Stone Quarry Hill Art Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stone Quarry Hill Art Park |
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| Type | sculpture park |
| Location | 3883 Stone Quarry Rd, Cazenovia, NY 13035 |
| Website | https://sqhap.org/ |
The Stone Quarry Hill Art Park is a special outdoor art park near Cazenovia, New York. It's open every day from morning until night. Here, you can explore amazing outdoor artworks. The park covers 104 acres of protected land. It has four miles of trails with awesome views of the countryside.
The park loves showing how art and nature connect. It's a place for new and experienced artists to create and show their art. They display art both outdoors and inside galleries. Stone Quarry Hill Art Park is a non-profit group. This means it uses money from members and donations to run its programs. Its main goal is to teach and connect people with art and nature. They do this through art shows, workshops, tours, and community events.
The Art Park also helps artists create new art through its Artist in Residence Program. Since 1991, over 100 artists have visited from many different states and countries. They have created art that fits right into the park's landscape.
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Park History
Cazenovia was started in 1793 by John Linklaen. In 1800, a widow named Mary Hackley and her two teenage sons settled the land where the park is now. They built a farm at 3883 Stone Quarry Road. You can still see parts of their old farm, like foundations and apple trees. This area is called the "Homestead Site."
Around the 1840s, a stone quarry opened nearby. It was used for digging stone until the late 1800s. You can still see signs of this old quarry from Stone Quarry Road. After many years and different owners, Dorothy and Robert (Bob) Riester bought the land in 1958. Their purchase included Mary Hackley’s old 23-acre farm.
Building the Hilltop House
From 1959 to 1965, the Riesters built their house on the hilltop. Dorothy designed the house to look like a cone on its side. This design fit the hill's shape and considered the wind. The Dorothy Riester House and Studio is often called the Hilltop House. It's a work of art itself, with much of it built by hand.
The house has a special entryway like a Japanese Genkan. It also has a six-walled library and music room. There's a greenhouse for plants and handmade tiles in the kitchen and bathroom. The walls and fireplace have unique sand-cast designs. The Riesters moved into the Hilltop House permanently in 1965.
Art Park Growth
By 1970, the site became a hub for art. An Art Barn studio was added. This studio became a home for the Syracuse Ceramic Guild. It had special kilns for pottery. In 1979, the Ceramic Guild started an annual Pottery Fair. The Art Park still hosts this fair today.
The Art Park kept growing over the years. It officially became a non-profit organization in 1991. Soon after, Dorothy and Bob Riester held their first outdoor art show. It was called “Sculpture on the Hilltop.” Today, the Art Park offers many things. These include indoor and outdoor art shows, artist visits, art workshops, special events, and educational tours.
The Dorothy Riester House and Studio
The Dorothy Riester House and Studio was the home of the park's founders, Dorothy and Robert Riester. It is still located at the top of the hill in the Art Park. On March 19, 2014, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historic place.
The house and studio are special because they are a great example of a mid-20th century modern house. Dorothy and Robert Riester designed and built the home themselves. They also had help from local builders. The house shows Dorothy’s artistic style. You can see it in the sculpted fireplace and the unique walls.
Artworks to Explore
The Art Park has many sculptures by its founder, Dorothy Riester. It also shows new sculptures all the time. These come from artists who visit the park and from collections around the world. Some of the artists whose work has been shown include Emilie Brzezinski, Rodger Mack, Enrique Saavedra, Esther Benedict, Christopher Gentner, Michael Kalish, and Takafumi Ide.
