What is the CIA Marriott-Pavillion?
“We are immensely grateful to The Culinary Institute of America, and the visionary Dr. Tim Ryan, who with his incomparable staff, gave us a spectacular platform from which to share our work these past few years. It is with profound gratitude that we recognize and thank our staff, board members, community champions, sponsors, and most of all, our audiences, who made Half Moon Theatre soar.
THANK YOU and we hope you all continue to support live theatre — wherever you may live!!”
After three years at the Culinary Institute, Half Moon Theater closed its doors and it peaked an interest… What else does the Marriott Pavillion Space offer? What programs do they hold in this extravagant auditorium, speakers, conferences, or even graduations? I adventured over to the Culinary Institute of America to speak with Sharon Matyas, Special Events and Community Relations Manager, to discuss the history of this fairly new facility.
Only four years old the Marriott Pavillion is fairly busy year round with events, graduations, conventions, even the County Executive will be coming by the end of the month. With over 800 seats in their auditorium and another 300 in the conference space below, the possibilities with the space are endless. Matyas said the main purpose for the space is for the Associate’s Degree graduations which occur every three weeks, “Every three weeks we have between 50 and 100 students that graduate from our Associate’s Degree program, and then three times a year we Bachelor’s graduation.” Since the Culinary program runs differently than most colleges their schedules don’t compare to the typical yearly structure. The purpose of the space was to have the graduation there, previously they would alternate rooms and set up but now there was a designated indoor space to occupy families. For those international families unable to make the ceremonies they live stream the event.
“Usually the Monday after graduation we start a new group,” Matyas said, “For our associates degree program. So then we have Orientation where we have families come in start off their new students, and we actually do a toquing ceremony where students get their chefs hats to signify the start of the program. When they graduate they get a cordon medal and they also get a diploma to signify the completion of the program.”
The space itself was built for the student graduations, but around the 19 graduations that the CIA has a year, they fill in the space with outside events. Previously with County Executive Marc Molinaro, performing arts groups of all types, strings and dance, have used the space, and soon enough Marist will be there as well for their Harmony on the Hudson Concert.
A conference that has been held at the CIA called, “Menus For Change” has been held at the Hyde Park campus for the past five years every June. Their partner in the project, Harvard.
The most shocking element wasn’t just the space, but walking downstairs to this gorgeous wall that took up an entire wall. Named Lou’s Wall for Lou Dorfman of CBS, during his 40 year tenure at CBS, the three dimensional ode to typography and food now hangs outside the conference room of the pavillion. The wall is breathtaking on its own, the lettering, the intricate fonts, blended together they create a stunning piece of artwork.
The conference room that is the main level of the two story space is just a breathtaking as its theater. The immediate grab is the kitchen placed at the end of the room right in the center. Matyas explains to me how the space is often used as a reception area for conferences and after graduations, but also can be a demonstration area. The kitchen and monitors are used from time to time to hold classes and teach students or even experts on new ways to cook. The room has dividers and can actually be separated into five separate spaces if people so choose to ask for it that way.
The CIA campus as a whole feels like the grounds to a castle, and all those that inhabit it are creative and inspirational students who followed their passion for cooking to this incredible campus right on the Hudson. Learning more about their newest space opened a sense of wonder to my eyes. Walking through I couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful space I was standing in, the simple set up of the empty stage took my breath away. Visit the Marriott-Pavillion website for more events that are scheduled to take place through the coming months, you never know what you might find.
