Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild

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MISSION STATEMENT

Byrdcliffe provides opportunities for excellence in all the arts. It is a locus for creative collaboration and encounters for artists, students, arts professionals, and the public gathered in community for inspiration.

WHO WE ARE

The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild is a regional center for the arts located in Woodstock, New York. From its 250 acre mountainside campus and its arts and performance center located in the village of Woodstock, Byrdcliffe offers an integrated program of exhibitions, performance, classes, workshops, symposia, summer residences, and artist housing. Byrdcliffe embraces all disciplines of artistic endeavor in a collaborative spirit, and seeks creative partnership with other not for profit and educational entities in order to leverage its unique resources for the benefit of the cultural life of the Hudson region. Byrdcliffe was founded in 1902 and has operated as a nonprofit organization since 1938.

As is common for not-for-profit service organizations, Byrdcliffe is funded by a combination of contributed income and earned income. Sources of contributed income include individual memberships, bequests, foundation grants, government agency grants, income from our endowment, and corporate and individual contributions. Byrdcliffe receives earned income from rentals, tuitions, sales, and tickets. Byrdcliffe is a member of the Woodstock Arts Consortium and the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce.

Learn more about the history of Byrdcliffe. Walking tours are conducted regularly during the summer, and visitors can access a map here.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Susan Auchincloss, Secretary
  • Susan Auchincloss retired in 2004 from serving as rector of an Episcopal church in Rockland County, NY, and continues to serve as a Sunday fill-in when needed. She received a B.A. in English literature from Stanford University and a M.Div. from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She supports the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild because the organization so marvelously supports Woodstock and the surrounding community. Susan lives in Woodstock year-round and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2005.
  • Nancy Azara
  • Nancy Azara is an artist who has exhibited in New York City, throughout the U.S., and abroad. Nancy is the author of Spirit Taking Form: Making a Spiritual Practice of Making Art (Red Wheel/ Weiser). She was a founder of the New York Feminist Art Institute (NYFAI) in 1979, where she was on the board for many years. Nancy has been a visiting artist at the following residencies: The Bogliasco Foundation, Genoa, Italy; Chikraneketan in South India (state of Kerala); and Civitella Ranieri, Umbertide, Italy. Nancy divides her time between New York City and Woodstock and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2006.
  • George Baird III
  • George Baird III is the Director of Application Development at Coleman Research Group in New York. He has worked in financial software systems and business development for many years, surviving the internet bubble to take Multex, a financial information company, public, before selling it to Reuters. George received a B.S. in Computer Science from Yale University; and has been a part–time physical, and full–time emotional, resident of Woodstock ever since he first saw his house opposite the Guardian Mountain Trail in 2000. An avid birder, gardener, hiker, and climber, he finds Woodstock — and Byrdcliffe in particular — a welcome refuge from his hi–tech, finance-driven, day–to–day life. George became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2009.
  • Susan Ball
  • Susan Ball is the Director of Programs at the New York Foundation for the Arts, where she previously served on the Board of Directors for 13 years. NYFA’s mission is to empower artists at critical stages of their creative lives, and it supports artists in dozens of disciplines. She was Executive Director of the College Art Association for 20 years. She also taught Not–for–Profit Leadership, Governance, and Strategic Planning at NYU‘s graduate program in Arts Administration. Susan has a Ph.D. in History of Art and Architecture from Yale University. Susan is a weekend resident of Hudson and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2006.
  • Peter Barrett
  • Peter is a painter living in Brooklyn and Woodstock. He has exhibited widely in one-person and group shows in Miami, Toronto, and New York. Peter received his B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design where he also participated in the European Honors Program in Rome. He has an M.F.A. from the Art Institute of Chicago. Peter has participated in a number of Residency programs and is currently serving as Chairperson of the Byrdcliffe Artist in Residence (AIR) Program Committee. Peter believes this program has significant potential for growth. Besides painting, Peter has been writing the Food & Drink section for Chronogram magazine for three years as well as writing a food blog. Recently, Peter has developed a short promotional video for our AIR program.
  • Byron Bell, Vice President
  • Byron Bell, is an architect, working mostly in the non-profit world, and is a Fellow of the AIA, and a member of the National Academy. He is also a board member of the New York Society Library, President of the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, a board member of the 3rd Street Music School Settlement, and a board member emeritus of the Van Alen Institute. Byron is particularly interested in the exhibitions in the Kleinert/James Center for the Arts, the Annual 5 by 7 Show, and enjoys working with the people involved with Byrdcliffe. He has been, since 1990, an eight-month-a-year Woodstock resident who also resides in New York City. Byron became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2005.
  • Joseph Belluck
  • Joseph W. Belluck is a founding partner of the law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP. Under his leadership, the firm has grown into one of the country’s most significant personal injury law firms. Joe is a highly experienced and nationally recognized attorney whose practice focuses on asbestos/mesothelioma cases, as well as consumer, environmental and product injury cases. Motivated by a desire to fight injustice and to seek justice for his clients, Joe has dedicated his law practice to representing individual consumers and workers against large multi-national corporations. Joe is known nationally for both his legal ability and his high ethical standards. In April of 2008, he was appointed by New York Governor David A. Patterson to serve on the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct—the state commission that decides ethical complaints against judges. In 2008, he was also named a New York SuperLawyer.
  • Kerrie Buitrago
  • Kerrie Buitrago is Executive Vice President of The Pollock-Krasner Foundation whose mission is to encourage creativity by providing financial assistance to individual working artists of recognized ability as well as to a limited number of organizations that give support to individual visual artists. She received a B.A. from Syracuse University and a M.A. at Johns Hopkins SAIS, and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology Gallery & Retail Art Administration Program. She is a Member of Collegium Musicum, Art Table, and Grantmakers in the Arts. Kerrie's lifelong interest in art and music led her to Woodstock in 1997, as a participant of the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild Artist in Residence Program, and soon became a Woodstock homeowner. Kerrie became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2006.
  • Henry T. Ford, President
  • Henry T. Ford was educated in both the Beauty and Interior Design Fields, and is self-employed in both. He is a native New Yorker, with multi-generational ties to the Catskills and the Hudson River Valley, including the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony. While he has divided his time between New York City and Woodstock for the past 20 years, it is in Woodstock that he devotes much of his time collecting the work of local artists. Henry is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Byrdcliffe and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2006.
  • Milton Glaser
  • Milton Glaser is among the most celebrated graphic designers in the United States. He has had the distinction of one-man-shows at the Museum of Modern Art and the Georges Pompidou Center. In 2004 he was selected for the lifetime achievement award of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. He was the first graphic designer to receive the National Medal of the Arts award (2010). As a Fulbright scholar, Glaser studied with the painter, Giorgio Morandi in Bologna, and is an articulate spokesman for the ethical practice of design. He opened Milton Glaser, Inc. in 1974, and continues to produce a prolific amount of work in many fields of design to this day. Milton has been a weekend resident and creative presence in Woodstock for many decades, and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2004.
  • Frances Halsband, Chairperson
  • Frances Halsband co–founded Kliment–Halsband Architects in New York City in 1972. She has taught architecture at Columbia, UC Berkeley, Harvard, and the University of Maryland, was Dean of the Pratt Institute School of Architecture, and a commissioner of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Frances serves on design advisory boards at Brown University, the US Department of State, and the Federal Reserve Bank. She has served as president of the NYC American Institute of Architects, and president of the Architectural League of New York. She received a B.A. from Swarthmore College and a M. Arch. from Columbia University. Frances has been living in Woodstock on weekends since she was one year old, and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2004.
  • David Hudanish
  • David Hudanish is a partner at Mayer Brown LLP in New York City, where he is head of the Corporate Group, specializing in intellectual property and technology law. He has represented artists on a pro bono basis for many years. David was a founding member of the board of The Lighthouse Academy, a charter school in the Bronx, NY. He received a B.A. in American Studies and a J.D. from Georgetown University. He is a collector of contemporary art, including works by many Woodstock artists. He has been a part-time resident of Woodstock since 2004, and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2009.
  • Mark Kanter
  • Mark is an artist, educator, administrator, business owner, and curator who has organized programs and faculty and managed international fine arts programs. Mark has a B.A. degree from Bates College and a M.F.A. from the Parsons School of Design. He has completed post graduate studies at the New York Studio School and the International School of Art in Umbria, Italy. Mark has taught at the American University in Washington, D.C., Dartmouth College, and SUNY New Paltz. Mark has exhibited and curated at the Kleinert/James Arts Center. He has exhibited his work extensively in New York and in Italy. Mark became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2010.
  • William E. Kelley
  • Bill Kelley is a financial consultant with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. He presently serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters. He believes that it is paramount to preserve the heritage of Byrdcliffe for future generations. Bill has resided in Kingston since 1991, and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2004.
  • Joan Lonergan, Treasurer
  • Joan grew up in Ulster County and graduated with a B.F.A. with a concentration in painting and ceramics. She attended the School of Visual Arts and worked for ten years as a graphic designer in New York. In 1986 Joan and her family decided to leave Brooklyn and chose Woodstock as their new home. She opened Village Green Realty in 1990 which has grown to include five offices in the region employing over 100 agents and staff. Joan has served on a number of local boards. She has been affiliated with the Woodstock Youth Theater, Woodstock Democratic Committee, and Woodstock Chamber of Commerce, among others. Joan believes Byrdcliffe plays a pivotal role in Woodstock, and she became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2010.
  • Karen Peters
  • Karen Peters is a Judge of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court. Prior to serving as Counsel to the New York State Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, and Director of the Government Operations Committee in the New York State Assembly, Karen was an Assistant Professor at SUNY New Paltz and was engaged in the private practice of law. She received a B.A. from George Washington University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. An avid appreciator of the arts, and a passionate potter, Karen studies ceramics with WBG’s Rich Conti. A native New Yorker, Karen Peters lives, works and raised her family in Ulster county. Karen became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2009.
  • Benjamin Prosky
  • Benjamin Prosky is Assistant Dean for Communications at Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD). In 2009, he co-founded ARCHITIZER (www.architizer.com), the first professional and social networking website for architecture. Until May 2011 he was the Director of Special Events and External Affairs at Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. From 2002 to 2005, he was Head of Public and University Programs at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, Canada, and from 1999 to 2002 he was an Exhibitions Coordinator for the Institut Francais d’Architecture in Paris, France. He received a B.A. in Urban Studies from Vassar College and studied Urban Planning at Columbia University. Ben has been coming to Woodstock all his life, and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2009.
  • George Rockman, Counsel
  • George Rockman is a bass baritone trained at Mannes and Juilliard, music producer, and trial lawyer. He serves on the board of the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble 212, and other arts organizations. He received a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a LLB and J.D. from St John’s University. He has been in Woodstock for twenty five years and is a long time board member. His current Byrdcliffe term began in 2004.
  • Les Walker
  • Les Walker is an architect with an office in Woodstock, and is the author of eight books related to architecture, including Tiny Houses, and American Shelter. He received a B.A. in Architecture from Pennsylvania State University, and a M.A. in Architecture from Yale University. He was an adjunct professor of Architecture at the City College of New York for 20 years. His primary interest in Byrdcliffe is the preservation of the historic Byrdcliffe Arts Colony buildings. Les moved to Woodstock in 1973, and has served on the Byrdcliffe board for many years, first joining in 1983. His current Byrdcliffe term began in 2004.
  • Laurie Ylvisaker
  • As a founder of the Woodstock Poetry Festival and a founding member of the Woodstock Arts Consortium and Woodstock Artists Studio Tour, Laurie has been a leading figure in promoting the arts in Woodstock. In addition, Laurie has a long history of service on boards in both Florida and Woodstock. Professionally, she is an experienced realtor who for the past three years has been the top producing realtor in Woodstock. Laurie is a third generation Woodstocker who believes that the spirit and energy of Byrdcliffe continues to have a pivotal impact that makes Woodstock a vital force in the world of art. Laurie became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 2010.
  • Douglas C. James, President Emeritus
  • Doug James, a life-long jazz drummer, owned Woodstock Recording Studio and was the voice of WDST's Sunday 'Sound of Jazz' for nine years during the 1980's and 1990's. He was formerly head of a public relations office in New York. He dedicated the Kleinert/James Arts Center and the James Gallery in 1996 and was instrumental in forming the Byrdcliffe Permanent Collection. He is also on the Advisory Board of the Center for Photography at Woodstock, the Acquisition Committee of the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum, and a member of the Woodstock Memorial Society board. A Wisconsin native, he received a degree from Princeton University. Doug has lived in Woodstock since 1969, and became a member of the Byrdcliffe Board in 1980. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Byrdcliffe, Doug was voted a permanent board member.
  • Garry Kvistad, Chairman Emeritus

STAFF

  • Matthew Leaycraft, Executive Director, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Matthew Leaycraft is a May 2010 graduate of Yale Divinity School where he earned an M.Div. degree. He is a retreat leader and is in the process of ordination in the Episcopal Church. His prior career was in asset management of large scale commercial office buildings in New York including Lever House, the Seagram building, and the AT&T building. For over twenty years he was a board member, and chair, of the New York City Mission Society, which served children and families in need. Matthew is a native of Woodstock and the son of Town Historian, Edgar Leaycraft and grandson of Woodstock painter, Julia Leaycraft. He has a B.A. in Art History from Vassar College. He is a past President of the Historical Society of Woodstock. Matthew joined the Byrdcliffe board in 2009. He resigned from the board in August 2010 so that he could manage the day to day operations of the organization. Matthew divides his time between New York and Woodstock.
  • Linda Park, Grant/Program Consultant
  • Linda J. Park is an independent curator, arts writer and consultant based in High Falls, NY. Most recently, she was the Program Manager at Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC), a ten-year arts initiative funded by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations to improve the conditions for artists across the US. Prior to joining LINC, Ms. Park was a Program Officer at the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) overseeing the NYFA Source directory of over 8500 arts programs for artists in all disciplines. She works extensively with emerging and mid-career artists and arts organizations, presenting workshops and talks on fundraising strategies and developments in the field. Currently, she works for a private art foundation in NYC and is working closely with the State and Local Partnership department at the New York State Council on the Arts.
  • Katherine Burger, Artist in Residence Program Director, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Katherine has held this position since 1995. Other jobs have included: Children’s Liaison at The Metropolitan Opera Association, where she managed the scheduling, budgets and payroll for over 100 child performers per season, as well as monitoring each rehearsal and performance; Director of Development for The Medicine Show Theater Company; Assistant Casting Director/Field Producer and Production Office Manager for ABC’s show FYI; Program Assistant for The Citizen’s Committee for New York City; Leadership Training Staff and Office Manager for The American Youth Hostels; and personal assistant to a poet. Katherine is also a visual artist, performer and playwright. Her plays have been produced in the United States, Canada, London, Paris and Berlin, as well as over Radio BBC. She is currently a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, and of Ulster County’s own Actors and Writers Ensemble.
  • Matt Stauffer, Property Manager, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Rich Conti, Ceramics Program Director, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Rich Conti initiated the current ceramics program at Byrdcliffe. He has been the director of the program 11 of the past 13 years. He received his BFA from Alfred University and in 1999, was a resident at the Archie Bray Foundation. Rich's work is firmly grounded in functional pottery, where simple aesthetics and the details of function are combined to bring objects into existence for daily use. Known as the "El Camino" of potters, when asked about whether he considers himself an artist or crafts person, Rich responds, "Is the El-Camino a car or a truck?"
  • Lu Ann Bielawa, Program Manager, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Originally from Queens, NY, where she received a degree in Art Education from Queens College, Lu Ann was inspired to move to Woodstock in 1995 by her ceramics professor, the late Jolyon Hofsted. Previously in NYC she worked in the music industry in the areas of music publishing, radio syndication and video production. Once settled in town, her interest in music led her to WDST Radio Woodstock where she held the position of Promotions/Community Service Director for several years. Lu Ann was introduced to Byrdcliffe through Woodstock Aikido’s youth program which led her to volunteer as a Byrdcliffe Walking Tour guide during the 2003 Centennial celebration. She joined Byrdcliffe in 2007 as Membership Coordinator and is most proud of her role in the creation and production of the successful Bob Dylan Birthday Celebration fundraiser. Lu Ann served as the Marketing, Publicity and Sponsorship Director for the Artists’ Soapbox Derby, a kinetic sculpture race held annually in the Rondout section of Kingston, from 1998 through 2010.
  • Nathalie Andrews, Operations Manager, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • A native of the Netherlands, Nathalie joined Byrdcliffe in the spring of 2008, and is now Operations Manager after having worked for two and a half years in the Byrdcliffe Shop and Kleinert/James Arts Center. Although she holds a doctorate in econometrics from the University of Tilburg, her passion is as a painter. She has a loyal following of collectors and has shown in several cities, including New York and San Francisco. Prior to joining Byrdcliffe, Nathalie held positions of Director of Marketing at Rebis, a CAD software company, Senior Project Manager at Razorfish, a web design agency, and COO at VZones, a virtual worlds internet business.
  • Kimberly Daley, Shop Manager and Gallery Assistant, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Kimberly Daley recently settled in the Woodstock area after more than 20 years of living in New York City, working in finance for a Scandinavian bank. She grew up in the Boston area and studied economics and communications at Babson College. She continued her studies at New York University in international finance and also spent many years studying classical ballet, poetry writing, and botanical science.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild
34 Tinker Street
Woodstock, NY 12498 USA

Phone: 845.679.2079
Fax: 845.679.4529

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

HOURS OF OPERATION

OFFICE HOURS: The Administrative Office is open Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.

SHOP/GALLERY HOURS: In January and February, the Byrdcliffe Shop and Kleinert/James Center for the Arts are open Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.

DIRECTIONS

View a map to the Byrdcliffe Administrative Office and the Kleinert/James Center for the Arts.

View a Map to the Byrdcliffe Art Colony.

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