Mission

Formed as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit in 2009, Wharton Studio Museum works to broaden awareness -- locally, regionally, and nationally -- of Ithaca's and the region's unique motion picture history. 

How do we do this?

By developing a section of the historic Wharton Studio Building in Stewart Park to create the Wharton Studio & Cafe, with exhibits on the studio's history and park history, as well as a cafe with a terrace overlooking Cayuga Lake. In partnership with the Friends of Stewart Park and the City of Ithaca (which owns the park.)

By collaborating on producing engaging programming: Silent Movie Under the Stars; Silent Movie Month; and Quiet on the Set! Youth Film Festival and other screenings, exhibits, presentations, workshops, and educational outreach with Cornell Cinema, Cinemapolis, The History Center, Ithaca College’s Park School, Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection, Tompkins County Public Library, and many other cultural and educational entities, including local bookstores.

By being a founding partner in the Tompkins Center for History and Culture on the Commons in Downtown Ithaca, where WSM has its permanent exhibit.

By founding, in partnership with the George Eastman Museum and the Cayuga Museum of History and Art/Case Research Lab,  the Finger Lakes Film Trail, a tourism initiative that highlights the role the Finger Lakes Region has played in movie making history. 

By becoming a member of Museum Association of New York (MANY).