Wharton Studio Park Center project gets grant

October 18, 2018 was an exciting day for Wharton Studio Museum and Friends of Stewart Park as New York State Senator Tom O'Mara presented WSM Executive Director and Co-Founder Diana Riesman (Riesman is also chair of FSP), and Rick Manning, FSP Executive Director, with a big ‘check’ valued at $450,000 in support of developing the Wharton Studio Park Center along the lakefront and Waterfront Trail in Stewart Park! This grant from NYS will help convert the lake-facing side of the historic studio building into a Museum and Visitor Center, encompassing a gallery for exhibits on Ithaca's movie history, as well as park cultural and natural history. In addition an outdoor terrace will be developed with lake views and the existing public bathrooms will be renovated and winterized. The Wharton Studio Park Center is a cornerstone project in the revitalization of the park's Historic Core.