Art Omi, formerly Omi International Arts Center, is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

international arts organization located in Columbia County in

Ghent, New York Ghent is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States, with a ZIP code of 12075. The population was 5,303 at the 2020 census, down from the 2010 census. Ghent is centrally located in the county and is northeast of the city of Hudson. His ...

. The organization provides residencies for writers, artists,

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s, musicians, dancers and

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

s. Ledig House serves as Art Omi's home and central meeting place.

History

The Omi International Arts Center was founded in 1992 by Francis J. Greenburger, a New York

real estate developer Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to others. R ...

and literary agent, who serves as chairman of Art Omi, Inc., the residency's parent foundation; Sandi Slone, an artist; artist John Cross, an artist; and others. The organization takes its name from Omi, a hamlet in the

Hudson River Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to Yo ...

two and a half hours from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Premises

Art Omi is located in Columbia County in

. It is home to the Sculpture & Architecture Park, (previously the Fields Sculpture Park), which is open to the public throughout the year, features over 70 permanent and temporary exhibitions. The Sculpture & Architecture Park occupies approximately 120 acres of Art Omi's campus. The main compound is made up of three separate buildings with 18 guest rooms, three

conference room A conference hall, conference room, or meeting room is a room provided for singular events such as business conferences and meetings. Room It is commonly found at large hotels and convention centers though many other establishments, including even ...

s, a library and communal spaces. Ledig House (named for the late German publisher H.M. Ledig-Rowohlt), a converted 1830

farmhouse FarmHouse (FH) is a social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a national organization in 1921. Today FarmHouse has 33 active chapters and four associate ch ...

, serves as Art Omi's home and central meeting place. The principal work space consists of a two-story converted

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. ...

and several satellite sheds. The Charles B. Benenson Visitors Center & Gallery opened to the public in 2008. Omi's facilities are available for rental for corporate retreats from December through March, when residency programs are not in session.

Residencies and other activities

Art Omi offers five residency programs: Art Omi: Architecture; Art Omi: Artists; Art Omi: Dance; Art Omi: Music; and Art Omi: Writers. Art Omi invites gallerists, critics, agents, publishers,

curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

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, concerts and dance performances to which the public is invited.

Funding

Art Omi raises money primarily from

philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

and corporate foundations and individual donors. Its major fundraising event is a New York City benefit held each spring.

References

External links