Art community mulls impact of college closing

By kAtE Hill Staff Writer

On Jan. 18, CazArts creative alliance gathered representatives of the local arts community at the Cazenovia Public Library & Museum (CPL) to begin exploring options for the future of the arts without Cazenovia College.

On Dec. 7, 2022, the nearly 200-year-old college announced its decision to permanently close following the spring 2023 semester due to financial difficulties.

The meeting of the arts community explored how the closing is expected to impact the arts, where things stand with the college and what is being done, ideas for repurposing the college’s facilities, and ways the arts can aid in the reimagining of the community’s future.

The following organizations were represented: CazArts, Catherine Cummings Theatre, Cazenovia Artisans, Carpenter’s Barn Studio Artists, Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA), Cazenovia Area Painters, Cazenovia Art Trail, Cazenovia College Art & Design Program, Cazenovia College Art Gallery in Reisman Hall, Cazenovia Counterpoint, Cazenovia Forum, Cazenovia Heritage, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF), CPL, Cazenovia Watercolor Society, Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce, Lorenzo State Historic Site, National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, New Woodstock Free Library, and Stone Quarry Hill Art Park.

“Many of us were finding that no matter where we went, we were hearing conversations

[about the college],” said CazArts President Geoffrey Navias, who facilitated the meeting. “People care about the college closing and are worried and upset, so there were lots of conversations. Lots of it was [based on] misinformation or not full information or just no information at all. So, we thought, ‘We need to call a meeting and start to get as accurate of information as we can out to [the arts community] and talk about what we are going to do.’ That is what we are doing tonight.”

Before proceeding with the bulk of the evening’s agenda, Navias took a few moments to acknowledge the many facilities, programs and supports that the community is losing due to the college closing.

The college consists of the main village campus, the Stephen M. Schneeweiss Athletic Complex at the end of Liberty Street, the Jephson Campus (South Campus) on Albany Street, the Catherine Cummings Theatre on Lincklaen Street, other village properties, and the Equine Education Center outside the village on Woodfield Road.

Navias invited the attendees to share the aspects of the college that they are currently grieving.

The group came up with a list that included concerns about the loss of the following: stu- dents and parents; diversity; the print shop and bookstore; programs/events that connect the college to the community such as Jazz-N-Caz, Great Minds/Great Ideas Lecture Series and continuing education programs; tourism; the theatre and art gallery; the athletic complex; well-maintained campus gardens, facilities, and streets; jobs; and the community’s identity.

“[This list] is on top of the fact that we are grieving a couple of years of the pandemic and hard political times; there is a lot of grief that we are carrying with us,” said Navias.

Cazenovia College closing background, current situation

CACDA Executive Director Lauren Lines summarized the circumstances that led to the college’s decision to close.

Lines explained that the institution was faced with a “perfect storm” of multiple external considerations, including unfavorable demographics.

According to Lines, Cazenovia College is certainly not alone in this respect. A lot of small colleges across the county are experiencing similar enrollment issues, and the issue is about to get even worse.

Lines explained that the population of col-