Restoring Your Center
One of the Hudson Valley’s Most Beautiful Venues
Stissing Center is ready to take its next step. Thanks to a growing community of supporters, audiences, artists, and partners, our momentum is building—not just for our programs, but for the place that makes them possible. Restoring Your Center is the next step: continuing the preservation and renovation of our historic building so it can fully serve Pine Plains and the wider region for decades to come.
From the beginning, Stissing Center was founded on a simple belief: rural communities deserve access to exceptional arts and cultural experiences. These experiences bring people together in shared moments—moments where audiences are inspired, educated, uplifted, and find connection through music, theater, dance, film, and storytelling. Over time, these shared experiences also strengthen the fabric of local life, helping Pine Plains remain active, connected, and welcoming.
Finishing the renovation is essential to meeting the growing demand for what Stissing Center offers. Key improvements include an ADA-accessible elevator, upgraded dressing rooms, and backstage storage—all part of an exciting new addition scheduled to break ground in spring 2026. This expansion will make the Center fully accessible, expand technical capacity, and allow us to host even more professional theater, music, dance, film, lectures, community events, and gatherings of all kinds.
The renovation also includes restoring our lower level to create The Grace Note, an intimate 85-seat venue designed to give emerging artists a supportive, cozy home. This new space will foster close connections between performers and audiences and provide a platform for artists, including local residents, to develop their craft in a welcoming environment.
Completing this work builds trust—with our community, our partners, and our region—by delivering on the promise of a fully functional, inclusive, safe and welcoming public space.
Why Continued Restoration Matters Now
Strong Momentum and Broad Confidence
This vision is already well underway. The State of New York and private donors have shown strong confidence in Stissing Center and its future. Support from the New York State Council on the Arts ($1.5 million), along with $750,000 from the State Senate and Assembly, reflects a deep public commitment to completing the Center. In addition, more than $1 million has been contributed by private donors who believe in the importance of this work.
Together, this support has helped Stissing Center raise $3.25 million of the $5 million needed to finish the building. But all state funding is awarded on a matching basis, meaning every dollar from New York State is released only when it is matched by contributions from donors like you. Once raised, this momentum brings us within reach of completion and underscores the shared belief that Stissing Center is an essential resource for Pine Plains and the region.
With your help, we can raise the $1.75 million still needed to continue the restoration.
A Place Built for Service and Growth
Restoring Your Center is rooted in community-centered values. As our facilities grow, so will our programming. In the coming years, Stissing Center will expand educational offerings such as lectures, classes, exhibits and workshops, while continuing to present a wide range of performances for all ages and interests.
At the same time, we are strengthening our role as a regional hub—working with local artists and nonprofit partners to explore opportunities in support of culture and creativity across Northern Dutchess County and the surrounding area.
Arts, Tourism, and Economic Vitality
Restoring Your Center is rooted in community-centered values. As our facilities grow, so will our programming. In the coming years, Stissing Center will expand educational offerings such as lectures, classes, exhibits and workshops, while continuing to present a wide range of performances for all ages and interests.
At the same time, we are strengthening our role as a regional hub—working with local artists and nonprofit partners to explore opportunities in support of culture and creativity across Northern Dutchess County and the surrounding area.
Arts, Tourism, and Economic Vitality
Restoring Your Center is rooted in community-centered values. As our facilities grow, so will our programming. In the coming years, Stissing Center will expand educational offerings such as lectures, classes, exhibits and workshops, while continuing to present a wide range of performances for all ages and interests.
At the same time, we are strengthening our role as a regional hub—working with local artists and nonprofit partners to explore opportunities in support of culture and creativity across Northern Dutchess County and the surrounding area.
The Result
With your support, Restoring Your Center will complete a historic renovation, open The Grace Note, and launch a new addition with accessible facilities and backstage resources. Together, we are creating a fully functional, safe and welcoming space that serves our community every day, inspires and uplifts audiences, strengthens the entire region, and provides a home for both established and emerging artists.
To learn more about how you can support the completion of Stissing Center, please email Executive Director Patrick Trettenero at patrick@thestissingcenter.org