Tompkins Corners
About Us

Picture

Our Mission

Our History
The Mission of the Tompkins Corners Cultural Center is to
  1. preserve the historic Tompkins Corners Methodist Church and to promote and develop community and cultural interest through the arts and cultural activities open to the general public.
  2. Sustain and promote community development including tourism, and create an arts and cultural center to enhance the recreation venues that preserve the region’s excellent quality of life. This is an investment that will further a long-term strategy for growth and youth retention, as well as short-term responses to the community's need for a robust center for the arts.
The day we took possession of the church!
The Tompkins Corners Cultural Center is a nonprofit organization formed in 2014, located in the historic Tompkins Corners Methodist Church in Putnam Valley, NY.  Our mission is to preserve the historic Tompkins Corners Church and to promote and develop community and cultural interest through the arts and cultural activities open to the general public.
The Putnam Valley Methodist congregation was founded in 1789 and the original Tompkins Corners United Methodist Church and Carriage House was built in 1833 in the small rural town at the intersection of Tompkins Corners. By 1890, the congregation had outgrown the small church and a larger one was built using the original foundation. This second structure is still in place and is the oldest Methodist Church in New York State and the only property in Putnam Valley to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tompkins Corners Cultural Center (TCCC) was incorporated in 2014 with the mission to purchase the church and grounds, to preserve its status on the National Register of Historic Places, and to create the only community cultural center in Putnam Valley.  On April 10, 2015 this small band of art and music enthusiasts acquired the keys to the historic building they had just purchased.  

Some of the events they hosted at the start include screenings of longtime resident John Cohen’s film, "50 Miles from Times Square," performances by jazz musician and former Putnam Valley resident, David Amram, a weekly summer farmers market, music jam sessions with local musicians, play readings and one-act play performances, a Poe poetry reading by actor Paul Savior, St. Patrick’s Day and Harvest Festivals, and performances by students from Putnam Valley High School's Tri-M Music Honor Society. ​ What a fabulous start!  

Since opening in 2015, they have expanded their offerings to include Concerts, Visual Arts, Theater, Poetry, Song Circles, Family events, Historical and Local talks,  Community events, and an annual Pete Seeger Fest and  Harvest Fest which features local craft artisans.
Tompkins Corners Cultural Center is a 501(c)(3) public charity organization. Contributions are fully tax deductible. Please show your support with a donation, and sign up for our mailing list.

Meet Our Board

From left to right back row: Jan Hoekstra, Kate Hoekstra, William Waldman, Chris Rosen
Front row:  Mark Weiss, Judy Allen, Linda Thornton
Board of Directors
Mark Weiss, President
Kate Hoekstra, Vice President
Linda Thornton, Secretary
Chris Rosen, Treasurer

Board Members
Judy Allen, Jan Hoekstra, William Waldman
​Linda Thornton
Administrative Director
Maureen Winzig
Graphic Artist & Webmaster
With gratitude for our Volunteers, without whom none of this is possible!
​
Fundraising and Grants - Judy Allen
 Hospitality Coordinators - Linda Thornton and Jane Weiss 
Hospitality Volunteers - Judy Allen, Joan Billows, Chris Blossy, Karen Freede, Denise Leaden, Tom Pendelton, Eileen Reilly and  Marsha Waldman
 Parking - John Allen, Bruce Connors, Jeff Coran, Tom Goodrich, Dave Hull, Ruth Konschak, Jim Cronin, Victor Tiship, Mark Weiss 
Photography - Lori Adams, Cory Allen, Coralyn Klubnick-Simone, Chris Rosen, Bill Waldman, Maureen Winzig
Poetry Corner - Dave Hull, Chris Kingsley
Printing - Greg Brown & Brown Ink
Signs - Drew Howland, Sundog Signs
Sound Design - Bill Waldman 
Technical Director - Chris Rosen 
Theater Director - Judy Allen
Visual Arts
Director - Kate Hoekstra
 Art curation and installation - Maureen Winzig 
Craft Event Coordinator - Denise Leaden
Videography - Bill and Marsha Waldman
Development - Linda Sweet

Maaike Hoekstra Gallery

Dedicated on November 19th, 2022

​Our gallery exhibition space, which was recently renovated,  has been  dedicated to Maaike, TCCC’s late president, whose own spirit was so invested in supporting the visual arts in our community.  A gifted ceramics artist and teacher herself, Maaike recognized the need for a place where the many gifted and aspiring artists in our community could come to think about, make and share their work.
​
With the support of the Anne Anastasi Family Foundation, the Visual Arts team has been able to significantly develop Maaike’s dream of making a home for the visual arts at TCCC.
 Picture

​
The Highland Current published this wonderful article about Tompkins Corners Cultural Center on August 17, 2019.
https://highlandscurrent.org/2019/08/17/arts-sanctuary/
Upcoming Events