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Heidi Siesfeld, Assistant Director of Development for Institutional Support, reflects on her first few months at Wave Hill.
This week I am celebrating my first 100 days at Wave Hill. As the Assistant Director of Development for Institutional Support, I oversee funding from foundations, corporations and government sources for all of Wave Hill’s programs including horticulture, education and the arts.
The gazebo in the Abrons Woodland, captured so beautifully here by photographer Dan Willner, is already one of my favorite destinations at Wave Hill.
These are serious times to be a Development officer. Nearly every week, I learn about entire government funding programs being cut, corporations suspending their grant-making and foundations expecting not to have enough endowment income to accept new proposals. Like many other cultural institutions, Wave Hill is working harder than ever to keep its key programs vibrant. Each program has a terrific track record of success and in many cases, decades of achievement for generations of New Yorkers. This includes the revitalized Visual Arts Program (10 years), the Family Art Project (20 years) and the Forest Project Summer Collaborative (30 years).
For me, the current economic climate means that every opportunity, new and old, must be explored and explored again…from the possible opportunities for funding through the Federal Stimulus Package which passed in February to letters updating donors who have supported us in past years. Wave Hill is blessed to have a core of loyal supporters who trust the institution’s stellar reputation to be prudent and creative. There is a certainty that we will carry on.
Even in the midst of these trying times, my colleagues throughout the institution have been warm, welcoming and excited about the future (which I hope to help make possible through creative fundraising!) So, in my first 100 days I’ve learned there is so much more to explore at Wave Hill beyond the beautiful grounds and the sweeping views, namely the people, the programs and the passion behind it all.
Stephanie Ehrlich is Special Projects and Events Producer at Wave Hill.
As the in-house producer of Wave Hill events large and small, I am really looking forward to the upcoming Spring Gala. The Gala Committee, chaired by the ever-stylish Janet Mavec, has dreamed up an event that is sure to inspire. Working with Michelle Rago they’ve devised a tree-inspired design to delight guests and celebrate our phenomenal tree collection. I can’t wait to see it. And I am particularly looking forward to dinner! Prepared by our longtime partner Great Performances, the food is locally sourced where possible and sure to be delicious. The hors d’oeuvres were incredible at the tasting. My favorites: Medjool dates stuffed with walnut pesto and wrapped in bacon; Szechuan seared scallops on red curry rice cake; Corn fritters with spicy red pepper coulis. Yum!
We’re trying something new with attire, too. We’ve asked folks to dress formally, but to wear green or be ‘green’. I’m hoping the ladies wear vintage cocktail dresses. And maybe someone will carry granny’s Whiting & Davis chain mail purse from the 20’s. But that’s just me!
Today, I’m off to the printer to see the invitation ‘on press’ – I love going to the print shop to see the printers mix colors to match our concept (and the PMS color we’ve chosen!). We’ve had a bit of an adventure with this invitation. The idea is to use a tree illustration created by the inimitable Maira Kalman. Kalman painted a joyous map/mural of Wave Hill a few years back; it’s chock-full of happy Wave Hill images like bunnies and children dressed as bees, and our tree collection. It’s on display in the Perkins Visitor Center, where it never fails to cheer me up. We zeroed in on her version of the Copper Beech and have been using it as part of our Year of the Trees logo. For the Gala invitation, the tree stands alone. Since it’s the Copper Beech, we thought it would be fun (and cost-effective) to use one ink color. The color we chose is this deep burgundy. Gorgeous. But, when we saw it on the ‘proof’ (that’s what the printer sends to confirm details) it looked like pure autumn, not spring. Ugghhh… So, in true Wave Hill fashion, lots of folks got involved to make it work, from Scott Canning, Director of Horticulture to Laurel Rimmer, Assistant Director of Public Programs (and a horticulture pro as well). With input from Jennifer McGregor, our Senior Curator, as well as our PR people, we switched gears and chose a lively green. Fingers crossed that it comes out well! Wanna join us?
Here's a snapshot of the panel showing off the drawing of our gorgeous beech
Look for the copper beech in the lower left foreground of this snapshot of Maira Kalman's whimsical "map".
