The Stissing Center Opens In Pine Plains With A Fanfare By Wynton Marsalis
In an iconic building, abandoned for 30 years, a new regional arts center opens this month to reinvigorate Pine Plains.
We won't spoil the surprise of what the interior hall looks like, but they're hard at work getting the new entrance ready for the 31st.
For 30 years, the Pine Plains Memorial Hall sat abandoned right smack dab in the center of its namesake little town in Dutchess County, New York. Now, after many years of planning, fundraising and construction, the building in the heart of this community is reopening August 31 as The Stissing Center, and then kicking off a Construction Concert Series with a fundraiser featuring a performance by Wynton Marsalis.
The doors will open on the 31st with a Grand Opening Surprise Party — the surprise being that community members attending the event will get their first chance to see the new performance hall in (almost) all of its glory. Construction is ongoing but getting a glimpse into the creation of the nearly completed project will be a treat in and of itself. Rural Intelligence is keeping the surprise going by only displaying work-in-progress photos of the new Center. You'll have to attend the event to get a peek at the current state of the hall.
The Surprise Party is free and will feature complimentary music and food. There has been strong but sometimes skeptical support of the restoration from residents who have had the building play a number of different roles in their lives. Built in 1915, the big brick building with its tall windows and crown of dormers was a public hall, a mall, a movie theater, and then a crumbling reminder of the more prosperous days in Pine Plains’ past.
“This building has been a part of the community for 104 years,” said Stissing Center Executive Director Brian Keeler. “Once we show people what we’ve done we think they are going to get the intent and be really happy.”
The intent of the restoration was to save the historic structure and reimagine the design of the space in a modern context while also maintaining the intrinsic country attitude of the area. Keeler says the project was always meant to create a cultural center that brings people into Pine Plains, while staying true to the community’s identity.
“When you walk in you’ll see the rural nature of the design,” Keeler said. “We are embracing the agrarian feel, not fighting it. We are using raw wood elements, distressed plaster and we are just leaving the ceiling alone.”
Work on the building is not yet complete and The Stissing Center will have to close again in November for the winter, as the heating system will not be finished. Completion of renovations are still not fully funded and they are waiting on state congressional approval of a $125,000 grant secured by local State Assembly member Didi Barrett.
Before then, however, the end of summer and fall will see The Stissing Center host a number of events in the Construction Concert Series. The Marsalis performance is a fundraiser, but Keeler said tickets for all other upcoming events will be under $20. Upcoming performances in the concert series include a screening of the silent film "Phantom of the Opera" with music by the New York Theatre Organ Society; a Bard Conservatory of Music concert, Molsky's Mountain Drifters, Spirit Family Reunion with Mail the Horse, and others.
This is a space for Pine Plains first and foremost, Keeler said, but if it is to thrive it needs also to be an attraction for arts and culture enthusiasts throughout the region. While Pine Plains is somewhat out of the way, it’s also conveniently equidistant from larger municipalities in the Berkshires and Hudson Valley.
“We need to be a regional center, not just a town center,” said Keeler. “The best way to appreciate it is to come experience it on the 31st with the free event. Come and be surprised and share in a community ribbon cutting.”
Supporters of the arts across the region should revel in the launch of a new venue like The Stissing Center and support the herculean effort of a local group to make such a big impact in their community. Luckily, the best way to support this endeavor is to have a nice night out. Go grab a bite next door at the Stissing House, one of our favorite historic restaurants, before the show. It’ll be a pleasant evening you can feel good about.
The Stissing Center
2981 Church St., Pine Plains, NY
(518) 771-3340
