Brett Bernardini is now two months into his new position as executive director of The Stissing Center in Pine Plains. So how’s it going?
“I spent the first week with Brian Keeler tracking down and handing off all the necessary usernames and passwords!” laughs Bernardini of the civic and cultural center’s outgoing director. “That and writing and submitting a massive capital grant application to the New York State Council for the Arts”. (More about that later).
Bernardini, who came to Dutchess County after more than 20 years on Connecticut’s theater and academic scene, believes The Stissing Center’s programming mix of music, theater and community events should tell a single story.
Accordingly, this theme for 2023 is “Home – A Place to Belong,” which dovetails nicely with the town’s 200th anniversary this year. On March 4, the center will help kick off bicentennial celebrations with a screening of “Our Farms, Our Farmers,” a documentary profiling the local farming community.
“Home can mean different things to different people,” says Bernardini. “Home can be a word, a space, a dwelling, a state of mind, a place to create, but it always evokes a sense of belonging. I believe the arts can help a community experience that sense of belonging and help find a common purpose.”
Courtesy photo.
In the months ahead, The Stissing Center will host music performances by Poughkeepsie’s Jukebox Junkies, blues artist Jeremiah Johnson, the bluegrass ensemble Grain Thief and saxophone and accordion works as part of the center’s regular showcase of young artists.
Theater fans can also enjoy play readings by Local Produce, which features the work of local artists. On Feb. 19, the group will perform Joseph Capone’s “Her Rightful Place,” a play about the fateful meeting between Queen Elizabeth I and Irish “pirate queen” Grace O’Malley in the 16th century. Other readings will include “Merry Christmas, You’re Fired” by Donn Potter and a series of short pieces about fatherhood timed for Father’s Day in June.
Bernardini also aims to develop additional programs that will spotlight impactful members of the Pine Plains community and promote diversity by hosting roundtable discussions with prominent Black, Latino, Indigenous and rural American voices on the local and national arts scene.
Photo: R.A. Hermans
Sounds great! But what about that big grant? Bernardini says the renovation of The Stissing Center is not complete and that only the building’s second-floor main stage is fully operational. Current plans envision a first-floor community catering kitchen and an intimate performance space for comedy, poetry slams, open-mic nights, and town events – steps that will require functioning heating and ventilation systems and proper occupancy certification. The third floor is expected to house the Kent Broadhurst art gallery and office space for Stissing Center staff and potentially other local businesses. A rear addition is also expected to be built for an elevator, stairwells and heating and cooling systems.
And as if that’s not enough, the building’s roof – which dates from 1915 – needs to be replaced, a step that will require wrapping the entire building in scaffolding. The center is expected to close for public performances in September for a nine-month renovation, with programming temporarily moving to other nearby locations.
“Nobody on the staff is thrilled about closing the space, but everyone understands this is absolutely necessary for The Stissing Center to realize its full potential,” says Bernardini, who adds that the majority of the renovation work will be performed by local contractors.
Such renovations don’t come cheap, but Bernardini expresses confidence the money will be found through a combination of existing reserves, additional fundraising and up to $1.2 million in state grants. “We got this,” he says with a smile.