From left to right: City of Ithaca Deputy Mayor Deborah Mohlenhoff; State Senator Tom O’Mara; Diana Riesman, WSM Executive Director; and Rick Manning, Executive Director, Friends of Stewart Park.
On October 18th, 2018, NY State Senator Tom O’Mara announced grant funding to Wharton Studio Museum and Friends of Stewart Park and presented WSM Executive Director and Co-Founder Diana Riesman and FSP Executive Director Rick Manning with a check for $450,000 for the Wharton Studio Museum and Park Visitor Center project in Stewart Park. The new Wharton Studio Museum and Park Visitor Center, to be located in a section of the historic Wharton Studio building, is a cornerstone project in revitalization efforts in Stewart Park and specifically the park’s Historic Core.