Storm King Art Center 60Featuring new outdoor presentations by Kiki Smith and Martha Tuttle

Mountainville, NY (June 26, 2020) – Storm King Art Center is pleased to announce that it anticipates opening its 2020 season as an outdoor-only experience in a limited capacity beginning Wednesday July 15 for the public. The Art Center will open to Storm King Members for a special earlyaccess Member Week from July 8-13.

“We are excited to welcome visitors back to Storm King and offer a place to connect with art in nature at a time when it is needed more than ever. Protecting the health and well-being of our visitors, staff, and local community is our priority and we have developed strict protocols for opening our site and services in stages,” said Storm King President, John P. Stern. “One thing that makes Storm King unique is that our 500 acres offer natural physical distancing and in this first stage, we will offer an outdoor-only experience and limit the number of visitors through advance ticketing and timed-entry.”

“We know how eager people are to get outdoors and experience art in-person, which is why we are increasing our visiting hours by opening six days a week. For 60 years, Storm King has provided a place for people to be among art in nature; we believe in its power to lift our spirits, inspire us, and support our mental and spiritual health. We are delighted to open our season with two special presentations by artists Kiki Smith and Martha Tuttle, both of which interact with Storm King’s site in new and engaging ways and look forward to visitors experiencing these works and our collection under an open sky this summer.”

Storm King will be open to visitors from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM Wednesday through Monday. As a condition of entry, visitors to Storm King will be required to book tickets online for a timed entry in advance of their visit, adhere to physical distancing guidelines while on site, and wear a face covering in areas where physical distancing cannot be maintained. The Museum Store and Outdoor Café will remain temporarily closed and the tram and bike rental will not be available in the first stage of opening.

Special exhibitions by Kiki Smith and Martha Tuttle will be unveiled to coincide with Storm King’s opening. Both presentations will be on view during Member Week and throughout the 2020 season. Other program highlights include special loan presentations of Mark di Suvero’s E=MC2 (1996-97) and Louise Bourgeois’ Eyes (2001).

The following measures will be put in place to keep visitors, staff, and the local community safe when visiting Storm King Art Center. Storm King will continue to monitor the health situation and will review and update its safety protocols in compliance with current guidance, mandates, and emerging best practices.

Pre-purchased timed-entry booking

Storm King will limit the number of visitors to its site through pre-purchased timed-entry bookings. Timedentry tickets for July 15 onwards will be available for the public to book online starting on July 8. Storm King Members must pre-register for access to their complimentary admission benefit and will receive an email with instructions on how to do so. Timed-entry tickets for Member Week July 8–13 will be available for Members to book online starting on July 1.

Limited onsite services

No indoor spaces, except restroom facilities, will be available to the public during the first stage of Storm King’s opening. Visitor amenities, including the Museum Store, bike rentals, coffee cart, food truck, and Outdoor Café will remain temporarily closed, and Storm King’s tram and shuttle services will not be in operation. Snacks, drinks, and select Museum Store merchandise will be available via vending machines located near North Parking.

Staying at a safe distance

Storm King staff will use personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks and gloves, and adhere to strict physical distancing guidelines at all times, including during visitor entry and processing via contactless ticket scanning. Visitors can do their part to help keep everyone safe by staying at least 6 feet from other visitors and staff while on the Storm King site. Visitors must wear a face covering in areas where physical distancing cannot be maintained, such as in the elevator, restrooms, or along the narrow pathways, such as the Moodna Creek Trail.

More frequent cleaning

Storm King has expanded cleaning and hygiene requirements for high-touch areas and shared equipment and added to existing hand wash and hand sanitization points throughout the site. All staff will be trained in appropriate safety and hygiene practices. Visitors are encouraged to observe hand washing guidance on display inside restrooms and are asked not to touch or physically interact with any sculpture during their visit. A small number of interactive sculptures will be cordoned off to reinforce this measure.

Transport and access

Storm King’s shuttle service from the Beacon Metro-North station will not be available during the first stage of Storm King’s opening. Visitors planning to visit Storm King via taxi or ride share must arrive during their confirmed timed-entry window and have their ticket ready for processing upon arriving onsite.

Tours and Groups

All group visits and tours have been canceled until further notice. Metro-North Getaway Packages and Coach USA day packages to Storm King remain temporarily suspended.

Public Programs and Events

Onsite public programs and events remain canceled until further notice. Throughout Storm King’s temporary closure, the Art Center has offered a range of digital programming, including hands-on educational activities through its Storm King at Home initiative. Digital programming and virtual events will continue throughout Storm King’s season and expand to include virtual tours and exhibition-related activities.

About the Special Exhibitions

Kiki Smith River Light

Storm King Art Center will present a site-responsive grouping of new and recent large-scale flag installations by acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Kiki Smith (b. 1954, United States), on view from July 15– November 9, 2020 (Members preview July 8–13).

Kiki Smith River Light will mark the first US presentation of Smith’s flags, which represent a recent element within the artist’s wide-ranging production. Recognized for her thoughtful investigations into the human condition and the natural world, Kiki Smith’s expansive and evolving practice resonates powerfully with Storm King’s site and context. The exhibition will bring attention to Smith’s intimate consideration of space and ongoing interest in the dichotomy of water— an element that is at once formed yet fleeting—and will directly reference Storm King’s proximity to the Hudson River.

Kiki Smith River Light is organized by Storm King’s Senior Curator Nora Lawrence.

Outlooks: Martha Tuttle

For the eighth year of its Outlooks program, in which Storm King invites an emerging to mid-career artist to present a large-scale, temporary outdoor project in the landscape, Storm King will present a new commission by New York-based artist Martha Tuttle (b. 1989, United States) on view from July 15– November 9, 2020 (Members preview July 8–13). This work, entitled A stone that thinks of Enceladus, will mark Tuttle’s first solo museum presentation. Tuttle’s project will unfold across a large, rolling field at the southern end of Storm King’s property.

The work comprises a series of human-made stone stacks or cairns, built of boulders gathered at Storm King, carved marble rocks, and molded glass stones, which the artist created during the winter and spring of 2020. These stacks of stones will be installed amid large boulders from Storm King’s site. Through these carefully placed groupings, the artist invites viewers to recognize their own physicality both on and within land—at Storm King and in the Hudson Valley, specifically—by creating a point of contact between human and non-human energy.

Visitors will be able to walk among the boulders that form the installation, providing viewers with the space and opportunity for reflection and contemplation.

Outlooks: Martha Tuttle is organized by Storm King’s Senior Curator Nora Lawrence.

Mark di Suvero: E=MC2

Storm King Art Center presents the first US exhibition of internationally renowned sculptor Mark di Suvero’s E=MC2 (1996-97), which at 92 feet, 9 inches is the tallest sculpture by the American artist to-date. Created in di Suvero’s studio in Chalon-sur-Saône, France, E=MC2 (1996-97) was previously shown in Paris in 1997 as part of a two-year-long citywide exhibition of the artist’s work and has been on display in Valenciennes, France for the past 10 years.

Widely regarded as one of the most important American artists to emerge from the Abstract Expressionist era, di Suvero remains a prolific artist today with a career spanning more than sixty years. The exhibition of E=MC2 (1996-97) at Storm King continues an unparalleled five-decade-long dialogue between the artist and the Art Center, in which 50 of di Suvero’s works have been exhibited. The recent work, made from steel beams and standing nearly 100 feet tall, has been sited alongside eight other examples of di Suvero’s large-scale sculptures from various stages of his career currently on display in the South Fields and adds a new dimension to a historic vista at Storm King.

di Suvero’s E=MC2 (1996-97) is a long-term loan to Storm King from the artist and Spacetime C.C., New York and will be on view until summer 2022.

Louise Bourgeois: Eyes

The special presentation of Louise Bourgeois’s Eyes (2001) on loan from the Louise Bourgeois Trust will be on view at Storm King until spring 2021. A recurring motif in the French American artist’s practice, the large-scale multi-eyes relate to Storm King’s landscape as undulating waves. Sited on the hillside by Storm King’s North Woods, the sculpture looks out upon the meadows below. The pupils contain an electric light which will be lit up at various points throughout Storm King’s 2020 season.

Eyes (2001) is a two-year loan to Storm King from the Louise Bourgeois Trust and will be on view until spring 2021.

Site Ecology: Land, Leadership, Art (online presentation)

A special online exhibition exploring the history of Storm King’s landscape and the Art Center’s longstanding stewardship of the environment is available to experience at Storm King’s website on the occasion of its 60th anniversary in 2020. Organized around three main areas—Land, Leadership, Art—the exhibition brings to light previously unseen documents and photographs from the Storm King archive to illustrate the story of Storm King’s development since its founding.

Site Ecology: Land, Leadership, Art is organized by Storm King’s Archivist Christine Persche with Josh Goodrich and Audrey Abrams.

About Storm King Art Center

Storm King Art Center is a 500-acre outdoor museum located in New York’s Hudson Valley, where visitors experience large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissions under open sky. Since 1960, Storm King has been dedicated to stewarding the hills, meadows, and forests of its site and surrounding landscape. Building on the visionary thinking of its founders, Storm King supports artists and some of their most ambitious works. Changing exhibitions, programming, and seasons offer discoveries with every visit.

Website: www.stormking.org ; Instagram: @stormkingartcenter Facebook: StormKingArtCenter | Twitter: @StormKingArtCtr

Visitor Info

Storm King is located at 1 Museum Road, New Windsor, New York

Hours: Wednesday–Monday, 10:00am–5:30pm Member Mornings: Sunday, 10:00am–11:00am

Admission: During Storm King’s opening stages, pricing is assessed by vehicle. Visitor may purchase tickets for up to 6 people per vehicle (children under 5 years old do not contribute to person count). Car (1 person) $20.00 Car (2 people) $40.00 Car (3 people) $48.00 Car (4 people) $68.00 Car (5 people) $76.00 Car (6 people) $84.00

Storm King is pleased to offer complimentary admission in 2020 to the following frontline healthcare workers: doctors, nurses, hospital staff, EMTs, and paramedics. Other visitors who are eligible to access free admission include active military and their families, EBT users via Museums for All, and Storm King partner school students, families, and educators. Visitors may also obtain free admission for a vehicle of 6 via a local Library Membership. Visitors who qualify for free admission must call and reserve their ticket by phone.

Membership: Members receive unlimited free admission, access to Member Mornings and virtual events, and a 10% discount in the online Museum Store. Visit stormking.org/membership to join or renew as a Member.

 

Media Contacts:

Blaise Marshall / FITZ & CO / bmarshall@fitzandco.com / 646.589.0865

Meg Huckaby / FITZ & CO / mhuckaby@fitzandco.com / 646.589.0928

Eliza Whittemore / FITZ & CO / ewhittemore@fitzandco.com  / 646.589.0921