Public Programs

The Pocantico Center engages the public in the hundred-year history of Kykuit, the Rockefeller family home, as well as offering programs that reflect the values of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

Recent public programs have made use of the historic area’s buildings, grounds, and gardens for programs such as artists’ residencies in the Breuer House; a choreographic work performed in the Kykuit forecourt; a poetry reading in the Rose Garden; and a performance given by an African American youth ensemble in the Coach Barn amphitheater. In addition, the Pocantico Hills School makes regular class visits to the organic school garden and greenhouse.

Public programs have opened an important dialogue with the community.  By showcasing the works of the Fund’s Charles E. Culpeper Arts & Culture grantees, many of whom represent diverse racial and ethnic groups, The Pocantico Center has been able to bring new cultural experiences to its audience.

Educational Programs

Pocantico Forum

Introduced in 2000, the Pocantico Forum is a semiannual lecture series designed to provide information on a wide range of issues and topics that reflect the broad program objectives of the Fund. The lectures are hosted by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and will, from time to time, involve partnerships with other local, regional, and national organizations and institutions.

School Garden

Together with the Pocantico Hills Central School, a gardening program has been established to teach third and fourth graders about health, wellness and sustainability using the greenhouse, cold frame and garden area on site. The lessons apply across curriculum lines and provide the children with the satisfaction of eating a soup, salad or snack that they have planted, harvested and cooked. Children love to eat the food they grow!

Performing Arts

The Pocantico Center extends the work of the Fund's grantees, in large part due to a collaborative effort between Pocantico and the RBF’s New York City program staff. By showcasing the works of the Fund's Charles E. Culpeper Arts & Culture grantees, the Pocantico Center's local audience enjoys new cultural experiences, while grantees gain exposure to their works.

Residencies

The Pocantico residencies support artists in their creative process. Residents stay at the historic Marcel Breuer House and have the opportunity to experience and learn from the remarkable natural, architectural, artistic, and intellectual resources that the Pocantico setting provides.

Public Visitation

In leasing the Pocantico Historic Area from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the RBF assumed the responsibility of providing public access to the property. To enable the public to visit the Historic Area, the Fund has contracted with Historic Hudson Valley, a nonprofit organization that owns and interprets five sites in the Hudson River Valley to operate tours of Kykuit and its sculpture collection and gardens, as well as the carriage and automobile collections in the Coach Barn. Tours are conducted between early May and early November. In 2010, 33,560 people visited the Pocantico Historic Area, touring Kykuit, its galleries and gardens, and the carriage and automobile collections in the Coach Barn.