Sydney

Waller

ABOUT

Sydney L. Waller, founder of the Art Garage, Cooperstown and a dynamic force in the Upstate arts scene, is dedicated to showcasing artists whose compelling work might otherwise go unseen locally. An arts consultant, she also represents the estate of farmer-artist Lavern Kelley (1928-98), ensuring that his legacy endures. Her own publications span diverse regional topics, including farm outbuildings, the history of Sculpture Space, and baseball art—the latter accompanied the internationally-touring exhibition, Diamonds are Forever: Writers and Artists on Baseball. She co- produced Lavern Kelley, Farmer Artist, with Catskill Art Space.

Her career encompasses  leadership roles at various New York institutions: co-founder, Gallery 53 Artworks, Cooperstown; Director, Lake Placid Institute for Arts and Humanities, NYS Alliance for Arts Education, Albany and Sculpture Space, Utica. At the latter she oversaw a decade of exceptional growth -- including securing permanent artist housing and developing a sculpture park, Rome, NY. She also served as Director of Development / Public Affairs, NYS Historical Asso., the Farmers’ Museum and Fenimore Art Museum.

Waller's NYSCA public service includes terms on visual arts panels and participation in key initiatives such as the rural arts partnership and artist residencies leadership consortium.

Educated at Smith College (B.A., Art History) and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (M.Ed., Human Development), she deepened her contemporary arts knowledge with a post-graduate internship at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

With a background rooted in rural Connecticut, formative years in France, and deep Upstate connections, Waller remains actively involved in her community. She chairs her local planning board and volunteers with Cornell's MFO (Master Forest Owner) program, blending her commitment to the arts with a passion for rural and environmental stewardship.