Hopper House, Ellis Sotheby's Raise $21,000 For Arts Education

NYACK, NY — Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty and the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center raised more than $21,000 during an annual fundraising event this month to support arts education initiatives and programs benefiting Hudson Valley K-12 students.

The initiative has raised more than $200,000 since its launch in 2016.

The benefit was held Oct. 1 at Moon River, an early 20th century waterfront home in the exclusive enclave of Snedens Landing, that drew over 60 attendees. Guests bid on auction items including private tours of the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn., the Ellsworth Kelly Studio in Spencertown, New York, and Craig Starr Gallery in New York City.

Speakers included Valerie Balint, director of Historic Artist’s Homes and Studios, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as art scholar Eric Shiner, executive director of Pioneer Works, a multidisciplinary cultural center in Brooklyn, New York, and former executive director of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and patrons, we have raised over $200,000 in the last eight years to nurture student engagement with the arts that foster peer interaction and socialization inside and outside of the academic setting,” said Richard Ellis, owner of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty. “We are grateful to Rich Ellis and Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty for this special event and longstanding patronage which supports the development of creative young minds by connecting students with the legacy of Edward Hopper through a thriving arts education program,” said Kathleen Motes Bennewitz, Executive Director of the Edward Hopper House Museum.

Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty is currently listing Moon River for $4.99 million. Designed by White House Oval Office architect Eric Gugler and built by legendary artist and resident Mary Lawrence Tonetti, the 1.4-acre home is situated on a scenic bluff overlooking the Hudson River, complete with its own meadow and private sandy beach.

Ms. Bennewitz added that the annual benefit helps close gaps in arts education through partnerships with public schools, family workshops and its award-winning Nighthawks mentorship program. Proceeds will fund arts classroom education through field trips, supplies, exhibitions and curriculum development.

“The energy and optimism found among attendees translated into significant support for the Edward Hopper House & Study Center as it moves forward to 2024 and grows its art education series and award-winning Nighthawks mentorship program. The event was a superb success due to the unwavering commitment and generosity of event sponsor Richard Ellis of Ellis Sotheby's International Realty, all our supporters and a wonderful backdrop at Moon River, an amazing historic property that pays homage to Edward Hopper’s love of nature and the river.”

Named after a 1942 painting by Edward Hopper by the same name, the Nighthawks mentorship and arts education program helps high school students develop professional skills, assume leadership roles and facilitate engagement with artwork and historic spaces.

The arts education program initially was funded in 2016 with proceeds from a fundraiser sponsored by Ellis Sotheby's International Realty that benefited Nyack Public Schools, Nanuet School District, Clarkstown Schools, East Ramapo Schools, South Orangetown Middle School and Sleepy Hollow School District. The program expanded to Orange and Bergen counties in New Jersey this year.

Additional donations toward this initiative can be made by visiting https://www.edwardhopperhouse.org/donate.html.

Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty is a leading luxury real estate broker located in the Hudson Valley village of Nyack, approximately 22 miles from New York City.