Great News! Emile Brunel's Studio Residence has been included as an Affiliate Member of "Historic Artists' Homes and Studios," a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation!
The Emile Brunel Studio/Residence and Sculpture Park (Boiceville, New York):
The sculpture garden and multi-arts center boasts a collection of concrete sculptures created by pioneering photographer and founder of the New York Institute of Photography, Emile Brunel (1874–1944). The site bridges multiple cultural legacies, housing both Brunel's century-old statuary and serving as a platform for celebrating the Indigenous heritage of the Munsee Esopus Lenape people through educational programs and an artist-in-residence program. The property, which includes Brunel's original Studio/Residence, is situated in the Catskill Park, and combines art preservation, nature sanctuary, and cultural education in one distinctive location.
We look forward to working with other members of HAHS to support and amplify the importance of artist-built and lived-in environments to our national cultural landscape! Read the full press release here:
Here is a direct link to our listing: https://artistshomes.org/artists/emile-brunel/
Geoffrey Miller, Associate Ulster County Historian, writes:
“I, too, am thrilled by the progress you have made in the last few years with your preservation and organizational efforts that have led up to your inclusion in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios program. Thank you for your vision and fortitude.”
We made the Front page of the Daily Freeman September 23, 2024!
Origin Stories
Here are two older articles featuring Emile Brunel’s back story and a tale of the Nikitin’s journey towards securing National Register for Historic Places designation and ultimately founding the Friends of Brunel Park.
“Underexposed” by Lei Isaacs remains the most thoroughly researched article we have found to date. It provides the most comprehensive history about Emile Brunel as an artist and Brunel Park as his masterpiece.
Years later, Gary Alexander reported on our efforts to achieve national recognition for Brunel Park - an ongoing effort that began in earnest in 1999 and continues unabated to this very day.
Our Exhibit of Historic Photos of the Totems and Le Chalet Indien was on display at the Catskills Visitor Center this Summer!
Our installation at the Catskill Visitor Center (CVC) in Mt. Tremper was up from July 1 through August 15th, 2024. It featured historic photos and vintage postcards of Emile Brunel's signature sculpture and statuary and of Le Chalet Indien in its heyday. It enticed CVC visitors to Brunel Park to experience the sculptures firsthand, as they are now, 80+ years after Emile erected them. Hearty thanks to the @catskillcenter for inviting us to exhibit and to @katiepalm for helping make this happen!
Our next exhibit opened September 27 at the Shandaken History Museum in Pine Hill, NY. As part of I LOVE NY’s Path Through History Weekend, and in collaboration with the Shandaken Historical Society, Trustee, Cynthia Nikitin will offer a free illustrated lecture entitled: “Emile Brunel: The Man, The Land, The Art of Brunel Park” on Sunday, October 13th at 1pm (Events — Brunel Park).
REMAINS OF A ROADSIDE ATTRACTION Discover the Emile Brunel Studio & Sculpture Garden in Boiceville
Local author, Frances Marion Platt, teamed with renowned local photographer, Dion Ogust, to craft this expose on Brunel Park. Printed in the Woodstock Times “Almanac Weekly” section. Read about the history and the mystery!
Read What Chronogram has to say about Brunel Park!
In the June 2023 issue of Chronogram Magazine, Nola Storms writes: This Native Garden and Art Destination Combines Peace, Culture, and History in One Bucolic Setting. The Brunel Sculpture Park is an idyllic, hidden sanctuary of art, history, nature, and wildlife in the Catskills.
We love being connected to the Youth of our Community.
The Friends of Brunel Park have always seen this place as a learning laboratory. But in order to be that, you need teachers and learners. And a community with an open heart and open mind. We are so pleased to be partnering with our teachers and learners at the Onteora Central School District and we look forward to welcoming many more students and their families to Walk the Land; See the Art; Feel the Spirit. Enjoy this article pubished in the OCSD’s Winter 2023 Newsletter. Special thanks to Elementary Social Studies Instructional Coach, Karen Hadley for connecting with us.
Celebrating Elise Forrest and Edwin A. Harleston and Brunel Park’s African American Artists in Residence.
Elise Forrest Harleston has the distinction of being South Carolina’s First African American Woman Photographer. She received her early training while a student at the E. Brunel School of Photography in 1919.
Here is a copy of our end of year 2022 recap newsletter!
In January 2022, we partnered with the Historical Society of the Town of Olive, The Ashokan Center, The Town of Olive Library, and the Town of Olive on an extensive online collection that provides materials that give a clearer picture of life in the Town of Olive before, during, and after the building of the Ashokan Reservoir.
We are actively seeking engaged people to join our board. For more information, contact us at: 845-205-3839 or click on the link for more information. Contact 1 — Brunel Sculpture Garden (brunelpark.org)
In the Spring of 2022, the Girl Scouts from Troop 65009 helped us clean up after the winter’s terrible windstorms and planted a Three Sisters Native Garden, with leadership from our Trustee, Donna Coane.
The Girl Scouts also got us ready for our Second Annual Garden Conservancy Open Day on May 15th where we welcomed avid gardeners to see our spring display, including Kate Pierson lead singer of the B-52s and her friend, the renowned garden designer Dean Riddle.
In June, we produced a Solstice Celebration Concert featuring renowned Ojibway flutist and flute maker, Allan Madahbee, and members of Spirit of Thunderheart, which was funded by a Jumpstart Grant from Arts Mid-Hudson.
And we hosted two other Artists in Residence in May and June, Julia Lucas and Dahlak Brathwaite. Dahlak is a multi-talented hip-hop, theater and spoken word artist. While at Brunel Park, Dahlak worked with his collaborator, Mikey Rosenblum, on developing a new musical and spoken word performance piece. Julia Lucas is an artist and teacher in the lineage of Swami Rudrananda who spent her time at Brunel Park, working on her spiritual memoir which she featured in a reading in June. To find out about our Artist in Residency program, click the Apply Now link: Artist In Residency — Brunel Sculpture Garden (brunelpark.org)
In August, we once again partnered with the Phoenicia Festival of the Voice and hosted two members of their production crew.
We adopted a 1.3-mile segment of Route 28 and did a cleanup with members of the Onteora High School’s National Honor Society in October.
In November, Ms. Mitchell’s 2nd grade class came for a visit and a workshop with our Trustee, Donna Coane, on Native American games, musical instruments, and ceremonial objects
In December, Brunel Park became a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Garden!
And we’ve raised $700 towards the $5,000 we are raising to repair the concrete on the Brunel Totem this spring.
To catch up on how far we have come since the Friend of Brunel Park was formed in 2019, we published a triennial report encompassing our early start through the end of last year. Copy of ANNUAL REPORT 2021 (1).pdf
To support our programming, our ongoing efforts to fund the conservation and repair of restore Emile Brunel’s inspiring statuary, click here. Support — Brunel Sculpture Garden (brunelpark.org)
We wish you peace and invite you to Walk the Land, See the Art, and Feel the Spirit next time you are in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York.
In community,
Cynthia Nikitin, Trustee
Friends of Brunel Park
