Storm King Art Center holds a special place in the hearts of New Yorkers—particularly as the seasons change. This month, the treasured Hudson Valley institution unveiled its $53 million Capital Project—a sweeping transformation that places art, ecology, and access in easy conversation.
Marking Storm King’s first major renovation since its founding in 1960, visitors now enter through a newly constructed Welcome Sequence designed by Heneghan Peng Architects and WXY Architecture + Urban Design, and Reed Hilderbrand, where native plantings and open-air pavilions subtly reframe the arrival experience.
In honor of the sculpture center’s new developments, a select group of guests—including art collector Pamela Joyner, curator/critics Larry Ossei-Mensah and Justine Ludwig, artist Martin Puryear, artist and actor Okwui Okpokwasili, photographer Jack Shear, and curator Lauren Haynes—gathered yesterday first for an intimate champagne toast and first look inside the new David R. Collens Building, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the fabrication, conservation, and maintenance of large-scale works. Executive Director Nora Lawrence provided remarks on expanding Storm King’s ability to fabricate projects onsite, maintain and care for works in its collection, and support artists’ visions on a grand scale with this facility.
Following the champagne toast, guests gathered for a sit-down lunch across from Tippet’s Field, the site of Kevin Beasley’s new installation. Storm King Board Chair Roberta Denning opened the lunch with remarks, followed by Executive Director Nora Lawrence. After lunch, a few hundred additional guests joined for an afternoon reception and guided tours, exploring new commissions by Kevin Beasley, Dionne Lee, and Sonia Gomes. The project also reclaims two former parking lots within the museum grounds, opening up new spaces for art and programming in the heart of the site. Storm King will also reopen with two recent acquisitions from its permanent collection: Lee Ufan’s Relatum – Horizontal and Vertical, 2019, and Arlene Shechet’s Bea Blue, 2024.
Fresh off last fall’s buzzy Charli XCX performance, Storm King continues to blur the lines between art, nature, and experience. Whether it’s a sun-soaked lunch or an avant-garde dance party, the stage is set for more culture-defining moments.
