lefner said.
“We also want ‘Reimagine’ to illustrate that there are a variety of ways to enjoy the Hyde and hopefully break up any misconceptions there might be so people feel there are inroads to the Hyde,” Lefner said. Lighting improvements will highlight the artwork, audio tours help with understanding and with the sight impaired, and improved WiFi could be used in multiple ways to enhance the experience.
“We also want ‘Reimagine’ to illustrate that there are a variety of ways to enjoy the Hyde and hopefully break up any misconceptions there might be so people feel there are inroads to the Hyde, where they do belong here. We want to make sure the community is really embraced here at the Hyde,” Lefner said.
Work will start this year, but Lefner noted, “It’s no secret construction timelines have been skewed because of COVID and access to resources and labor, so we are now in the process of prioritizing these projects.”
The Hyde’s current exhibit, Georgia O’Keeffe: Pattern of Leaves, “celebrates Georgia O’Keeffe’s long and intimate association with Lake George and the Adirondacks.” The painting, on loan from the Phillips Collection, is in Hoopes Gallery.
The museum’s website says “the Hyde is one of the Northeast’s exceptional small art museums with distinguished collections of European and American art. Comparable to that of a major metropolitan museum, the core collection, acquired by Museum founders Louis and Charlotte Hyde, includes works by such artists as Sandro Botticelli, El Greco, Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, Edgar Degas, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and American artists Thomas Eakins, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, and James McNeill Whistler.”