2022 Special Exhibitions
Each year the Thomas Cole National Historic Site presents special historic and contemporary art exhibitions in the New Studio, Main House, and across the Site. Additionally, we have ongoing presentations and displays of artworks and objects from the Site’s collection and on long-term loan. Check out our past exhibitions.
Permanent Exhibition
Mind Upon Nature: Thomas Cole’s Creative Process
In the Main House
This exhibition is an exploration of the Thomas Cole’s working process, ideas, and vision. As evidenced in Cole’s artwork and writing, he was fascinated with art, nature, myth, history, and called for a balance between the natural and built worlds. In this special new installation, visitors will see major paintings by Cole alongside a rich array of the artist’s sketches, the books and objects that inspired him, and the pigments and materials that Cole used to realize his artworks.
The Pollinator Pavilion
Through Fall 2022 on the Grounds
Visit the site-specific outdoor public artwork designed by internationally renowned artists Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood. The Pavilion provides a fantastical architectural setting to encounter birds year-round while exploring a nurturing relationship with nature.
Travelling Shows
Shi Guorui: Ab/sense Pre/sense (2019)
at the Albuquerque Museum
October 8, 2022–February 12, 2023
“Historic and Contemporary Landscapes” at the Albuquerque Museum features three exhibitions from the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in New York with works by Thomas Cole, Kiki Smith, and Shi Guorui, engaging with the Hudson River area in New York. In addition, Albuquerque Museum presents an exhibition of works by Nicola López and Paula Wilson reflecting on human interactions in New Mexico’s desert landscapes.
Kiki Smith: From the Creek (2017)
at the Albuquerque Museum
October 8, 2022–February 12, 2023
“Historic and Contemporary Landscapes” at the Albuquerque Museum features three exhibitions from the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in New York with works by Thomas Cole, Kiki Smith, and Shi Guorui, engaging with the Hudson River area in New York. In addition, Albuquerque Museum presents an exhibition of works by Nicola López and Paula Wilson reflecting on human interactions in New Mexico’s desert landscapes.
Thomas Cole’s Studio: Memory and Inspiration (2022)
at the Albuquerque Museum
November 19, 2022–February 12, 2023
“Historic and Contemporary Landscapes” at the Albuquerque Museum features three exhibitions from the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in New York with works by Thomas Cole, Kiki Smith, and Shi Guorui, engaging with the Hudson River area in New York. In addition, Albuquerque Museum presents an exhibition of works by Nicola López and Paula Wilson reflecting on human interactions in New Mexico’s desert landscapes.
About Historic Exhibitions
Each year, The Thomas Cole National Historic Site invites a guest curator to bring a new perspective to Thomas Cole’s work by creating a new exhibition of nineteenth-century art in Thomas Cole’s reconstructed New Studio. The exhibitions bring together artwork from museums and private collections across the country.
About Contemporary Exhibitions
OPEN HOUSE: Contemporary Art in Conversation with Cole is an annual series of curated contemporary artist installations located within, and in response to, the historic home and studios of artist Thomas Cole. Operating from the concept that all art is contemporary, the program activates conversations between artists across centuries. Exhibitions and artworks have ranged from those that literally reference Thomas’s iconic works to those that expand on issues and themes relevant to him, including art, landscape, history, and balancing the built and natural worlds. OPEN HOUSE projects shed light on the connections between nineteenth century American art and our contemporary moment.
About the Permanent Exhibition
Mind Upon Nature: Thomas Cole’s Creative Process is an exhibition of original objects and works of art on view in the Main House. The exhibition explores Thomas Cole’s working process, ideas, and vision through a rich array of sketches, the books and objects that inspired him, and the pigments and materials he used to realize his artworks. This exhibition is refreshed annually and highlights original objects and artwork from the museum collection and major works on long-term loan. It is located inside the Main House.