Exhibitions

River Views of the Hudson River School

In 1609, Henry Hudson made his historic voyage up the Hudson River. 2009 is the 400th anniversary of this event, launching a wide variety of river-related events up and down the valley. To tie in with the region-wide celebration, the Thomas Cole Historic Site presents a loan exhibition of paintings by 19th-century masters of the Hudson River School of art, depicting views of the Hudson River and related and connecting bodies of water. Included are oil paintings by Thomas Cole, Sanford Gifford, Jasper Cropsey, and others. The exhibition is curated by Nancy Siegel, Associate Professor in Art History at Towson University, Towson, MD, and accompanied by a catalogue with an essay by Dr. Siegel. Accompanying the exhibition are a series of guided hikes to the magnificent places depicted in the paintings.

Alfred T. Bricher, Up the Hudson, 1864. Private collection

Programs and Events

Guided Hikes 2009: Official Launch

The Thomas Cole Historic Site is pleased to launch a new series of guided hikes on the Hudson River School Art Trail, which brings you into the magnificent landscapes that inspired Thomas Cole and other luminaries of 19th-century landscape painting. The hikes are made possible through the Carol T. Savage Art Trail Docent Program, named in honor of our late friend and former Board Chairman. The first hike and a press conference are scheduled for the morning of June 6th, National Trails Day.

• June 6: Sunset Rock and the Catskill Mountain House (Moderate) - SOLD OUT
• July 18: Kaaterskill Falls and the Catskill Mountain House (Mod) - SOLD OUT
• August 1: The Catskill Mountain House and North-South Lake (Easy)
• September 5: Kaaterskill Falls and the Catskill Mountain House (Moderate)
• October 3: Sunset Rock and the Catskill Mountain House (Moderate)

The Hudson River School Art Trail experience includes the following components:

• A copy of the Hudson River School Art Trail Guidebook, a new 48-page book with full-color illustrations ($7 value)
• A guided tour of the Thomas Cole Historic Site at the end of your hike ($8 value)
• A guided hike/walk along the Hudson River School Art Trail (free)

“River Picnic” Summer Party

Saturday, July 4, 2009

-- THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT --

This year, as it is the Quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s 1609 voyage, our biggest fundraiser of the year will be a glorious river party on the broad lawn that stretches from a high bluff down to the river’s edge at the home of our board chairman Lisa Fox Martin and Dick May, featuring a 180-degree view of the Hudson River. The evening will include cocktails by the pool followed by a classic Hudson Valley supper around a great open tent while admiring the fireworks overhead and the twinkling lights of the many small boats below. The rain date is Sunday July 5th. Tickets are $125 or $100 for members. Sponsorships are available at the Platinum ($1500), Gold ($1000) and Silver ($500) levels. Checks may be sent to the Thomas Cole Historic Site, PO Box 426, Catskill, NY 12414 or you may register online below.

Making a River
New family programs at both Olana and the Thomas Cole House

Four Sundays, once a month, 1 to 4pm
June 14 at Thomas Cole
July 12 at Olana
August 16 at Thomas Cole
September 6 at Olana

Enjoy an afternoon with the kids at either Olana or the Thomas Cole House, join a story-circle about the Hudson River, study original 19th-century paintings of the river, walk outside to the river's edge to sketch the views, create your own paintings of the Hudson River, and take home a free copy of a book by the renowned illustrator Thomas Locker. Offered once a month, alternating between Olana and the Thomas Cole House, 1 to 4pm, on the following Sundays: June 14 at Thomas Cole, July 12 at Olana, August 16 at Thomas Cole, and September 6 at Olana. Open to all ages. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Free bus pick-up at the Hudson Area Association Library, 400 State Street, Hudson, at 12:40pm, and at the Catskill Community Center, 344 Main Street, Catskill, at 12:50pm. For more information, contact Cheryl O'Donnell at 518-828-1872.

"Making a River" is made possible through the Hudson River Improvement Fund administered by the Hudson River Foundation.

Major Speaker Event: Barbara Novak

Sunday October 25, 2pm

Barbara Novak, widely recognized as one of the most influential theorists of American art, will speak at the Thomas Cole Historic Site for the Fourth Annual Raymond Beecher Lecture, named in honor of Greene County’s late historian and philanthropist. Novak is credited with having pioneered the study of 19th-century American painting -- and inspiring a generation of influential scholars to study their national culture -- with her ground-breaking book American Painting of the 19th Century (1969), called "probably the best book ever written in the field" by The New York Times. Professor Novak's numerous books have profoundly affected the way we see American culture, exploring themes such as identification of God with nature, and the persistent fantasies that inhabit American culture such as the "widespread belief that America's natural riches were God's blessings on a chosen people." Her book, Nature and Culture: American Landscape and Painting, 1825-1875, (1980, revised 1995), nominated for several prizes, was described as "the most important contribution to the understanding of nineteenth-century American art that has been written in our generation" by John Baur of the Whitney Museum. For her presentation at the home of Thomas Cole, Novak has written a new talk, entitled "Thomas Cole: Pioneer, Predecessor and Prophet." The event takes place in Temple Israel, which shares a parking lot with the Thomas Cole Historic Site. Admission is first-come-first served.