Museum included in "20 Incredible and Fun Children's Museums in Upstate New York" on CNYnews.com3/25/2024 The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum was listed as one of the "20 Incredible and Fun Children's Museums in Upstate New York" this March by Central New York News. The article, was written by Chuck D'Imperio. If you would like to see who else made the list click here, or visit:https://cnynews.com/new-york-state-childrens-museums/
0 Comments
The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum announced Executive Director Ian K. Seppala has joined the board of directors of Canal Fest of the Tonawandas. “Canal Fest is an important part of the Tonawanda-North Tonawanda community, and I am proud to be able to help guide this successful organization in the future,” Seppala said. The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum is a founding member of the eight-day festival shared across the twin cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda. The museum has two representatives on the board. Seppala will join trustee-emeritus Charles Proefrock. He will be replacing Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum trustee Jay Wilcox. Mr. Seppala will be replacing Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum trustee Jay Wilcox. The museum thanks Mr. Wilcox for over a decade of honorable service on the Canal Fest board. “We are excited to have Ian join the board and bring fresh ideas into the organization,” Canal Fest Secretary Deb Darling said. Canal Fest organizers are currently planning for the official 40th event, to be held July 14-21. The festival is the largest outdoor activity of its kind, held on the banks of the Historic Erie Barge Canal. Each year, nearly 300,000 visitors are drawn to its attractions, food, live music and premier events. To learn more, visit www.canalfest.org/. Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier Press Contact Molly McGuire, 716-693-1885 vicepresident@carrouselmuseum.org HCFM Press Contact Ian K. Seppala, 716-693-1885 director@carrouselmuseum.org CAROUSEL SOCIETY OF THE NIAGARA FRONTIER, Inc. INTRODUCES NEW TRUSTEES AND TRUSTEE EMERITUS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (North Tonawanda, NY, February 1st, 2024) The Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier, Inc. – a non-profit, board-led institution which operates the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda, Niagara County, New York – wishes to announce the addition of three new trustees and one trustee emeritus, who have joined the board effective immediately. Darlene Bolsover of North Tonawanda, New York has years of non-profit board experience and is a life-long North Tonawandan. Kelly Burns of North Tonawanda, New York is an Assistant Vice President & Accounting Operations Supervisor at Evans Bank. Barbara Peters Ed.D of Tonawanda, New York is owner of Trips Ahoy Vacations, and has over 30 years of educational administration experience. Charles Preofrock of North Tonawanda, New York has accepted newly created position of Trustee Emeritus, after a successful tenure of over 40 years on the board. The Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier is grateful for his many years of service, and looks forward to his continued guidance. A complete list of all fifteen Trustees can be found at https://www.carrouselmuseum.org/board-of-trustees.html#/ The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, operated by the Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier, Inc. (CSNF), is a premier national historic site and community resource for family recreation and learning that fosters an appreciation for the unique heritage of the carousel and related industries in the Niagara Region. Through educational, cultural, and recreational programming, visitors experience the places, people, stories, and artifacts associated with the past production of carousels, band organs and amusement devices. The Niagara County committee charged with organizing local events around America’s 250 th birthday – known as a semiquincentennial – that will take place in 2026, is asking municipal officials, heritage organizations and county residents to begin thinking about what their local community may do to recognize the occasion. The Niagara USA 250 Committee is also asking communities to keep the committee informed as their plans evolve so there can be countywide coordination and cross-promotion.
The Niagara County Legislature created the Niagara USA 250 Committee in June 2023. The twenty-five member group is made up of representatives from historical and cultural organizations, community leaders, tourism officials, educators, elected officials and community volunteers. “Although the semiquincentennial is two years away, planning needs to begin now, especially as grant money for such celebratory events becomes available,” said Bob Emerson, Executive Director of Old Fort Niagara and chairman of the Niagara USA 250 Committee. “By collaborating across the county, I believe we can put together some tremendous events and create an atmosphere similar to the excitement around the bicentennial in 1976 for those of us old enough to remember.” Community members are asked to submit their suggestions for activities, celebrations and potential events to NiagaraUSA250@gmail.com. “We are working on establishing a website and other communication vehicles to keep the community informed as our planning efforts move forward,” said Emerson. “We also want to serve as a central point so each local municipality is aware of what others are doing.” To download the full press release please click here. The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum is proud to support the Niagara USA 250 Committee, in planning and implementing a worthy event schedule for the semiquincentennial. The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) visited the museum during their ParkHop23 event. Today, they released a video on Youtube of the group riding the museum's 1916 Special Number One Carousel. The museum thanks NAPHA for its continued support and partnership! The National Amusement Park Historical Association is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, documentation, and enjoyment of the amusement and theme park industry - past, present and future. For more information visit inhttps://www.napha.org/stry - past, present and future. Stepout Buffalo has used Instagram to highlight multiple nonprofits in Western New York with volunteer opportunities. These include: Kevin Guest House @kevinguesthouse, Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum @carrouselmuseum, Olmstead Parks Conservancy @bfloparks, The Tool Library @thetoollibrary and the International Institute Of Buffalo @iibuff. For more information and to see the amazing video put together by Stepout Buffalo click here, or follow the link below. https://www.instagram.com/stepoutbuffalo/reel/C12XeXvxCoR/ CNY NEws Lists HCFM as one of "10 of the most Important historic sites to see in buffalo, NY."1/3/2024 The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum was in the news today, as CNYnews.com included the museum in the article "10 of the Most Historic sites to see in Buffalo, NY. The museum joins MECOB (Museum Education Consortium of Buffalo) partners Forrest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park, Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, & the Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House on the list. To see who else made the list, click here or visit the link below. https://cnynews.com/upstate-new-york-stories-articles/ Buffalo and Western New York have received a major honor, as the city is listed as one of the '50 Best Places to visit in 2024' by Forbes. The following link from WGRZ includes quotes from Visit Buffalo Niagara CEO Patrick Kaler. The museum is honored to be a part of the Western New York Community and congratulates the City of Buffalo and all of our partners on this accomplishment.
https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/buffalo/forbes-names-buffalo-great-place-to-travel/71-e45cd739-e027-4b06-a385-e47aa5541ebd According to Trip.com, the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum was rated as the 6th best thing to do in December in Erie County. Even though the museum is located in Southern Niagara County, the museum is honored to be placed so highly on this list. The museum is open through our last Day December 30th 2023. To see the museum's write up and find out the other best things to do in December, click the link here.
Press Release
A coalition of eight Niagara County arts and cultural organizations is heralding the Niagara County Legislature’s approval of its 2024 budget, which includes critical operating support for coalition members. The budget creates a $300,000 cultural endowment fund that was established using the Niagara County’s share of revenue generated by Western Region Off-Track Betting (WROTB), which operates Batavia Downs Racetrack and Casino, as well as multiple off-track betting locations. This historic funding follows more than a year of advocacy efforts by the Niagara County Arts and Cultural Coalition, which includes the Aquarium of Niagara, Artpark & Company, Castellani Art Museum, Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, Kenan Center, Niagara Arts & Cultural Center (NACC), Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, and Old Fort Niagara. In August, representatives from the Coalition presented to the Niagara County Legislature on the growing need for reliable and recurring operating support from municipal government, citing the collective impact of its member organizations as economic drivers, tourist attractions, and quality-of-life assets for the community. “We are thrilled that the Niagara County Legislature has recognized the immense value of arts and cultural organizations through this initiative,” said Gary Siddall, president and CEO of the Aquarium of Niagara. "By allocating annual support for non-negotiable operating expenses, the legislature demonstrates a commitment to the long-term sustainability of these important quality-of-life assets for future generations. We are incredibly grateful to our local legislators for their efforts in bringing this to fruition." Artpark & Company President Sonia Clark said, “On behalf of the thousands of people Artpark serves annually, we express our deep gratitude to the Niagara County Legislature on the creation of the cultural endowment fund. This newly established fund in the county budget will help support arts and cultural organizations as we continue our work as economic engines for the region. Having this financial commitment enables Artpark to continue growing programs that hold deep meaning in the lives of the people we are honored to serve.” According to the coalition, this funding designation denotes a public recognition of arts and cultural organizations as essential components of the region's economic revitalization and attractiveness to tourists. "Economic revitalization efforts around the country often rely on arts and cultural sectors to spearhead growth,” said Kevin Leary, NACC executive director. “As a leader in adaptive reuse and creative placemaking for Niagara Falls, the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center applauds the funding from Niagara County. Their investment demonstrates the legislature's understanding of the essential role our organizations play in this region's revitalization efforts." Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center Director Ally Spongr DeGon said, "The art, cultural and heritage organizations of Niagara County are international destinations that boast the beauty, tenacity and resilience that makes this area home. With dedicated funding from the Niagara County Legislature, we will be able to expand our programs to accommodate our diverse communities and grow our reach even further to new audiences. We are deeply grateful to the legislature for their support to ensure that our community is connected to their history." This public investment, which does not use funds from the property tax levy or sales tax, is earmarked for organizational operations. It fills a critical gap in funding opportunities for mandatory day-to-day costs, since private foundations and funders tend to support programmatic or capital projects, and these entities have recently displayed a shift away from giving to arts and cultural organizations. Coalition members believe they will be able to multiply this public commitment, leveraging it to secure additional resources and amplify local impact. “This is a wonderful show of support for our cultural community,” said Robert Emerson, executive director at Old Fort Niagara. “Funding will allow us to do more for the local community and for the traveling public. It will also demonstrate local support, which is key to securing additional funding from outside sources.” Kenan Center Executive Director Bill Patti said, “Kenan Center joins our cultural partners across the county in thanking the legislature for this allocation. The importance of arts, culture and youth engagement is affirmed as a community value throughout Niagara County. We look forward to the continued elevation of music, theater, visual arts and community events across our 25-acre campus.” Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University Director Ellen Owens said, "We are thrilled to have the support of our legislators as we work together to provide education and enrichment for Niagara County citizens. Not everyone can learn in traditional educational settings. Both children and adults need access to cultural experiences that help illustrate ideas, remember the past, inspire creativity, or spur action. We strive to be a point of pride for our citizens with welcoming spaces for all. Additional funding resources help with the rising cost of operational needs and ensure we can regularly offer quality programs and employ local staff. I sincerely thank everyone involved with this momentous decision." Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum Executive Director Ian K. Seppala said, “We are ecstatic for the support granted by the Niagara County Legislature to the arts and cultural organizations of this county. These organizations will be able to preserve and share our unique local cultural aspects to the diverse populations of the region with this annual support of operational expenses. We are immensely grateful to our local legislators for their dedication to the long-term sustainability of these community assets.” Coalition members are deeply grateful for this public vote of confidence in the value of arts and cultural organizations and look forward to collaborating with the legislature on future opportunities to strengthen the variety of enriching experiences available in Niagara County. More About the Arts & Culture Coalition of Niagara County The Arts & Culture Coalition of Niagara County formed in the fall of 2022 to address the need for support for the arts and cultural community. It strives to emphasize the economic, educational and community significance of its constituents. The organizations involved represent a combined annual attendance of nearly 725,000 visitors and employ more than 500 individuals. Their geographic footprint is spread throughout Niagara County with locations in Lewiston, Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda, Lockport and Youngstown. |
Archives
March 2024
Categories |