irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $12KPerformances: Showcasing local musicians across diverse genres, Unison hosted an eclectic lineup of events-including poetry, theater, open mics, movie screenings and performance art supported by a NYSCA Individual Artist grant-offering something for every taste and age group.
- #2 $37KGallery/Sculpture Garden: Unison presented ten (10) gallery exhibitions throughout the year, featuring the work of local artists at various stages of their careers, including new work created with the support of a NYSCA Individual Artist grant, along with two (2) SUNY New Paltz student shows. In addition, our sculpture garden remained open year-round, offering an inviting space for community members and makers to explore and connect.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Floating Treatment Wetland Workshops
Hands-on workshops teaching community members to design, build, and install floating treatment wetlands using biomaterials to improve water quality and support riparian restoration.
Future Waters Commons
Floating research platform and classroom on the Wallkill River that hosts workshops and events to connect students, artists, and community members with ecological practices and river stewardship.
Gallery and Sculpture Garden Exhibitions
Year-round gallery exhibitions and outdoor sculpture garden showcasing work by local artists, SUNY New Paltz students, and emerging and established artists at various career stages.
Power Objects & (Im)Possible Demands
Community workshop and ritual led by artist Nancy Nowacek, inviting participants to create clay power objects symbolizing desires for transformative change in kinship with the river and more-than-human world.
Wallkill Futures
Participatory public art project series engaging communities along the Wallkill River through workshops, performances, and exhibitions focused on climate resilience and social investment in water futures.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 2 activities
- Hosts multidisciplinary art exhibitions and public programsOrganizes gallery and outdoor exhibitions, performances, installations, and public programs that foster dialogue, collective imagination, and community engagement at a historic site in the Hudson Valley. Programs include work by local, student, self-taught, and immigrant artists across sculpture, installation, social practice, performance, and photography.
- Presents arts programming focused on environmental stewardship and climate resilienceHosts exhibitions, workshops, and installations that explore connections between art, science, and environmental renewal, particularly in the Wallkill River watershed. Projects incorporate scientific data, biomaterials, and community science to address ecological degradation and promote climate resilience.
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Cultural Exchange and Community Integration Events 1 activity
- Amplifies immigrant and culturally diverse voices through artProduces multidisciplinary programs such as "Still Becoming: Arrivals & Afterlives" and "Cultura Viva" that honor immigrant experiences, stories, and creative practices—particularly from Hispanic communities—through exhibitions, story circles, performances, and participatory installations.
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Live Music Performances & Concerts 1 activity
- Hosts live and recorded musical and performance art eventsPresents live and pre-recorded performances featuring local and nationally recognized musicians and performers across genres including bluegrass, jazz, folk, indie, poetry, theater, and performance art. Events have included silent discos, open mics, movie screenings, and socially distanced outdoor concerts during the pandemic.
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Free Public Access Nature Sites 1 activity
- Maintains year-round public access to sculpture garden and gallery spacesKeeps a woodland sculpture garden open to the public throughout the year and provides community access to gallery spaces at below-market rates for activities such as photography shoots, life-drawing, dance, and design studios.
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Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
- Provides artist-led workshops and participatory community art projectsOffers hands-on, collaborative workshops led by artists and tradition-bearers that engage participants in making, storytelling, and shared experience. Activities include natural dyeing, sculpture creation, currency design, speculative future videos, and seed-carrying boat construction, often tied to environmental or migration themes.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$160K
Contributions & grants$112K70%
Program service revenue$15K9%
Investment income$2200%
Other revenue$33K
expenses
Total expenses$151K
Program expenses67%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising14%
Salaries & benefits$51K
Grants paid out$29K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$163K
Cash$12K
Investments$11K
Liabilities$104K
Net assets$59K
Liquid reserves1.8 mo
4 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -51.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARIA ELENA FERRER-HARRINGTON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (FROM JUNE 2024) | 40 | $29K |
| FAHEEM HAIDER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (UNTIL FEBRUARY 2024) | 40 | $10K |
board members · 7
- CHRISTINE STAGE — TREASURER
- ELIZA EVANS — SECRETARY
- JEAN-MARC SUPERVILLE SOVAK — MEMBER (RESIGNED MAY 2024)
- MATTHEW FRIDAY — VICE PRESIDENT
- PHYLLIS CHEN — MEMBER (RESIGNED MAY 2024)
- RICHARD WEBB — PRESIDENT
- SUSAN DINGEE — MEMBER (FROM NOVEMBER 2024)
relationships · 23
Who they work with
- Britannia Partner — Provides ocean-current map data used in the multidisciplinary artwork.
- Camilo Rojas Partner — Exhibiting artist contributing to the Arrivals & Afterlives program
- Cesar Kastro Partner — Exhibiting artist contributing to the Arrivals & Afterlives program
- Esperanza Cortés Partner — Exhibiting artist contributing to the Arrivals & Afterlives program
- Gretchen Partner — Co-creator of the participatory workshop on currency design.
- Guidestar Government — Displays Guidestar Transparency Seal, indicating public reporting and accountability practices.
- Hudson River Watershed Alliance Partner — Community partner in the Wallkill Futures project
- Jaime Ransome Partner — Guest curator collaborating on the Triennial: Art, Land & Future.
- Kate Hamilton Partner — Collaborating artist who created the interactive installations for The Changing Room exhibition.
- Laura Partner — Co-creator of the participatory workshop on currency design.
- Marielena Ferrer Partner — Exhibiting artist contributing to the Arrivals & Afterlives program
- NASA Partner — Provides ocean-current map data used in the multidisciplinary artwork.
- NYSCA Funder — Provided an Individual Artist grant supporting performances and new artwork in gallery exhibitions.
- National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Funded Wallkill Futures through a 2024 Our Town grant
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Primary grant funder supporting Unison's programming
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Supports Unison Arts' programming through state arts funding
- SUNY New Paltz Partner — Collaborated on student art exhibitions featured in Unison's gallery program.
- The Tile Works Partner — Collaborates with The Tile Works in Doylestown, PA to highlight historical ceramic techniques.
- Tona Partner — Co-creator of the participatory workshop on currency design.
- Unison Arts Partner — Organization hosting the 2024-25 arts experiences.
- Virginia Lavado Partner — Exhibiting artist contributing to the Arrivals & Afterlives program
- Wallkill River Watershed Alliance Partner — Community partner in the Wallkill Futures project
- Wallkill Valley Land Trust Partner — Community partner in the Wallkill Futures project
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Art as Social Change and Collective Inquirymethodology: art-for-social-changeBy using art as a vehicle for social inquiry and participatory engagement, the organization fosters creativity, equity, and resilience in communities because artistic processes open space for alternative narratives, challenge symbolic systems of value, and invite collective reimagination of social and ecological futures.
- Experiential and Participatory Art Learningmethodology: experiential-learning-through-makingBy engaging participants in artist-led making, shared creation, and interactive installations, the organization deepens personal and cultural understanding because hands-on, collaborative artistic practice fosters inclusion, destabilizes fixed meanings, and distributes authorship to empower diverse voices.
- Inclusive Representation as Cultural Resiliencemethodology: inclusive_artist_representationBy integrating self-taught, vernacular, and professional artistic practices in shared spaces, the organization strengthens community belonging and reveals living culture because inclusive representation honors diverse histories and affirms creativity as a collective, resilient force shaped by memory and place.