Program areas at RBF
The pocantico center campus, housed on the grounds of the pocantico historic area, is managed by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund as part of its agreement with the national trust for historic preservation, entered into in 1991, under which the Fund is responsible for the renovation, maintenance, and operation of this historic site. The campus serves as a community resource for all ages, and offers public access through a slate of conferences, artist residencies, a visitation program, museum, performances, exhibitions and educational programs. During 2022, 34 public programs were held, and more than 33,000 visitors came to the site, including visits for public programs and the visitation program, in addition to conferences and meetings, artist residencies, and a wide range of activities in the david Rockefeller creative arts center (see statements 24 and 26).
A construction project centered around the reuse of the orangerie, built by john d. Rockefeller in 1908 on the historic Rockefeller family estate and bequeathed to the national trust for historic preservation in 1979 by nelson Rockefeller, continued during 2022. The project transformed the long-dormant building into the david Rockefeller creative arts center, which opened in fall of 2022. The david Rockefeller creative arts center is a sustainable and inclusive home for the creative process at the pocantico center, where artists and the community come together to develop, present, and experience new works of performing, literary, and visual arts. The center includes a gallery, performance space, and a flexible artists' studio. During 2022, the inaugural pocantico prize for visual artists was initiated, pairing a cash prize with a two-month residency.
During 2022, 11 members of the staff of Rockefeller Brothers Fund provided technical assistance to charitable organizations, governmental bodies and committees, and 17 members of the staff served on 64 charitable organizations' boards, committees, public commissions, or task forces.
The pocantico center shares the 100-year history of kykuit, the Rockefeller family home, with the public, and offers programs that reflect the values of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the national trust for historic preservation. Public programs make use of the estate's buildings, grounds, and gardens to nurture learning and artistic experiences. The pocantico center offers learning experiences utilizing the collections and gardens of kykuit. A variety of other learning experiences are presented through classes and workshops conducted by scholars and experts. Participants of all ages are offered a variety of educational opportunities including gardens, fine arts, decorative arts, and history. The pocantico center extends the work of the Fund's grantees through the pocantico arts collaborative which links the Fund's charles e. culpeper arts & culture grants with the resources and beauty of the pocantico estate. The events showcase dance, music, theater and more. See statement 32.