(Albany, NY) The Hudson River Valley Greenway is pleased to announce that the Village of Irvington has been awarded a $2,500 council grant to fund a tourism trail program to honor one of its most famous residents, the celebrated 19th-century decorative artist Louis Comfort Tiffany. The Village of Irvington’s self-guided Tiffany trail tourism program will exist in both electronic and print formats and will capitalize on the wonderful artistic legacy bestowed on the Hudson Valley by one of America’s most revered designers and craftsmen.
Though the guided tour will concentrate on Irvington, the program will also range well beyond Village borders to include a number of Tiffany sites throughout the state. The mark of Tiffany’s long-time association with the Village is still very much in evidence in Irvington, whose Town Hall boasts a reading room, lighting fixtures, and mosaics of his design, but the historic Village will just be the centerpiece of an extensive and ambitious tourism network that links the many New York State locales touched by this treasured artist. By taking the initiative in this worthy venture, the Village of Irvington is creating a program that will undoubtedly attract visitors to communities throughout the Hudson Valley for the benefit of all.
Hudson River Valley Greenway Acting Director Mark Castiglione said, “Even in the exceptionally rich cultural landscape of the Hudson Valley, the beloved designs of Louis Comfort Tiffany stand out as crowning achievements in the decorative arts. There are few areas of the world that can rival the Hudson Valley not only for natural beauty but also the creative spirit so often inspired by it. As a steward of this privileged legacy, the Hudson River Valley Greenway is proud to support the Village of Irvington in its endeavor.”
Irvington Mayor Brian Smith added, “Irvington is proud of its history and Louis Comfort Tiffany and his works are interwoven throughout our community and the Hudson Valley. We look forward to drawing much deserved attention to those works and helping to drive economic activity in our region.”
With this Tiffany Trail Tourism Program, the Village of Irvington hopes to attract visitors to the Hudson Valley and encourage economic activity generated by this travel. Heritage tourism and the economic development associated with it have been at the forefront of the Greenway’s work since its inception and is wholly in keeping with its mission of promoting preservation, enhancement, and awareness of the Valley’s many cultural and historic resources.
The Hudson River Valley Greenway is a unique state-sponsored program established by the Greenway Act of 1991. More than eighty per cent of eligible municipalities within the Greenway area have joined the Greenway. The program is designed to encourage communities to develop projects and initiatives related to the criteria of natural and cultural resource protection, regional and local planning, economic development, public access to the Hudson River (as well as other regional and local resources), and heritage and environmental education. It provides technical assistance and small grants for planning, water trail and land-based trails and other projects that reinforce the Greenway Criteria. In keeping with the New York tradition of home rule, the Greenway program has no regulatory authority and participation by municipalities in Greenway programs and projects is entirely voluntary. The Greenway also manages the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
Applications for the next round of Greenway grants are due August 29th, 2014. For more information, visit the grants page on the Greenway website.