Friends of Brunel Park
The Friends of Brunel Park (501c3) have been entrusted to grow The Brunel Sculpture Garden’s structural ethos by weaving together its indigenous roots, its history as the inspiration for Emile Brunel’s artistic vision, and its future as a community learning center and nature sanctuary.
The Mission of the
Friends of Brunel Park
The land itself provides every cue we need.
If we listen and follow its lead, the land itself will inform our organization’s structural ethos, the content of our programs, and the way we work together. The land will teach us how to weave past, present, and future in one continuous line. We are committed to growing relationships with descendants of the First People who walked this land. With other like-minded communities, we can forge the language and principles to nourish Brunel Sculpture Garden for “seven generations” to come.
All original artworks by Bianka Schneider
To preserve in perpetuity a unique landmark in the Town of Olive, including the building, statuary, grounds and gardens of Brunel Park, a four acre property listed on the New York State and National Registries of Historic Sites, for the enjoyment and education of residents of Ulster County as well as visitors to the Catskill Park, serving as a restful, artistic destination for trail users along the Ashokan Rail Trail and motorists traveling along the Catskill Mountain Scenic Byway (Route 28).
To celebrate and activate the legacy of Emile Brunel – a sculptor, photographer, real estate developer, owner and major domo of Le Chalet Indien and his Studio Residence, now known as The Brunel Sculpture Garden — through a display of historic photographs and guided and self-guided tours of the sculpture park, which will be open to the public on selected weekends and holidays.
To introduce the public to the culture, knowledge, traditions and lifeways of the Native American tribes who lived on these lands (Esopus, Munsee, and Lenni Lenape/Onteora) through programming, events, and educational workshops.
To support and contribute to the arts, historic, and cultural resources of the Town of Olive.
To offer an artist in residency program on the property on an annual, rotating basis.
To raise funds necessary for the ongoing maintenance, restoration, and repair of the statuary and totem poles, for the continued management and upkeep of the gardens and grounds, and the installation of native plants and interpretive signage.
To attract and recruit volunteers to help in these efforts.
Cynthia M. Nikitin
Co-Founder
Cynthia Nikitin is a recognized leader in the placemaking field. For 30 years, Cynthia pursued her passion for making better places in cities and towns around the world through her work with Project for Public Spaces. She currently is working with libraries from the Mid-Hudson and Ramapo/Catskill Library systems, Sustainable Hudson Valley, and the Sustainable Libraries Network to transform libraries into Resilience Hubs. She serves as Resilient Places Consultant with Sustainable Hudson Valley, and as a community planner with KaN Landscape Design based in Kingston, NY. She is a member of the Town of Olive’s Critical Environmental Area planning committee and the Friends of the Catskill Mountain/Ashokan Rail Trail.
OUR CURRENT TRUSTEES
Evgeny M. Nikitin
Co-Founder
Evgeny Nikitin is head designer of architectural ornament, art, decoration, and appointments for houses of worship at Evergreene Architectural Arts. Evgeny was educated and trained in the classical tradition in Europe and Russia and is widely recognized as a leading expert in religious symbolism, styles and expressions, history and theory of art, and architectural ornament. Evgeny is passionate about seeking out and growing unfamiliar and unusual edible plants in the garden, researching their origins and histories, and incorporating them into his international cooking style whenever possible.
Marie Mathias
Board Member 2024
Brunel Family Historian and Archivist
Marie is the grand-niece of Emile Brunel, and grand-daughter of Félicie Brunel, Emile's youngest sister. Marie lived for a year in Connecticut from 1979-1980 and visited Emile's grand-daughter Gladyse and her mother Gladyse at their home in Boiceville.
Marie has helped the Friends by connecting us to other family members and relatives, by translating Emiles poems and songs into English (see our Media page for a few of these), sending us vintage photos of family members, and an original sketch of an unrealized Totem sculpture. She has a long career as an educator of young children, as a state agent in secondary schools and university, and as the manager of a PhD school.
Kara Shier
Board Member 2024
Outreach and Cultural Education
Kara Shier is an Ulster County native. Presently engaged in higher education administration, she possesses over nine years of experience as a museum professional and volunteer having held roles in curatorial and exhibitions, education, administration, development and fundraising, special events, membership, and visitor services. Kara is trained in Visual Thinking Strategies—a powerful tool that utilizes the visual arts to enhance critical thinking and communication skills. This approach aligns with her interest in, and dedication to, providing engaging and thought-provoking encounters with local history.
Michael Kodransky
Board Member 2022
Fundraising and Transportation
Michael Kodransky is a civic-minded leader in the transport sector contributing nationally and globally to shape communities as people-centered, environmentally sustainable, accessible, low-stress and inclusive places. His work has focused on climate action and decarbonization at the intersection of mobility, justice, equity, land use and the wellbeing economy. He often thinks about how roads traveled impact people and places, the interface between the public commons and private realm, effective participatory governance models and how to foster a healthy ecosystem that meets the needs of the present while leaving the planet a better place for future generations.
Pina Russell
Board Member 2021-2024
Strategic Planning and Board Development
Stephanie JT Russell (“Pina”) is a prolific interdisciplinary artist, author, editor, essayist, organizational strategist, and cultural worker. Her visual art, poetry, and performance work have been featured in many literary journals and at venues such as The New Museum, The Albright Knox, and Bowery Poetry Club. She is the 2023-2024 Poet Laureate for Dutchess County, NY. Pina is delighted to help Friends of Brunel Park grow an ethos that honors the ways of the indigenous ancestors who first walked this land.
OUR ADVISORS
Donna Coane Ohstonha Ohskennonton
Board Member 2021-2024
Arts and Cultural Education
A member of the Schaghticoke people, Donna is a songwriter, poet, educator, Traditional Northeastern Dancer, and Lead Drummer of Spirit of Thunderheart, the first women's drum group to win multiple Native American Music Awards. She is a spokesperson and activist for environmental issues, a Reiki Master, spiritual healer, traditional healer, life coach, community mediator and leader of the Women's Lodge.
OUR FOUNDING TRUSTEES
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Todd Dworman Board Member 2018-2021
Todd Dworman is a real estate developer, a luxury home building, and an attorney based in the Bay Area.
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Lili Cunningham Board Member 2018-2019
Lili Cunningham served as Vice President SEO Content Discovery Viacom Media Networks. In her role she headed up enterprise search engine optimization and content discovery with respect to audience development. As a broadcast media professional, she has been an editor and production manager on film and multi media projects.
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Joan Vorderbruggen Board Member 2018-2021
Joan Vorderbruggen is the former public art and placemaking director at the Hennepin Theater Trust in Minneapolis, a historic cultural district. She founded the Made Here window art program, has facilitated the creation of multiple murals in downtown, directed the 5 to 10 on Hennepin art-based community development program sponsored by Southwest Airlines, and is recent Humphrey fellow.