ora schneider regional residency grant

The Ora Schneider Regional Grant is a month-long residency for artists residing in Greene, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, and Orange counties. Gail Schneider Matlin—a gifted artist, former WSW board member, and daughter of Ora Schneider—funds these residencies to honor her mother’s long-time commitment to our community’s cultural life.

Ora Wadlin was born in Brooklyn in 1916 and moved with her family to a farm in Rhinebeck as a small child. She was the third eldest in a large family of 7 girls and one boy. Growing up on the farm she and her sisters did most of the work and she always said she was the only jeweler’s wife who knew how to milk a cow. Ora went to business school in Kingston where she met her husband to be George Schneider. They were married in 1939 and Ora worked in their family jewelry store alongside her husband for most of her life. She was the main buyer for Jewelry and Gifts. Ora loved to play golf, travel, and she especially loved to dance. Once her daughter Gail introduced her to WSW she became a loyal supporter and attended the annual auction from its earliest beginnings, always donating something from Schneider’s and as an enthusiastic buyer. She had a wonderful sense of humor, a beautiful smile and a love of life. Ora died on November 25, 2005. In Ora’s honor her daughter Gail Schneider, an artist and former WSW board Co-Chairperson, established and funds a residency to support sustained opportunities for Artists. Gail, who now lives in San Diego, draws her earliest childhood inspirations to make art from the Hudson Valley and now the desert regions of Southern California. The Ora Schneider Artist in Residency Program began in 2006 and continues to provide opportunities for regional artists.

WSW awards this residency to two artists, who may choose to work in any of our studio disciplines.