After some needed time away for rest and refurbishment, the fluted, two-story Greek Revival-style columns flanking the entry of the Arnot Art Museum at 235 Lake Street, Elmira, will soon be ready to return home. And all parties—literally—to the enterprise are delighted.

At this writing, tall scaffolding supports the triangular neo-classical pediment, making the building look very much a work in progress. “We’ve been concerned about the exterior envelope,” says Director Rick Pirozzolo. “The museum turned a hundred years old in 2013. We do an excellent job in caring for our collections, but every day I came into the museum for the past twenty years, I’d think: We’ve got some paintwork to do.”

He was right. When native son Todd Yoggy moved back to the community seven years ago, the celebrated interior and architectural designer visited one of his favorite museums and saw the entry to the building with fresh eyes.

“Looking at the [outside of the] museum, everything looked as if it needed attention,” Todd says. Closer inspection told him, “The majestic columns were rotten, there was water at the base of the columns, and no air circulation to dry them. I spoke with Rick, who said, ‘But there’s no money.’” While the amount needed for any renovation/restoration project can be a moving target, a goal was set of raising $250,000 to address the restoration of the columns, the most pressing need. And the Four Columns project was born.

Rick was delighted. “There are very few institutions remaining with a facility like our Victorian picture gallery. Paintings there are still hung in the same format as they were in our founder’s lifetime [1880s]. We have lots of legacy, lots of history. We decided we had to address some of the facility’s maintenance needs.”

And to do this required targeted fundraising. Todd, Maria Winston (also a trustee), and Rick came up with a new idea to put the “fun” in fundraising—a series of elegant, themed parties. “[We thought] let’s have some parties! Everyone likes coming to parties as a fundraiser.” Would it work?

Some funds were available from the City of Elmira and the Matthias Arnot Society, this last the top-tier membership level of annual givers who often help with capital campaigns. But more money—a lot more—would be needed to preserve Matthias’ legacy.

All About the Arnots

Who was Matthias Arnot? It’s the very question art dealers were asking in the 1870s and 1880s, when the Elmira businessman began frequenting art auctions in Europe, often outbidding other, better-known art collectors.

His father was self-made businessman John Arnot, who came to America with his family from Scotland at the age of nine and worked tirelessly throughout his life. John Sr. began working as a merchant in Albany, then came to Elmira seven years after his marriage, dedicating his energy and funds to building the region into a thriving community. He built the mansion on Lake Street, now the museum, in 1833, the year his son Matthias was born.

The senior Arnot was Elmira’s first mayor, a director of the Chemung Canal Bank, investing in real estate and infrastructure, including roadways, canals, and railroads. In his last years, he invested in productive coal mines. He was known as the richest man in Elmira and also as someone both just and generous. A bust of John Arnot Sr., looking as regal as a Roman emperor, graces the gallery known as the Founder’s Room, where works of art Matthias acquired are displayed as they were in his lifetime.

In fact, the statue of his father, commissioned in Rome from sculptor Chauncey Ives, an American expatriate, was Matthias’ first art purchase, brought home in part to charm his father into allowing him to collect art.

John raised his children to have a strong sense of community involvement. His wife and only living daughter, Marianna, put their time and energy into charitable programs. Later in life, Marianna married the first mayor of Chicago (William Butler Ogden) and returned to Elmira as a widow to found Arnot Ogden Hospital.

Like his father, Matthias invested in local real estate and businesses, in addition to continuing the family’s involvement with the Chemung Canal Bank, and was involved in enabling three foundries to set up in the area. He was described in his eulogy as a “Captain of Industry,” and seemed to truly enjoy making money, which he apparently accomplished with skill and wisdom. “The masses in Elmira could not know Mr. Arnot personally,” his obituary observes. Despite his work and dedication to the community—for many years he served on the board of education—“In many ways, he was almost a recluse…his was a single and lonely life.”

He’d studied painting and sculpture while a student at Yale University, but followed his father into business. Later in life, having secured his father’s approval, he began collecting art. In the 1880s, he commissioned an addition to his house to better accommodate his growing collection. When he died in 1910, his will left the city his mansion and its art collection, intending it to become a museum open to the public to enrich the community. The Arnot Art Museum opened its doors in 1913.

Jewel in the Queen City’s Crown

In the more-than-a-century since, its footprint and gallery space have continued to expand, aided by enthusiastic patrons, members, and trustees. Although it is a modestly-sized museum, it contains an enviable collection of Old Masters as well as newer art, and an extensive art library, as per Matthias’ wishes. It also offers regular programs encouraging schoolchildren to engage with art.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have a museum of this caliber in this area,” says Maria. “It is truly a gem of the Southern Tier. What’s wonderful is you can not only come in and enjoy the art, it’s also become a center for the arts that can be enjoyed by all ages. It’s become a place of gathering and enjoying the art community, which is critical.”

“The best part about the museum is the sense of community it brings to you,” Todd says. “You can be from any walk of life and walk through the museum and learn something new. A lot of cities the size of Elmira don’t have anything near this collection. I see it as sort of the jewel in the crown of Elmira, architecturally beautiful in scale and proportion.”

The museum maintains its relevance with an eclectic mix of classic and modern art, hosting several special exhibits a year celebrating artists of historical significance like the just-finished “The Wildness and The Promise” featuring landscapes from the Hudson River School, and “Seventeen Stars,” where gems from the museum’s collection are juxtaposed with other takes on a similar theme, some on loan to the museum for this show. The work of notable local artists is also showcased. Upstairs is an Egyptian gallery Todd would like to see restyled to the period when Matthias added those pieces to his collection. There’s also a growing collection of art photographs. The light-filled interior is a comfortable blend of the original house flowing into more modern gallery space. It adds up to a museum beloved by its community, whose enthusiasm Todd, Maria, and Rick were counting on.

It’s My Party…

To kick fundraising off, Todd offered to host the first party—a Tudor Holiday at his Tudor-style home. “I always have a fourteen-foot Christmas tree, I’ve got a Christmas ornament collection dating back three generations…so we did it.” Tommy Hilfiger underwrote the cost of the party so the entirety of ticket sales could go toward the restoration. This pattern, with other sponsors, was followed in subsequent parties. Almost 140 people attended.

“It was a magical night,” Todd says. “Tommy was amazing; he posed for pictures with different guests. Fabulous food, great cocktails and wine, and Tommy being there was exciting for a lot of people. It was a very wonderful event.” After this success, the group immediately began planning the next party, intending to have four more in 2020.

“And then covid hit,” Todd continues. “It was two full years before we could pick up and start again.” After the pandemic receded, four parties were held in 2022, beginning with the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at the Van den Blink home, where many women wore elaborate floral hats and Claire Van den Blink was dressed as the Queen of Hearts. Then came the Summer Lawn Whites, where almost every party-goer wore white, outdoors at Todd’s house, and where the sun emerged from the clouds right on time. These were followed by a Great Gatsby bash at the Vervalin residence, and an Après-ski Afternoon at the Meier residence. In 2023, the museum was the site of the Black and White Gala, while the Studio 54 Hustle was held in the former Iszard’s building. Last year, An Afternoon at the Palme Royale was hosted by the Johnson-Schmidts, and a Moulin Rouge Experience was held at the home of the Hunters.

Each party was unique, meticulously planned, calling upon a cast of dedicated volunteers to make and install decorations and see to other details under Todd’s direction, each party thus becoming itself a small work of art. Party photos record beautifully-dressed guests talking to each other and clearly enjoying themselves.

Says Elmira resident AJ Fratarcangelo (an artist with hair and make-up), who attended every event, “They were magical! Todd Yoggy just has this creative insight to be able to envision a scene and he executes it. It’s really quite amazing. You walk into this fantasyland for a few hours and just kind of get swept away.”

Each party featured a signature crafted cocktail. Hors d’oevres were enticing and beautifully presented, appropriate to the theme and the period commemorated. Among the guests were often celebrities who mingled and chatted with other partygoers. There was special themed music, additional conversation-starters in the form of exhibits, photographs, and more. Guests could always count on having an entertaining and interesting time.

The cost of beverages, refreshments, entertainment, flowers, and other party accoutrements were underwritten by a wide spectrum of sponsors from Elmira, Corning, and beyond—too many to name, Todd says. Rick adds, “All the sponsors were important, no matter how many zeros were written on the checks.” The community was generous. So were attendees. Though most party tickets cost north of $150 per person, love for the museum prompted many to give more. “The more the word got out, the more people engaged,” Maria says. Some partygoers came from surprisingly far away to attend. “It was a big commitment for those people,” she says of the hosts, though the same might be said of those who traveled far to be there.

One of Maria’s favorites was the 1970s Disco Party held in the second-floor rooms of the former Iszard’s building. They’re currently being renovated to become condos, but for many attendees, it was a trip down memory lane in so many ways.

“We transformed that second floor into a disco,” she says. “People came in ’70s clothing and it was phenomenal. You couldn’t recognize people because of the outfits and the wigs. Some people wanted to see Iszards one last time and remember the tea room there.”

Once again, Tommy Hilfiger contributed to the party by setting up mannequins wearing an assortment of vintage clothing reserved from his first Elmira store, The People’s Place, which Maria recalls as “The place to go buy bell-bottom jeans.”

The final party was based on the movie Moulin Rouge. Just as the movie was a feast for the eyes and senses, the party offered guests a chance to see circus performers, including acrobats and a fire-eater. A DJ played “La Vie en Rose”, and while there’s no record of anyone having fallen in love at the party, the tarot reader might have predicted romance for a few attendees. A guitarist and flutist entertained, and smokers enjoyed a cigar bar. “The whole atmosphere was just incredible,” Maria says. “And we were fortunate with the weather. It was outdoors on the lawn.”

“The Moulin Rouge was the best,” AJ agrees. “Looking around you could have been in Italy or the south of France or Beverly Hills. It was just incredible. The visuals, the lighting, the entire setting was just spectacular. I want to see the museum maintain and sustain itself and this was a wonderful way to show support and have a great time.”

Museum member Jim Gray built an eight-foot-tall windmill for the Moulin Rouge party. He and his wife, Faith, who helped with decorations for most of the parties, attended a few of them and say they were marvelous. “I just tied ribbons and helped hang things. I just came and did whatever they told me to do,” Faith says modestly. (Maria and others say Faith’s help was critical.) The windmill was another donation; after a young partygoer fell in love with it, the Grays and the museum staff agreed to sell the prop at a later time for a contribution to the museum.

The organizers could enjoy their accomplishments, but Todd admits planning the parties could be nail-biting. “I’m completely stressed the whole time, having to be really hands-on, making sure there was enough food, ice, wine, lighting, talking to people,” he says. “But it was a lot of fun for everyone else.”

Through the combination of the parties “and very generous donors, including people who were formerly from the area who heard about how fabulous the parties were and sent us wonderful checks,” Todd says, the money was raised to make the restoration of the columns possible. “It’s been a great unity. I don’t think a single person said no when I asked.”

Last August a scaffolding was erected to hold up the heavy triangular pediment (the porch roof) so the columns could be removed and taken to Honeoye Falls Millworks for restoration. Proprietor Jim Turner has studied and worked with elements of historical architecture for thirty-five years. “They’re hollow in the middle,” he explains of the usual column construction. “They’re made like a barrel, with individual, cambered [curved] staves.” His examination of the original columns leads him to the 90 percent certainty that they’re made of Eastern white pine.

“Old growth lumber,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons they’re in fairly good shape. The growth rings are close together, which makes the wood fairly tight-grained and rot-resistant. I suspect the trees were well over a century old when they were cut.”

His work on the columns included stripping paint from the capitals and remaking the bases, which had deteriorated from moisture wicked up from the ground into the stone the columns stand on. He’s also creating height adjustments to allow the porch to be raised for enhanced handicap accessibility, another capital improvement on the docket for the near future.

“Any time we take off paint, we’ll find things that need to be repaired,” he says. “We want to send them back in as close to new condition as we can.” The plan is to reinstall the columns, primed and painted with their first coat of white paint, sometime in January 2025; a second coat of paint will be added in warmer weather after installation.

The good news is, the success of the parties exceeded the cost of phase one renovations, allowing planners to move ahead with planning phase two. This will require another round of fundraising, but the party planners say it will be something other than a second series of parties.

But for those who missed the chance to attend those elegant events, as well those who did attend and now miss them, the Arnot Art Museum offers another party close to Valentine’s Day (arnotartmuseum.org). The Heart’s Desire gala fundraiser features hors d’oeuvres, beverages, desserts, beautifully-dressed partygoers, and a chance to win $10,000 (which many winners have immediately donated back to the museum).

It’s also an opportune time to say hello to your favorite paintings, and acknowledge that the museum itself is a work of art, heart, and community.